Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[sylvester80]

Feb18-Uprising to be demilitarised for a year, says PLO leader; 'Step towards reaching peace in Mid-East'
[ed: this was from Feb 18 - yet the buther Sharon continues the slaughter with U.S. support and now as a ultra right wing fascist. There is no way we (the U.S.) will ever win any war on terrorism with policies like that.]

MOSCOW - A senior Palestinian leader wants a one-year 'demilitarisation' of the uprising as a step towards implementing a 'road map' towards peace in the Middle East.

And the Palestinians have said they have already started the process.

Deputy Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas yesterday made the startling claim after talks with Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

After the meeting, he said: 'The Palestinian leadership has decided to demilitarise the intifada for one year.'

He fired a broadside at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who, he said 'wants neither security nor peace, but we must not play his game and give him the pretext to continue attacks on the Palestinian people'.

Referring to the peace plan drawn up by the Middle East quartet - the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations - he said the Palestinians were 'ready to do everything we can do to implement the road map. We agree with all points of the plan'.

He told Mr Ivanov: 'We are calling for force not to be used, for the demilitarisation of the uprising.... but Sharon will continue his aggression, and all the blame will be his.'

Mr Abbas, who holds the No 2 position in the Palestine Liberation Organisation, is regarded as a strong contender for the post of prime minister.

In December, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, mediating inter-Palestinian talks in Cairo, said the delegates had raised the possibility of examining 'unarmed' forms of resistance.

Mr Ivanov said the 'road map' was a 'realistic proposal' that could contribute to improving the situation, and called for it to be 'put into practice as quickly as possible'.

He rejected reported Israeli plans to propose more than 100 amendments to the 'road map', quoted Thursday by the Israeli daily Haaretz, saying that as such a move would extend the process of reaching a settlement, 'we cannot allow this'. --AFP