ARABS-ISRAEL - June 20 - Powell Meets Sharon & Abbas.US State Secretary Colin Powell Noun 1. Colin Powell - United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937) Colin luther Powell, Powell holds separate talks with PM Sharon and PM Abbas. (This is Powell's first visit to the region since the US-backed "road map" was launched at Aqaba two weeks ago). Powell condemned Hamas as "the enemy of the peace". Referring to Abbas' efforts to talk Hamas and other militants into ending the violence, Powell said the peace process could not be "held hostage hostage, person held by another as a guarantee that certain actions or promises will or will not be carried out. During periods of internal turmoil, insurgents often seize hostages; recent examples include seizures of Americans and other foreigners by militants in to a ceasefire, so-called". He added: "Violence and terror isn't the way to build a state". Before his visit, Powell said he believed there had been progress in the talks towards a ceasefire. But on June 20, he said he was not part of these discussions and he was focusing on moving towards a handover n. 1. The act of relinquishing property or authority etc. to another; as, the handover of occupied territory to the original posssessors; the handover of power from the military back to the civilian authorities s>. of security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip Gaza Strip (gäz`ə), (2003 est. pop. 1,330,000) rectangular coastal area, c.140 sq mi (370 sq km), SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea adjoining Egypt and Israel, in what was formerly SW Palestine. and Bethlehem, in the West Bank, to the PA. He said an improvement in conditions in Gaza with the return of PA control would lead Palestinians to conclude that "Hamas and other terror organisations" did not have the right answer. The PA is reluctant to take over security control in Gaza until a ceasefire is arranged, as it fears becoming embroiled em·broil tr.v. em·broiled, em·broil·ing, em·broils 1. To involve in argument, contention, or hostile actions: "Avoid . . . in a civil war with militants who Israel insists it must arrest. During Powell's 1-day visit, one person was killed and three, including a visiting American couple, lightly wounded when their Israeli car came under fire in the West Bank. |
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