Arafat: 'Road map' is dead
( 2003-09-03 14:09) (Albawaba.com)
Recent Israeli military strikes against Palestinian activists have killed the U.S.-backed Mideast road map to peace, Palestinian president Yasser Arafat told CNN on Tuesday.
 Arafat said there was no prospect of Palestinian groups such as Hamas resuming a declared cease-fire with Israel.
"The road map is dead, but only because of Israeli military aggression in recent weeks," he said.
Speaking from his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat said the United States has not done enough to keep the peace plan alive, suggesting that the American commitment in Iraq or the next year's presidential election are preoccupying the Bush administration.
He downplayed a reported split between himself and Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, saying the reports have been exaggerated by Israel in a bid to create problems within the Palestinian leadership.
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