08 November 2001

Excerpt: Palestinian Authority in "Total Support" of Anti-Terrorism

(PA's Nabil Shaath meets Secretary of State Powell 11/08)

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said a senior Palestinian official, in a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell November 8, expressed "the total support" of the Palestinian Authority for the international campaign against terrorism.

Nabil Shaath, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the Palestinian Authority, told Powell that the Palestinians view the terrorism of al Qaida as a "betrayal" of the Palestinian cause, Boucher said, briefing reporters at the State Department in Washington November 8.

Regarding the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, Boucher said Powell emphasized the importance of reducing violence, restoring trust and moving toward a new round of political negotiations, as called for in the Mitchell Committee recommendations, Boucher said.

In his discussion with Shaath, Powell reiterated the call to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to "carry out their responsibilities to find, arrest and bring to justice all those responsible for terrorist actions and violence," Boucher said.

Powell and Shaath noted that Israeli forces have begun to withdraw from Palestinian areas, and the United States wants to see a complete Israeli pull out, Boucher said.

Powell "made clear that [Israeli military] incursions contribute to an escalation of the violence and should cease," Boucher added.

The following excerpt from the transcript of Boucher's briefing contains his comments about the Shaath-Powell meeting:
(begin excerpt)

QUESTION: What happened in the meeting this morning between the Secretary and Mr. Shaath?

MR. BOUCHER: They, as you might expect, discussed the current situation in the Middle East. I think the first thing to point out is that he expressed once again the total support that we have from the Palestinian authority for the effort against terrorism, and their very profound understanding of the threat that terrorism points to us all. And said, I think, what they might have said before, that they don't want to be -- the Palestinians don't want to be used as the pretext for the bin Ladens of the world. He made quite clear that that, they felt, was not only a false claim by al-Qaida and groups like that, but also a betrayal of their own cause and counterproductive for their own cause.

They also, as you might expect, discussed to some extent the situation, the current situation and how we can move forward towards implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations.

The Secretary stressed the importance of reducing the violence, restoring trust and confidence, and moving towards the eventual resumption of negotiations based on 242 and 338. And that, after all, is the goal of this process and has been from the start of the Administration -- reduce the violence, ease the restrictions, get back into negotiations so you can start solving the real political problems that are there.

The Secretary did reiterate the call for Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to act immediately to carry out their responsibilities to find, arrest and bring to justice all those responsible for terrorist actions and violence. He noted the Israeli withdrawal from Ramallah, following on the withdrawal from Qalqiliyah, Bethlehem and Beit Jala. Withdrawal from Ramallah is a positive step and, as we have said publicly and in our private discussions with the Israelis, we want to see that step followed immediately by completion of the process. That's what the Cabinet declared earlier this week and we want to see that happen, completion of the process of withdrawal from Palestinian areas. And we have also made clear that incursions contribute to an escalation of the violence and should cease.

Finally, he made clear that positive actions, sustained and credible Palestinian actions to confront terror and violence, and Israeli steps to withdrawal and avoid provocation and build confidence facilitate this process of getting into Mitchell, implementing the Mitchell report, restoring the direct dialogue and returning to negotiation. And that's what we are looking for and looking for what we can do to continue working with the Palestinians and the Israelis to try to get to that point.

QUESTION: To follow up, after the meeting, Mr. Shaath said that he pushed for U.S. observers to the conflict. Has the position of the State Department changed at all in that? Are you willing to push the Israelis potentially harder and maybe try to accept observers?

MR. BOUCHER: The position that the Secretary expressed to them in the meeting was the same one that we have expressed before, that you find in the G-8 communiqué from the ministers in Rome and elsewhere, that we have always felt that there was a role for third party monitoring accepted by the parties in the implementation of these steps and that we could help at that point. And that was what the Secretary expressed again today.

QUESTION: About two weeks ago, you were calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal. You have since stopped saying "immediate." And the Israelis pretty well have ignored your advice on this.

Are there no repercussions if people to whom you give $3 billion a year completely ignore your recommendations?

MR. BOUCHER: As we say frequently around here, that would be interesting if it were true. But the fact is the Israelis are withdrawing and we welcome the steps that they are taking. They have begun the withdrawal and the call now is for them to complete that withdrawal and we expect them to do so. We have made quite clear that we continue to expect them to complete the withdrawal -- immediately, in case you want the word.

QUESTION: Immediately?

MR. BOUCHER: Complete the withdrawal immediately. But they've begun it now and we want to see it finished.

QUESTION: Once again, reports have surfaced that the Secretary is going to make -- on or before the UN General Assembly deliver some speech that puts out the Bush Administration's view of the Middle East. And has the situation changed since yesterday when you said he does not speak at the UN General Assembly and has no plans to speak before this weekend?

MR. BOUCHER: He has no speeches at the General Assembly and he has no plans to give a speech before the General Assembly.

QUESTION: Where do we stand on a possible meeting between the Secretary and Mr. Arafat?

MR. BOUCHER: We don't have firm travel plans for Mr. Arafat. And I think some others, as far as the travel to New York goes. Mr. Shaath this morning didn't give us any firm information on Mr. Arafat's -- Chairman Arafat's plans. But should he come to New York, the Secretary would look forward to seeing him.

QUESTION: Would you like Mr. Arafat to make the travel?

MR. BOUCHER: I will leave it to him to decide on his travel. Should he come to New York, the Secretary would look forward to seeing him. I think that's the best way to put it.

QUESTION: Do you know anything about a UN meeting coming within the next couple of weeks on the Palestinian territories that the U.S. and Israel are saying they'll boycott?

MR. BOUCHER: No.

QUESTION: In Switzerland?

MR. BOUCHER: In Switzerland? I'll have to check. I hadn't heard about it, no.

(end excerpt)