Arafat: 'Road map' is dead
( 2003-09-03 14:09) (Albawaba.com)
Recent Israeli military strikes against
Palestinian activists have killed the U.S.-backed Mideast road map to peace,
Palestinian president Yasser Arafat told CNN on Tuesday.
 Arafat said there was no prospect of Palestinian
groups such as Hamas resuming a declared cease-fire with Israel.
"The road map is dead, but only because of Israeli military aggression in
recent weeks," he said.
Speaking from his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat said the
United States has not done enough to keep the peace plan alive, suggesting that
the American commitment in Iraq or the next year's presidential election are
preoccupying the Bush administration.
He downplayed a reported split between himself and Prime Minister Mahmoud
Abbas, saying the reports have been exaggerated by Israel in a bid to create
problems within the Palestinian leadership.
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