No sign of progress in Mideast talks

US Secretary of State Colin Powell held critical talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders yesterday but emerged with no sign of progress in persuading them to begin implementing a peace "road map".

Powell, leading the highest-level US peacemaking effort in more than a year, tried but apparently failed to squeeze concessions from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas for ending 31 months of violence.

Each side insisted the other move first in putting the US-backed plan in motion, a recipe for stalemate in a conflict that has defied numerous earlier diplomatic peace initiatives.

Powell planned consultations with envoys of Washington's partners in the peacemaking Quartet - the United Nations, European Union and Russia - in Jerusalem this morning before leaving for Cairo, a US official told reporters.

Expectations for a breakthrough had been low because of the gulf of mistrust between the two sides, sharp differences on key issues and scepticism about US commitment.

But after failing to narrow Israel-Palestinian differences, Powell did his best to put a brave face on the talks, saying both sides had pledged to seek an end to hostilities.

"Nobody should underestimate the challenges ahead," he said at a joint news conference with Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho. "Let's not waste another day."

Powell called on the revamped Palestinian government to move quickly to disarm militants behind attacks on Israelis and urged Israel to ease the daily hardships of the Palestinians.

But Sharon said the Palestinians could expect nothing more than modest humanitarian gestures from Israel until Abbas's government cracked down on militants spearheading an uprising for independence.

Powell said Abbas "made clear to me today he understands the importance of ending terrorism". But the Palestinian premier made no public commitment other than reiterating his opposition to the use of violence "by any party".

Abbas instead chided Israel for withholding its full acceptance of the road map and called for troop pullbacks from Palestinian cities which Israeli forces occupied or blockaded in the past year following a spate of suicide bombings.

Powell began his visit on Saturday, saying it signalled President George W. Bush's determination to move forward on Israeli-Palestinian peace after the Iraq war.

The Palestinians have accepted the road map, but Israel has raised 15 reservations. The three-stage plan is based on reciprocal steps to end violence and create a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by 2005.

Powell welcomed steps toward reform by Abbas, a leading moderate who took office in April with backing from Washington, which wants to sideline Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

But he also said: "We must also see rapid, decisive action by the Palestinians to disarm and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure."

Powell's call appeared to counter proposals by Palestinian officials on reaching a temporary ceasefire with militant factions rather than confronting them.

In later comments, he put part of the onus on Israel. "The promise of a Palestinian state rings hollow though while so many are suffering."

Israel said it was undertaking several humanitarian gestures such as easing the transfer of goods and releasing several dozen detainees, but Palestinians said it was not enough because Israeli roadblocks remained around Palestinian cities.