US administration to continue pressures on Arafat
Palestine-USA, Politics, 2/9/2002

US President George Bush said on Friday that he told the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon that the US will continue pressuring the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat in order to take tangible steps towards what he has called " terrorism."

Bush added in statements to the press after his meeting with Sharon at the White House that the US will continue to pressure Arafat to convince him in taking measures to minimize what he called the "terrorist activity." Bush refused Sharon's call to boycott Arafat and to vow for other Palestinians and considered Arafat as the remarkable negotiator for the Palestinian side. Bush said that the US administration supports the foundation of the Palestinian states and that the US will give aids to the Palestinians.

Sharon claimed that Arafat obstructs the negotiations and blocks it. He called for making pressures on Arafat and said that Arafat is not a " partner" for Israel in any negotiations to be held in the future and admitted that a Palestinian state will be established by the ultimate end.

The Israeli defense minister Benjamin Bin Aliazer said he was surprised by the sharp American position towards Arafat and that the US Vice President Dick Cheny was tough towards the chairman of the Palestinian Authority when he said that Israel can "strangle" him and that he heard similar statements from advisor for the US defense secretary Doland Rumsfeld.

Previous Stories:
  Sharon confers with US President Bush   (2/8/2002)
  US: Arafat needs to do more   (2/5/2002)
  Powell: Washington wants Palestinian state but violence has to stop first   (2/2/2002)

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