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Don't mess up, Arafat told
03/06/2003 21:11 - (SA)
Sharm el-Sheikh - US Secretary of State Colin Powell bluntly warned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday against doing anything to hamper the work of his new premier, Mahmud Abbas, or working against the so-called "roadmap" for peace.
Powell, speaking to reporters after US President George W Bush and Arab leaders pledged firm support for the roadmap and the reform-minded Abbas at a summit here, said Arafat needed to act in the interests of the Palestinian people and peace.
He said he hoped Arafat would understand the "significance" of the changed situation.
Bush has sought to sideline Arafat for nearly a year and the veteran Palestinian leader was pointedly not invited to the summit, or to a second meeting that the president, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hold in Jordan on Wednesday.
"Yasser Arafat was not here today and prime minister Abbas was," Powell said at a joint news conference with national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. "We have made it clear that we believe that transformed leadership is necessary.
"I think it will be very, very unfortunate if Mr Arafat fails to recognize the significance of today - and what I'm sure will be the significance of tomorrow - that we are on a path to create a state for the Palestinian people," Powell said.
Spoiler
"If Mr Arafat does something to serve as a spoiler or attempts to be a spoiler, I hope he will be met by resistance from all the Arab leaders who are here today, and such spoiling activities will be met with resistance by the international community," he said.
Arafat, under heavy US and other pressure, only reluctantly agreed to creating the new position of Palestinian prime minister and fought bitterly with Abbas, his number two in the Fatah faction of the PLO, over how much power the post should have.
Bush had demanded a change in the Palestinian leadership and by extension, the creation of the job in return for US support for a Palestinian state. He also made release of the roadmap contingent on Abbas' confirmation by the Palestinian legislature.
However, since Abbas took office, Arafat continues to insist that he is truly in charge of the Palestinian Authority and has been accused by some of seeking to undermine the premier's power.
Boost Abbas
In addition, despite US and Israeli efforts to discourage Arab and other nations from dealing with Arafat in order to boost Abbas' position, officials from many countries, particularly Arab and European ones, continue to meet with him.
But on Tuesday, Arafat's name was pointedly absent from a statement read by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on behalf of the leaders of the four Arab nations that attended the summit.
The statement - endorsed by Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia - instead referred specifically to Abbas and his government, which Powell took pains to point out.
Powell said along with Arafat, he would like to see the Palestinian people recognise the shift and do their best to support Abbas.
"Above all, I hope the Palestinian people will see that in this new leadership, which they elected through their legislature, we have a chance that had previously been denied to the Palestinian people, and will not let anyone - to include Mr Arafat - deny them that opportunity," he said.
- Sapa-AFP
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