gelatik
09.03.02, 00:16
JERUSALEM (AP) - Ahead of a new U.S. peace mission, Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) suggested Friday he is willing to drop his
insistence on a week free of Palestinian attacks ahead of any truce deal.
Sharon spoke on Israel TV's Channel Two after speaking earlier in the day by
phone to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites).
U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni is to fly to the region next week for another truce
mission.
At the core of U.S. diplomacy have been two proposals for a truce and a
resumption of peace talks, drafted last year by CIA (news - web sites) chief
George Tenet and by an international commission headed by former U.S. Sen.
George Mitchell.
Sharon said Friday he was determined to make a cease-fire work, but would keep
taking actions against Palestinian militants if attacks on Israelis continued.
Israel is "willing to enter into a discussion of the Tenet plan, and if the
terrorism continues we will continue with our activity," Sharon said.
"Negotiations to stop the shooting will be (held) under fire," Sharon
continued. "These are the negotiations to achieve a cease-fire."
In the past, Sharon had insisted on a violence-free week before Israel would
carry its obligations under the Tenet plan. Among other things, Israel would be
required to pull back troops to positions they held before fighting erupted in
September 2000. The Palestinians would make an all-out effort to prevent
attacks on Israelis.
