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Powell arrives in Middle East for talks

Secretary of State sees 'moment of opportunity'


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Colin Powell is greeted by Israeli Chief of Protocol Yitzhak Eldan as he arrives in Israel Sunday.
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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Israel late Sunday for his first direct talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials since the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on November 11.

Speaking to reporters en route to the Middle East from the APEC summit in Chile, Powell said that during his visit, he would be "making the point that [President Bush] has made, that this is a moment of opportunity."

"While the Palestinian people are saddened by the loss of Chairman Arafat ... it is also a moment where we can move forward," Powell said. "The big step ahead of us now is to assist the Palestinian people in getting ready for the election on the ninth of January for a new president of the Palestinian Authority."

Asked what kind of financial or technical assistance the United States might offer for the Palestinian election, Powell said, "We have some ideas, and we are examining what resources might be available, but I really need to talk to the Palestinians to see what their needs are before I make any announcements or commitments of anything."

Powell will meet Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

Although the secretary said his schedule of meetings with the Palestinians is still being worked out, he said he expects to meet with Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei, acting Palestinian Authority President Rawhi Fattuh and Mahmoud Abbas, the newly appointed head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

In addition to the Palestinian elections, Powell said he would also be discussing Sharon's plan to unilaterally disengage from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, which the Israeli leader is implementing despite opposition from both Palestinians and right-wing Israelis.

"I'll talk to the Palestinians about their preparations to put in place political institutions and the security arrangements that would be needed to make sure that that goes well," he said.

He also said he would ask Palestinian leaders whether they have made any progress in gaining support from radical groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. The group has carried out military operations against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization whose military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted to terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians as well as attacks against the Israeli military.

Both have been labeled terrorist organizations by the United States and Israel.

"I haven't seen anything that would suggest any major changes in their policies, but I want to hear from the Palestinian leaders about conversations they have been having ... to see what ... influence that they have been able to apply to them," Powell said.

Powell announced last week that he was resigning his post, though he will remain until his successor, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, is confirmed by the Senate. (Full story)

Powell told reporters that he does not think his status will hamstring his talks in the Middle East because "it is the president's policies that we are following."

"What I will do will naturally flow into what Dr. Rice will be doing when she becomes secretary."


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