WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said on Sunday it was imperative Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) ''take positive action now'' to halt the violence in the Middle East.
Speaking on the CBS ``Face the Nation'' program, Powell said he told Arafat on Saturday night that ``he had to respond and not just pick up the perpetrators'' of deadly Palestinian bombings in Haifa and Jerusalem, but ``take action to make sure that there were not other perpetrators in these organizations getting ready to commit further acts.''
On CNN's ``Late Edition,'' Powell said, ``Hamas is one, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is another. He has to deal with these organizations.''
The armed wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the latest attacks on Israelis in the 14-month-old Palestinian uprising, saying they were to avenge Israel's killing of one of its leaders.
``And so it is a moment of truth, Mister Arafat,'' Powell said. `` ... I told him that it was absolutely necessary for him to take positive action now.''
Powell said Arafat in turn ``said rather specifically that he has expressed his condolences and he is going to work on it and he acknowledged that these were attacks against him as well as attacks against Israel.''
``And I said to him, well if that is the case, you need to respond quickly. This cannot be just a 'round up some suspects and that will be the end of it.' You've got to go beyond that. You've got to go after the organizations who are conducting these kinds of acts of terror and who are claiming credit.''
Powell turned up the pressure on Arafat after the Palestinian suicide bombings killed at least 25 people in Israel over the weekend and as President Bush (news - web sites) was to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) in Washington on Sunday. The developments threatened to scuttle a U.S. peace mission in the region by retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni.
Powell said he believed Arafat had enough control ``that would permit him to do more than he is doing now,'' including halting all incitement and putting perpetrators in ``real jails.''
``The deadline ought to be now. Stop now,'' he said. ``Use all of your legitimate power but more than that, use the power of your position as leader of the Palestinian people to bring this kind of ... violence to an end and make a 100 percent effort and get as high a level of results as you can.''
Powell said he did not know how Israel would respond.
``I know the pressure (Sharon) is under and I know the agony he must feel this morning,'' Powell said. ``But we must always keep in mind where we go now. How do we make things better, not how do we make things worse.''
source: HERE
Diogenises --- what's up? Why try to cast Powell as the enemy? Your photos should have been posted without slandering Powell!
...."Powell said Arafat in turn ``said rather specifically that he has expressed his condolences and he is going to work on it and he acknowledged that these were attacks against him as well as attacks against Israel.''
Gee... somebody needs to go back to school!