Palestinians: Talks With Israel Won't Stop UN Bid

The Associated Press reports:

The Palestinians will seek membership as an independent state at the U.N. in September even if peace negotiations with Israel are underway, the Palestinian U.N. envoy said Thursday.

Riyad Mansour said the Palestinians are working on three separate tracks — restarting negotiations, completing the institutions for an independent state and gaining additional recognition for a Palestinian state.

"If we succeed in opening the door for negotiations, we're not going to stop from attaining what belongs to us as Palestinians in this General Assembly starting on Sept. 20," Mansour told reporters after the Security Council's monthly meeting on the Mideast. "Whether we succeed in the negotiations or we don't, the other two tracks are continuing."

Mansour dismissed speculation that the Palestinians would decide against taking action to promote an independent Palestinian state and U.N. membership at the annual gathering of world leaders and ministers at the General Assembly.