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. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . Arrests in Washington DC Sniper Case Seen as Major Breakthrough . Jim Malone Washington 24 Oct 2002, 14:21 UTC   .  Listen
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The two men taken into custody early Thursday are 41-year old John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17. They were arrested at a highway rest stop in northern Maryland, about 100 kilometers northwest of Washington after a tip from a nearby motorist.
Both men were taken to a federal court in Baltimore and it is expected they will face charges in connection with the sniper attacks.
Law enforcement officials say Mr. Muhammad was formerly known as John Allen Williams before he converted to Islam. The Seattle Times newspaper quotes federal law enforcement officials as saying that Mr. Muhammad and Mr. Malvo may have been motivated by anti-U.S. sentiment in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Those sources are quoted as saying both men spoke sympathetically of the hijackers who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. As word of the arrests spread through the region, Washington area residents began to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The sniper attacks killed ten people, wounded three others and made many people afraid to go about such everyday activities as shopping, gassing up their cars and sending their children to school.
. Bush: It's Time for UN to Act on US Iraq Proposal . . .
President Bush wants the United Nations to pass a resolution warning of serious consequences, if Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein does not agree to a full disclosure of all his weapons programs within 30 days. Mr. Bush says Iraq is a threat, because it could help terrorists use those weapons to attack the United States. Campaigning for Republican congressional candidates Thursday, the president again warned that he will lead his own coalition against Iraq, if the United Nations fails to act. "We have made the call to the international community and to Mr. Saddam Hussein himself to disarm," the president said. "But, my friends, if the United Nations won't act, if they're feeble in their responsibility, and if Saddam Hussein will not disarm, the United States will lead a coalition in the name of peace to disarm Saddam Hussein." Some U.N. Security Council members appeared to favor the U.S. plan, but it is still facing opposition from permanent members Russia and France. Russian officials say voting quickly on the U.S. resolution on Iraq will be counter-productive. Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told the Al Jazeera television that the U.S. draft resolution would be an insult to the U.N., and is a pretext for attacking Iraq.
. For First Time, Women Vote and Run for Office in Bahrain . . .
In spite of a call for an election boycott, Bahraini voters turned out in large numbers Thursday to cast ballots in the Gulf kingdom's first legislative elections since 1973. In 1975, the former king dissolved the elected assembly. One hundred seventy-seven candidates, including eight women, are competing for 40 seats in parliament. While the parliament will have a total of 80 members, half of them will be appointed to a consultative council by the king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Some Shiite Muslim groups had called for a boycott of the election, in part, because they wanted Bahrain to return to its 1973 constitution that called for all members of parliament to be elected. Shiite Muslims are a slight majority in Bahrain, but the ruling family is Sunni Muslim. Opposition groups were particularly angry that the chamber appointed by the king will have as much power as the elected assembly. Last year, 98 percent of Bahranis voted in favor of a national charter that created the two-chamber system. And they appear to have gone out in large numbers to vote in this election, defying the calls for a boycott. Jamal Fakhro is the former assistant to the president of the consultative council in Bahrain, and he says this election may see a record turnout. "It was very strong. It has exceeded everybody's expectation, and, I think, it will exceed the number of those voters who have participated in the municipal election in May," he said. "Although in the municipal election, there was nobody boycotting the elections then. So, really, this will tell you that the impact of the boycott is very limited." Bahrain went through a turbulent period in the 1990s, when Shiite groups pressed for political change. Since taking the throne in 1999, King Hamad has quieted much of the unrest by pardoning more than a thousand political prisoners, and introducing political reforms. Bahrain, a tiny Gulf kingdom with a small population, is the Gulf region's financial hub. It is home to more than 100 banks and finance companies, with combined assets of more than $100 billion.
. France, Germany Agree on Capping EU Farm Subsidies . . .
