PLO to reassess planned statehood declaration: Arafat

PLO to reassess planned statehood declaration: Arafat

JAKARTA (JP): Visiting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said
on Wednesday the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) would
"reassess" its plan to unilaterally declare an independent
Palestinian state on Sept. 13.

Arafat said the decision on whether to declare Palestinian
independence would be taken at "the beginning of next month" by
the Palestinian Central Council.

"We have decided before (that the declaration would be made on
Sept. 13), but we have to reassess this," Arafat told a media
conference after meeting President Abdurrahman Wahid at Merdeka
Palace.

Sept. 13 is the target date the Israeli and the Palestinian
leaders had set for a final peace.

Arafat, who is on a world tour to drum up support for his
position, also said that peace talks could resume after this
week's Democratic Party convention in the United States.

Arafat said he had received a letter from U.S. President Bill
Clinton assuring him he would push ahead to help with the peace
negotiations after the convention.

During a summit at Camp David last month, Israel and the
Palestinians were unable to resolve difficult sticking points
that would enable the peace agreement to be finalized and end
their 52-year-old conflict.

The U.S.-sponsored talks collapsed over the future status of
Jerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital.

The Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem be the capital of
a future Palestinian state, while Israel refuses any division of
the city. East Jerusalem contains Islam's third holiest site and
Judaism's most sacred shrine.

After meeting Israeli envoy Shimon Peres on Monday,
Abdurrahman suggested that Israel have administrative control
over the city, but political sovereignty be in the hands of six
neighboring countries -- including Israel and a Palestinian state
-- and the United Nations.

Arafat, who arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on
Wednesday evening, made no reference to the suggestion, but
thanked Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, for his
support.

"I have to thank him because he has expressed his support that
the peace talks should continue," Arafat said.

Arafat had initially been scheduled to arrive late on Tuesday
evening and hold a breakfast meeting with Abdurrahman on
Wednesday morning.

However, he had to delay his arrival here from Kuala Lumpur
after the pilot of his plane discovered an engine malfunction.

Palace officials said that Arafat was due to fly from here to
Japan early Thursday.

Arafat's statement came as Egyptian Ambassador to Israel
Mohammed Bassiouni said on Wednesday that Egypt is in contact
with Israel, the Palestinians and the United States to prepare a
"blueprint" Israeli-Palestinian peace deal to be discussed at a
possible new summit.

Bassiouni was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying that
contacts were underway "to prepare a blueprint framework accord
between the two sides which could help towards the success of any
summit".

The news agency also said that the U.S. had sent envoy Dennis
Ross to the Middle East on Wednesday to meet Israeli and
Palestinian officials.

"He will have meetings with both Palestinians and Israelis,
possibly with the leaders," U.S. State Department spokesman
Philip Reeker was quoted as saying, adding that Ross would then
remain in the region on vacation. (byg)