March 18, 2005

ANNAN REVIEWS WITH ABBAS THE ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL AND CONFIRMS THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PALESTINIAN INDEPENDENT STATE. THE UNITED STATES HALTS WORK WITH ISRAEL ON MAPPING JEWISH SETTLEMENTS. ISRAEL IS TO BEGIN WORK ON A SECOND "SECURITY FENCE" SEPARATING THE JEWISH STATE FROM THE GAZA STRIP. UNICEF PRAISES THE SAUDI SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. TALKS ABOUT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IRAQ. THE SULTANATE OF OMAN STRESSES THE UNITY OF THE ARAB RANK. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan assured Mahmud Abbas that the world would work to create a Palestinian state, one day before the Palestinian leader was to hold ceasefire talks in Cairo. Annan was paying his first visit to the region in four years, a month after Israel and the Palestinian Authority declared an end to more than four years of violence at a landmark Middle East conference in Egypt. "The international community is determined to work with both sides to press ahead with the peace process and the implementation of the roadmap," said Annan after meeting Abbas in West Bank city of Ramallah. "I think that the possible developments give us a chance to re-energise the process and work to ensure that the day a Palestinian state will be established living side by side with Israel will not be too long" in the future, he added. The UN chief's visit coincided with the announcement that Israel would evacuate 24 unauthorised rogue settlements built in the West Bank since Sharon came to power in March 2001. Israel's decision to dismantle the outposts complies with a key requirement of the moribund roadmap peace plan, drafted by the European Union, Russia and the United Nations and United States. Annan said he and Abbas discussed Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip later this year and efforts to handover security control to the Palestinian Authority in five West Bank towns. He said the security transfer - which had stalled last week - "is going to take place fairly shortly" and that he was "very encouraged" after his talks with both Abbas and Sharon. Welcoming Annan's visit as "important", Palestinian foreign minister Nasser al-Qidwa insisted that "international law and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions" must be the basis for a lasting peace. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan was on his way back to New York from the Middle East after talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders that gave hope for renewed moves towards peace and the inauguration of a Holocaust History Museum that built on a new relationship between Israel and the world body. "There is a sense that Israel and the United Nations have rediscovered each other," Mr. Annan said as he wrapped up his trip in Israel at a dinner hosted by Israeli President Moshe Katsav. The inauguration of the Museum at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem had been well-timed, coming at a time of renewed hope for peace in the Middle East and as Israel and the UN continue to build a new relationship, the Secretary-General added. Throughout his four days in the region Mr. Annan said his talks with the leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, had left him "very encouraged." "I do not want to give the impression that it is going to be easy. There are hurdles along the road. But I think with a clear determination and good will on both sides, a lot can be done," he said after one meeting. He noted recent developments, including last month's agreement at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, between Mr. Sharon and Mr. Abbas whereby all Palestinians will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere and Israel will cease all its military activities against all Palestinians everywhere. He emphasized the importance of the Road Map peace plan drafted by the diplomatic Quartet UN, European Union, Russia and United States calling on both Israel and the Palestinians to take parallel and reciprocal steps leading to two states living side by side in peace, originally by the end of 2005. On the other hand Israel plans to build a "temporary fence" separating occupied Jerusalem from the West Bank by July, and says work on a second "security fence" separating the Jewish state from the Gaza Strip is to begin within weeks. Israel's outgoing Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon announced the plan to separate Jerusalem by a "temporary fence". "The plan is to construct by July an improvised barrier, a temporary one, in those areas where a permanent one cannot be built at the moment, mainly because of legal reasons," he told Army Radio on Sunday after meeting Jerusalem's occupation Mayor Uri Lupolianski. "We will establish fences in certain areas, patrol roads... until the legal proceedings are completed," Ya'alon indicated. Chief Palestinian negotiator Sa'eb Erakat criticized Ya'alon's announcement, saying it "prejudices the outcome of permanent status negotiations." Erakat called on the United States and the rest of the international community to put pressure on Israel to revoke its decision. Israel says the new "fence" is needed to protect its cities. However Palestinians dub it as the Wall of Annexation and Expansion, label it as the Apartheid Wall and say it is an illegal confiscation of land. Occupied east Jerusalem is a commercial center for Palestinians. The Wall will prevent thousands of people in the West Bank from reaching hospitals, schools, jobs, public services and holy sites. The Wall's route in the Jerusalem area remains in dispute due to legal challenges filed by Israeli and Palestinian residents of border villages in Israeli courts. