The Bush administration has indicated to Israel that it may be open to the idea of exile at some stage for PA Chairman Yasser Arafat if it is not done through force, despite public comments by senior US officials that Washington adamantly opposes the idea, diplomatic sources said. "There is wide agreement (between Israel and) the administration that he has to leave the scene. But the question is a) how and b) the timing," a senior diplomatic source said Monday. The source said that American officials, and even a few European countries, are "open to the idea," though they are concerned that an immediate deportation could trigger a Middle East flare up at a moment when Iraq is still unstable. Another source in contact with Bush administration officials said the idea of exiling Arafat seems to be "gaining a bit of traction" in Washington. But several sources cautioned that despite the administration's deep frustration over Arafat's success in undermining the former US-backed Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, the US is not yet trying to negotiate a peaceful exile for Arafat.
Another Washington source said that US officials have quitely told Israelis that if they accompanied the exile with some very strong positive measures for the Palestinians and ensure "things would get better" they would in fact "welcome" the exile. |