US President, Bill Clinton, has warned the Palestinians not to proceed with their plans to declare an independent state before reaching an agreement with Israel. The Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat has said a declaration will be made if a peace deal is not signed before the September 13 deadline. However, in an interview on Israeli television, Mr Clinton warned that there would international consequences if a state was declared without Israeli consent. Mr Clinton also urged Mr Arafat to go further for peace, after the collapse of the Camp David Summit meeting earlier this week.
Meanwhile senior Palestinian officials have confirmed that Mr Arafat will begin a diplomatic tour tomorrow, to gain support for his position in the peace talks with Israel. It is understood the Palestinian leader is to visit Russia and a number of European, Arab and Islamic countries.