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in an Advisory Opinion in July 2004 ruled the Wall illegal and shortly later the United Nations General Assembly adopted the ICJ's ruling. Meanwhile, Israel's public radio reported that Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) are to begin work within weeks on a second "security fence" separating the Jewish state from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli "defense" ministry is to appoint contractors this week to go ahead with the construction. The "second fence", which will be built on Israeli territory, is set to measure 70 meters (230 feet) wide, and security devices, such an unmanned vehicles, security cameras and sensors will be erected in the no-man's land between the two fences, the radio said. Work on the second barrier is due to be completed before Israel begins its planned three-to-four-week evacuation of all the illegal 8,000 Jewish settlers and IOF soldiers from occupied Gaza starting from July 20. The existing first "security fence" was built one year after the 1993 Oslo accords, more or less along the 1967 Green Line, sealing off the Palestinians living in the 362 square kilometer (140 square mile) territory. Meanwhile the United States has halted work with Israel on mapping Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of peace efforts after Israel failed to provide Washington with information on them, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz said. Ha'aretz said an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had promised US President George W. Bush's administration Israel would demarcate the settlements in line with a UN-adopted "roadmap" peace plan for the Middle East requiring a settlement expansion freeze. However, Israel had since supplied no up-to-date aerial photographs of the West Bank to help a joint Israeli-US task force check the settlements' status, prompting Washington to call off the project, reported the Israeli daily newspaper. Israel's Cabinet affirmed it would dismantle only 24 West Bank settlement outposts out of more than one hundred built without authorization from the Israeli government (and thus dubbed by the Israelis as illegal), but did not say when they will be removed and evaded a decision on the fate of 81 other such enclaves. The decision fell short of US and Palestinian demands for a speedy dismantling of all outposts, but Israeli ministers said their removal must wait until after a planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip planned for this summer. Israeli officials claim the "roadmap" stipulates Israel must remove all the outposts created after Sharon came to power in March 2001 24 according to the Israeli outpost report. Seventy-one outposts were built before that date, and in 10 cases it was not clear when they were set up. The Israeli cabinet last Sunday adopted a report on the state's complicity in setting up 105 "unauthorized" settlement outposts in the West Bank and decided to dismantle only 24 of them. Sharon had commissioned the report, conducted over six months by former state prosecutor Talia Sasson. Last Sunday, the Israeli cabinet set up a ministerial committee to make sure the report's recommendations, including the new legislation, are implemented, according to Israeli media. In the past decade, illegal Jewish settlers usually established the outposts by starting with a few mobile homes, a generator and a water tank to break up Palestinian areas and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet President Bush in Washington on April 12, Israeli government sources said, for talks on the Middle East peace process. Palestinian officials have already said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, will see Bush at the White House next month. The meetings will be separate. Source added that Sharon will try to convince President Bush that the Israeli public opinion is not ready for a solution for permanent issues such as the refugees, borders, Al Quds and the settlements. On another scale Egypt has proposed that Palestinian resistance groups agree to a one-year truce with Israel at the negotiations starting in Cairo today, one of the activist factions participating said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hopes to win backing from the factions for the cease-fire he agreed last month at a summit in Egypt with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. President Abbas said that he hoped for a positive outcome of this round of inter-Palestinian dialogue. "Circumstances are ripe now for everyone to gain positive results of this round of dialogue," the Palestinian President said, upon leaving for Jordan en route to Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. Abbas has said repeatedly that he is confident of securing the agreement of the factions as a step towards reviving negotiations with Israel on a final peace agreement and Palestinian statehood. Palestinian resistance leaders said they were ready to declare a formal cease-fire if Israel releases prisoners and pulls out from cities. "We are in Cairo to declare a cease-fire. All factions see it as possible," Suleiman Fahd from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine told Reuters. In Washington King Abdullah II paid tribute to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas leadership and his commitment and full readiness to deal with the security issues to push the peace process forward. In joint press remarks with U.S. President George following their summit meeting at the White House, King Abdullah expressed support to Abbas, saying he would be an effective peace partner. The King also expressed his optimism that Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister will go ahead in the peace process and in a positive way. King Abdullah described his talks with President Bush as fruitful in their pursuit to achieve the best for the Middle East. It was a good opportunity to discuss ways to advance peace efforts and reforms in the region, the King told reporters. He said his talks with King Abdullah centered on peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis. "The role of the United States will be to continue to urge both parties to make sacrifices necessary, sacrifice meaning that Israel must withdraw from the settlements, there must be contiguous territory for a Palestinian state, into which a Palestinian state can grow," Bush said "I believe the peace process has achieved progress and peace has become at hand," he said stressing his country's readiness to back peace efforts and help the Palestinians build security departments. "I think Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has a strong desire to develop the Palestinian state to live in peace alongside Israel," said Bush. In his talks with President Bush, King Abdullah said understandings reached at Sharm Sheikh summit served as a serious breakthrough to prepare the ground for building mutual confidence between the Palestinians and Israelis and to encourage them resume peace talks and take tangible steps to move forward and implement the roadmap peace plan. King Abdullah affirmed that establishing just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region would contribute to strengthening democracy, promoting economic growth and achieving regional sustainable development. Peace and stability in the region can never be achieved without restoring legitimate Arab rights and Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian territories and establishing the independent Palestinian state, King Abdullah said noting that the Arab world was seeking a just and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Arab peace initiative, which stressed the necessity to address all peace tracks