Powell defends US efforts to revive Palestinian- Israeli negotiations

The US secretary of state Colin Powell has defended hid administration's efforts to revive the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

In a statement to the Middle East TV center MBC and to the Lebanese daily Assafir issued on Friday, Powell said:" we have talked clearly about our support to establishing the Palestinian state." He stressed determination to continue efforts in order to achieve this mission on the ground of implementing UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and he also talked about the need to start working for the implementation of the Mitchell package plan first.

As for the American silence towards the Israeli violations of human rights, the American secretary of state confined to just calling the Israeli and Palestinian sides to resort to what he called moderate attitude as their first option.