June 4, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1424

DAMASCUS, June 3: Syria on Tuesday criticized US peace efforts at the summit with Arab leaders as an attempt to end a Palestinian uprising for independence while turning a blind eye to what it described as Israeli “crimes”.

“It seems that the terrorism the United States wants to fight is the suicide operations against Israeli occupation, but not the crimes of the occupiers,” said the state-run radio in a political commentary.

Syria and Lebanon, the only two Arab neighbours of Israel which did not reach a peace agreement with Israel, stayed away from Tuesday’s summit at Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The radio said efforts to end Israeli-Palestinian violence were being crippled by Israel’s lack of interest in peace and Israeli reservations on the US-backed road map.

Although Israel has accepted the plan, it had slapped 14 reservations foremost of which its rejection to the return of Palestinian refugees displaced in 1948 to their homes in what is now Israel.

“Israel was never sincere in seeking a settlement with the Palestinians,” the radio said.

“What Israel wants is a Palestinian documented concession giving up the right of return that the Palestinian people uphold... This is its (Israel’s) envisaged launch of the road map.”

Bush was due attend a three-way summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan on Wednesday.

Syria also criticised Wednesday’s Aqaba summit.

“Wrong beginnings lead to wrong results. Three of the quartet members — the EU, Russia and the United Nations — are absent from the Aqaba meeting,” the radio said.

POWELL’S WARNING TO ARAFAT: US Secretary of State Colin Powell bluntly warned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday against doing anything to hamper the work of his new premier, Mahmud Abbas, or working against the “roadmap” for peace.

Powell, speaking to reporters after US President George W. Bush and Arab leaders pledged firm support for the roadmap and the reform-minded Abbas at a summit in Egypt, said Arafat needed to act in the interests of the Palestinian people and peace.

He said he hoped Arafat would understand the “significance” of the changed situation.

Bush has sought to sideline Arafat for nearly a year and the veteran Palestinian leader was pointedly not invited to the summit, or to a second meeting that the president, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hold in Jordan on Wednesday.

“Yasser Arafat was not here today and prime minister Abbas was,” Powell said at a joint news conference with national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. “We have made it clear that we believe that transformed leadership is necessary.

“I think it will be very, very unfortunate if Mr Arafat fails to recognize the significance of today — and what I’m sure will be the significance of tomorrow — that we are on a path to create a state for the Palestinian people,” Powell said.

“If Mr Arafat does something to serve as a spoiler or attempts to be a spoiler, I hope he will be met by resistance from all the Arab leaders who are here today, and such spoiling activities will be met with resistance by the international community,” he said.

Arafat, under heavy US and other pressure, only reluctantly agreed to creating the new position of Palestinian prime minister and fought bitterly with Abbas, his number two in the Fatah faction of the PLO, over how much power the post should have.

Bush had demanded a change in the Palestinian leadership and by extension, the creation of the job in return for US support for a Palestinian state. He also made release of the roadmap contingent on Abbas’ confirmation by the Palestinian legislature.

However, since Abbas took office, Arafat continues to insist that he is truly in charge of the Palestinian Authority and has been accused by some of seeking to undermine the premier’s power.—AFP