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Powell: No Evidence of Jenin Massacre |
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By Janine Zacharia WASHINGTON, Apr 25, 2002 -- While trying to clear the way for UN fact-finders, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress yesterday he has no evidence of an Israeli massacre of Palestinians at the Jenin refugee camp. "Clearly, innocent lives may well have been lost," said Powell, testifying before the Senate Appropriations foreign operations subcommittee. But, he said, "I have no evidence of mass graves. I see no evidence that would support a massacre took place." Powell said he based his assessment on a three-and-a-half-hour inspection of the refugee camp Friday by US Assistant Secretary of State William Burns. Burns subsequently reported a mass destruction by Israeli troops, who invaded the camp in the search for terrorists and explosives. Powell told Senate appropriators that President Bush was still considering whether to convene a multilateral peace conference and said the administration was open to extra funding for Israel as part of an emergency appropriations bill. Powell's comments came during wide ranging testimony about US policy in the Middle East ahead of today's key summit between Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Powell conferred with Bush yesterday in the White House situation room about the latest events in the Middle East before the president departed for Crawford to prepare for today's meeting. While the US insists the Saudi leadership has played a positive role in the war on terrorism - launched after 15 Saudi hijackers took part in the September 11 attacks - the Saudis have been critical of US support for Israel, have themselves overtly raised money to support Palestinian terrorism, and have reportedly continued to funnel money to hardline, anti-western madrasas in Pakistan. Powell said he would raise in his meetings in Crawford today the subject of $100 million raised to help the Palestinian intifada during a three-day Saudi telethon. Powell said it was "troubling" some of the money, according to adverstisements, would be directed to Hamas. But a senior administration official briefing reporters en route to Crawford yesterday suggested the bilateral talks would play up the positive aspects of the relationship and play down the differences. The leaders will focus on the "common principles" the US and Saudi Arabia share, the official said. And President Bush will thank Abdullah for his peace initiative and explore ways to expand it. The official said Bush would reaffirm US support for Saudi Arabia's bid to join the World Trade Organization and that Bush would raise his concerns about weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists. "It's premature, way premature to start talking about what we do against Iraq," the official said when asked if Bush would request the use of Saudi Arabian bases as a staging ground for an offensive against Saddam Hussein. "Saudi Arabia is one of America's oldest and best friends in the region," the official said. "The Saudis have been very constructive in the war on terrorism and very constructive in general as a partner." The closely managed event will notably be closed to press. Speaking to a Senate appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, Powell said the administration will "be engaged (diplomatically) as a close, dear friend of Israel but also as a friend of the Palestinian people, because they need peace. They need security. They need a place in the world." Powell said the president has not yet decided whether to convene a multilateral peace conference "but we're certainly looking at it." On financial assistance, the administration has requested an emergency supplemental bill to help in the war on terrorism. The White House's budgetary arm had nixed an early request for $200 million in additional funds for Israel. But Powell said extra aid "is something we should look at as we move forward." Powell, asked about Israel's use of American-made weaponry in its military offensive, said he had seen no need for an inquiry into whether the weapons had been used in violation of US law. US law says American-made weapons sold to third countries can be used only for defensive purposes. © Jerusalem Post, 2002. All rights reserved. Distributed in partnership with Globalvision News Network (www.gvnews.net). |
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