France and Germany have long been at loggerheads over the EU's costly farm subsidies. Their dispute over the issue had threatened to block any consensus on how to pay for the EU's enlargement. Germany, the biggest contributor to the EU budget, wanted to reduce the subsidies before approving EU aid to farmers in the 10 candidate countries slated to join the bloc in 2004. France, the biggest beneficiary of the farm subsidies, has resisted any cuts to the program. Just before the summit began, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced that they had reached a compromise deal, whereby the EU's agricultural subsidies will be capped as of 2007. Diplomats say that allays German fears that the EU's expansion to include mostly poor, agrarian countries in Eastern Europe would break the bank. At the same time, the deal gives France time to get its farmers used to the idea of sharing the farm aid money with new members in the years ahead. Denmark, which holds the rotating EU presidency, welcomed the Franco-German deal. Denmark is adamant about getting an overall agreement on funding the bloc's enlargement at the current Brussels summit. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters, it could ease his task of brokering an accord among all 15 members on how much agricultural and other aid they should offer the new members. "Definitely, it has not made this summit more difficult. But let me stress that the final decision at this summit must be taken by all 15 [members]. But, of course, it's progress," he said. Mr. Rasmussen added the EU must agree now on what terms to offer the candidate states, so they have time to negotiate a subsidy package in the seven weeks remaining before another EU summit in Copenhagen. That is when the 10 countries are scheduled to be formally invited to join the EU, ending decades of division between eastern and western Europe.
. Hostage Killed as Moscow Theater Standoff Enters Day 2 . . One hostage is dead and two others have escaped, as the tense standoff in a Moscow theater between Chechen rebels and police shows no signs of coming to an end. Police say the gunmen shot and killed one woman as she tried to escape sometime Wednesday. They also say the gunmen fired grenades at two other women who jumped from a second floor window Thursday. They escaped unharmed. About 40 members of a Chechen suicide squad stormed the theater Wednesday night during a show and seized at least 700 audience members hostage. They are demanding and end to the war in Chechnya and the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. The rebels have explosives strapped to their bodies and threaten to blow up the theater and kill the hostages if police storm the building. They have already freed children and most non-Russian hostages, including Muslims, along with several others who needed immediate medical attention. Several Russian lawmakers who oppose the war in Chechnya have tried negotiating with the gunmen with little success. Russian security officials say about 75 foreigners are among the hostages, including Ukrainians, Germans, Azeris, Americans, and Britons. A Jordanian doctor who was allowed into the theater Thursday night says many of the hostages need food and medicine. Some of the captives who spoke to relatives on cellular telephones report there is only water and chocolate in the building. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the operation was planned in what he calls a "foreign terrorist center." He says the gunmen are criminals who want to spread death and destruction beyond Chechnya. Mr. Putin canceled trips to Germany, Portugal and the APEC summit in Mexico to deal with hostage crisis. Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
. Hostage Situation Draws World Attention to Continuing Russian-Chechen Conflict . . . Wednesday's hostage taking at a theater in Moscow has drawn public attention to the bloody conflict between Russia and the breakaway region of Chechnya. With the daring raid on a Moscow theater Wednesday night, Chechen separatists destroyed any perception that Russian troops have defeated them.
Chechnya has been part of Russia for centuries, but many Chechens resent Russian control and accuse Russia of oppressing the region's largely Muslim population. Russian troops and Chechen rebels have been battling for control of the region for much of the past decade. As the conflict drags on, analysts say many young Chechens take up arms more out of hatred for the Russians and lack of economic opportunity than because of a strong desire for an independent country. "There is barely anything to do in Chechnya except fight for a young man," says Masha Lipman, a Moscow-based independent analyst. "And I think this is what drives the war rather than an ultimate goal that the commanders or the Chechen fighters have in mind."
During that campaign, Chechen rebels also used hostage-taking as a way to focus attention on their cause. In 1995, rebels stormed a hospital in southern Russia, capturing hundreds of people. More than a hundred people were killed in a botched rescue attempt by Russian soldiers and most of the hostage-takers later escaped to Chechnya. Russian troops withdrew from Chechnya in 1996 in a humiliating defeat and many people, even outside Chechnya, came to see the rebels as gallant freedom fighters. But after the first war, their image was tarnished by reports of kidnappings and murders. Russian troops were accused of similar abuses during the war. Then in 1999, a series of apartment bombings killed about 300 people in Russia. Although it was never proven, Russian authorities blamed the explosions on Chechen rebels and responded by re-invading Chechnya.
