November 12, 2003	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1424

CAIRO, Nov 11: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Tuesday rejected a suggestion that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would stop a wave of global terrorism.

“You would have to note that it was only (lately) that Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda leadership could even find it in themselves to mention the word Palestinian,” Mr Armitage told reporters after talks in Cairo with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa.

“So I reject the notion that a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, overwhelmingly important as it is, would stop the terrorism that has been directed against the United States, Western interests and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“I can accept the point that they will make use of conflict in the occupied territories for their own ends, but it is not the root cause of Al Qaeda terrorism,” he added.

“The support for the United States for Israel is something that is a bedrock principle of the United States,” said Mr Armitage, flanked by Mr Mussa, who has criticized US support for Israel.

“That does not mean that we support every action the government of Israel takes,” he said, recalling US criticism of “targeted killings” of Palestinian militant leaders.

“We have very in depth and intense discussions with Israel,” he said.

“And we feel the best and most effective way to have those discussions is official to official privately rather than standing up and screaming from the top of some building across the street at the Israelis,” he said.

Mr Mussa said later that he believes Mr Armitage and other US officials “do understand the extreme seriousness of the situation” between the Israelis and Palestinians.—AFP