Tuesday, Mar 26, 2002
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A RUNNING FEUD: A Palestinian refugee girl runs past graffiti depicting the Palestinian struggle at Beirut's Mar Elias camp on Monday. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon expressed doubts over the outcome of the Arab summit in Beirut. — Reuters
The Ministers met under tight security to prepare for a summit of heads of state on Wednesday that is expected to launch the Saudi proposal on ending 18 months of bloodshed in the Israeli-Palestinian areas and turning regional attention back toward peacemaking. Mr. Moussa said challenges include occupation of Arab land, threats of strikes on an unspecified Arab country — a reference to U.S. threats of military action against Iraq — and threats to Islamic culture. "This summit is sensitive because the international and regional situation is so critical and we as Arab States and societies face an unfavourable situation at this stage of international developments," Mr. Moussa said. "It relates to the future of the entire region: either justice, peace and progress or total chaos and escalating confrontations with consequences nobody can predict." Before Ministers began a closed session, Mr. Moussa called for an initiative to "restore matters back to order after the continuous attacks against us and against our positions on various subjects relating to war, peace and the future." The Palestinian issue is high on the agenda, but it was not clear whether the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, would be able to take part in the deliberations. He needs Israeli permission to travel from the Palestinian territories to Beirut, and an Israeli official speaking in Jerusalem said Israel would decide whether to grant it Tuesday, the day before the summit. The Israeli adviser, Raanan Gissin, added Israel would not allow Mr. Arafat to travel unless he takes decisive steps against militants. The Palestinian Planning Minister, Nabil Shaath, said chances for Mr. Arafat's attendance were slim.
U.S. keen on ceasefire
Sridhar Krishnaswami reports from Washington: The Bush administration is leaning hard on the Israelis and Palestinians to agree to a ceasefire. Washington is keen that Mr. Arafat should attend the Arab Summit. The United States fears that if Mr. Arafat is not allowed out of Ramallah, the focus of the meeting will be on the Palestinian leader and not on the peace process. Administration officials believe that the presence of Mr. Arafat in Beirut will add momentum to the Saudi plan. The Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who is in El Salvador, said he hoped there would be progress at the Beirut meeting. "There is a very positive declaration in draft form that I think could be an important step forward dealing with the recognition of the right of Israel to exist and dealing with Arab nation relations with Israel as we go forward and, of course, endorsing the Palestinian State to live side by side with Israel," Mr. Powell said. U.S. efforts at mediation ended on Sunday after Israeli and Palestinian negotiators broke off talks, saying they had to study the U.S. proposal on a ceasefire. According to one version, Washington has proposed that the truce period be reduced to two weeks instead of the four weeks demanded by Israel.
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