WEST BANK/GAZA/USA: ISRAELI TROOPS BEIGN DISMANTLING A TEMPORARY MILITARY POST IN HEBRON/ ISRAELI TROOPS CORDON OFF BETHLEHEM / ISRAELI PM SHARON HOLDS TALKS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL IN WASHINGTON

Record ID: 400610

  • Title: WEST BANK/GAZA/USA: ISRAELI TROOPS BEIGN DISMANTLING A TEMPORARY MILITARY POST IN HEBRON/ ISRAELI TROOPS CORDON OFF BETHLEHEM / ISRAELI PM SHARON HOLDS TALKS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL IN WASHINGTON
  • Date: 17th October 2002
  • Summary: (W5) HEBRON, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 17, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV/CU: HEBRON PALESTINIAN COMMANDER'S OFFICE/ SIGN (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. SV: CIA (CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY) REPRESENTATIVES COMING OUT OF HEBRON PALESTINIAN COMMANDER'S OFFICE AFTER MEETING AND WALKING TOWARDS CAR 0.30 3. MV: ISRAELI SOLDIERS REMOVING COMPANY FLAG FROM TOP
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH, BETHLEHEM AND HEBRON, WEST BANK; RAFAH, SOUTHERN GAZA/ WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVAA41X3G655GJZ1RNBCWY0IK7M5
  • Story Text: Israeli troops have begun dismantling a temporary
    military post in the Palestinian section of Hebron in the West
    Bank.

    Palestinians have said that the United States was not
    putting enough pressure on Israel to withdraw troops from
    Palestinian areas, reoccupied in June following a series of
    suicide bombings.

    Meanwhile, the West Bank town of Bethlehem was cordoned
    off by Israeli tanks and APCs and no one allowed in or out.

    In the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli troops have exchanged
    fire with Israeli troops and Palestinians marched in the
    funeral of a 53-year-old Palestinian man who was killed during
    a gunbattle on Wednesday.

    Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin
    Powell and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held talks in
    following an earlier meeting between Sharon and U.S. President
    George W. Bush. The U.S. administration has made clear its
    hopes to avert Israeli retaliation against Iraq in the case of
    a U.S.-led war against the country.


    Representatives of the CIA met with Abdel Sattar
    al-Jaidi, Commander of Palestinian security forces in Hebron,
    on Thursday (October 17), as Israeli troops began dismantling
    a temporary military post in the Palestinian section of the
    divided city.

    Eight Israeli soldiers packed belongings into a military
    van, pulled down their company insignia and removed an Israeli
    flag from the top of the building. The building was one of
    four temporary military posts in Hebron.

    Earlier in the week, Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin
    Bel-Eliezer said that Hebron, southwest of Bethlehem, could be
    the next focus of a tank and troop pullback. Israel reoccupied
    most West Bank Palestinian cities in June after suicide
    bombings in Israel, imposing curfews on many of them.

    Nabil Abu Rdeinah, senior advisor to Palestinian President
    Yasser Arafat, said that there had been no results from the
    first Israeli-Palestinian high-level meeting in several weeks.

    The meeting took place between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon
    Peres and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in
    Jerusalem late on Wednesday (October 16) and followed talks in
    Washington between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and
    U.S. President George W. Bush
    Abu Rdeinah expressed disappointment with the talks.

    "We were expecting that the American president would urge
    Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian cities according to
    the Security Council resolution, which was drafted with the
    acceptance and approval of the Americans themselves," he said.

    Meanwhile, the West Bank town of Bethlehem was cordoned
    off by Israeli tanks and APCs and no one was allowed in or
    out. No reason was given for the action.

    In the Gaza Strip town of Rafah, as Palestinians buried a
    53-year-old man killed in a gunbattle on Wednesday (October
    16), fresh fighting broke out between Palestinian gunmen and
    Israeli troops.

    At least 1,616 Palestinians and 604 Israelis have been
    killed since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000.

    Bush met Sharon earlier to discuss U.S. concerns that
    Israel might retaliate should Baghdad attack it in response to
    any U.S.-led assault on Iraq.

    Diplomats said the Bush administration, facing opposition
    from most countries in the world to its demand for a tough
    U.N. Security Council resolution on disarming Iraq, has
    softened some language in its original draft but still seeks
    authorisation to use force.

    Sharon came to Washington armed with intelligence
    information showing what Israeli security sources said were
    plans by militants to carry out at least 20 attacks in Israel
    soon.

    Bush said he had not decided to attack Iraq and hoped the
    United Nations could persuade Saddam to end his suspected
    chemical, biological and nuclear programs.

    Sharon would likely face heavy public pressure at home to
    strike back in the event of a biological or chemical attack.


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