"He eventually became an extremely popular president in Russia just because he assumed responsibility and he undertook to defend his nation," she said. Mr. Putin has said numerous times that the war is over except for a few mopping up operations. But attacks like the theater hostage situation indicate that the Chechens still have the desire and the ability to put together sophisticated military operations. So far, there is no official information on the identities of the gunmen. But to President Putin they are simply terrorists. He claims the rebels are part of a large movement that receives funding from Arab countries and has ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network.
. Israel, Palestinians Object to Peace Plan . . Israeli and Palestinian officials are objecting to parts of an international peace plan following talks with U.S. Mideast envoy William Burns. Israeli officials argue the plan, which calls for a provisional Palestinian state next year and full statehood by 2005, lacks security guarantees. Palestinian leaders say the initiative needs timetables and enforcement mechanisms. In a statement, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said without security, there can be no progress toward peace. Mr. Burns met Palestinian officials Thursday in the West Bank town of Jericho. He later held talks with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in Jerusalem. The envoy did not meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who President Bush says should be replaced. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat says he was not happy that Mr. Arafat was excluded from the talks. Mr. Burns told the Palestinian officials the United States wants to end their suffering. But he stressed that peace can be attained only if the Palestinian Authority gets tough on militant groups and reforms its administration, which has been accused of corruption and supporting militants. The peace plan is sponsored by the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, the so-called "Mideast Quartet." It calls for a halt to the violence, Israeli military pullbacks, and democratic and security reforms by the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man who was tossing grenades at Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip near the Israeli-Egyptian border. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
. Jiang: China Ready to Work With US on Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction . . President Jiang Zemin says China is ready to work with the United States in preventing terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Jiang spoke Thursday in Texas at the presidential library of the first President Bush, father of the current U.S. president. The Library is located at Texas A and M University in College Station, about 145 kilometers from Houston. In his speech, which he delivered in English, the Chinese leader said both the United States and China are victims of terrorism. He also said the peaceful reunification of China and Taiwan would safeguard U.S. interests on the island. President Jiang spoke a day before his scheduled 90-minute meeting with President Bush, at Mr. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. That meeting is expected to be dominated by discussions on terrorism, Iraq and North Korea. The United States believes both Baghdad and Pyongyang, a close Chinese ally, are attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction. Presidents Jiang and Bush are both scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Mexico after their meeting. Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
. Pro-Latino Groups Hope Immigration Reform Tops Agenda During Bush-Fox Meeting . . . Proponents of immigration reform in the United States hope President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox will put the issue high on their agenda when they meet this weekend at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Los Cabos, Mexico. Those wanting immigration reform say if President Bush endorses new legislation on the issue, he could pave the way for Congress to enact it by the end of this year. Some business and labor leaders say immigration is moving back onto Washington's agenda. The co-chair of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, Laura Reiff, says her group was hoping for pro-immigration legislation more than a year ago, but world events changed that. "That effort was coming to a very, very high pinnacle actually right before September 11," she said. "On September 7 we had wonderful meetings between the two administrations. But on September 11, things were dashed. Security was our primary concern." Since then, pro-Latino groups and business and labor leaders have pushed to revive the issue. These groups argue that U.S. policy toward immigrants has failed to curb illegal immigration and has promoted the black market in smuggling and false documents. The associate director of the Cato Institute for Trade Policy Studies, Daniel Griswold, says the flow of immigrants has actually increased because of demand for low-skilled workers. "America's immigration laws are colliding with economic reality, and reality is winning. We have a disconnect in U.S. policy," he said. "While we've been encouraging closer trade, investment and political ties with Mexico, our government's been trying in vain to keep a lid on the flow of labor across the border." Representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and service industries such as the National Restaurant Association agree. They are lobbying for a program to legalize as many as eight million immigrants already in the country who have worked for a certain time. And some also advocate laws that will grant temporary work visas to new immigrants. But some argue immigration should be curtailed. The Federation for American Immigration Reform says illegal immigrants cost the government money. Opponents also say the foreign workers take jobs from low-skilled Americans, drive down wages, and most importantly, pose a security threat to the United States. The Cato Institute's Daniel Griswold says opponents are ignoring that immigrants take jobs Americans don't want, and the workers come from countries that do not pose terrorism risks. "Most members of Congress, I believe, understand that Mexican migration is not a threat to national security," said. Mr. Griswold. Laura Reiff thinks Congress could be ready to act on those beliefs after its November 8 elections. "We are seeing signs out there that the talks are ripe and that both sides of the aisle are looking for a resolution to this issue," she said. "And so we are very hopeful that after the election we will be on the track for bipartisan legislation that's supported by many different sectors to go forward with the necessary legal immigration reform." Supporters of the immigration legislation say they hope Mr. Bush, who endorsed the measures before, will again express strong support for it when he meets President Fox this weekend at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico.
