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Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5Gu4OHrnPvRv0FRr6bLkFBuCcMgD9B2KO6O3
U.S. to PA: Peace Process More Important than Goldstone Report
[AP] Amy Teibel and Paisley Dodds - The Palestinian Authority, under heavy pressure from the U.S., has withdrawn its support for a UN Human Rights Council resolution on alleged war crimes in Gaza, diplomats in Geneva said Thursday. Diplomats said the Palestinian delegation's surprise turnaround means any resolution on the Goldstone report would likely be delayed until next March. Arab and Muslim countries who control the body may be reluctant to press ahead with the resolution Friday without Palestinian support. A senior U.S. official said the Palestinian decision came after "intense diplomacy" by Washington to convince the Palestinian leadership that going ahead with the resolution would harm the Middle East peace process. The U.S. would likely block a referral of the issue to the International Criminal Court because of its close ties to Israel and out of fear that the same logic could be applied against U.S. officials engaged in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington already has reacted coolly toward the Goldstone report.