US keeps mum on content of letter to Arafat

US State Department deputy spokesman James Foley yesterday refused to comment on reports of the content of the letter sent by US President Bill Clinton to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, saying the US views the letter as "a private communication."

The US would only confirm that a letter was sent by Clinton to Arafat.

He added, "I can tell you there's been no change in our policy, that the only way to resolve all final status issues is through direct negotiations between the parties."

"We have made it clear that the United States supports the aspirations of the Palestinian people to determine their own future on their own land. But we've also said that negotiations are the only realistic and acceptable way to fulfill those aspirations," Foley said.

He told reporters that it is not contradictory to both support the Palestinians' deterimination of their own future while requiring negotiations with Israel, "because both Israel and the Palestinians are partners in the peace process. We don't believe that either side should decide or preempt through unilateral declarations or moves what needs to be negotiated at the negotiating table."