WRAP US Sec of State Rice meets Palestinian Pres, Zahar
(30 Nov 2006) Jericho, West Bank 1. Zoom shot of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and delegation arriving in hotel lobby, Rice shakes hands with Saeb Erekat, Palestinian chief negotiator 2. Cameras and photographers at photo opportunity 3. Rice and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shaking hands at table 4. Various of Rice and Abbas seated for roundtable talks Gaza City, Gaza Strip 5. Palestinian Foreign Minister, Mahmoud a-Zahar at news conference 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mahmoud a-Zahar Palestinian Foreign Minister: "We are not believing in that such meetings, according to our previous experience, that we are going to achieve any basic demands for the Palestinian issue. On the contrary we are believing that this meeting or such meeting justify more Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. We have to address here. Once we solidify our internal affairs and our issues we will be able to raise the standard of demands of the Arabic and Islamic world and others in order to support our basic demands as a Palestinian people." 7. Mahmoud a-Zahar Palestinian Foreign Minister at podium Jericho, West Bank 7. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas walking into news conference 8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President "We have exerted all efforts (to form a national unity government) and worked in more than one direction and on more than one project, but unfortunately we have hit a dead end." 9. Mid shot, Abbas and Rice 10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President "The Israeli prime minister, Olmert, spoke positively of the initiation of an independent and unified Palestinian state and gave positive hints as to the Arab initiative. I think that what he said on this subject is very encouraging for pushing forward the peace process. At the same time, we discussed the ceasefire in Gaza, which we also hope will include the West Bank on a mutual basis and be extended to the West Bank and Gaza." 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State "Thank you also for the efforts that you've made to bring about a ceasefire, the ceasefire that is now in effect in Gaza and that we hope will be consolidated so that it can be extended because we would hope, in time, for a comprehensive ceasefire." 12. Wide shot, news conference 13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State "The United States has made clear that we expect it to be a viable and contiguous state when it is created. Secondly, that no actions that are being taken now should prejudge the outcome of a final status agreement. That means, very clearly, that if actions are being taken now, they will not be considered by the United States to have prejudged the outcome of final status. The third point is that we have made very clear that Israel has obligations under the Road Map and that the obligations on settlements are clearly articulated in the Road Map." 14. Abbas and Rice shaking hands and exiting STORYLINE: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that talks to achieve a national unity government aimed at ending an international aid boycott have reached a "dead end." He made the comments in a news conference with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after the pair held talks in the West Bank town of Jericho. Rice was due to meet the Israeli leadership in Jerusalem later on Thursday. Rice's hastily planned visit to Jericho and Jerusalem is an apparent attempt by the United States to use the momentum created by a five-day-old truce to renew long-stalled peace talks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
