Reports on Americans and Palestinians talks
Egypt receives reports from Americans and Palestinians on progress of Washington's talks
ÊÊÊ Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Egypt has received reports from Palestinian sides and US on the initial indications of the expected results of the US Palestinian meetings which are currently underway in Washington.
ÊÊÊ In statements to reporters, Maher said the Palestinian leadership is optimistic adding things are moving in the positive direction, indicating that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has expressed this feeling in his statements. Commenting on statements by Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in which he claimed that PNA elements are killers and terrorists, Maher said similar Israeli charges were leveled before against the PLO and the two sides sat at the end at the negotiations table. He called for skipping these charges.
ÊÊÊ On the imminent visit to Egypt by Knesset Foreign Affairs chairman, Haim Ramon, Maher said there were Israeli figures that would like to visit Egypt, and Egypt was ready to listen to all and hold contacts with all.
ÊÊÊ Asked about the recent visits to Egypt by officials from the Israeli Labor party and the significance of such visits, Maher said the visits indicated that the Labor party in Israel had the desire to come to Egypt, to listen to Egyptian viewpoints and ideas and that there were forces in Israel who were increasingly realizing that the current Israeli practices should not continue.
ÊÊÊ In Washington, George Tenet, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency met Abdel Razzak AL Yahia, the Palestinian Interior Minister for discussing the final details of the Palestinian security plan that was drafted by Washington.
ÊÊÊ Well-informed sources provide for a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli troops from occupied territories.
ÊÊÊ Under the plan, Palestinians would take over the security responsibility in the areas from which Israel will withdraw.
ÊÊÊ The sources said the plan aims at restructuring Palestinian security services that have been considerably damaged by the Israelis.
ÊÊÊ Sources close to the Palestinian delegation said it was still far from CIA that it would play a role in the training and establishing the Plan offered by Washington to Israeli officials or not.
ÊÊÊ In what is considered as first public acceptance on his part of foreign participation in reforming Palestinian security services, President Yasser Arafat said the United States, Egypt and Jordan would take part in carrying out security reforms adding an agreement was reached on the participation of experts from the three countries in training Palestinian elements.
ÊÊÊ Diplomatic officials in Washington said Secretary of State Colin Powell and the White House are willing to accelerate the implementation of the security plan.
ÊÊÊ Officials said Washington intends to dispatch intelligence and State Department officials to the Middle East for discussing arrangements for carrying out the plan.
ÊÊÊ They said Powell would dispatch officials from the State Department to the region later this month for discussing reforms of the PNA organs and extending aid to Palestinians.
ÊÊÊ The sources said the issue of withdrawal unleashed disagreement between the two sides as Israelis are willing to withdraw from Gaza first whereas Palestinians are of the opinion that this should concure with withdrawal from Ramallah where Arafat's premises exist.
ÊÊÊ Israeli Haaretz newspaper uncovered a security visit to the region by a CIA team to draw up details of the security reforms plan.
ÊÊÊ The paper said the team submitted a report to US administration officials upon return to Washington where it recommended effecting large-scale changes in the structures, operations and recruitment programmes services.