MIDDLE EAST: US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT VISIT UPDATE (2)
(11 Sep 1997) English/Nat U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has blamed both Israel and the Palestinian Authority for the current Mideast stalemate. She called on Israel to take "time out" from building settlements and urged the Palestinians to increase their efforts to clampdown on Islamic terror groups. But the Secretary of State cautioned that there was a still a long way to go before the stalled process would be up and running again. However Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said that he was "very optimistic" that Albright's visit would have a positive impact. Addressing a school in Jerusalem, U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had some tough words for the Israeli government. The message was simple - show restraint in building settlements on disputed land to create a new climate for peace. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We believe that a time-out from these kinds of unilateral actions (expansion of settlements, land confiscation etc) will create a climate in which such an accelerated approach can succeed in achieving a final Israeli Palestinian peace agreement." SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State But the Secretary of State also laid the blame for the current impasse in the hands of the Palestinian Authority. The crisis, she said, arose out of the failure of both sides to live up to their obligations for peace. SOUNDBITE: (English) "This crisis was neither inevitable nor accidental. It has been caused by both sides by their failure to live up to their full obligations as partners in peace. As I have said several times in recent days, this failure was not symmetrical but it was mutual, and mutual actions will be required if mutual confidence is to be restored." SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State In the West Bank city of Bethlehem - hundreds of Palestinians turned out to demonstrate against the closure of the West bank. They also showed their anger at a perceived pro-Israeli attitude from the United States. The demonstrators marched to Rachel's tomb where they clashed with Israeli soldiers who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Some Palestinian protesters burned a cartoon depicting Albright wearing Star of David earrings. Earlier, Albright met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for nearly three hours of talks. She urged Arafat to take stronger steps to clampdown on Islamic militants who have claimed responsibility for two recent suicide attacks in Jerusalem - killing 25 people. Palestinian police have rounded up more than 100 Islamic militants in recent days, but Israeli officials have dismissed the effort as mere "window-dressing". On Thursday Arafat pledged that he was as committed to peace as ever. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Be sure that we will continue to be committed to the peace process, the peace of the brave. We cannot forget that our partner Rabin gave his life for this peace, and we will continue with all the peace lovers. We will continue with all those who voted in the Knesset." SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader Albright made it clear that her first priority remained ending the wave of terror attacks. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The truth is clear. Terror threatens the pursuit of peace. Terror threatens the Palestinian authority. And terror threatens the hopes of the Palestinian people. Pursuing peace as partners also means fighting the enemies of peace as partners, and it means spreading the message that peace is the only option." SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State SOUNDBITE: (English) SOUNDBITE: (English) 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...
