PLO to reassess planned statehood declaration: Arafat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Visiting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said
\non Wednesday the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) would
\n\"reassess\" its plan to unilaterally declare an independent
\nPalestinian state on Sept. 13.<\/p>\n
Arafat said the decision on whether to declare Palestinian
\nindependence would be taken at \"the beginning of next month\" by
\nthe Palestinian Central Council.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided before (that the declaration would be made on
\nSept. 13), but we have to reassess this,\" Arafat told a media
\nconference after meeting President Abdurrahman Wahid at Merdeka
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
Sept. 13 is the target date the Israeli and the Palestinian
\nleaders had set for a final peace.<\/p>\n
Arafat, who is on a world tour to drum up support for his
\nposition, also said that peace talks could resume after this
\nweek's Democratic Party convention in the United States.<\/p>\n
Arafat said he had received a letter from U.S. President Bill
\nClinton assuring him he would push ahead to help with the peace
\nnegotiations after the convention.<\/p>\n
During a summit at Camp David last month, Israel and the
\nPalestinians were unable to resolve difficult sticking points
\nthat would enable the peace agreement to be finalized and end
\ntheir 52-year-old conflict.<\/p>\n
The U.S.-sponsored talks collapsed over the future status of
\nJerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital.<\/p>\n
The Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem be the capital of
\na future Palestinian state, while Israel refuses any division of
\nthe city. East Jerusalem contains Islam's third holiest site and
\nJudaism's most sacred shrine.<\/p>\n
After meeting Israeli envoy Shimon Peres on Monday,
\nAbdurrahman suggested that Israel have administrative control
\nover the city, but political sovereignty be in the hands of six
\nneighboring countries -- including Israel and a Palestinian state
\n-- and the United Nations.<\/p>\n
Arafat, who arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on
\nWednesday evening, made no reference to the suggestion, but
\nthanked Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, for his
\nsupport.<\/p>\n
\"I have to thank him because he has expressed his support that
\nthe peace talks should continue,\" Arafat said.<\/p>\n
Arafat had initially been scheduled to arrive late on Tuesday
\nevening and hold a breakfast meeting with Abdurrahman on
\nWednesday morning.<\/p>\n
However, he had to delay his arrival here from Kuala Lumpur
\nafter the pilot of his plane discovered an engine malfunction.<\/p>\n
Palace officials said that Arafat was due to fly from here to
\nJapan early Thursday.<\/p>\n
Arafat's statement came as Egyptian Ambassador to Israel
\nMohammed Bassiouni said on Wednesday that Egypt is in contact
\nwith Israel, the Palestinians and the United States to prepare a
\n\"blueprint\" Israeli-Palestinian peace deal to be discussed at a
\npossible new summit.<\/p>\n
Bassiouni was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying that
\ncontacts were underway \"to prepare a blueprint framework accord
\nbetween the two sides which could help towards the success of any
\nsummit\".<\/p>\n
The news agency also said that the U.S. had sent envoy Dennis
\nRoss to the Middle East on Wednesday to meet Israeli and
\nPalestinian officials.<\/p>\n
\"He will have meetings with both Palestinians and Israelis,
\npossibly with the leaders,\" U.S. State Department spokesman
\nPhilip Reeker was quoted as saying, adding that Ross would then
\nremain in the region on vacation. (byg)<\/p>",
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