Powell: No evidence of massacre at Jenin Camp

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 24, 2002 18:14 by Barry Sweid - Associated Press

America's initial finding on Jenin

WASHINGTON - While trying to clear the way for UN fact-finders, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress today he has no evidence of an Israeli massacre of Palestinians at the Jenin refugee camp on the West Bank.

"Clearly, innocent lives may well have been lost," Powell testified. But, he said, "I have no evidence of mass graves. I see no evidence that would support a massacre took place."

Powell said he based his assessment on a 3 1/2-hour inspection of the refugee camp Friday by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns.

Burns subsequently reported a mass destruction by Israeli troops, who invaded the camp in the search for terrorists and explosives.

Powell said he spoke to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by phone Tuesday night and also to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, trying to clear the way for a fact-finding commission.

An Israeli delegation was headed to New York for consultations, as a result, on Israeli objections to the composition of the UN group.

Powell also today defended the Bush administration against an accusation by a senior Democratic senator that it "blundered" by moving slowly to inject the United States into the Arab-Israeli conflict.