(Washington Post) - Secretary of State Powell emphasized that ending the violence was the key condition for movement, but representatives of the EU, Russia and the UN stressed parallel efforts on humanitarian aid and political reform, and reciprocal steps by Israel. Prime Minister Sharon, in a letter to Powell over the weekend, said "Without a reconstituted security organization, there will be no Palestinian fight against terror and the Israel Defense Force will remain in the heart of Palestinian cities." He described the Palestinian Authority as "grounded in the existence of 12 armed gangs, competing with each other in the murder of Israelis and innocent Palestinians, pillage, extortion, and collection of protection money." A senior State Department official said the United States was working with the "Egyptians and others" on ways to build a professional Palestinian security force.
2002-07-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive