Colin Powell Plans to Extend Middle East Peace Mission for at Least Two More Days - 2002-04-16

Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, intends to extend his Middle East peace mission for at least two more days. This comes as his mission, which has lasted over a week, has yet to achieve significant progress in establishing a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. David Gulost, a reporter for Voice of America, has a report from Jerusalem. Mr. Powell held an important meeting on Monday night with his senior advisors regarding the strategy of his mission to assess the four days of meetings he has had with Israeli and Palestinian officials. His spokesperson issued a statement announcing that the Secretary of State's efforts to achieve a ceasefire and resume political talks will continue at least until Wednesday. The brief statement noted that the Secretary of State will meet for the third time with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon late Tuesday and is scheduled to meet for the second time with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his office in Ramallah, which is still under siege by Israeli forces, on Wednesday. Powell's accompanying team has only provided limited comments about the outcomes of his discussions so far. However, upon returning to Israel after a quick visit to Lebanon and Syria, Mr. Powell told reporters that he supports the idea of holding an international conference as a way to resume political negotiations. He stated that while the conference alone is not a solution, it provides an opportunity for the parties to come together and talk. He added that the most important action he prioritizes is the resumption of security talks between the parties.