U.S. envoy to return to Mideast, seek peace

JERUSALEM -- U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni returns to the Middle East on Thursday after a two-week period of reduced violence against Israelis.

On a four-day visit, Zinni will aim once again to establish a formal cease-fire, by pushing the Palestinians to continue arresting militants who carry out attacks on Israelis, and urging Israelis to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians, State Department officials said.

"This process does not have a lot of buoyancy," said Paul Patin, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy. "If it's not moving forward, it's sinking."

Zinni's previous 20-day visit coincided with a period of intense violence in which several dozen Israelis were killed in a string of Palestinian suicide bombings and other attacks, and almost as many Palestinians died in Israeli reprisal raids.

One of Zinni's first tasks will be to determine whether the recent slackening of Palestinian attacks on Israelis will count as the seven-day cease-fire Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has demanded before he will formally return to the negotiating table. A spokesman said the current situation does not count.

"During this so-called cease-fire there have been two Israelis killed and 24 or 25 wounded," said Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Sharon. "That's not a cease-fire we can live with."

Sharon has said the reduced violence is due more to an aggressive Israeli crackdown than any effort by Arafat.

On Tuesday, Israeli troops seized four suspected militants in two incursions into Palestinian territory, according to the army and Palestinian security sources.

The Palestinian leadership issued a statement saying the Israeli actions were part of an attempt to "put obstacles in front of Mr. Zinni."

The Palestinians said their effort to reduce the level of violence has been effective. "The difference between now and (Zinnis's) last visit is that we have made every effort to maintain a cease-fire," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. "Even a blind man can see there has been a dramatic drop in violence."

Zinni's last visit avoided any basic issues at the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute, partly because of the constant eruptions of violence, and partly because of the Bush administration's reluctance so far to get involved in a drawn-out negotiation.

Instead, Zinni stuck to discussion of a cease-fire, something analysts expect him to repeat. "With only four days, he would be lucky if he got even that far," said Yossi Alpher, an Israeli strategic analyst.

-- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright