U.S. tells Arafat to do more to stop violence

July 2, 2001 Posted: 9:12 PM EDT (0112 GMT)

By Andrea Koppel CNN State Department Correspondent and Elise Labott CNN State Department Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Palestinians need to do more to fight terror and end the violence in the Middle East, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Monday.

During a visit to Ramallah by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell last week, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat told Powell at a news conference that the Palestinians are committed to implementing the Mitchell Committee report, which calls for a halt in the violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher -- asked if Arafat was fulfilling that commitment -- said, "In this context, we think the Palestinians have not done enough to fight terror and to end the violence."

He added, "We also want to make clear that we remain opposed to Israel's policy of targeted killings."

Boucher said the United States is still looking for a "100 percent effort" by both sides to bring about a period of calm.

"Both sides need to exert maximum efforts to halt the violence, and we will continue to urge them to do so," he said. "Both sides have said there needs to be seven days of quiet and we are looking to them to make that happen."

Boucher's remarks came as two car bombs went off Monday in the Tel Aviv suburb of Yehud. No one was seriously injured.

Sunday, three Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in an Israeli helicopter attack. Israeli authorities said one of those killed was Mohammed Besharat, an Islamic militant on Israel's most-wanted list.

A senior U.S. official said that there is "deep concern" within the region that the cease-fire will not hold out much longer.

"The guy has to take action," said this official referring to the need for Arafat to bring an end to the Palestinian-led violence. "If he doesn't, there isn't anything else that can be done ... Once there's quiet, he knows the road map."

Powell met Monday with Shaul Mofaz, the chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces. After the meeting, Mofaz told reporters that the Palestinians have not lived up to the ceasefire brokered last month in the region by CIA Director George Tenet.

While he said Israel was "committed to peace," it will "not be defeated by Palestinian terrorist activity."

"We have the right to defend ourselves," Mofaz said.

Boucher said both the Palestinians and the Israelis had told Powell they wanted a period of quiet followed by implementation of the Mitchell recommendations, which call for a ceasefire, a confidence-building period and the ultimate return to the negotiating table.

"We still think there is an opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of," he said. "Both sides agreed they would try to get seven days of quiet. We think both sides need to take the steps -- effective steps -- to make that happen. That means doing more on the Palestinian side."

Asked he if believes Arafat was sincere in the statement that Palestinians are committed to ending the violence, Boucher said, "It's been several days since we heard that statement from Chairman Arafat and we think he needs to take more steps to make it effective. ... Both sides need to make a 100 percent effort. We look to the parties to take the steps necessary."

But another senior U.S. official was more pointed in his criticism, saying Arafat's own Fatah organization was responsible for the shooting death Thursday of an Israeli woman settler and the wounding of another.

This official claims the suspects fled into a Palestinian checkpoint.

"Why didn't (Arafat) arrest them?" this official asked. "He must not be prepared to touch the bad guys."

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001