US President George W. Bush demanded Sunday that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hunt down those responsible for "horrific acts of murder" against Israel as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the White House. Meanwhile, the PA declared a state of emergeny in the lands under its control.
"This is a moment where the advocates for peace in the Middle East must rise up and fight terror," Bush was quoted by AF as saying as he headed into the White House for the meeting, which was moved up from Monday after a string of suicide bombings in Israel.
Twenty-seven people, including three suicide bombers, died in attacks claimed by militants of the hard-line Islamic group Hamas in Jerusalem and Haifa on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds of people were injured.
"I strongly condemn the acts of murder that killed innocent people in Israel," Bush said. "Chairman Arafat must do everything in his power to find those who murdered innocent Israelis and bring them to justice."
The US leader pointedly did not, as he has in the past, call for restraint from Israel in responding to the attacks, said AFP.
And US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that now was a "moment of truth" for Arafat to rein in violence after a string of suicide bombings in Israel, while Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said Arafat is incapable as a leader. Arafat, meanwhile, has declared a state of emergency in the Palestinian lands.
According to AFP, Powell said the United States would not tell Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon -- now in Washington for a hastily rearranged meeting with President George W. Bush -- what to do in response.
"It is a moment of truth for Mr Arafat," Powell said, adding that the strikes were "direct attacks against his authority."
The suicide bombings -- late Saturday in Jerusalem, and Sunday in Haifa -- left 28 people dead and wounded hundreds.
Powell, who called Arafat after the attacks in Jerusalem, said he had made clear to the Palestinian leader that he must take immediate steps to bring the violence down.
Powell, speaking on CBS television's "Face the Nation" program, said that Arafat had agreed that "these are attacks against him as well as attacks against Israel."
"And I said to him: 'Well if that is the case you need to respond accordingly, this cannot just be round up some suspects and that'll be the end of it. It's got to go beyond that."
The agency added that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld took a harder line on Arafat, questioning his leadership abilities and doubting his effectiveness.
"He is not a particularly strong leader and I don't know that he has good control over the Palestinian situation," Rumsfeld was quoted as telling NBC television's "Meet the Press."
"He has not ever delivered anything to the Palestinian people throughout history," he said. "His record is not particularly impressive."
Arafat has declared a state of emergency in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Sunday, official Palestinian radio reported, quoted by the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz.
The decision was made after Arafat held separate meetings in Ramallah with security chiefs and the Palestinian Cabinet following the twin suicide bombing and car bomb that killed 10 Israelis in Jerusalem on Saturday night and a bus bombing in Haifa that killed at least 14 more on Sunday.
The state of emergency means, for example, that only the police will be allowed to carry arms in the Palestinian areas. Groups violating the emergency regulations would also be banned, according to the report.
Arafat met with some of the PA security chiefs from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and later convened the Palestinian Cabinet in order to discuss the recent incidents.
Nabil Abu Rdainah, a senior aide to Arafat, said the security meeting was convened to consider taking a "very important decision." He gave no details.
"It was decided the Palestinan Authority would hunt down activists and the (militant) Islamic Jihad and Hamas groups, and people suspected of involvement in attacks," the senior official said.
Minister of Planning Nabil Shaath also told Al Jazeera satellite channel that the PA would take landmark decisions, and called on the “brothers in Palestinian groups,” to abide by the ceasefire ordered by the leadership – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
