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`Quartet' pushes for Gaza withdrawal

The architects of the "road map" to Middle East peace encouraged Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, which they said would provide "a rare moment of opportunity" to put the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process back on track.

The US, the UN, the EU and Russia stressed, however, that any "unilateral initiatives" by Israel should be consistent with the road map and declared that final-status issues such as refugees and borders must be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Top officials of the so-called Quartet, meeting on Tuesday for the first time since last September, clearly saw Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's intention to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank as the only real prospect for movement. But with Sharon's intentions following his Likud Party's refusal to back the Gaza pullout now less certain, the Quartet also held back from spelling out detailed plans.

As Israel withdraws, it said land should be transferred "through an appropriate mechanism to a reorganized Palestinian Authority ... as quickly as possible," and it said arrangements should be made to ensure security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

When asked for specifics, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who hosted the meeting, said: "We are waiting to see how things evolve, and then adapt our plans or mechanisms accordingly."

The Quartet issued a three-page communique after the meeting outlining a series of obstacles to achieving the road map's goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace: violence, terrorism, Israeli settlements, the barrier Israel is building and the Palestinian leadership.

The Palestinian UN observer, Nasser Al-Kidwa, complained that the US dominated the meeting and the final communique amounted to nothing more than "mumbling that could mean anything."

He was especially critical that the Quartet didn't call for a complete withdrawal from the West Bank and take a stronger stand against the barrier, which Israel contends is to keep out suicide bombers but which the Palestinians insist is a land grab ahead of final status negotiations.

By contrast, Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, said the Quartet had focused on "the real problem" of terrorism and a need for change within the Palestinian movement.

"Cracking down on terrorism and reforms are imperative for any meaningful political dialogue," he said.

Reviving that dialogue remains a critical issue for the Quartet.

Tuesday's meeting took place not only against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence but of growing Arab anger at US President George W. Bush's assurances to Sharon last month that Israel could retain some Jewish settlements on the West Bank and limit refugee returns in a final peace deal.

The Palestinians and many Arabs saw this as a unilateral US decision.

Trying to look forward, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sharon's intention to withdraw from Gaza offered an opportunity that didn't exist a few weeks ago.

"If we seize this opportunity and work with the parties, we'll get back onto the road map," he said.
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