Powell Begins Trip to the Middle East, “I Am Not Sure the Results”

The U.S. Secretary of State Collin L. Powell took off for the Middle East to solve the aggravating Israel-Palestinian dispute on 8th. The New York Times reported that this trip will be a watershed for the Middle East peace on Monday edition. It said that his trip is “one of the most urgent and challenging attempts at American peacemaking since the shuttle diplomacy of Henry A. Kissinger in the 1970`s.”

In the midst, the Israeli military strengthened its attack, including pouring missiles into a Palestinian refugee camp, and the Palestinian side warned that, “ We will fight to the end.”

▽Try to finish before Powell`s visit = Israeli helicopters fired 20 missiles into a Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin, West Bank of the Jordan River, in early Monday. Israel radio reported that 150 Palestinian fighters in the camp had surrendered. But Hamas, an Islamic armed organization, denied the report and announced that the Palestinian fighters are ready to fight at the risk of their death.

In Nablus, where the Palestinian armed forces are strongly resisting against Israeli`s attack together with Jenin, the Israel military continued its 5th day attack on Monday.

Foreign reporters expected that Israel will finish its huge attack before Secretary Powell`s visit to Israel, which is scheduled in this weekend. However, the hawks, including the Israeli army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz, are insisting their opinion. “In order to root out the Islam radical forces, the operation should be continued for 3-4 weeks.”

▽Arab nations` opposition = Palestinians have complained that the weeklong interval between the announcement by Mr. Bush of Secretary Powell`s trip and his arrival gives Israel more time to continue its military operations. In a news interview, Powell said that he would meet with Arafat, the Palestinian leader, “if circumstances permit,” which means security and other issues, including Israel`s cooperation, would determine. Responding to Powell`s saying, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said, “It would be really absurd to meet with all the parties to the conflict without meeting with Yasser Arafat.”

Especially, in Morocco, the first scheduled stop of Powell`s mission trip, 350,000 people took to the streets to protest against Israel and the U.S. on Sunday. Anti-U.S. and anti-Israel demonstrations are spreading through the European, African, and Middle Eastern countries.

▽Forecast = Besides these external factors, the Bush administration is deeply divided between the hawks and doves. For example, the hardliners, like Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, would like to see Sharon given a free hand. Therefore, the Newsweek reported that it is not certain whether Powell`s mission trip will produce successful results in a recent edition (April 15th).

Powell also said that “It is going to be a difficult trip. I am not going to come back at the end of this trip with a peace treaty in hand. I am not even sure I will have a cease-fire in hand,” in an interview with the MSNBC on 7th.

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