Ha'aretz

08:04 27/11/2001

Last update - 14:16 27/11/2001

Sharon to U.S. envoys: Arafat established a coalition of terror

By Aluf Benn and Amos Harel, Ha'aretz Correspondents and Ha'aretz Service

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told United States envoys to the Mideast Anthony Zinni and William Burns during their meeting Tuesday morning that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat "had established a coalition of terror with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, PLO, Tanzim and Force 17 [Arafat's presidential guard]."

Sharon added that Arafat was not fighting terror and that the Palestinian Authority was not taking any preventive actions, such as arrests, in order to foil terror attacks.

Sharon also told the envoys that achieving a cease-fire was of supreme importance to Israel. "We will do all that we can for the success of your mission," Sharon told Zinni. Zinni said his goal was to achieve a cease-fire and that he was glad to be in Israel.

Sharon received the report on the Afula shooting attack in which two people were killed and more than 20 injured during the meeting with the envoys.

The prime minister also reiterated his demand for a complete stop to terror, violence and incitement, and for seven days of complete quiet as the first step in the implementation of the Mitchell plan.

The meeting was attended by the cease-fire negotiation team appointed by Sharon: former Maj. Gen. Meir Dagan, diplomatic consultant Danny Ayalon and former ambassador to the UN Dori Gold. The PMO's director-general Uri Shani, military secretary Moshe Kaplinsky, government secretary-general Gideon Sa'ar and media advisor Arnon Perlman were also present. The meeting was attended by Aaron Miller and U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer.

After the meeting Sharon took hosted his American guests on a helicopter tour of the West Bank. The three were scheduled to have lunch together at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem.

Zinni, who met Israeli security chiefs for an initial briefing upon his arrival at Ben-Gurion airport on Monday, is to meet separately on Tuesday with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.

On Wednesday Zinni and Burns are scheduled to meet with Yasser Arafat and his senior aides.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001