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US Mideast Envoy to Meet PM, Mofaz |
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Thursday, 17 February 2005Khaled Abu Toameh
US Gen. William Ward, who was recently appointed security coordinator to the Middle East, will meet separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Thursday.
"This will be Ward's first opportunity to become acquainted with the region," a senior US official told Army Radio.
Ward will serve the role of "babysitter" of the region, the official added.
On Wednesday he held talks in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas late on Wednesday, and is slated to meet again with top Palestinian officials later this week.
Sources close to Abbas said he was to brief the US envoy on the understandings he reached with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Sharm e-Sheikh summit and his efforts to achieve a cease-fire with Israel.
The talks also dealt with the security situation in the West Bank and preparations to transfer control of some cities to the PA, as well as efforts to reconstruct the PA security forces, the sources added.
Ward was appointed last week by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as security coordinator for the Palestinian security forces and an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire.
In his new capacity, Ward is charged with inspecting the structure, organization and training of the various PA security services to unify them and prepare them for combating terrorism in coordination with Israel.
Meanwhile, Fatah officials approved a new cabinet on Wednesday that is expected to put strong allies of Abbas in charge of key portfolios.
PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said he would present the new cabinet to the Palestinian Legislative Council for approval next week. He declined to say who was named to the cabinet.
However, top PA officials said General Nasser Youssef was appointed as interior minister, while Muhammad Dahlan, a former security minister, was named minister of cabinet affairs. The two are key Abbas allies.
Nasser al-Kidwa, the current PA envoy to the United Nations and Yasser Arafat's nephew, was reportedly appointed foreign minister. He would replace Nabil Shaath, who was given the post of deputy prime minister.
Saeb Erekat's Ministry for Negotiations was abolished, but he would retain his title as head of the PLO's negotiations department. |
Thursday, 17 February 2005
Jerusalem Post
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