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Sharon rules out negotiations
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday ruled out negotiations with the Palestinians, accusing them of doing nothing to stop attacks like the double suicide bombing that killed 10 Israelis a day earlier. Sharonâs declaration dealt a blow to efforts to restart peace talks, clearing the way for his proposal to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and impose a boundary in the West Bank unilaterally.Ummm... No. The boomers dealt the blow. Sharonâs reacting to it... Addressing Israelâs parliament, Sharon said Sundayâs attack at the Israeli seaport of Ashdod âreinforces the understanding that there is no Palestinian leader with the courage, the ability, to struggle against terrorism. Clearly, in this situation, there will be no political negotiations.â Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat called Sharonâs declaration âunfortunate.â So was the booming. But thatâs all in the past now. Best to move on, eh? âThis was a very grave development which will not add anything to the efforts to revive the peace process, but will only add to the complexities,â he said. Thatâs the F9 key on his word processor... US officials and international mediators have pushed Israel and the Palestinians to implement the road map peace plan, which calls for an immediate end to violence and the creation of a Palestinian state by next year. But talks have stalled, and both sides have failed to carry out their initial obligations. Palestinians had hoped that a long delayed first summit between Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei, tentatively scheduled for today, would revive the plan. But Sharon swiftly canceled the meeting after the Ashdod bombing, and his statements yesterday ruled out any talks for the near future. The bombing, carried out by two Palestinian teenagers, was a joint attack by the Hamas movement and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group with ties to the Fateh movement led by Yasser Arafat and Qorei. Posted by: Fred 2004-03-16 |
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