Occupation must end, but road map does not freeze settlements

Road map to peace's destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005.

Here are some of the main points of the Middle East peace proposal sponsored by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, otherwise known as the Quartet. The process is broken into three main phases.

Phase I - Immediate: The Israelis commit to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state; end violence against Palestinians; withdraw from Palestinian areas and begin joint security operations; take down settlement outposts created since March 2001 (Start of Sharon's first government) and freeze settlement activity; and relax travel limits and political strictures.

The Palestinians commit to Israel's right to exist in peace; end violence and incitement against Israelis; confront "terror" organizations and illegal activity; begin deciding on a process to adopt a constitution and independent government (already in progress with Mahmoud Abbas's government).

Phase II - Short-Term Transition: The sponsors evaluate progress on creating an independent Palestinian state and government, including the successful conclusion of Palestinian elections. If the sponsors agree that the process has moved forward, they will convene an international conference to support Palestinian economic recovery and begin the creation of a Palestinian state with provisional borders.

Arabs states and Israel establish links and resume discussion on diplomatic, economic and environmental issues.

Phase III - Permanent Agreement in 2005: The Sponsors evaluate progress from Phase II; when ready, they will convene another international conference, aiming for 2004.

The conference will begin a process to formally end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2005, including agreement on a full-fledged Palestinian state with final borders, and on the status of Jerusalem, refugees and settlements.

The road map also suggests that once a settlement is reached in the Palestinian occupied territories, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria work toward a comprehensive status agreement amongst them.

Recent development in post drafting the plan include the holding of a summit of Arab allies and the US in Sharm al-Sheikh in addition to another Palestinian-Jordanian-Israeli summit in Aqaba under American sponsors.

At the Israeli side, Sharon presumably agreed to end what he termed occupation, but felt short of denouncing the settlement activities in the territories.

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions on top of them vowed to continue their armed struggle and accused Abu Mazen of implementing Israeli demands.

In case Abu Mazen moves to disarm factions, analysts speculate a Palestinian civil war with unknown consequences.