US eyes on new Palestinian cabinet: Armitage

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 11, 2003

US eyes on new Palestinian cabinet: Armitage

The United States hopes that the endorsement of a new Palestinian cabinet by the parliament would leave door open for the resumption of peace talks, a senior US official said in Cairo Monday.

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The United States hopes that the endorsement of a new Palestinian cabinet by the parliament would leave door open for the resumption of peace talks, a senior US official said in Cairo Monday.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said the Israeli government needs a partner with whom it can talk.

Armitage voiced his hope that a new Palestinian cabinet led by Ahmed Qurei would be endorsed by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on Wednesday.

The United States hopes that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would, as he has promised, meet with Qurei to search for peace after the endorsement of the new Palestinian government, he said.

Efforts would be resumed to bring about a two-state solution -- Palestine and Israel living side by side -- in the wake of the endorsement of the new cabinet, he said.

Qurei announced on Sunday that he had sealed a deal with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on a new government and the line-up would be submitted to the PLC for a confidence vote on Wednesday.

"We have now finalized a composition for the new cabinet, and I will ask the head of the PLC to hold a special confidence vote on Wednesday," Qurei told reporters after a meeting with Arafat in theWest Bank city of Ramallah.

The end of disputes between Arafat and Qurei over security affairs paved the way for the formal formation of a new government and then the resumption of peace talks with Israel.

Armitage arrived here Sunday evening as part of his Middle East tour, which has taken him to Iraq and will also take him to Saudi Arabia.

Armitage's Middle East visit came at a time when the Palestinian-Israeli violence has been mounting over the past few weeks and security situation in Iraq has been worsening.

The spiralling violence between the Palestinians and Israel has derailed the so-called roadmap peace plan envisioning a full Palestinian statehood by 2005.

The blueprint, worked out by the United Nations, European Union,United States and Russia, requires reciprocal steps to be taken by Israel and the Palestinians toward peace.

When asked about the mounting terror attacks in Iraq and other parts of the world following the US crackdown on terror by force, Armitage said all the facts indicated that the anti-terror campaigncould be a long struggle.

The United States has initiated the anti-terror war and will not stop it as Washington is pressing for continuous support by countries involved in the campaign, he said.

The US official pointed to the successful stories of Saudi security forces in cracking down on terrorism.

Armitage said the Saudi forces had arrested and killed about 100terrorists in addition to discover a great deal of explosives and weapons since May 12, when triple suicide bombing attacks killed 35people and wounded more than 100 others in Riyadh.

In the small hours of Sunday, three bombing attacks rocked the Muhyia residential compound in Riyadh, killing at least 17 people, including four Egyptians, and injuring more than 100 others.

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