JERUSALEM Ñ On Saturday, under heavy U.S. pressure, Palestinian Authority Chairman Arafat condemned terrorism but
did not mention the suicide-bombing. U.S. officials said Powell then decided
to meet Arafat on Sunday, a 24-hour delay from his scheduled session on
Saturday.
Powell met Arafat on Sunday in his headquarters in the
West Bank city of Ramallah. The meeting took place less than two days
after a Palestinian suicide bomber linked to Arafat's Fatah movement blew
herself up in an Israeli market. Six people were killed and 90 were wounded
in the Jerusalem bombing, according to Middle East Newsline.
"We strongly condemn all the attacks targeting civilians from both
sides, and especially the attack that took place against Israeli citizens
yesterday in Jerusalem," the Palestinian Authority said in a statement.
U.S. officials said Powell Ñ who announced $30 million in humanitarian
aid to the Palestinians Ñ discussed his planned meeting with Arafat with
leaders from Egypt, Jordan and Russia. Later, State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said Arafat's statement contained "a number of interesting
and positive elements."
"The secretary will work with Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian
leadership to show leadership and to help make these statements a reality,
with effective action to bring an end to terror and violence and an early
resumption of a political process," Boucher said.
Palestinian sources said Arafat will link any ceasefire to a complete
Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The sources
said that an estimated 400 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli
offensive, which focused on the Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah.
Israeli military sources said troops captured or killed several leading
Palestinian insurgents. They included members from Fatah and the Islamic
opposition group, Hamas.