as one package, has reflected the Arabs' true desire to realize peace and denounce violence and extremism, the King added. This initiative will figure in the agenda of the upcoming Arab summit in Algiers, he added stressing the U.S. key role to back peace efforts in the region. In Riyadh The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has extended full support to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for helping Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as well as the victims of civil war in Darfur in Sudan. This was announced at a press conference held at UNICEF's Gulf Area Office in the Diplomatic Quarter. A UNICEF delegation called on Dr. Saed Al-Harithy, adviser to Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, who briefed them on the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to help Palestinians in the occupied territory and also the victims of the civil war in Darfur. In this context, Dr. Nizar Summan, senior adviser, Gulf Area Office, explained how Prince Naif had raised $6.3 million through donations for the Palestinians in addition to $500,000 for Palestinian children to immunize them against polio. Saudi Arabia was also contributing to other UN agencies, including UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which received $20 million (SR75 million) in immediate aid for the Palestinians. On the other hand the Algerian Foreign Minister denied that his country had the intention to naturalize its relations with Israel, as previously stated several times by President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika. In Baghdad Iraq's parliament has met for the first time, some six weeks after it was elected. But the assembly failed to reach a deal on the forming of a new government. And insurgents marked the day with attacks. The freely-elected 275 member National Assembly convened in the heavily guarded Green Zone with US helicopter gunships keeping watch. Gazi Al-Yawar, Interim Iraqi President, said, "I would like on this day to congratulate you as we take important steps towards the democratic process. This assembly is the result of the first democratic elections held here in Iraq." According to Iraq's interim constitution, the assembly must agree on a president and two vice presidents by a two-thirds majority. These officials will then appoint a prime minister. But parliament negotiations have stalled over Kurdish demands to expand their northern autonomous zone to include the oil city of Kirkuk. The Kurds also want guarantees Iraq will remain secular. The current President and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi will remain caretaker leaders until a coalition government can be formed. The delay in forming a government has angered many Iraqis. Some say the deadlock is playing into the hands of insurgents. Though several streets were closed, insurgents fired mortar bombs into the Green Zone compound. Explosions also rocked elsewhere in Baghdad, with conflicting reports about casualties. On the other hand Iraqi government security services claim to have infiltrated the terrorist network with embedded policemen. Former Interim Prime Minister Allawi is certain that the Jordanian terror mastermind is close to being arrested. Iraqi security forces have quietly unearthed Zarqawi's principal ammunition and explosive caches, partly helped by information obtained in the interrogations of the captured terrorists. Allawi believes that many of the archterrorist's followers will turn themselves in when they see the wherewithal for fighting on and carrying out attacks is running out. Britain is planning to call an international conference on Iraq this year provided that Iraqis do finally manage to pick a government. An Iraqi conference would give the top Iraqi ministers a chance to pitch to neighbours and others. British officials hope this exercise would be something of a team-building exercise, affirming the main players in their roles in front of an audience of extremely interested parties. But if it takes place, it is unlikely to be in London, officials suggest. A European location is more likely, although no prizes for guessing it will not be Paris. In Oman Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, deputy prime minister for the Council of Ministers, deplored exaggerated reports on the issue of recent detentions in the Sultanate, stressing that the Sultanate would deal with the matter in a civilised manner. No one in the Sultanate will face action if they are innocent, he said, dismissing fears of inappropriate action. Speaking to local media yesterday, he said the reports on the recent detentions were highly exaggerated. "There is no justification for such exaggerations," he stressed, pointing out that if the detainees were proved innocent, and if they had not worked against the interests of the Sultanate and its people, they would not face any problem. The arrests had no connection with terrorism or foreign links, he said. Some mistakes were committed by some persons, and "we want to find out why they did commit them, to protect the stability of the nation and its future". On foreign investment, Sayyid Fahd said the Sultanate is known for its political stability and potential to encourage investors. The Sultanate has made great strides in attracting foreign investments. "There are some mega projects initiated by us and we achieve benefit from some of them," he said. On the Arab summit due to be held in the Algerian capital next week, he expressed his belief that efforts would be made to avoid controversies and focus on unanimity. On the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, he said the issue was related to Syria and Lebanon. "What we are concerned is that there should be no tension and it should not adversely affect both nations." He stressed Arab solidarity, regardless of what is currently happening. Meanwhile Nassir bin Khamis Al Gashmi, Oil and Gas Ministry undersecretary said the Sultanate signed an MoU with the Islamic Republic of Iran to import 30 million cubic metres of Iranian gas daily. He added in a statement to Oman News Agency that Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Romhi, oil and gas minister and his Iranian counterpart signed the MoU. Gas import will commence at the start of 2008. The quantity imported will later reach 70 million cubic metres daily. He said a specialist company was tasked with studying gas pipeline tracks to link it with the nearest maritime point between the Sultanate and Iran. Al Gashmi added the Omani and Iranian sides have agreed on forming negotiations team to enter in to the project details. The oil and gas minister is on a visit to Iran to attend the Opec meeting due to be held there today in the capacity of an observer.