Sharon, Arafat not peacemakers

2003-10-16 21:35

Paris - US former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat, are "stubborn old men who hate each other" and she doubts that either are peacemakers.

In a wide-ranging interview, Albright also had strong words for French President Jacques Chirac and US President George W Bush, saying they imperiled the United Nations with their dispute over whether to wage war in Iraq.

"The Bush-Chirac combination put the Security Council in difficulty. Between them, they paralyzed the council, which is a very dangerous thing," she told a small group of reporters.

Chirac led European opposition to the war, saying UN weapons inspectors should get more time to see if Saddam Hussein could be disarmed peacefully. With Chirac threatening to use France's veto, the United States and Britain waged war without a UN resolution specifically approving the campaign that ousted Saddam.

"I think Chirac's dream is to counterbalance America, but that's not possible," said Albright. "It is better for France and America to be on the same side because we are the most capable of getting things done."

Albright said that before the war, she believed Saddam was already contained and that "we should concentrate on Afghanistan".

"Now I think the Allies should stay in Iraq," she said. "I don't think there's a link between Iraq and al-Qaeda but terrorists want to go there to kill Americans."

Albright spoke mostly in French during the interview to promote the release in France of her memoir, Madam Secretary. Some of her hardest comments came in brief remarks in English.

"Arafat and Sharon are two stubborn old men who hate each other," she said.

She added that "hardline Sharon may be capable of making peace", but then said in French that "I don't see Sharon as a man of peace".

Of Arafat, she said: "He came to my home, on my farm, we invited him several times to the White House and I'm happy to have done so: Now I know him and feel I can say that he does not want to make peace."

Albright said she did not want to criticise her successor at the State Department, Colin Powell, but added "I think there's not enough diplomacy" from the Bush administration.

"The ideologues of the Bush administration wanted already to invade Iraq in 1997. What's happening today is the result of ideology, bad calculations and things that were not foreseen," she said.

- SAPA