Bush Hopes Israel Will End Reoccupation Quickly: Powell

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Bush Hopes Israel Will End Reoccupation Quickly: Powell

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed on Tuesday that U.S. President George W. Bushhopes Israel will end reoccupation of the Palestinian lands quickly, and withdraw its troops "now."

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Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed on Tuesday that U.S. President George W. Bushhopes Israel will end reoccupation of the Palestinian lands quickly, and withdraw its troops "now."

The United States will try its best to get the Palestinians and Israel to a ceasefire and the resumption of talks, Powell said at ajoint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

For his part, Maher said that Egypt and the United States have agreed that it is important for all parties concerned to implement the already existing documents on the Mideast issue.

"We believe that the only way to ensure security is to link security talks with political talks ... because security can not beachieved through the use of force, but through the creation of environment that is helpful to create confidence between the parties," Maher said.

He also reiterated Egypt's position that Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinians. "This is the address where negotiationsshould be conducted."

Powell said the United States has recognized that the Palestinian people view Yasser Arafat as their leader, adding that it is up to the Palestinian people to decide their leader.

"As a leader of the Palestinian people, Arafat has many obligations, and I hope to have the opportunity to talk with him and his associates later this week," Powell said.

He expressed the hope that such discussions would bring the current situation to an end and get back into conversation which leads to security, an immediate ceasefire and political talks.

Powell arrived at the Cairo Airport earlier in the day, and his motorcade then traveled to the Presidential Palace where he held meeting with Mubarak.

Egypt is the second leg of Powell's current Mideast tour, which has taken him to Morocco and will also take him to Jordan and Israel.

Powell said on Sunday before his departure that he would spend "whatever time and effort" to try to defuse the current Israeli-Palestinian crisis, although he did not expect to achieve a peace treaty in the trip.

The situation in the Palestinian lands has swiftly worsened since Israeli tanks rolled into the West Bank city of Ramallah and shelled Arafat's compound on March 29.

Arafat has been besieged by the Israeli army in his office building in Ramallah since then.

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