Weakened road map violence mark end of Powell visit

Jerusalem (Agence France-Presse): U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell ended his peacemaking visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories empty-handed on Monday, with Israel still challenging the "road map" and all signs of hope dashed by con-tinned violence.

There Palestinians were killedby Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip, which the Israeli army completely sealed only a day after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced measures to alleviate the pressure on the Palestinians.

In talks with Powell, Sharon also refused to order even a freeze on the development of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, let alone dismantling them.

The only fruit of Powell's visit came when it was confirmed on Sunday night that Sharon was planning to meet his new Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, by the end of the week.

The meeting, possibly on Friday. would be the first between the two veterans since the moderate Abbas was sworn in on April 30 and comes amid Palestinian concern at Israel's refusal to officially accept the conditions of the roadmap.

While Powell urged the Palestinians to take rapid and "decisive" action against radical Palestinian militants when he met with Abbas in Jericho on Sunday, he avoided discussing the thorny issue of Israeli settlement activity.

Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath told Egyptian radio that Powell's visit "has led to nothing new on the Israeli-Palestinian track ... because of Ariel Sharon's refusal to give a frank or even tacit acceptance of the road map.

"Everything has been postponed until after Sharon returns from his visit to Washington on May 20," said Shaath, who attended Sunday's talks between Powell and Abbas.

The moderate Palestinian premier warned against double standards in the implementation of the road map and urged Israel to accept the plan and immediately stop all settlement activity.

But Sharon made it clear he would not budge.

"Our finest youth live there. They are already the third generation, contributing to the state and serving in elite army units. They return home and get married, so then they can't build a house and have children?", Sharon was quoted as telling Powell.