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| Middle East |
| Powell announces international conference on Palestine |
| 2002-05-03 |
| US Secretary of State Colin Powell announced a short time ago that an international conference would be held this summer to try to advance the peace efforts. Officials from Europe, the United Nations and Russia are joining the United States in promising to work for settlement, he said. This looks like it might be a push to continue the Beirut proposal of the Potentate Currently Known as Prince. Doubtful anything of substance will happen - ranting and vitriol and finger-pointing, most likely. Powell urged Israel to lift restrictions on Palestinian travel and said Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat should also take steps to bring calm to the region. He said that Arafat, since his virtual house arrest had ended, now "has an opportunity to show leadership, ... to say to the Palestinian people, 'This is the time to find a peaceful way forward."' President George W. Bush also set tough terms today for a Palestinian state, saying it must be democratic and not based on a foundation of terror and corruption. Hand me a tissue, please? I was drinking coffee... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |