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Powell tells Sharon to wrap up operations

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An Israeli army tank is positioned inside Palestinian Preventive Security Service headquarters in the Ramallah, West Bank, suburb of Beituniya on Tuesday.  


From Elise Labott
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While not demanding an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas, the Bush administration is urging Israel to finish its current sweep for suspected terrorists and move into a cease-fire.

Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the second time in as many days, according to a senior State Department official. Another administration official told CNN that Powell told Sharon to "bring it to an end."

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In a television interview Tuesday with CBS, Powell said he told Sharon the United States understands Israel has an "inherent right of self-defense, but ... whatever you are doing, get it over with as quickly as possible."

Powell also delivered the message to Sharon that he "can't completely isolate Arafat," one official said.

"You can't remove all of his infrastructure, all of his right hand men, and expect him to have the ability to take the necessary steps to end terrorism," the official said.

"He is the head of a pyramid, and yet some of the people in this pyramid are involved in the violence, but you have to leave him with some ability to take action. He is still in the equation."

The official said U.S. Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni is "on the phone endlessly" with Israeli and Palestinian security officials but has not met with either side in several days.

Arafat has been holed up in his Ramallah headquarters since Friday when Israeli troops stormed the compound, smashing walls and conducting room-to-room searches for suspected terrorists.

Sharon suggested Tuesday that Arafat could leave the building on "a one-way ticket" into exile.

U.S. officials denied having any conversations with Morocco about playing host to Arafat should he be exiled from Israel, and on Tuesday Powell reiterated the U.S. position that Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian people and should have a role in the Mideast peace process.

"Chairman Arafat is head of the Palestinian Authority and he is recognized, whether you approve of it or not, as the leader of the Palestinian people," Powell told CNN.

"And he will be the leader of the Palestinian people whether he is sitting in Ramallah or whether he is sitting in some exile location elsewhere in the Middle East or somewhere in Europe.

"So it seems to me, let's deal with him where he is and let's continue to apply pressure to him and other leaders of the Palestinian people to get into the Tenet work plan," Powell said.

The Tenet plan, named after its chief architect, CIA Director George Tenet, calls on both sides for negotiating a cease-fire before entering the Mitchell agreement, which calls for the resumption of security cooperation, a cessation of Jewish settlement construction in the territories and the resumption of peace talks.



 
 
 
 







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