U.S. warns Israel off Arafat as Abbas quits

Haaretz ^ | 09-07-03

[Brian S]

U.S. warns Israel off Arafat as Abbas quits

_{By Aluf Benn and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents}

The United States has told Israel it expects "no surprises" regarding Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat following the resignation
of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday.

Abbas submitted his resignation in a power struggle with Yasser Arafat, dealing what could be a fatal blow to the U.S.'s road map for peace. Abbas's aides said he was bitter over his failure to carry out reforms and implement peace steps and was determined not to return.

It was not clear Saturday whether Arafat would accept Abbas's resignation, as he does not wish to be blamed for the road map's collapse and expose himself to Israel's threats of expulsion. However, Arafat did announce a caretaker cabinet, triggering off speculation as to whom his candidate for prime minister would be.

The White House on Saturday urged Israel to keep a cool head after Abbas's resignation and the Israeli missile strike in Gaza that wounded Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. "We are following events in the region closely and our representatives are in touch with all concerned parties," a White House spokesman said.

"At this critical moment, it is important that all parties consider carefully the consequences of their actions," the statement added.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Saturday he did not expect Arafat to be expelled at this time. Sharon intends to discuss the proposals to expel Arafat, as he has done in the past, but will take into account the Americans' objection to an Israeli move against the PA chairman for fear of the regional consequences.

Israel made it clear after Abbas's resignation that it would not hold talks with Arafat or any prime minister he appoints. Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz said that in principle, it would be better if Arafat were out of the territories, but did not suggest expelling him right now.

The U.S. said it expected Israel to uphold the understanding that any Israeli move "to take care of" Arafat was taken only after consultation between Jerusalem and Washington.

The Arafat issue was the main focus of the talks held by Sharon's bureau chief, Dov Weisglass, with U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington. Weisglass told his hosts that Arafat systematically and brutally undermined Abbas and was a growing obstruction to the road map. He said that as long as Arafat was there, the PA would not have a serious prime minister and the Palestinian security forces would not act in unison against terrorism.

However, diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said Weisglass did not ask the Americans for a green light to expel Arafat from the territories.

The American officials made it clear that the U.S. still adhered to the road map as the way to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Without raising objections to the Israel Defense Forces activity in the territories, Rice and Powell insisted that Israel take care not to harm innocent Palestinian citizens. The U.S. administration asked Israel to consider its steps carefully to make sure they do not damage "the overall picture."

A senior cabinet source said Saturday that the IDF would continue acting against Hamas and its leaders, in keeping with the security cabinet's decision of August 20, after the suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Well, to put it in a nutshell, if the lid blows off the kettle in the Holy Land and a general war breaks out all over the middle east over it, we don't have the forces available, them being occupied quelling Iraq and rooting out the Taliban remnants, to deal with it, or with the certain cut-off of oil supplies.

It's not that we wouldn't like to see them take him out in a perfect world, it's just that we have no way to deal with the worst outcomes that could result from Israel doing it.

[Bobby777]

with Iran and Israel now pointing Arrow missiles to intercept missiles from Libya (!) it sure sounds like they're prepping for what could be Ezek 38 ... I don't think that the whole world turns against Israel until "the abomination that causes desolation" ... regardless, I sure don't want to see a "Palestinian state" established ... but what will be, will be, I suppose ...

[Squantos]

Crazy daze.............IDF needs to end this fiasco yesterday !

Stay Safe Brian !

[glock rocks]

what kind of backroom buttrubbing kept this hairball alive this long?

[Brian S]

if the lid blows off the kettle in the Holy Land and a general war breaks out all over the middle east over it,

The same was suppose to happen once we advanced on Iraq. The "arab street' was set to explode. Didn't happen and it would not happen now.

The "middle east" is at it's most "shocked and awed" as we could ever hope it right now (which is not saying a lot, but time is a wasting)...

As is said, time to "crap or get off the pot"!

[goldstategop]

Exactly. Any peace initiative in the Middle East is pointless as long as the Chief Terrorist is allowed to remain around. We won't tolerate Osama Bin Laden being in good health; who are we to dictate to the people of Israel one world's most notorious terrorists deserves immunity? I think our government has a double standard in the War On Terrorism.

[Digger]

Israel, Just Do It! And GW, quit telling us Islam is a religion of peace. Instead secure our borders. As we all know, there will be no peace in the middle east until one side wipes out the other. Let the games begin.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

How in the hell can the US dictate to Israel that they shouldn't take out it's most vile enemy all the while dispatching 150,000 of our troops to hunt and kill Saddam Hussein?

Israel is, unfortunately for them, a vassal state of the USA. Without the USA they couldn not survive economically or militarily. Sad for them, to be at the beck and call of the passifist US State Department.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Scott, the USA and Israel could conquer the entire Middle east in a few months, given the resolve.

[MississippiMan]

Personally, I think the Palestinian people who really want peace should kill Arafat

Should both of them be involved, or should they draw straws?

MM

[Brian S]

sure don't want to see a "Palestinian state" established

There is a Palestinian State but somebody needs to "ping" Rand McNally...its aka, Jordan.

Using a little high school football cheer..."push em back, push em back...way back!"

[Bobby777]

yep, that's where they belong ... I was gonna mention it ... I'm glad you did ...

[glock rocks]

yep.

[Mo1]

If you cut off the head .. the rest will die

[Digger]

Gee, I wonder where the PLO got all of their weapons? It wouldn't have been under the impeached one? Ya know, that charade called the Oslo agreement when old Yasser got these weapons from us to give to his police force that was needed to capture the bad guys.

[blam]

"I think we are headed towards something very cataclysmic of that scale in months, not years perhaps... "

I think a lot of people are 'sensing' the same thing.

[FreedomCalls]

And in case some of us don't know or forgot, he ordered the death of two American diplomats in the 70's.

Don't forget that he organized the PLO terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

[Squantos]

Dunno ....for the price of a plane ticket and the loan of proper tools...................

Stay Safe !

[CyberAnt]

This is the State Department talking - not Bush. Bush has always said that Israel has a right to defend itself. Don't confuse the two attitudes .. they are different!

[MississippiMan]

You mentioned the Palestinians who want peace. That's the "both" I was referring to. ;-)

MM