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Row over Arafat's funeral, US stays out Saturday, 06 November , 2004, 07:52 http://sify.com/news/international/fullstory.php?id=13605607 Washington: The United States on Friday declined to join a row over the potential burial of ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, adding that his death would not change US policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The 75-year-old Arafat was reported to be fighting for his life in a French military hospital. Some Palestinians wanted to bury Arafat in Jerusalem, but Israel said it would resist. Both sides claim Jerusalem as their future capital. "We keep in touch with the Israelis, Palestinians and others to keep track of what's going on and who is talking to whom but our view at this point is that it's for them to try to work out," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. Boucher also said the United States had made no decision on who, if anyone, would represent Washington at Arafat's funeral should he die. US President George W Bush declared Arafat persona non grata two years ago and no US official has met or spoken with him since, although American diplomats are in routine contact with senior Palestinian officials. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns were traveling in the region on a previously arranged trip. Either of them could attend a ceremony but State Department officials said that was unlikely. Should Arafat die and Washington decide to send a delegation to the funeral, the officials said it was more probable that US consul general in Jerusalem, David Pearce, who deals most frequently with the Palestinians, would be tapped to attend. Former US president Jimmy Carter was reported to have has expressed interest in attending. Arafat's health triggered speculation on succession and the impact his death would have on the near moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Analysts said his departure could nudge Washington, which has refused to deal with Arafat for two years, toward a greater role in the process, which it has accused him of poisoning. Boucher said, however, US policy would not change if Arafat died and would remain focused on getting Israel and the Palestinians to implement steps of the languishing 'roadmap' for peace, which has stalled amid recurring violence and mutual recriminations. =========+========= FEEDBACK? http://nativenewsonline.org/Guestbook/guestbook.cgi GIVE FOOD: THE HUNGERSITE http://www.thehungersite.com/ Reprinted under Fair Use http://nativenewsonline.org/fairuse.htm =========+========= Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Native News Online a Service of Barefoot Connection Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nat-International/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
