Zinni to seek immediate implementation of Tenet plan
Palestine-USA, Politics, 3/12/2002

US Special Middle East Envoy General Anthony Zinni, who is returning to the region this week following the heavy Israeli-Palestinian violence, will seek the immediate implementation of the Tenet security work plan, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters March 11.

Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. leaders have endorsed the Tenet work plan as a means of working, through security cooperation, towards an enduring Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire and subsequent peace negotiations. During his visit, Zinni is likely to raise the possibility of sending U.S. monitors to the region as part of the security effort, Boucher said.

"We have already stated that a third-party monitoring mechanism could serve a useful role in facilitating implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans, that we are prepared to participate in such a mechanism if both sides agreed to such a step. Both sides have expressed in the past some receptivity to the idea. General Zinni will be taking up the issue with both sides as he discusses implementation of the Tenet steps," he said.

"What we're looking for from the parties overall are steps to reduce the violence, on the Palestinian side to dismantle the organizations that perpetrate violence, and on the Israeli sides to exercise more restraint and discipline," said Boucher.

Asked by reporters if the United States has asked Israel to lift remaining travel restrictions on Palestinian Chairman Arafat, the spokesman said, "The question of whether he should go to the Arab League summit in Lebanon is a question that we do think Prime Minister Sharon should give serious consideration to and make a judgment as to whether it serves his interests."

Asked "We seem to see a pattern in the last few days of United States or U.S. officials hinting that something might be a good idea and then Prime Minister Sharon, hours or a day later, deciding to take exactly that measure. What is going on here? I mean, how should we interpret this? Are you coordinating with him on these various steps in advance, or are you -- are they just succumbing to this new effort by the United States, or what? How do you explain this?" Boucher answerd " I would explain it in saying that we try to tell you as honestly as we can the issues that we're focused on and the issues that we're raising with the parties, whether it's raising with one party the arrest of individuals, or raising with another party the questions that we think need to be addressed in terms of the kind of violence against humanitarian workers that we've seen as a result of some of the IDF actions. So we do raise these issues with the parties, and when you ask us about it we try to reflect that accurately to you. But one can only hope that we are able to continue working with the parties to resolve the current issues and issues that are a focus to both of us and to help them find solutions. But, in the end, many of these things are for them to decide. We can go in there, we can send General Zinni back, but our goal is to help both sides take steps to stop the violence. Our goal is to get the sides to take the steps, because they're the ones that have to take them. So that's what's going on."

Boucher also said "The Secretary's words were, I think, to facilitate the implementation of Tenet and Mitchell -- of the Tenet plan. That's not the same as saying they'll travel on Zinni's aircraft. We have already stated -- and you'll remember this goes back some time but was particularly clearly stated in Rome in Genoa at the G-7 and G-8 meetings last year -- that a third-party monitoring mechanism could serve a useful role in facilitating implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans, that we are prepared to participate in such a mechanism if both sides agree to such a step. Both sides have expressed in the past some receptivity to the idea. General Zinni will be taking up the issue with both sides as he discusses implementation of the Tenet steps."


Asked "the Sharon government says they are possibly lifting the insistence on one week of calm before any meetings. Now, conversely, have we heard anything from the PA concerning this -- change of behavior or change of actions with respect to violence?" Boucher said "We have always looked to the parties to take specific steps. We have looked to the Palestinian Authority, to Chairman Arafat, to dismantle the groups, stop the violence. We have looked to the parties to take specific steps that can reduce the level of violence and then, as we've said, to implement immediately these steps that Director Tenet worked out with them to try to cement a cease-fire and get the security cooperation going again.

So in terms of what we're looking for, those are the kinds of steps that we continue to look for. And I think you know we've made it clear also on the Israeli side. We've made clear our concerns about the high number of casualties among humanitarian workers that result from Israeli Defense Force action. We have made clear our concerns, for example, about emergency medical personnel not being able to get access to Palestinian casualties for extended periods of time.

And so those are issues that are important to us. We have called on the Israeli side to exercise utmost restraint and discipline, including allowing things like unfettered access for ambulances and emergency medical personnel through their checkpoints and to change their actions, too. But what we're looking for from the parties overall are steps to reduce the violence; on the Palestinian side, to dismantle the organizations that perpetrate violence; and on the Israeli side, to exercise more restraint and discipline."

Previous Stories:
  Zinni's trip to mideast an expression of U.S. concern   (3/9/2002)
  Bush wants end to violence before he moves   (3/6/2002)
  Bush's approach to the peace process is incremental   (3/1/2002)

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