The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (www.jta.org), 04/06/2001:
"U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice had a heated
exchange with Egypt's foreign minister this week, according to
Israel Radio. Rice told Amre Moussa that Palestinian Authority
President Yasser Arafat is responsible for terror attacks against
Israel, adding that Egyptian officials have not done enough to
convey to Arafat the danger of his actions."
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/04/News/News.24137.html
US report absolves Arafat of responsibility for violence
By Janine Zacharia,
Jerusalem Post,
April, 04 2001
WASHINGTON (April 4) - A State Department report evaluating
Palestinian compliance with Israeli-Palestinian accords acknowledges
that Palestinian policemen and members of the Tanzim have participated
in and encouraged violent protests. But the report absolves
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat of responsibility for the
violence by concluding that it is unclear if these individuals acted
on orders from senior PA officials.
The 18-page semi-annual report, a copy of which was obtained by The
Jerusalem Post yesterday, was sent to the White House and forwarded to
congressional leaders on Monday, three months after its scheduled
submission date. The report covers the period from mid-June through
mid-December and is meant to serve as a guide for the administration
regarding its relations with the PA.
"During the period covered by this report, elements of Fatah, a PLO
faction, and members of the PA's security forces instigated and
participated in anti-Israeli violence," the report says. "We have no
indication that any of these elements or PA security officials have
been disciplined. It is not clear, however, whether they acted with
the approval of the PA or PLO senior leadership."
The report's findings come only days after President George W. Bush
and other senior administration officials publicly blamed Arafat for
perpetuating the violence and called on him directly to stop it.
Assistant Secretary of State Ned Walker told legislators last week
Arafat's "forces are prepared to do what he wants them to do."
The report, issued in accordance with the PLO Commitments Compliance
Act of 1989, reiterates several times that it is impossible to say if
the PA or PLO sanctioned violent acts. To support the assertion, it
says Israeli security officials are divided over whether the Tanzim
and PA security personnel acted with prior knowledge or approval of
the PA senior leadership.
"While it is difficult to determine whom, if anyone, planned specific
instances of anti-Israeli violence, public statements by leaders of
the Tanzim clearly encouraged violence. The degree of responsibility
by senior PLO and PA officials was less clear," the report says.
It adds: "The Palestinian Authority did not change its policy opposing
terrorism during this reporting period."
David Schenker, an analyst of Palestinian affairs at the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, said the report fails to "reflect an
understanding that the PLO controls Fatah," and that its vagueness
appears meant to leave the administration a wide range of options for
dealing with Arafat and the PA.
"By not apportioning blame, the report doesn't compel the
administration into sanctioning or otherwise penalizing the PLO or the
PA," Schenker said.
The report, which is based primarily on media reports, cites public
statements by Tanzim leaders in which they spoke of the need for
greater coordination with Hamas and cites Israeli criticism of the PA
for releasing Hamas and PLO prisoners, but it does not describe the
acts as violations of past Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
The report also says that during the period under review, the PA
formally remained opposed to an Arab boycott of Israel, even though
during the Arab summit in October leading PLO officials called on the
Arab League to reinstitute the boycott.
It adds that US funding to Palestinian non-governmental organizations
via USAID is being used for its allocated purpose, and that "by
regional standards, the Palestinians have a relatively free media."
The Zionist Organization of America, a Jewish group that has called on
the US to put the PA on the list of terrorist-sponsoring groups and
was strongly critical of the Oslo peace process, described the report
as a "whitewash that will encourage Arafat to believe he will never be
held responsible for acts of violence and murder against the Jews."
