Palestinian officials will only meet with US Secretary of State Colin Powell if they receive a green light from Yasser Arafat, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat revealed.
"Powell will not find a single Palestinian prepared to meet outside of Arafat's office," Erakat said Monday after meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa in Cairo.
"The alternative to President Arafat and to the Palestinian leadership will be (inter-Palestinian) fighting without geographic limits," the official warned. Powell said Sunday that the United States does not expect to deal with Arafat in the future "because his leadership is flawed."
In a related development, speaking Monday to the seventh Labor Party convention, Israel’s Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said that a replacement needed to be found for Arafat.
According to Peres, United States President George W. Bush had actively disapproved Arafat as leader of the Palestinian people. "We are facing a situation in which we must look for or create a suitable partner for the war on terrorism, or one that is worthy for peace," the foreign minister said.
While not stating Arafat's name directly, Peres said, "worthy partners must be found, but this will only come to pass if there is a diplomatic horizon in addition to the war on terror." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
