December 17, 2001	Monday	Shawwal 1, 1422

LONDON, Dec 16: The United States and the European Union have potential differences over the strategy for ending the crisis in the Middle East, EU external affairs commissioner Chris Patten said on Sunday.

Since the spate of suicide bomb attacks on Israel, US President George W. Bush’s administration has put pressure on Yasser Arafat to act against the perpetrators.

The Israelis, who have launched military reprisals in Palestinian territory, have been refusing to deal with Arafat.

EU states, while condemning attacks on Israel, have continued to stress the importance of the Israelis engaging in diplomatic efforts to find a political settlement and urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to work with Arafat.

Patten accepted that there was a difference of emphasis.

Patten told Sky News: “I think there are differences of view frankly within the European Union, and there are also potentially differences between the EU and the US, though so far I think we have managed to work together reasonably successfully.

“I hope that a real difference of view doesn’t open up.

“I hope that we can both continue to focus on what both sides should do, on the one hand encouraging and pressing President Arafat to do more to deal with terrorism, on the other hand pressing the Israelis to recognise that simply taking security measures isn’t enough.

Patten continued: “We have made it clear that President Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian Authority, that if there isn’t a Palestinian Authority the only alternative is a Palestinian anarchy.

“Mr Arafat I think should have done more to deal with terrorist networks in the past.

“I think his ability to deal with terrorists now is likely to be constrained if the Israelis continue to pound and bomb and shatter the security network in the Palestinian Authority.”—AFP