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Abbas picks reformers for cabinet, security post for himself
Jerusalem, Apr 13: The incoming Palestinian prime minister today put the final touches on a new cabinet in line with a US-sought leadership overhaul, keeping the post of security czar crucial for future peace moves for himself and appointing several professionals and reformers.
Jerusalem, Apr 13: The incoming Palestinian prime minister today put the final touches on a new cabinet in line with a US-sought leadership overhaul, keeping the post of security czar crucial for future peace moves for himself and appointing several professionals and reformers.
Once the cabinet of Mahmoud Abbas is approved by the
Palestinian Parliament, possibly later this week, US President
George W Bush is expected to unveil a ``road map'' to
Palestinian statehood, starting the clock ticking on the
three-year plan.
Israel's willingness to go along with the plan remains unclear, although Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did stake out a relatively moderate position in an interview published today.
Sharon reiterated that he has more than a dozen reservations about the plan, but also said he believes the Iraq war has created a chance for reaching a peace deal more quickly than anticipated. In the past, Sharon advocated an interim deal, saying a final treaty must be delayed for years because of the gaps in positions.
Sharon also told the Israeli daily Haaretz daily that Palestinian statehood is inevitable and suggested he is ready to dismantle some Jewish settlements.
``I do not think we have to rule over another people and run their lives. I do not think that we have the strength for that, '' Sharon said, adding that Israel's recent reoccupation of Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank is temporary.
Israel's willingness to go along with the plan remains unclear, although Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did stake out a relatively moderate position in an interview published today.
Sharon reiterated that he has more than a dozen reservations about the plan, but also said he believes the Iraq war has created a chance for reaching a peace deal more quickly than anticipated. In the past, Sharon advocated an interim deal, saying a final treaty must be delayed for years because of the gaps in positions.
Sharon also told the Israeli daily Haaretz daily that Palestinian statehood is inevitable and suggested he is ready to dismantle some Jewish settlements.
``I do not think we have to rule over another people and run their lives. I do not think that we have the strength for that, '' Sharon said, adding that Israel's recent reoccupation of Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank is temporary.
Bureau Report