. Sniper Suspects Facing Federal Charges . . Two men suspected in the series of sniper shootings in the Washington DC area are being arraigned Thursday at a federal court in Baltimore, Maryland. Officials say 17-year-old John Lee Malvo is being formally charged as a material witness and 41-year old John Allen Muhammad is being charged separately on weapons violations. Local and federal prosecutors are expected to meet Friday to discuss bringing murder charges against the men. High-ranking law enforcement officials say they are certain the two are responsible for the sniper killings, which have left 10 people dead and three others wounded since October second. Mr. Muhammad, the suspected shooter, served in the U.S. army from 1985 until 1994 and was an expert level marksman, who served in the Gulf War. Earlier, investigators found a .223 caliber rifle in the car where police found and arrested the two men while sleeping at a Maryland rest station. The rifle is the same caliber as the kind used in the shootings. Law enforcement sources say investigators also found a rifle scope and a tripod in the vehicle. Media reports say the sniper may have fired through a hole in the trunk of the car, a 1990 blue Chevrolet Caprice. The Seattle Times newspaper quotes federal sources as saying the two men may have been motivated by anti-U.S. sentiment in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The sources say both men were known to speak sympathetically about the hijackers who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The newspaper says Mr. Muhammad is a Muslim convert who changed his name from John Allen Williams last year. But the sources said neither man is believed to have links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network, which the Bush administration says carried out the September 11 attacks. The arrests followed a call to the police tip line that tied the sniper to a liquor store robbery in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Police reportedly found a fingerprint of Mr. Malvo's there, then traced Mr. Malvo to a house in the northwestern city of Tacoma, Washington. Wednesday, police searched a house in Tacoma, where Mr. Muhammad had been stationed while in the U.S. Army. A few hours later, police issued a nationwide alert for the Chevy Caprice.
. US Envoy: Palestinians Must Take Decisive Action Against Violence . . . A U.S. envoy to the Middle East is calling for Palestinians to take decisive action against terrorism if they want to achieve statehood.
Mr. Burns says that such actions are necessary if Palestinians are to have any hope of ending Israeli military occupation and what he called a terrible conflict. He says the Israelis also have to live up to their commitments but stressed that terrorism and violence are setting back the goal of Palestinian statehood. "I emphasized that in this process all sides have obligations, and that [it] is only through all sides fulfilling their obligations that we are going to be able to move ahead together to end the occupation that began in 1967," he said. "In the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis, to end the very real suffering and humiliation the Palestinians experience under occupation every day, and the terror and violence that have done so much to undermine the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians." The U.S. envoy discussed a three-phase plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Jericho. The plan, which is being called a "road map to peace", is supported by Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations, as well as the United States. It calls for a Palestinian homeland with temporary borders by the end of 2003 and a fully independent state to be achieved by 2005. Following discussions with Mr. Burns about the plan, the speaker of the Palestinian parliament, Ahmed Queri'a, told reporters that the Palestinian people will support any international plan that leads them to statehood.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was not invited to the meeting. President George Bush has called for Mr. Arafat to be replaced as part of a process of reforming the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Burns is to meet later with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss the peace proposals. Mr. Sharon has said he has serious reservations about the plan. An Israeli negotiating team lead by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres was also due to meet at the same time with a Palestinian delegation lead by Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat.
. US Flying Armed, Unmanned Drones Over Southern Iraq . . .
