MIDDLE EAST Quartet supports Gaza pullback

The Palestinian observer to the U.N. was critical of the group's communiqu & eacute;.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The architects of the road map to Middle East peace encouraged Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, which they said would provide "a rare moment of opportunity" to put the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process back on track.
The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia stressed, however, that any "unilateral initiatives" by Israel should be consistent with the road map and declared that final-status issues such as refugees and borders must be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Top officials of the so-called Quartet, meeting Tuesday for the first time since September, clearly saw Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's intention to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank as the only real prospect for movement. But with Sharon's intentions after his Likud Party's refusal to back the Gaza pullout now less certain, the Quartet also held back from spelling out detailed plans.
As Israel withdraws, it said land should be transferred "through an appropriate mechanism to a reorganized Palestinian Authority ... as quickly as possible," and it said arrangements should be made to ensure security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
When asked for specifics, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who hosted the meeting, said: "We are waiting to see how things evolve, and then adapt our plans or mechanisms accordingly."
Document and reactions
The Quartet did issue a three-page communiqu & eacute; after the 21/2-hour meeting outlining a series of obstacles to achieving the road map's goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace: violence, terrorism, Israeli settlements, the barrier Israel is building, and the Palestinian leadership.
The Palestinian U.N. observer, Nasser Al-Kidwa, complained that the United States dominated the meeting and that the final communiqu & eacute; amounted to nothing more than "mumbling that could mean anything."
He was especially critical that the Quartet didn't call for a complete withdrawal from the West Bank and take a stronger stand against the barrier, which Israel contends is to keep out suicide bombers but the Palestinians insist is a land grab ahead of final-status negotiations.
By contrast, Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, said the Quartet had focused on "the real problem" of terror and a need for change within the Palestinian movement.
"Cracking down on terrorism and reforms are imperative for any meaningful political dialogue," Ayalon said in a telephone interview.
Reviving that dialogue remains a critical issue for the Quartet.
Earlier Bush remarks
Tuesday's meeting took place not only against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence but of growing Arab anger at President Bush's assurances to Sharon last month that Israel could retain some Jewish settlements on the West Bank and limit refugee returns in a final peace deal.
The Palestinians and many Arabs saw this as a unilateral U.S. decision to give away two key final-status issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Bush and Sharon had taken into account "certain realities," but he insisted -- as the communiqu & eacute; stated -- that this did not prejudge final-status issues.