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Powell Says Arafat Must Stop Violence VOA News 5 Feb 2002 00:53 UTC 
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has told a senior Palestinian official that Palestinians must crack down on extremists if they want U.S. involvement in the peace process.
Secretary Powell met Monday in Washington with Palestinian legislative council speaker Ahmed Qureia.
A State Department spokesman said Secretary Powell emphasized that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must take strong and irreversible action to halt anti-Israeli violence. The spokesman also said Secretary Powell assured Mr. Qureia the United States is still committed to a Palestinian state.
Mr. Qureia said little about his talks with Secretary Powell, only telling reporters that they talked about the situation on the ground and obstacles in the way of peace talks.
In New York Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres met with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and said afterward that Israel must take the initiative in making peace with the Palestinians.
On Sunday, Mr. Peres told a panel at the World Economic Forum in New York that an Israeli-Palestinian announcement on a ceasefire, followed by Israel's immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, may be closer than many people think.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is set to hold talks with President Bush at the White House Thursday. The Israeli leader is expected to ask Mr. Bush to cut all ties with Yasser Arafat, which the United States has declined to do.
Mr. Peres said both sides must compromise and that neither the Palestinians or the Israelis can expect to be able to fully implement their visions.
On Monday, Mr. Peres also accused Iran of sending members of its elite Revolutionary Guard into Lebanon, and of arming anti-Israeli Hezbollah guerrillas there with 10,000 Katyusha rockets.
Mr. Peres said Iran is turning Lebanon into "a ball of explosives." He said the rockets are capable of striking the heart of Israel and called the presence of the Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon illegal under the U.N. charter.
Iran has not yet responded to the charges.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and DPA.
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