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U.S. Diplomat Says Palestinian Reform All But Halted

(Reuters/MSNBC) - ''I will be blunt. The reform process is at a near standstill,'' Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield said in a sharp assessment delivered to the Quartet task force on Palestinian reform in Rome. Satterfield called on the new Palestinian government to take a series of actions, including: unifying and reforming Palestinian security services; direct deposit of all security service salaries; adoption of a revised elections law; passage of capital markets legislation; and restraint in Palestinian Authority wages. The U.S. diplomat also faulted Israel for not having done enough to help the process of Palestinian reform. ''Continuing Israeli restrictions on movement, and the consistent failure to issue permits to Palestinians identified as critical to the success of the reform effort, significantly hamper the Palestinian reform agenda,'' he said. ''Quite simply, there is much more that the Israeli government can do and should do - without compromising its legitimate security interests.''
2003-12-12 00:00:00
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