Powell to travel to West Bank for peace talks

[Vanhalen 0]

Apologies for the briefness of the article, but its breaking news, will post the full article once it gets updated.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4012851.stm

 

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to visit the West Bank next week for talks, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath has said.

Mr Powell's visit comes days after US President George Bush said Middle East peace could be achieved in four years.

 

"The purpose of the visit is to activate the peace process that Mr Bush and Mr Blair have said is their goal," Mr Shaath said.

 

Discussions will focus on plans for elections due to be held next January.

[Vanhalen 0]

Updated article, same URL, this looks like excellent news, and good on the Bush administration for striking while the irons hot, instead of letting the issue go stone cold

 

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to visit the West Bank next week for talks, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath has said.

His announcement of the visit comes just days after the death of veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

 

"The purpose of the visit is to activate the peace process that Mr Bush and Mr Blair have said is their goal," Mr Shaath said.

 

Discussions will focus on plans for elections due to be held next January.

 

 

Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington last week, US President George W Bush said the US would help the Palestinians hold democratic elections to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat.

 

He also said a Middle East peace could be achieved in four years.

 

Election assistance

 

Mr Powell's visit to the West Bank - which Mr Shaath said is scheduled for 23 November - is likely to include talks on arrangements to ensure elections take place and are judged free and fair.

 

A portion of $75m of US aid currently earmarked for Palestinian non-governmental organisations could be earmarked for election planning, Reuters news agency reported.

 

Aid could also be provided direct to the Palestinian Authority, despite existing congressional restrictions.

 

Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told CNN the US president must pressure Israel not to interfere with the election.

 

"He [bush] needs to get the army of Israel out and send civilian observers in order to see true, genuine, fair elections taking place," Mr Erekat said.

 

Israeli troops operate checkpoints that restrict the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

 

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, currently in the US, is due to hold talks with Mr Powell early this week.

 

In a speech to a US Jewish audience on Sunday evening, Mr Shalom said Israel might co-ordinate its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip with the Palestinians if an elected leadership took steps against militant groups.

[Guest INXS]

it LOOKED like excellent news- Powell was perhaps the only reasonable man in the Bush administration. I think that it's safe to say that it's down to Tony Blair to get the road map up and running again..