Mission fails as Israel talks tough

WASHINGTON, NOV. 13. The crucial talks between the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Barak, here have failed to yield any breakthrough on the issue of ending violence in West Asia, with Mr. Barak asserting that Tel Aviv would not ``sit idly'' in the face of the continued Palestinian protests and attacks.

No progress was made during the two-hour meeting between Mr. Clinton and Mr. Barak on the Sharm-el Sheikh goal of reducing the violence between Israelis and Palestinians as a prelude to the resumption of peace talks, Israeli officials said.

Mr. Clinton, who is striving to broker peace in the troubled region before his term ends in January, was told by Mr. Barak that Israel was not prepared to ``sit idly'' in the face of continuing Palestinian protests and attacks, a senior Israeli official said.

Mr. Barak, accusing the Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat, of trying to ``internationalise'' the conflict to win territorial concessions, also asked Mr. Clinton to appeal to the U.S.'s European and other allies to put pressure on the latter to calm down the situation, the official said.

Mr. Barak was apparently referring to Mr. Arafat's call at the U.N. for a 2,000-strong U.N. force to protect the Palestinians against Israeli troops and his renewed proclamation of a ``jihad'' against Israel at the latest Islamic meet which supports any Muslim country on any issue, against a non-Muslim or secular nation.

U.S. and Israeli officials said the main focus of the Barak- Clinton meeting was to discuss ways to implement the ceasefire accord that Mr. Arafat and Mr. Barak agreed to in Mr. Clinton's presence during last month's Sharm el-Sheikh meeting. Under the accord, brokered by Mr. Clinton in the Egyptian Red Sea town resort on October 17, both sides were to take concrete measures to stop violence and enhance security cooperation.

Despite no progress being made in yesterday's Clinton- Barak meeting, Israeli radio reported that the U.S. President was seeking to organise a three-way summit with Mr. Arafat and Mr. Barak before demitting office in January.

Quoting an ``important figure'' travelling with Mr. Barak, the radio said Mr. Arafat had already agreed to such a meeting.

Mr. Barak yesterday also held meetings with the U.S. Secretary of State, Ms. Madeleine Albright, and the West Asian envoy, Mr. Dennis Ross.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Alert in London against rebel IRA attacks
Next     : A political battle looms in Japan too