US report assesses Palestinian links to violence

11.05am

A United States report on Palestinian compliance with the 1993 Oslo peace accords in the second half of 2001 found no proof senior Palestinians ordered attacks on Israelis, according to a copy obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

"There is no conclusive evidence that the senior leadership of the PA (Palestinian Authority) or PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) were involved in planning or approving specific acts of violence," said the report.

The biannual reporting period, from June 16 to December 15, ended before an incident earlier this year when Israel blamed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat for the abortive delivery of a shipload of arms.

The United States has not accused Arafat of knowing about the shipment, although it urged him to take responsibility for it and repeatedly called on him to be more assertive in ending violence, after a wave of suicide bombings against Israelis.

Under US law, the State Department reports to Congress twice a year whether Arafat is sticking to promises he made as part of the 1993 accords. These pledges included recognising Israel's right to exist in peace and security, being committed to a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and renouncing terrorism.

The report said the Palestinian leadership had failed to make consistent and effective calls to Palestinians to refrain from violence, and did not make an effort to discipline people who instigated or engaged in violence.

It also concluded the leadership did not ensure compliance by various Palestinian factions, saying "the weight of evidence would indicate" the Palestinian leadership knew of involvement in violence by groups called the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Tanzim and elements of Force 17 "and did little to rein them in".

- REUTERS

Feature: Middle East

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