[Reuters] Wafa Amr - Mahmoud Abbas is having trouble persuading Western powers to lift sanctions on a unity government with Hamas that does not fully meet their demands, Palestinian officials said on Tuesday. They said Western policymakers generally feel the deal did not go far enough toward recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and accepting interim peace deals as demanded by the Quartet of Middle East mediators. Western diplomats said the Quartet was unlikely to make any major decisions on lifting sanctions until the unity government takes office and begins implementing its policies, a process that could take weeks. "There is a consensus that no decision will be taken too quickly," said a Western diplomat involved in the deliberations.
2007-02-14 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive