10 November 2003
U.S. to Judge Next Palestinian Cabinet Based on Anti-Terrorism Fight
State's Boucher says U.S. has not changed policy regarding Arafat
The Bush administration will judge the next Palestinian cabinet, expected to be confirmed by the Palestinian legislature within several days, on the basis of the effectiveness of its fight against terrorism, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said.
"The new cabinet, as we've said before, needs to make clear that it's opposed in all forms to terrorism, demand that all acts of terrorism cease, and take immediate steps to disarm and dismantle the capacity of the terrorist organizations. That's the criteria by which we shall judge them," Boucher said at the State Department's daily briefing in Washington November 10.
Boucher said the United States has changed neither its view that Yasser Arafat is a "failed leader" nor its policy of refusing to deal with him. The spokesman said U.S. officials are in contact with the man expected to head the next Palestinian cabinet, Ahmed Qureia, and have made the U.S. views known to him.
Following is an excerpt from the transcript of Boucher's November 10 briefing, containing remarks about the Palestinian leadership question:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Can you comment on that reshuffle that's expected to be finalized Wednesday in the Palestinian Authority, particularly the fact that Yasser Arafat would appear to be retaining control over the security forces yet again?
And in relation to that, could you comment on -- could you just sort of give us an update on the status of any U.S. funds or training to the Palestinian Authority in light of the fact it looks like Arafat's continuing to hang on to power?
MR. BOUCHER: The first thing to say is we've seen the announcement, obviously, of the new list of cabinet names. The cabinet, we understand, is due to be confirmed by the legislature sometime this week, maybe in the next couple days.
At this point, what we're hearing, what we're seeing, are the names, the individuals involved. What we have to see, and what we have said to them directly and in public, we need to see is the commitment and the resources to move against terrorism. That's the issue, remains the issue, and that will be the issue by which the new cabinet, any new cabinet, needs to be tested, on performance. Are they going to take action? Are they going to have the commitment? Are they going to take action? And do they have the control over resources that they can take that action?
So we will judge the Palestinian government on that basis as they take office and as they start to do things. The new cabinet, as we've said before, needs to make clear that it's opposed in all its forms to terrorism, demand that all acts of terrorism cease and take immediate steps to disarm and dismantle the capacity of the terrorist organizations. That's the criteria by which we shall judge them.
QUESTION: But, I mean, you're not going to, say, explicitly criticize the fact that Arafat would appear to be resuming control and the President a year and a half ago, June 24 of 2002, said he'd like the Palestinians to, you know, to choose new leadership.
MR. BOUCHER: I think the leaders, the people that are being put into place, have a challenge. They have a challenge to the meet the expectations of the Palestinian people to move forward on the roadmap and on the peace process and they have a challenge to meet the expectations of the international community to take action against terrorism. Both of those things amount to the same requirement because the only way to move forward on peace is to act against terrorism.
It's not who they know or who they knew or how closely they may be associated with Arafat that's going to matter in the end. If their association with Arafat of the kind of structures that are being put in place prevent them from taking action, or whether they themselves don't have the commitment for taking action, the only criteria is performance, and so that's how we will judge them.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up one more? I just want to pin this down. It's the command structure of this new cabinet is of not -- is -- you're waiting to essentially see whether security officers who would be -- or security ministers who would be reporting to Arafat would crack down on terror? So it's almost -- I mean, it sounds like, in some ways, you're edging close to kind of giving Arafat a chance again to prove he's committed to fighting terrorism.
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not giving Arafat anything. Our policy on Arafat hasn't changed at all.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR. BOUCHER: We think he's a failed leader. We think his involvement in things has always made them fail. His involvement and interference in the last cabinet made it fail. Unfortunately, any cabinet that takes office under those similar circumstances, obviously, a lot of people have raised doubts about it. But in the end, it's what they do. In the end, it's the performance. In the end, it's whether they act against terrorism that will make the difference or not. Whatever the structures involved, it's action that will be the sole criteria.
...............................
QUESTION: Are there any plans you could tell us about of contact with this new arrangement that --
MR. BOUCHER: Well, at this point, they haven't formally been voted, so in terms of some formal sort of government contact, we wouldn't have that until they've been voted. But we've been keeping in touch with people in this government all along. We've been working with Ahmed Qureia. Our Consul General has met with him a number of times as this process continued. So the Palestinians are quite clear on our views.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=November&x=20031110182926atarukp0.473324&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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