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Abbas confident Mideast roadmap will be a success
Washington, July 27: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has expressed confidence that US President George W Bush`s road map for peace, which envisages the creation of a Palestinian state, will be a success.
Washington, July 27: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has expressed confidence that US President George W Bush's road map for peace, which envisages the
creation of a Palestinian state, will be a success.
"After two years of violence, terror and casualties, both sides (Palestinians and Israelis) concluded they should have peace, and both sides are accepting the road map and its
implementation," Abbas told the 'Washington Post' and 'Newsweek' in an interview.
Pointing out that the Palestinians accepted the road map "in letter and spirit and did not ask for any amendments," he said let us "implement it accurately and I think everybody will support it". Asked whether Yasser Arafat have to approve of his actions, Abbas said "all the actions. All the actions. He is the leader of the Palestinian people. I cannot be independent. I am a part of the (Palestinian) authority."
In the final status talks, he said, the Palestinians will ask for all the Israeli settlements to be removed from their territories. The borders of Palestine will have to be the 1967 borders. That is only 22 percent of the historical Palestine.
"We want our independent state. We want Israel to withdraw from the territory it has occupied since 1967. We want East Jerusalem to be our capital. We want the Israelis to remove all their settlements and we ask to find a just solution to the refugees. "We are not asking that (the) four and a half million (Palestinian refugees) return (to Israel) but at least let them choose. UN Resolution 194 says that they either return or are compensated."
Bureau Report
Pointing out that the Palestinians accepted the road map "in letter and spirit and did not ask for any amendments," he said let us "implement it accurately and I think everybody will support it". Asked whether Yasser Arafat have to approve of his actions, Abbas said "all the actions. All the actions. He is the leader of the Palestinian people. I cannot be independent. I am a part of the (Palestinian) authority."
In the final status talks, he said, the Palestinians will ask for all the Israeli settlements to be removed from their territories. The borders of Palestine will have to be the 1967 borders. That is only 22 percent of the historical Palestine.
"We want our independent state. We want Israel to withdraw from the territory it has occupied since 1967. We want East Jerusalem to be our capital. We want the Israelis to remove all their settlements and we ask to find a just solution to the refugees. "We are not asking that (the) four and a half million (Palestinian refugees) return (to Israel) but at least let them choose. UN Resolution 194 says that they either return or are compensated."
Bureau Report