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Clinton Administration, CIA disengaging from Mideast quagmire

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, November 14, 2000

WASHINGTON — The Clinton administration is lowering its profile on the prospects for Middle East peace as the fighting continues to escalate between Israel and the Palestininan Authority.

Following talks between President Clinton and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, administration officials quietly said they are powerless to stop the violence in the Arab-Israeli conflict, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the administration has lowered its profile as prospects for getting the peace processs back on track fade during the waning days of the Clinton presidency.

The officials also said CIA director George Tenet has, in effect, disengaged from his role as mediator between Israeli and PA security agencies. With the exception of Clinton, Tenet is regarded as being closer to Arafat than any other U.S. official.

Clinton and Barak met for three hours at the White House on late Sunday on Israeli hopes to upgrade strategic relations with the United Stateson but officials said the session was inconclusive. They said the subjects included efforts to end the current mini-war between Israel and the Palestinians as well as return to peace negotiations.

U.S. officials acknowledged that the meeting was hampered by uncertainty over who will enter the White House in January. They said Barak and Clinton did not agree on specific steps to renew peace talks.

"The conclusion of the meeting was that we will continue to try to work with both sides right now both to see the violence come to an end," a senior administration official said, "and also then to find the best way to try to go back toward creating a political solution."

Barak had intended to make his meeting with Clinton his last effort to persuade the Clinton administration to improve defense and strategic relations with Israel. Officials said Clinton had pledged to grant Israel a special allocation of $800 million to improve its anti-missile system against Iran's Shihab-3 as well as compensation for the May 24 withdrawal in Lebanon.

Clinton was said to have told Barak that the allocation depends on the decision of the U.S. Congress. Israeli sources said they understood that the president would press for the additional aid during the remaining weeks of his administration, but stressed that Clinton did not guarantee success.

The sources said Clinton was also noncommital regarding Barak's appeal for the United States to upgrade strategic relations with Israel.

Barak was also said to have appealed to Clinton to release Jonathan Pollard, the U.S. naval analyst sentenced to life in prison for relaying military secrets in Israel.

Much of the Barak-Clinton meeting, however, was taken up by a demand by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for an international peacekeeping presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Such a resolution is pending before the United Nations Security Council.

Barak has opposed any international presence, including a proposal by France that a UN contingent not carry weapons but rather cameras to record any violence.

Israeli sources said Clinton told Barak that the president had demanded during his meeting with Arafat last week that the Palestinians end violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Clinton was said to have told Arafat that the administration wanted to resume peace talks before it ends office on Jan. 20.

But quietly administration officials said they are powerless to stop the violence in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

For his part, Barak warned against a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.

Officials said the Israeli prime minister raised the escalating threats along Israel's northern border from Hizbullah. Barak was said to have accused Syria of supporting the Hizbullah intention to ignite the powder keg in the region.

Tuesday, November 14, 2000


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