US(Powell) to Meet Mid-East Plan Authors

[leftchick]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3256478.stm

<snip>
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said he intends to meet the authors of an unofficial peace plan for the Middle East, despite opposition from Israel.
Mr Powell said he had a right to meet anyone with ideas on advancing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

He was responding to a rare rebuke by Israel's deputy prime minister, who said such a move would be a "mistake".

The Israeli Government has rejected the Geneva plan - the Palestinian Authority has given it only lukewarm support.

Meanwhile reports quoting Israeli army sources said Israel had arrested 17 members of Islamic Jihad overnight in and around Jenin, and a number of Palestinian militants in Ramallah.

The arrests come on the eve of talks in Cairo designed to persuade armed Palestinian groups to declare a new truce.

'Commitment'

The Geneva plan, launched on Monday by Israeli and Palestinian political figures, calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the dismantling of most Jewish settlements.

[La_Serpiente]

1. It's about time

the US start standing up to the Mopaz party.

[Lexingtonian]

2. Ariel Sharon is NOT happy

AP has a story with Ari doing all he can to hold up Powell. After that episode of "Nightline" tonight (about all the internal Israeli dissent building up to Sharon's pointless continuing the cycle of violence), it could mean the walls are collapsing on him. So to speak.

I think Powell wants to leave office having accomplished something, however small. His record so far pales when compared to Madeleine Albright's- and all that Niger yellow cake and other WMD crapola in front of the U.N. is a pretty difficult stain to get out.

It seems all of Bush's international 'friends' and 'allies' are in some kind of trouble. He's been quite the tar baby.