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Powell Says Arafat Should Not Be Exiled
Reuters, Apr 2, 2002


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020402/ts_nm/mideast_powell_dc_22

Powell Says Arafat Should Not Be Exiled

Tue Apr 2,10:01 AM ET
By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) on Tuesday dismissed Israeli suggestions that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) should be forced into exile and said he expected Israel's incursion into the West Bank city of Ramallah to last a couple of weeks.
    Powell, in a round of interviews on morning U.S. television shows, said Arafat had an important role to play in the Middle East peace process and should not be forced out of Ramallah, a suggestion made by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites).
    "We think that Chairman Arafat still has a role to play. We believe that as a leader he can speak out against the kind of terrorist activity we have seen," Powell said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" show.
    "Sending him to exile will just give him another place from which to conduct the same kinds of activities and give the same messages as he is giving now. Until he decides to leave the country, it seems to me we need to work with him where he is," Powell added.
    Israel invaded Bethlehem and other West Bank towns on Tuesday and Sharon said he had told world leaders worried about Arafat's plight that they could pluck him from Ramallah by helicopter. However, the Israeli leader said Arafat's departure would have to be "a one-way ticket" and "he would not be able to return."
    Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat immediately dismissed the offer, saying Arafat, who has sworn to die a martyr rather than bow to Israel, would never accept exile.
    Powell said Israel had assured him it had no intention of hurting or killing Arafat or of permanently occupying Palestinian towns, cities or villages.
    "I have heard different estimates of how long they think it would take but I would guess right now that they are expecting it will take them a couple of weeks," Powell told NBC's "Today" show when asked how long Israeli troops would be in Ramallah.
    "I hope this will end quickly but I cannot predict when the Israelis will make their judgement that they can withdraw because they have dealt with the terrorist threat as they have seen it," he added.

APPEAL TO ARAFAT

Israeli tanks have besieged Ramallah since last Friday in a major sweep aimed at arresting Palestinian militants following a spate of suicide bombings. Arafat has been trapped in his headquarters in the city since then.
    Powell has consistently appealed to Arafat to do more to end Palestinian attacks, which have put Israel on a war footing following a spate of suicide bombings during Passover.
    Powell reiterated on Tuesday that Arafat needed to take a more active role in ending the violence.
    "He has not done enough in our judgement with respect to stopping the terrorist activities or calling upon his people to stop conducting activities of this kind," he said.
    There has been speculation that Powell might go to the Middle East soon in an attempt to jump-start the stalled peace process and bring the warring factions together.
    Powell said he had already been twice to the region and was ready to go again when the time was right.
    "I've always kept myself open to do whatever is appropriate, but I think we have been deeply engaged and I've been playing the correct role over the last several weeks," he told CBS.
    "We're ready to move forward. We're ready to send whoever we have to wherever we have to, to get this process moving forward, but not trips just for the sake of trips," he added.
    Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) returned last month from the region, where he met a broad range of leaders but did not hold talks with Arafat.
    Cheney said he would meet Arafat if the Palestinian leader implemented a U.S.-brokered plan enforcing a cease-fire.
    The United States supports a cease-fire plan negotiated by CIA (news - web sites) Director George Tenet in June 2001 and a broader plan for a path back to peace talks prepared under the leadership of former Sen. George Mitchell last May.

Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited



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