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Ananova : Powell blames Palestinian violence for recalling envoy ==================================== US Secretary of State, Colin Powell has blamed Palestinian violence for US envoy Anthony Zinni's departure from the region after three weeks of efforts to arrange a cease-fire. Fresh violence stalled early progress in the peace process made by Zinni, who was told on Saturday to return to Washington, Powell said. "We sent General Zinni over to try to get that dialogue going, and all of that was blown up by these terrorist organizations on the Palestinian side," he said. "Hamas, a terrorist organization, started killing innocent civilians with car bombs in Jerusalem, Haifa and elsewhere. And they attacked this process; they attacked innocent Israelis," Powell said on "Fox News Sunday." "But even more fundamentally and troubling, they attacked Yasser Arafat and his authority to lead the Palestinian people toward a cease-fire and a process of peace." Zinni's mission was accompanied by a surge in attacks by Islamic militants on Israelis, followed by Israeli reprisals in which more than 60 Palestinians and 40 Israelis were killed. Nonetheless, Powell said: "Right now, I don't want to lose hope. The Zinni mission has not failed. The parties have failed. Zinni went to help them, and they were not ready ... to be helped at this point." Zinni is to consult with President George W. Bush and Powell about the situation - meetings which Powell said had always been planned. Story filed: 16:43 Sunday 16th December 2001 ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
