POLITICS-MIDEAST: Doubts Hang Over Summit Talks

By Jim Lobe Reprint | | Print |

Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 1998 (IPS) - U.S. President Bill Clinton, aware that “the clock is ticking” is hoping for a major breakthrough in his Middle east summit talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine Authority (PA) President Yasser Arafat.

Clinton has focused attention on a further redeployment of Israelis in occupied Palestinian areas and on the PA carrying out security responsibilities in trying to broker an agreement, a senior adminstration official said Wednesday.

“The objective obviously is to try to bring this to a conclusion, because the clock is ticking,” he said a reference to the facfrain among Middle East experts who have monitored the tortuous path of the peace process since Netanyahu’s election in early 1996.

Netanyahu, who originally denounced the Oslo accords, insists that he is committed to implementing them. “We wilast through the weekend, can achieve enough progress to put the five-year-old Oslo agreement back on track.

The most likely result, according to observers, would be a modest agreement that will settle some outstanding issues and leave other, tougher ones to be taken up later.

“That would mean the continuation of the diplomacy of ‘manana’,” according to Mark Rosenblum, director of Americans for Peace Now. “The problem is that time is running out,” he said repeating the common refrain among Middle East experts who have monitored the tortuous path of the peace process since Netanyahu’s election in early 1996.

Netanyahu, who originally denounced the Oslo accords, insists y 1996.

Netanyahu, who originally denounced the Oslo accords,