Prime Minister Sharon has some strong words against Yasser Arafat today in interviews to be published in tomorrow\'s Newsweek. Some excerpts include: \"It won\'t take long for Israel to start taking measures... The U.S. should include Fatah on its list of terrorist organizations... Arafat is an obstacle to peace… The situation has worsened, and Israel will not accept it.\" Asked if he thinks he\'ll be able to sign an agreement with Arafat, Prime Minister Sharon said he does not think that Israel can reach an agreement with a terrorist organization.
Behind the tough talk, however, lurk strong American pressures on Sharon - during his visit this week to the U.S. and Secretary of State Powell\'s upcoming trip to the Middle East - to continue his restraint and begin counting the \"cooling-off period\" towards implementation of the Mitchell Report. American mediator William Burns alluded to this when he said he told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that the U.S. is committed to making progress in the implementation of the Mitchell Report and to renewing negotiations as soon as possible. Speaking with reporters in Cairo today, Burns said that additional measures must be taken to ease the lives of Palestinians.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon departed this afternoon for the United States. He will stop in London on the way for a quick visit with his British counterpart Tony Blair. Sharon and his entourage will remain in the U.S. until the end of the week, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will fill his place.
Behind the tough talk, however, lurk strong American pressures on Sharon - during his visit this week to the U.S. and Secretary of State Powell\'s upcoming trip to the Middle East - to continue his restraint and begin counting the \"cooling-off period\" towards implementation of the Mitchell Report. American mediator William Burns alluded to this when he said he told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that the U.S. is committed to making progress in the implementation of the Mitchell Report and to renewing negotiations as soon as possible. Speaking with reporters in Cairo today, Burns said that additional measures must be taken to ease the lives of Palestinians.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon departed this afternoon for the United States. He will stop in London on the way for a quick visit with his British counterpart Tony Blair. Sharon and his entourage will remain in the U.S. until the end of the week, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will fill his place.