September 9, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1424

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WASHINGTON, Sept 8: A senior US diplomat met Palestinian prime minister-designate Ahmed Qorei on Monday to make clear that Washington’s support for him depended on improvements to the security situation and a crackdown on anti-Israel attacks, the State Department said.

The acting US Consul-General in occupied Al Quds, Jeffrey Feltman, saw Mr Qorei shortly before Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told lawmakers that his nominee had accepted the post, the department said.

“Acting Consul General Feltman (made) clear this overriding point that we have made in public, as well as in private, that the Palestinian prime minister needs to be able to move on security and that that is our key interest right now,” spokesman Richard Boucher said.

He would not say whether Mr Feltman had promised Mr Qorei that Washington would back him if he would wrest control from Mr Arafat over the Palestinian security services, but indicated that without such authority there could be no support.—AFP