With thanks to Dr Aaron Lerner of IMRA for pointing this out to us – DB

The Jerusalem Times (independent Palestinian weekly) 30 October 2003
www.jerusalem-times.net/article/news/details/detail.asp?id=4298

Three Senior Fateh Officials ended up a one week visit to Washington last Friday for talks with US officials without any major result. The delegation included lawmakers Hatem Abdel Qader, Qadora Fares, and Member of Fateh Higher Committee Ahmad Ghaneim.

The visit was “important and constructive” and aimed to get U.S support for a mutual truce with Israel, Ghaneim told The Jerusalem Times adding that he and his colleagues met with David Satterfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, Dennis Ross, a Former Middle East Envoy, and American Jewish leaders.

We discussed with US officials different issues, including the dismantling of armed factions and lifting the siege on President Yasser Arafat, the elected and legitimate Palestinian leader, he said. “We clarified to US officials that these factions are part of the Palestinian society and the demand to dismantle them is illogical and meaningless.” We stressed that only a mutual truce will end violence and revive peace process, but disarming factions will push for a civil war, which is totally unacceptable, Ghaneim added. Fateh officials raised PNA objections to Israel’s construction of the separation wall that cuts deep into the Palestinian areas and undermines President Bush’s vision for a two state solution.

They also discussed with the Americans the unofficial peace accord concluded last week between left-wing Israeli and senior Palestinian politicians.

The deal known as “Geneva Accord” calls for Israeli pullout from 1967 land and dismantling major settlement blocs, while Palestinians would waive the right of return to 3.6 million refugees to their property inside Israel.

But they succeeded to explain the Palestinian position on the issues hindering the implementation of roadmap. “We felt understanding for our position, but we need to increase the efforts to face the Israeli allegations and reactivate the US role to push with peace process forward,” he concluded. The Jewish Lobby had anticipated the visit by a campaign describing the officials as terrorist aides to the President Arafat and calling on US officials to boycott them.

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