March 19, 2003

Other conflict

Palestinians offer good news tempered by bad

As is so often the case in the Middle East, there is good news -- but it's tempered with bad news. Politics in the region is like that, offering on one hand while often pulling back with the other.

The Palestinian Parliament, by an overwhelming majority, ratified the new post of prime minister on Tuesday, meeting one of the key demands of the United States and other peace brokers before a "road map" toward peace and a Palestinian state can be laid out.

Yet, President Yasser Arafat put into question the seriousness of the reforms by retaining key powers for himself.

Even with war in Iraq imminent, the United States has to keep up pressure on Arafat to follow through in substance as well as spirit. For the Palestinian-Israeli deadlock, as well as the U.S. role as an evenhanded go-between, is perhaps the most critical question in the region today.

Given the possibility of war, the United States has to win back its credibility as an honest broker if it is to play a constructive role in the area.

President Bush acknowledged as much last weekend when he returned his focus to the conflict and said the long-awaited peace plan to end Israeli-Palestinian violence and establish a Palestinian state by 2005 was conditional on the appointment of a Palestinian prime minister with "real authority."

The new prime minister is expected to be leading moderate Mahmoud Abbas, who will take over the day-to-day running of the Palestinian Authority with a mandate to purge corruption, rein in militants and foster a return to peacemaking.

The vote was 69-1 to ratify the post, but Arafat later signed the bill into law, leaving himself in charge of security and peacemaking in the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Arafat has lost all credibility as a negotiating partner.

But as a practical matter, until a more moderate, less-corrupt faction or leader can win broader Palestinian political backing and gain control over militant groups, Arafat has de facto veto power -- a veto he could exercise by force if necessary.

Neither the United States nor any other third party can hand-pick the Palestinian leadership or dictate who it should be. But we can insist on reasonable conditions for negotiation to go forward, and we should stick to that formula.