Questioning Mr Yasser Arafat's commitment to the peace process, US Vice President Mr Dick Cheney said today the United States was concerned by the Palestinian leader's apparent turn to Iran and Hizbollah as evidenced by a recent arms shipment.
Appearing on the Fox News Sunday program shortly after another Palestinian suicide attack in Jerusalem killed one person and wounded dozens, Mr Cheney said US Middle East envoy Gen Anthony Zinni would not return to the region until Mr Arafat does more to halt the violence.
"This attack this morning is just one more instance that proves that there is no effective control of the terrorist attacks that are being launched against Israel", Mr Cheney said.
The vice president repeated the criticism of Mr Arafat leveled by President George W. Bush on Friday after a similar attack and pressed Mr Arafat again to do more to rein in militants behind the mounting wave of bloodshed.
"We have been deeply disappointed by his inability or his unwillingness to control the terrorist threat launching from Palestine against Israeli civilians", Mr Cheney said on ABC's This Weekprogram.
With a debate in the administration underway over how to punish Mr Arafat for his alleged complicity in smuggling the boatload of arms, Mr Cheney was particularly harsh in criticizing Mr Arafat for denying any role.
The shipment was intercepted by Israel in the Red Sea on January 3rd. Israel said the Karine A ship was carrying 50 tonnes of munitions, including rockets, anti-tank missiles, small arms and explosives, that were manufactured in Iran and bound for the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip
Mr Cheney said the United States found it especially disturbing that Mr Arafat, besides attempting to acquire weapons being used by the suicide bombers, had sought out Iran.
"It also in effect has the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat and key people around him, working now with Iran ... and the Hizbollah, which is also clearly one of the world's foremost terrorist organizations devoted to ending the peace process", he said.
"So it raises serious questions about whether or not Mr. Arafat is in fact really interested in moving forward in the peace process".
Iran is on the US State Department's list of states sponsoring terrorism.
Mr Cheney would not comment on what the United States would do if Mr Arafat did not produce the required results. Mr Bush discussed options with top aides on Friday, including whether to sever ties with the Palestinian leader, a dramatic scenario favoured by hard-liners within the administration.
"We think he has to make a 100 percent effort to do everything he can to control ... those areas of Palestine that he is responsible for", the vice president said. "And he simply has to step up to those responsibilities or its impossible to see how we actually resume the peace process".