The Hindu : Powell warns Hamas against violence

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Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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Powell warns Hamas against violence

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon (left), with the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, at the end of a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Friday.

JERUSALEM June 20. Calling Hamas an ``enemy of peace,'' the United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said on Friday that the Palestinian Authority must strip the group of its terror network and that negotiating a truce — as the Palestinian Prime Minister has been doing — is not sufficient.

As Gen. Powell spoke at a news conference with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, an Israeli driver was killed and three passengers were wounded in a Hamas shooting attack in the West Bank. Since a West Asia peace summit two weeks ago, 27 Israelis and 40 Palestinians have been killed. Four of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks on Israelis.

Gen. Powell said the violence was all the more reason to implement a U.S.-backed peace plan, which was launched at the summit. ``The pace and urgency of our work needs to be maintained in order to capitalise quickly and decisively on this moment that history has given to us,'' Gen. Powell said after meetings with Mr. Sharon and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom.

Gen. Powell singled out Hamas as an ``enemy of peace.'' The Islamic militant group has killed hundreds of Israelis in recent years and has been trying to scuttle peace efforts, including the latest plan, the so-called ``road map'' to Palestinian statehood by 2005. ``We must make sure that all international pressure possible is brought to bear on these organisations, so that they know they will not succeed, they will not prevail, they will be dealt with,'' Gen. Powell said, referring to the Palestinian militias, including Hamas. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader, responded angrily to Gen. Powell's comments, calling him a ``big liar.''

``This is a statement that reflects and proves that he is a little slave to the Zionists and to his master Sharon, that he is the real enemy of peace and justice in the world,'' he said.

Gen. Powell met later the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas, who has been trying to negotiate the terms of a cease-fire with Hamas. Mr. Abbas has said he will not launch a crackdown for fear of triggering a civil war.

After meeting with Gen. Powell, Mr. Abbas demanded that Israel take steps to ease restrictions on Palestinians, stop settlement building and ``change itself from an enemy into a partner.''

``The logic of confrontation cannot match the logic of peace,'' Mr. Abbas said.

Gen. Powell said he and Mr. Abbas spoke mainly about security arrangements.

Gen. Powell said he again stressed that Palestinian attacks must end. ``Violence and terror is not the way to build a state,'' he said.

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