Confirmation of the first-ever deployment of armed Predator surveillance planes over southern Iraq comes from the top U.S. military officer. General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces, says these unmanned drones, equipped with two Hellfire missiles each, give U.S. forces patrolling the no-fly zone a new advantage. "It's persistent. It's over the target area for long periods of time and it can move between targets," he said. "That's the first advantage. And then it can be present while [manned] aircraft are patrolling and perhaps see with its sensors reactions to the aircraft that are flying over, whether its surface to air missiles or anti-aircraft fire, and of course then it can respond." The Hellfire missiles carried by some Predators have relatively small warheads. But General Myers says against certain targets these are effective. The air-to-ground Hellfire has been used in the past by attack helicopters to strike armored vehicles. General Myers gives no further details. Other Pentagon officials remain reluctant to discuss use of the armed version of the surveillance plane. But defense sources say armed Predators patrolling over southern Iraq have already fired on at least two air defense targets, the same sorts of targets regularly struck by piloted coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone. The difference, these sources say, is that unlike the manned aircraft which do not patrol daily and whose flying time is limited, the Predators can loiter over the zone for as long as 24 hours, thus increasing the chances of U.S. officials detecting the movement of Iraqi mobile missiles or radars. Armed Predators were first used in Afghanistan in the hunt for al-Qaida and Taleban terrorist leaders. Most Predators are unarmed and used strictly for reconnaissance missions. These unarmed drones have been used over Iraq for some time and military officials have reported repeated unsuccessful efforts by Iraqi forces to shoot them down.
. US Stands Fast Against Kyoto Protocol at India Climate Conference . . .
Environmentalists see the Kyoto protocol as the most significant effort so far in cutting down greenhouse-gas emissions, which many scientists say cause climate changes around the world.
The United States withdrew from the treaty last year, saying it would be too costly for industries and would hurt economic growth in the country. Many nations are trying to convince the U.S. to reverse its decision, but American officials attending the New Delhi conference says that will not happen. Senior U.S. climate change negotiator Harlan Watson says his country is unwilling to make a commitment it cannot meet on cutting emissions. "No we will not sign in 2012. I would say any instrument that talks about hard targets and timetables on emission levels without recognition of the need for economic growth, I can not really pass on what might happen 10years from now," he said. "But I believe it would be very difficult for United States to enter into." But Mr. Watson says the country is strongly committed to addressing the issue of climate change, and is making efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. "Action is what really addresses climate change, not pieces of paper," he said. "I believe all parties here, whether they are taking the Kyoto route, or whether they are following their own path like the United States recognize that climate change is a significant problem that needs addressing and we are taking actions to do that." But the European Union says it considers the implementation of the Kyoto protocol a top priority for the world. Thomas Becker is the EU delegation leader at the New Delhi conference. He says the European Union has cut emissions by 3.5 percent, and is prepared to accept stiffer targets in the future, because the richer countries must bear the burden of reversing environmental damage. Mr. Becker says the U.S. refusal to come on board is a setback in the battle to cut down emissions, but efforts will continue to ensure that the Kyoto treaty comes into force. "I am not very encouraged on what the United States want and do not want. They have, so to say, they have left the family and it is of course their decision, only we have to pay the bill for them," he said. "I have to say to you that the European Union has decided that we will go ahead, we will go ahead with those countries which do engage in multilateral work, and do recognize that this is a threat to the world, that this is something we have to face. And we have to do something about it, and we in the European Union recognize that we are the ones who have mostly started to create this problem by our way of living, and our way of consuming, and our way of producing." The Kyoto protocol can only come into force if it is ratified by countries that together account for more than half the developed world's carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels. Developing countries are urging industrialized nations to implement the treaty, saying their economies are being hurt by climate changes that are believed to be causing floods, and other environmental disasters.
