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U.S. Wary Until New Palestinian Leader Curbs Militias' Influence

(Los Angeles Times) Sonni Efron - Although Bush administration officials see the Palestinian election as an important opportunity to work toward Middle East peace, they will move cautiously until they are convinced that Abbas can curb extremist violence, State Department officials said. Administration officials are trying to dampen expectations of a dramatic breakthrough. They believe that the new Palestinian leadership may need time to get its house in order. The administration will be judging Abbas not on his campaign rhetoric but in part on his cabinet appointments. "Are there going to be terrorist elements as part of the government and the cabinet?" one State Department official asked. "The barometer for us is not the results of the election, it's the policies that the government pursues....If they were able to move boldly in a new direction, then yes, we'll be ready to respond in kind." U.S. officials remain wary because of suspicions that aid to the Palestinian Authority was misused and that some Palestinian security troops trained by the U.S. ended up fighting alongside the extremists. "Don't look for us to be opening up the floodgates of U.S. assistance if there is still a risk that that aid is going to be funneled off toward those who support violence," the State Department official said.
2005-01-10 00:00:00
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