Arafat 'a failed leader'
2002-09-08 13:58
London - US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday Yasser Arafat was
the legitimate Palestinian leader but he nevertheless regarded him
as "failed" and hoped other leaders would emerge.
"Mr Arafat is chairman of the Palestinian Authority and the head
of the PLO, and so that's simply a matter of fact," Powell told the
BBC's Breakfast with Frost.
Most Palestinians looked to Arafat as their leader, but Arafat
was "a failed leader" who had not brought peace, had not stopped
the violence and had not cracked down sufficiently on terrorist
organisations, Powell said.
"As a result of his failed leadership, it is incumbent upon us
to see if there are not other leaders within the Palestinian
community who we can work with," he said.
The United States had not suggested to the Palestinian people
that they overthrow him or to the Israelis that they send him into
exile.
Powell advocated Israeli withdrawal from the occupied
territories as part of a wider settlement and said the US would
back the formation of a Palestinian state.
"I think it would also help the situation enormously if we could
end settlement activity and ultimately end the occupation. But it
has to be part of a comprehensive solution," he said.
"End the violence and we will work to help the Palestinian
people have a state called Palestine, and we will work to end the
occupation and end the settlement activity," he said. - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA