WASHINGTON Ñ Arab diplomatic sources said President George Bush has decided to weaken the control of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat by encouraging the establishment of institutions that would no longer be under the chairman's direct control. The sources said Arafat was certain to resist any effort to undermine his rule.
President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell appealed to
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah yesterday to demonstrate
support for U.S. efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian war.
Sources said Bush rejected Sharon's appeal to exile Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat during their meeting at the White House Tuesday. Instead, Bush told reporters at the meeting he had decided to send CIA director George Tenet to help organize a Palestinian security force to fight insurgency attacks against Israel. The president called on Arafat to merge his numerous security forces into one agency.
Egypt and Jordan have offered to help the United States
reorganize the security network of the Palestinian Authority, Middle East Newsline reported.
The sources said the offer came during consultations by the
Bush administration with the governments in Amman and Cairo. On Wednesday, Abdullah met Bush and discussed Arafat and the PA.
The sources said Abdullah and Mubarak agreed to participate in any
effort to reorganize and bolster Palestinian intelligence and security
agencies. They said Egypt and Jordan are thoroughly familiar with PA
intelligence chiefs and their methods.
Mubarak has offered to host a Palestinian meeting in Cairo that would
agree to end suicide attacks in Israel. The proposed meeting would include
PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and leaders of the opposition Hamas and Islamic
Jihad movements. On Wednesday, Mubarak telephoned the Palestinian leader
and discussed the security situation with Arafat.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush is working with Arab
allies of the United States to achieve reform in the PA. "The president's
focus includes Yasser Arafat, but it's broader than that," Fleischer said.
"Progress can be made by talking with a number of people, including Arab
nations, as well as those people who work diligently in the Palestinian
Authority to try to find ways to bring about reforms."
Earlier, Abdullah rejected a U.S. proposal to accept Palestinian insurgents
now holed up in Bethlehem's Church of Nativity.
Last year, Egypt launched an effort to help Arafat reorganize his
personal security. The sources said Egypt offered expertise to establish an
intelligence and security service loyal only to Arafat and that would
supersede the more than 10 PA agencies.
