Talking But Not Budging

Having talked with both Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell turns his attention today to another corner of the Mideast peace conflict.

Powell is in Beirut, meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, and later today will fly to Damascus, the capital city of Syria, the chief backer of the Hezbollah militant Islamic group.

Powell was originally scheduled to head home on Tuesday but now plans to extend his visit, which is to include another face-to-face session with Arafat.

In Beirut today, Powell warned that violence along the Lebanese-Israeli border could widen the conflict throughout the region.

"It is critical for those who support peace to act immediately to stop attacks across the border," said Powell.

Hammoud, in a strongly worded anti-Israeli statement, issued his own statement on recent rocket attacks along the border, which he described as resistance to Israeli occupation.

"Israel is responsible for the current escalation," said Hammoud, "because it blocked all efforts seeking peace and has rejected all international resolutions."

Diplomatic sources said Powell, on a drive to end 18 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence, asked the Lebanese state to curb Hezbollah to avoid a possible harsh Israeli reprisal.

He also urged Lebanese leaders to send the army to the border with Israel, which has been left under Hezbollah's control since the group helped force Israel to end its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon in May 2000, they added.

Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Muslim "Party of God," stepped up raids on Israel across the border after Israel began a West Bank incursion against the Palestinians 18 days ago. It organized a demonstration on Monday to denounce U.S. support of Israel.

Thousands of angry Lebanese blocked off main roads leading to the airport in protest.

"We want to say the truth: We loathe America. Powell get out of here!" chanted protesters, who carried pictures of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

"The Palestinian people are being exterminated by an American decision. America is the leader of terrorism in the world," chanted the crowd, mainly from Hezbollah.

"Death to America, death to Israel," they added.

The U.S. Secretary of State's efforts so far have not produced a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians but have given the two sides a few new things to talk about.

Sunday, Sharon proposed holding a regional conference to discuss peace arrangements in the Middle East, with the participation of Israel, Arab nations and the Palestinians.

Sharon told a meeting of business leaders in Tel Aviv that the United States would lead the conference. He said he brought up the idea in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and "this idea is acceptable to the United States."

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dismissed the proposal. "This is an attempt by Sharon to turn the clock many years backward." he said. Erekat said there is an Arab proposal on the table for Israel to withdraw from all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem and Golan Heights in exchange for peace, "and what is needed from Sharon is to say yes of no to this initiative."

Israel Radio reported that at a closed meeting of Israel's Cabinet Sunday, Sharon said that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would not be allowed to take part in the proposed meeting. Israel is holding Arafat as a virtual prisoner in his West Bank headquarters, part of a large-scale military operation that followed a series of Palestinian suicide bombing attacks.

Sharon listed Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and Palestinian representatives as participants in the conference, but said the list was not final. "I imagine that within a short time a conference of this sort will convene to debate the diplomatic arrangements in the Middle East," he said.

In a statement from his office, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres welcomed the idea. He said "a regional conference will formulate a clear political horizon and a program for economic recovery of the (Palestinian) territories," according to the statement.

Powell had "very good and thorough" talks with Ariel Sharon on Sunday at which he urged him to withdraw from Palestinian areas and expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in the West Bank, his spokesman said.

The meeting with Sharon followed a three-hour meeting with Arafat at his besieged West Bank compound.

"Secretary of State Colin Powell had a very good and thorough discussion with Prime Minister Sharon this evening," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. "He discussed with Prime Minister Sharon some ideas on how to achieve what Israelis and Palestinians want - an end to the violence and moving forward on the political issues. He stressed our serious concerns about the humanitarian situation, particularly in Jenin."

The Jenin refugee camp is cut off and in ruins after fierce fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, and is the focus of a tense dispute now over the bodies of the Palestinians killed in last week's combat.

Israel had planned to bury the bodies, but in response to a lawsuit brought by Israeli Arabs, Israel's Supreme Court ruled against the army's burial plan. Instead, Palestinian medics are today winding through allies in Jenin, searching for bodies.

Sunday, Powell called his meeting with Yasser Arafat "useful and constructive" but indicated no progress toward a cease-fire agreement from the Palestinian leader who remains under Israeli confinement in his rocket-scarred headquarters.

A top Arafat aide said the Palestinians "absolutely" pledged to curb violence against Israelis, but only after the Israeli military ends the incursion in Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank.

"When the Israelis complete the full withdrawal we will carry out our obligations," Erekat said.

Powell, in a terse statement after the talks, said he and Arafat "exchanged a variety of ideas" to be followed up when the two sides meet again on Tuesday.

Powell said he talked with the Palestinian leader about "steps on how we can move forward," but the secretary of state offered no details and he didn't indicate any progress was made on attempts to gain a cease-fire.

In the meeting, Powell made a 45-minute presentation to Arafat with the clear message that "the bombings have to stop, that they are a major barrier to moving forward," on security and political issues, including Palestinian statehood, a senior U.S. official said.

In the delayed talks with Arafat, Powell was pressing him to take "effective action" to end Palestinian attacks against Israel.

U.S. officials want Arafat to use the "bully pulpit of his leadership as required and called upon by our president to bring clearly home to his people that violence to accomplish political end is not going to be effective," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in Washington.

Arafat accompanied Powell to the front door of his blackened compound in the besieged West Bank compound and shook his hands at the end of the meeting, but the Palestinian leader did not emerge.

"Arafat did not come out for security reasons," senior Palestinian negotiator Erekat said, gesturing toward an adjoining building held by the Israel defense forces where soldiers peered out of windows. "You see the Israeli snipers all around. We are not going to take that risk."