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Arafat told U.S. will never deal with him again

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, July 9, 2002

AMMAN Ñ Arab leaders have told Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat that neither the United States nor Israel will agree to deal with him again.

[On Monday, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Secretary of State Colin Powell has ended communications with Arafat. "He has no plans to talk to chairman Arafat," Boucher said. "I think we made that quite clear."]

Arab diplomatic sources said Arafat's allies in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have, in recent weeks, come to terms with the prospect that Arafat will probably be replaced. They said Arafat has rejected several offers to go into exile, Middle East Newsline reported.



Israeli sources said the decline in Arab support for Arafat has been dramatic over the last two weeks in the wake of President George Bush's call for a new democratic Palestinian leadership. They said Arafat's former allies are now searching to support a replacement for the Palestinian leader who will be most understanding of their interests.

"The idea is to make it clear to the Palestinians that Arafat is the sole obstacle to the goal of achieving a Palestinian state," an Arab diplomatic source said. "This has placed unprecedented pressure on Arafat."

The sources said both Washington and Jerusalem would resume efforts to discuss a Palestinian state once Arafat steps down.

Arafat, increasingly isolated from his people and under pressure from his former Arab allies, is expected to step down by the end of the year.

Arab and Israeli diplomatic sources said Arafat has been dismayed that his authority and freedom of movement have been whittled down to the point where he could be removed in a bloodless coup. The sources said Arafat is considering a proposal by such Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia to accept a ceremonial post, such as president, in any new Palestinian government.

Under the proposal, Arafat would be able to remain in the Palestinian areas but lose his administrative authority. On Monday, the Jordanian opposition Al Majd weekly quoted senior Palestinian sources as saying that Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Ahmed Qurei is Arafat's most likely successor.

The sources said Arafat has been firing and rehiring his security chiefs in a series of moves that have demoralized his remaining supporters. They said his decisions have been erratic and are being ignored by such security veterans as Preventive Security Apparatus chief Jibril Rajoub and intelligence chief Tawfik Tirawi.

The Bush administration has dismissed Arafat's appointments, including his 100-day reform plan. "While it offers promising elements of change, the plan is only likely to strengthen the unacceptable status quo," Robert Satloff, policy planning and strategic director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said.

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