27 May 2003
Powell Welcomes Israeli Acceptance of Mideast Roadmap
(Says U.S. is ready to assist with implementation) (1710)
Speaking to reporters May 23, Secretary of State Colin Powell welcomed
indications that the Israeli government accepts the U.S.-sponsored
roadmap as a means to move forward towards a negotiated settlement of
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In remarks en route to the United States following a trip to the
Middle East and Europe, Powell said the United States and
international community are ready to take an active role in assisting
Israelis and Palestinians execute the steps outlined in the roadmap.
"The United States, as you've heard me say before, is ready to assist
in this process with additional people on the ground, in the region,
to serve in a coordination role and eventually perhaps monitoring role
when the time becomes appropriate for that," Powell said.
Asked whether postponing discussion of Israeli settlements would
prolong negotiations, Powell said every issue outlined in the roadmap
would have to be addressed. "Some will be easy, some of the elements
will be easy, some will be very, very difficult, but we had to get
started," he said.
Powell said he hoped Israeli acceptance of the roadmap will open the
door to further direct talks between Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and
Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas.
Following is a transcript of Powell's remarks:
(begin transcript)
Remarks En Route Andrews Air Force Base
Secretary Colin L. Powell On Board Plane May 23, 2003
SECRETARY POWELL: Since we left Paris, I think you've seen the
response I alluded to in the press conference earlier, from the
Israeli Government, in light of the statement that we issued today
that s taking the concerns that Israel has about the roadmap as we
move forward. The Israeli government, in effect, has expressed
acceptance of the roadmap and are taking it to their cabinet on the
weekend. I think you have the exact language that they used.
I view this as a very positive development; the President down in
Crawford also took note of this in his press conference with Prime
Minister Koizumi a few moments ago, a little while ago. He hopes this
will provide an opportunity now for Prime Minister Abu Mazen and Prime
Minister Sharon to get together again in the very near future, and
begin to discuss how to move forward.
The United States, as you've heard me say before, is ready to assist
in this process with additional people on the ground, in the region,
to serve in a coordination role and eventually perhaps monitoring role
when the time becomes appropriate for that.
My colleagues in the Quartet, who I've had a chance to talk to, 3 of
the 4 of us were there today and I talked to Kofi Annan before I left,
suggesting to him what was coming along. Of course, all members of the
Quartet are pleased with this development, and I had a chance to brief
it to all the other G-8 foreign ministers earlier today.
Shifting to the resolution, I think you have all you need on that from
me, subject to whatever questions you might have, so, questions?
QUESTION: What do you mean, or what is meant, by taking into account
Israel's concerns? What understandings down the road might that
encompass?
SECRETARY POWELL: It's important that we get into the execution of the
roadmap, and there are no concerns in the first phases of the roadmap.
As you get deeper into the roadmap, and let's hope we get there to
phase 2 and we start setting up a state with provisional boundaries
and other provisional elements to it, there it becomes more difficult
with respect to the issues. When you start getting into settlements,
it becomes more difficult and both sides will have concerns.
When we say that we all address those concerns, that's what it means.
It means that when we come to those parts of the roadmap that cause
either side serious concern, then we all have to have discussions
between both sides, and with the authors of the roadmap, principally
the United States, trying to facilitate a way forward, through
discussions, through negotiations, through modifications that are
mutually agreed upon.
But it was important to get started with something that is before both
parties, and represents a considered view of the international
community of how one could go forward to achieve the vision laid out
by President Bush last June 24.
QUESTION: We were at the disadvantage of not knowing Israel's response
exactly in terms of what their objections are, but I know you don't
want to speak for them, but could you as best you can tell us what
they are and why you consider them real? What are these that you can
adjust them without reopening the roadmap?
SECRETARY POWELL: They have a list of concerns. I've seen different
lists, 11, 12, up to 15 different issues. Most of them, I think, and I
don't have the list in memory or with me, most of them, I think, are
resolvable within the context of the roadmap. It's essentially the
Israeli Government putting down a strong marker on a particular issue.
Others are more difficult, when you get into, let me give you an
example of the kind of issue that would have been awfully hard to
resolve now, and that is the right of return. Before we even get
started on the roadmap, you have to waive that, and no Palestinian
leader could do that. So we know that's a problem, we all have to deal
with it, there are formulas to deal with it. The Arab League formula
last year says, as agreed by the parties ultimately with respect to
the right of return, which means the two parties have to negotiate, on
that point.
And so those kinds of concerns that would be so severe to try to deal
with now, would have stopped the process before it got started, are
the kinds of concerns that we're saying we will have to address as we
go forward. Address doesn't necessarily mean make a judgment, it means
address. Address is a very nice, broad term, that I think more than
adequately captures what we are anticipating we'll have to do as we go
down the road.
I also expect that as we go down the road, the Palestinians will come
up with concerns that they have not yet expressed to us.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the AP story that we were handed says that
there were two main reservations. The first is that the Palestinians
should begin cracking down on militants before Israel took any steps.
What you laid out in the press conference today was what sounded like
a fairly long process to get an infrastructure that would be capable
of doing that. Does that mean that nothing happens until that happens?
SECRETARY POWELL: No. Both sides have to start taking steps. In the
case of the Palestinian side, recall that I said earlier, 100% intent,
100% effort, and we'll help them put in place the capability for the
effort. They have already started with the presentation of a security
plan, and now we have to operationalize that. A plan isn't anything.
The Palestinians are not without any capability whatsoever. There are
Palestinian security forces. They do not have all the equipment they
need, they need vehicles, they need radios, they need weaponry. That s
the kind of capability they need but they are not totally without any
capability, especially in Gaza. Gaza is the place where you can get
this started more readily than in the West Bank.
I think you'll see that the Israelis will be making steps in parallel.
Do you recall, when I was there last weekend, weekend before last,
Prime Minister Sharon laid out a number of steps that he was planning
to take. Some of them were taken, and in the 10 days since then, more
have been taken, but frankly, some of it was derailed because of all
the bombs that started to go off.
What is important here is that even with the surge of violence, all
parties realized that we had to try to move forward, we had to move
forward and not let terror once again stop the potential for progress.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, can you explain why this compromise that
you've agreed to, this language about considering things in the
future, isn't just kicking the can further down the road, putting off
the most difficult issues, particularly settlements? I had thought
that it was very important to the United States that Israel at least
symbolically do something on settlements, hand the Palestinians
something they could see such as curtailing the illegal outposts at
the very least. Aren't you just kicking all this further down the road
and how does this satisfy the needs of Prime Minister Abbas to be able
to have something concrete to show his own people?
SECRETARY POWELL: At least we have a can in the road. It's easy to
say, why didn't you solve this all up front? Because you couldn't. You
couldn't get started. So there are difficult issues that are ahead,
this is not going to be solved in one day or one week or one month.
All of these issues, difficult issues -- such as why don't we get rid
of all of the outposts tomorrow -- that will have to be dealt with.
The outposts will be an early on issue for resolution. It is all in
the roadmap. In time, every element of the roadmap will have to be
dealt with. Some will be easy, some of the elements will be easy, some
will be very, very difficult, but we had to get started. So the can is
in the road now, and we will start moving it down the road, perhaps
with little kicks as opposed to a 54-yarder.
QUESTION: Prime Minister Abbas met yesterday or the day before, I
believe, with some representatives of Hamas. Do you have any reading
out of this meeting, how it went, and whether that dialogue he
promised to you has begun?
SECRETARY POWELL: I know he had those meetings, but I don't have a
good enough readout to give it to you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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