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BEIRUT, June 12: US President George W. Bush favours the creation of a “temporary state” for the Palestinians ahead of a full-fledged state, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview published on Wednesday.
“The president did not give up his objective but he knows that to reach his goal a temporary Palestinian state as an interim phase and maybe other measures would be necessary,” Powell told the Saudi daily Al-Hayat.
Such a formula, according to Powell, would “allow the Palestinians to achieve their hopes and dreams, and secure the confidence of the international community”.
But Powell cautioned that a temporary state needed to rely on “a democratic power, transparency without corruption and effective security agencies”.
“This will help to develop the necessary confidence between the two parties (Palestinians and Israel) in order to push forward,” Powell told Al-Hayat, which is published in Beirut and other Arab capitals.
Bush “did not abandon his objective to set up a Palestinian state, called Palestine,” that would live side by side with Israel in security, Powell stressed.
He declined to give a timetable for the move from a temporary state to a full-fledged Palestinian state.
WHITE HOUSE DISTANCES: The White House sharply distanced itself from US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s comments in an interview out Wednesday that President George W. Bush favoured creating a “temporary” Palestinian state.
Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer dismissed Powell’s comments as “reflecting” advice from world leaders on the Middle East and made clear the president had not signed on to the idea.
Powell “receives information and advice from foreign leaders who have different thoughts about what they would like the president to say. And so the secretary from time to time will reflect on the advice that he gets and do so publicly, which is his prerogative, of course,” said Fleischer.
Bush, who was set to lay out his vision for progress towards Middle East peace as early as early next week, “is still in the process of listening to the variety of people who have some thoughts to share,” said Fleischer.—AFP
Our Correspondent add from Riyadh: Hectic efforts seem to be on to influence the Middle East peace plan, which President Bush intends to announce ‘in the very near future’, to spell out his views on a Palestinian state and ensuring Israeli security.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal is expected to call on President Bush and other administration leaders including Secretary Colin Powell on Friday. The meeting of the Saudi foreign minister with President Bush and others will conclude, what is believed here, to be a round of consultations with Arab and Israeli leaders, before making up mind on the blue print for a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict, President Bush intends to unveil shortly.
Earlier on Tuesday the US President George W. Bush also telephoned the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to discuss ways to move forward the Middle East peace process, the White House announced. The telephone conversation, on a day when Crown Prince Abdullah was hosting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, lasted for 10 minutes. It is believed the two leaders discussed the current situation in the region and the outcome of President Bush’s meetings with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and then the Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon during the week. Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal’s visit was also discussed during the conversation.
Earlier the week, after his meeting with President Hosni Mubarak, Bush refused to set out a timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state that the Arab leaders have been pressing him to announce. A Saudi official, was quoted by some news agencies as saying that Prince Saud Al-Faisal’s previously unannounced visit to the United States aims to counter Sahron’s trip to Washington and to stress upon the US administration to carry out the pledge he gave to the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. The visit also aims at preventing, what the Saudis see as Israel’s repeated attempts to block the Saudi peace initiative. Prince Saud al-Faisal is also expected to ask President Bush to apply pressure on Sharon in this regard.
Sharon during his US trip was reported to be on a “diplomatic offensive,” so as to garner as much support as he can. He came to Washington to ensure his views were reflected in Bush’s proposals and to continue vigorous wooing of the US Congress. After his meeting with Sharon, the Chairman US Senate Foreign Relation Committee Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. said, “there is no disagreement in this country on support for Israel”.
