Powell lashes out at Arafat

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan – US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday blamed Yasser Arafat for blocking US efforts to strengthen Palestinian security forces as a means of ending terror attacks on Israel.

Winding up his latest effort to push peacemaking forward, without any apparent concrete results, Powell also criticised Arafat for a statement the Palestinian leader made Saturday to his people urging them to “find whatever strength you have to terrorise your enemy.” “Mr. Arafat continues to take actions and make statements to make it exceptionally difficult to move forward” on peacemaking, Powell said at a news conference before returning to Washington from the World Economic Forum held at an isolated Dead Sea resort.He said Arafat “refuses to allow consolidation of security forces” among the Palestinians, a key US demand intended to curb terror attacks and motivate Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to push ahead with efforts to reach a settlement with the Palestinians.”What I need from the Palestinians is for them to get themselves ready to exercise solid political control over Gaza when it’s turned back to them and to put into place security forces that can do that,” Powell said later in an interview taped with ABC for broadcast on the network’s This Week show.”What they need to do is to wrest control of the security forces from Chairman Arafat. … The Palestinian leaders can do it and the leaders of the Arab world can do it by saying to Chairman Arafat that you’re policies have not been successful, your leadership has not be successful in moving this process forward.”In a separate interview for the same ABC show, King Abdullah II of Jordan avoided a direct answer when asked whether Arafat was an obstacle to peace, but said: “There is this unfortunate competition between Palestinian political society and that is weakening the Palestinian position.Until they can unify and come up with strategy that allows the international community to help them, then they will be in a very weak position.Arafat will have to decide how he is going to sort of implement himself in the future of Palestine.”- Nampa-AP”Mr. Arafat continues to take actions and make statements to make it exceptionally difficult to move forward” on peacemaking, Powell said at a news conference before returning to Washington from the World Economic Forum held at an isolated Dead Sea resort.He said Arafat “refuses to allow consolidation of security forces” among the Palestinians, a key US demand intended to curb terror attacks and motivate Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to push ahead with efforts to reach a settlement with the Palestinians.”What I need from the Palestinians is for them to get themselves ready to exercise solid political control over Gaza when it’s turned back to them and to put into place security forces that can do that,” Powell said later in an interview taped with ABC for broadcast on the network’s This Week show.”What they need to do is to wrest control of the security forces from Chairman Arafat. … The Palestinian leaders can do it and the leaders of the Arab world can do it by saying to Chairman Arafat that you’re policies have not been successful, your leadership has not be successful in moving this process forward.”In a separate interview for the same ABC show, King Abdullah II of Jordan avoided a direct answer when asked whether Arafat was an obstacle to peace, but said: “There is this unfortunate competition between Palestinian political society and that is weakening the Palestinian position.Until they can unify and come up with strategy that allows the international community to help them, then they will be in a very weak position.Arafat will have to decide how he is going to sort of implement himself in the future of Palestine.”- Nampa-AP