Sharon outlines peace plan

WASHINGTON, MARCH 20. The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon, has defended an Israeli crackdown on Palestinian citizens and outlined for American backers his plan for scaled down peacemaking.

As some 300 people protested Mr. Sharon's appearance, the new Israeli Prime Minister told the American-Israel public affairs committee yesterday that a peace agreement with the Palestinians was possible, but not until the violence of the past six months ceased.

``I believe that Israel can reach an agreement with the Palestinians, and I will make every effort to reach such an agreement,'' he said at the group's annual conference.

Mr. Sharon said he envisioned two stages of any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, with the first focused on easing restrictions on Palestinian civilians and restoring Israeli security through an end to violence.

In the second stage, ``We will restart the negotiations,'' said Mr. Sharon, calling for ``a new, more realistic approach of non- belligerency and a long-term interim agreement.''

Mr. Sharon yesterday met the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, the CIA Director, Mr. George Tenet, the National Security Adviser, Ms. Condoleeza Rice, and the Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld. He will meet the President, Mr. George W. Bush, at the White House today.

Gen. Powell told Mr. Sharon Israel must offer hope to the Palestinians, who for months have languished behind intermittent blockades of Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel, which has also faced criticism from the European Union, says the blockade is in response to violence by Palestinians, who rose in revolt last September after peace negotiations with Israel began to collapse. More than 420 people have been killed, most of them Palestinians.

Mr. Sharon defended Israel's actions in his speech, saying, ``more than ever, Israel needs security zones to protect it from the growing dangers in the Middle East (West Asia). The Palestinians need contiguity, and a better economic future.'' He again accused the Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat's Force 17 presidential guard of having planned a car bomb attack in the heart of Jerusalem last week.

Powell unveils approach

Gen. Powell has unveiled the Bush administration's basic approach to the West Asia peace process but said he had no magic formula to end violence.

``I have no magic formula. I cannot snap my fingers and make the current situation go away or turn it around. What I can do, however, is to present some basic ideas that will guide the U.S. approach as we approach the Middle East (West Asia) and the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in the future,'' he told the American Israel public affairs committee.

Evoking applause from the strong lobby group supporting Israel for each of principles he outlined here yesterday, Gen. Powell said: first and foremost, the violence must stop.

``Leaders have the responsibility to denounce violence, strip it of legitimacy, stop it. Violence is a dead end.'' Gen. Powell said, ``The status quo is costly and, if allowed to drift, will only lead to greater tragedy.''

He said neither Israelis nor Palestinians were served by the current situation. Both sides required a dialogue that would lead to mutually acceptable political, economic and security arrangements be they transitional or permanent, partial or whole.``

- Reuters, PTI

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Section  : International
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