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Powell: U.S. Does Not Support Elimination or Exile of Arafat

(FOX News) - Secretary of State Colin Powell told FOX News Sunday: "Yasser Arafat, we believe, has not been helpful to peace, and that's why we would not deal anymore with him after the president gave his speech of June 24th of last year. And that's why we believe it's very important for the Palestinian people to be represented by a prime minister, elected by their legislature, and with all the power of a prime minister, and with all the security and military and paramilitary assets of the Palestinian people so that that prime minister can go after terror. Until we get rid of terrorist activity and terrorist organizations such as Hamas, which continue to use terror as a political weapon to kill innocent people and destroy the dreams of the Palestinian people for their own state - until we do that - it has to be done by the Palestinians - we are going to have difficulty moving forward on the road map." "The United States does not support either the elimination or the exile of Mr. Arafat. It's not our position, hasn't been. The Israeli government knows it. And I think the consequences would not be good ones. I think you can anticipate that there would be rage throughout the Arab world, the Muslim world, and in many other parts of the world."
2003-09-15 00:00:00
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