. US, Britain Lobby Security Council for New Iraq Resolution . . The United States and Britain have begun lobbying eight other members of the U.N. Security Council to win support for a new draft resolution on arms inspections in Iraq. The lobbying push was launched Thursday, one day after Washington presented the new draft to 10 non-permanent members of the Council. Diplomats say the document spells out tough new directives demanding that Iraq account for its alleged weapons of mass destruction. But the resolution drops the direct threat of military force if Baghdad does not move to disclose or destroy its arsenal. A Security Council vote is not likely before next week. Russia, France and China - permanent Council members with veto power - say they still see unacceptable elements in the revised U.S. draft. President Bush meets with visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin Friday to discuss the U.S. position and persuade China to support it. Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled out of the summit to deal with the Moscow hostage crisis. A U.S. diplomatic offensive is also expected to continue this weekend at a Pacific Rim conference in Mexico, where Secretary of State Colin Powell is urging the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group to support the new draft. Nine "yes" votes with no vetoes are needed on the 10-member Security Council for a resolution to pass. Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AFP.
. Widespread Trail of Clues Led to Sniper Arrests . . . The hunt for the elusive sniper terrorizing the Washington-area took authorities from one side of the country to the other as investigators followed connections from the Washington D.C. suburbs to the southern U.S. state of Alabama and then to the western state of Washington. The dramatic announcement of the arrest followed weeks of what appeared to be a hopeless investigation into the sniper killings that have terrorized the Washington area. Maryland State policeman Greg Shipley said a tactical response team made up of local, state and federal officials took two men into custody early Thursday. "These are specially-trained law enforcement officers who know how to react in tactical situations like this in order to ensure as much safety as possible. They simply - they approached the car, I don't know the specific tactical maneuvers they used. But they did it very carefully, very quickly, very efficiently, and these two individuals were taken into custody without any problem."
Authorities say the key break in the case came in a phone call to the sniper task force tip-line, suggesting investigators check out a September liquor store robbery in the southern U.S. city of Montgomery, Alabama. One person was shot dead and another seriously wounded in the incident, which until then was unconnected to the Washington sniper attacks. "This Sunday night, our investigators received a call from the task force, stating that they had received some information from an unknown caller, referencing our shooting and our robbery and our murder here," said John Wilson, Montgomery, Alabama city police chief. "And that began our involvement at that point." Chief Wilson did not give details of the Alabama evidence. But reports say investigators checking the Alabama tip found Mr. Malvo's fingerprint, which linked him to the home in Tacoma, Washington where he and Mr. Muhammad had been living. On Wednesday, authorities descended on a home in Tacoma, Washington, where they gathered clues, including bullet fragments recovered from a tree stump outside of the house. Shortly after, police issued the nationwide all points bulletin with precise details about the car that the suspects were captured in early Thursday. Police in Alabama have also issued an artist's drawing of the suspect in that shooting. Analysts have noted the similarity between that picture and one of the two suspects arrested Thursday.
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. US Envoy: Palestinians Must Take Decisive Action Against Violence . Ross Dunn Jerusalem 24 Oct 2002, 17:09 UTC . Listen to
Ross Dunn's report (RealAudio) Dunn report
- Download 341k (RealAudio) . A U.S. envoy to the Middle East is calling for Palestinians to take decisive action against terrorism if they want to achieve statehood.
Mr. Burns says that such actions are necessary if Palestinians are to have any hope of ending Israeli military occupation and what he called a terrible conflict. He says the Israelis also have to live up to their commitments but stressed that terrorism and violence are setting back the goal of Palestinian statehood. "I emphasized that in this process all sides have obligations, and that [it] is only through all sides fulfilling their obligations that we are going to be able to move ahead together to end the occupation that began in 1967," he said. "In the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis, to end the very real suffering and humiliation the Palestinians experience under occupation every day, and the terror and violence that have done so much to undermine the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians." The U.S. envoy discussed a three-phase plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Jericho. The plan, which is being called a "road map to peace", is supported by Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations, as well as the United States. It calls for a Palestinian homeland with temporary borders by the end of 2003 and a fully independent state to be achieved by 2005. Following discussions with Mr. Burns about the plan, the speaker of the Palestinian parliament, Ahmed Queri'a, told reporters that the Palestinian people will support any international plan that leads them to statehood.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was not invited to the meeting. President George Bush has called for Mr. Arafat to be replaced as part of a process of reforming the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Burns is to meet later with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss the peace proposals. Mr. Sharon has said he has serious reservations about the plan. An Israeli negotiating team lead by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres was also due to meet at the same time with a Palestinian delegation lead by Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat.
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