A U.S. general, assigned to monitor the implementation of the latest Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, launched his mission on Monday.
Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser III, a U.S. air force general, has been assigned to help the two sides overcome disputes created by noncompliance with the road map peace plan, which is the foundation of newly relaunched peace talks.
The road map quickly floundered after it was introduced in 2003 because neither side carried out initial obligations. Israel continued to build in disputed territory, and the Palestinians failed to disarm militants.
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Nearly five years later, these same obstacles have proven to be as potent as ever, souring talks that officially resumed at an international gathering in Annapolis, Maryland, two months ago.
Israel has gone ahead with plans to build homes in areas the Palestinians claim for a future state, and Palestinian militants continue to attack or plan attacks against Israel from both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Fraser will not mediate or enforce compliance with the road map, but report back to Washington, where the judging would be done at a higher level, a senior Bush administration official has said.
The Palestinians had hoped he would have greater powers, but Israel had resisted the notion of a road map arbiter.
Fraser met in Jerusalem on Monday with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said
Fraser would meet the premier later this week.
Livni's office said she emphasized in her meeting with Fraser that Israel's security must be assured under any peace deal. She also reiterated that any accord must apply not only to the West Bank, where moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas governs, but also the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas militants sworn to Israel's destruction.
Barak told Fraser that security must be the basis for all progress, according to Barak's office.
Fraser is scheduled to meet Tuesday with Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The U.S. administration has no ties with Hamas, which it classifies as a terror organization.
Ahead of the meetings in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat said it was time to implement the commitments of the first phase of the road map.
"The Palestinians intend to present to Fraser a list of commitments they say Israel must carry out, and the status of the Palestinians' implementation of their own obligations," Erekat said.
Fraser is the latest addition to what has become a trio of U.S. generals
involved in Mideast talks.
During the Annapolis conference, the Bush administration appointed former NATO commander James Jones, a retired Marine Corps general, as a security envoy. Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton is helping to train and equip the Palestinian security forces.
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