Sharon Would not Withdraw Troops from Palestinian Areas

One day before U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell visit Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the 10th said, “Israel will not pull back until Palestinian militias are crushed,” which implies dark future of the talk with Powell.

While Israeli troops had pulled out of 24 towns in the West Bank Palestinian areas until dawn of the 11th, they swept into 2 towns of Ber Zeit and Dahariya. Foreign press including AP reported on the 11th that troops still occupied most of the West Bank`s major population centers, including Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin and Nablus.

Visiting an Israeli army base in Jenin on the 10th, when Israel executed 13-day-long offensive, Prime Minister Sharon said, “Israel will not pull back until Palestinian militias are crushed.” He stressed, “Israel, which is the victim of terrorism, is executing `the war for survival`. No countries including America should press on us.”

Previously, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat criticized, “some 500 Palestinians were killed at West Bank during past 12 days, and Israel is committing serious crimes against Palestinian society.”

Meanwhile, Secretary Powell at Madrid, Spain, said that his mission to maintain peace would go on, though Israel rejected the request to stop military activities in Palestinian areas, and that he would meet Prime Minister Sharon and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

According to diplomatic sources, Israeli government permitted the meeting of Secretary Powell and President Arafat. The talk between Secretary Powell and President Arafat will be held at the office of Arafat in Ramallah on the 13th.

Kim kimsk@donga.com