Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat discusses UN statehood bid amid U.S. pressure

Article 3. Los Angeles Times Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on statehood moves at U.N. Edmund Sanders September 6, 2011 -- Palestinians have everyone guessing about their next move. Defying the United States and Israel, the Palestinian Authority is expected this month to apply for full membership in the United Nations. If the Obama administration vetoes the application in the Security Council as expected, Palestinian officials are likely to turn to the General Assembly to upgrade their status from non- member "entity" to non-member "state." Gaining de facto statehood recognition from the international body could allow Palestinians to join key U.N. institutions, such as the International Criminal Court. Palestinian leaders say they have enough votes for such a move. But with two weeks before the General Assembly convenes, they have remained vague about their exact plans, and have refused to say exactly what a U.N. membership application or General Assembly resolution might say. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee, discussed with The Times what Palestinians are planning and why he thinks the U.N. bid, if unsuccessful, could spell the end of the Palestinian Authority. There's been a flurry of last-minute pressure from the U.S. and Mideast ''quartet" to convince Palestinians to shelve the U.N. membership bid. [White House envoys David Hale and Dennis Ross arrived in the region Tuesday.] Any chance of that happening? HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025006