It's depressing, almost pathetic, to watch the Arab and Muslim American groups "protest" these days. Leaderless and strategyless, though as usual feverishly combining all of their capabilities together to create even this, the groups managed to bring maybe five or six hundred persons to the sidewalk across from the Washington Hilton last evening for a carefully self-controlled demonstration. Inside the hotel the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) -- light-years more powerful and even more numerous -- cheered as Generals Ariel Sharon and Colin Powell, now in civilian attire as Israeli PM and U.S. Sec State, prepared the way to the future. And today, after meeting the top-level persons at the Pentagon and in the national security establishment yesterday, Sharon meets with President George W, a friend of his, in the Oval Office. A few hundred of the same bewildered and mostly clueless Arab and Muslim demonstrators are expected to be carrying some banners and shouting a few slogans outside -- far more demonstrating their extraordinary weakness and impotence, especially in the face of such continual and massive provocations now resulting in Sharon's triumph, than having any real impact.

WASHINGTON, March 19 (AFP) - US diplomats cringed Monday as a large crowd exploded in raucous applause for Secretary of State Colin Powell in appreciation of his recent gaffe in calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Powell, speaking before the annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, carefully avoided any mention of Jerusalem or Israel's capital in his remarks, but his hosts were eager to play it up.

"This is one audience that appreciates your testimony before the House International Relations Committee that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel," AIPAC president Tim Wulliger said while introducing Powell to the Jewish lobby group.

The capacity crowd in the ballroom of a large Washington hotel immediately rose, enthusiastically clapping, while Powell sat quietly at the head table and embarrassed State Department officials remained in their chairs, heads lowered.

"I think you'll notice that we didn't stand for that round," said one senior official who attended the speech, and like other US diplomats there rose to join in applauding the secretary on other occasions.

"It's something we really don't want to call that much attention to."

At his daily briefing, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher tersely and repeatedly declined to comment about the ovation or Wulliger's remarks that proceeded it.

"I don't have anything to say on when the audience applauded and when they didn't applaud throughout the speech, so I don't think I'm going to try to single out a particular occasion," Boucher said.

But another official allowed that the sustained loud applause had been unsettling.

"We obviously would have preferred that it not be mentioned," the official said, recalling the headaches Powell's original March 8 testimony had caused.

Powell infuriated the Arab world when he told the congressional committee President George W. Bush was committed to moving Washington's "embassy to the capital of Israel, which is Jerusalem."

The holy city is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians and long-standing US policy is that Jerusalem's status must be resolved in negotiations between the two sides.

For days after Powell's testimony, the State Department was forced to repeatedly deny that US policy on Jerusalem had changed and the secretary himself acknowleged committing a diplomatic blunder in his unscripted remarks.

Israel's claim over the whole of Jerusalem, the Arab eastern part of which it captured and annexed in the 1967 Middle East war, is not recognized by the international community.

WASHINGTON, March 19 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a stern warning to Russia and Iran Monday, putting both nations on notice that the United States was watching their actions closely and would respond should they make moves that could destabilize the Middle East.

In an address before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Powell said Washington would not turn a blind eye to repression by Tehran or arms sales by Moscow to the Islamic Republic.

The secretary said while President George W. Bush's administration was reviewing its policy toward Iran, it was troubled by Tehran's continued support for terrorism, opposition to Middle East peace efforts and its treatment of minorities, particularly Jews.

"It is apparent that certain aspects of Iranian government behavior ... are of deep concern," Powell said, adding that Iranian Jews had been "unfairly charged and harshly imprisoned" in a series of recent criminal cases.

"This is of deep concern to the United States and to the American people, and we will not turn aside and ignore this kind of behavior," he said to enthusiastic applause from the pro-Israel crowd attending the speech.

At the same time, Powell said the Bush team was intrigued by recent events in Iran that indicated a resurgence of moderate sentiment against the conservative Islamic government.

"We are aware of the intellectual and political foment taking place within Iran," he said. "Things are happening, things are changing and we will continue to watch these developments closely and hopefully."

Powell also picked up on heavy criticism of Russia levelled by US officials last week after Moscow announced plans to boost military and nuclear cooperation with Iran.

"We are also concerned about Iranian efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and to increase its conventional military strength," he said, noting that he had raised the issue in meetings with Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and national security advisor Sergei Ivanov.

"I have gone so far as to raise with senior Russian officials the role that Russia is playing in these dangerous and destabilizing efforts," Powell said. "We will not overlook what Russia is doing to cause this sort of problem."

Washington has warned Moscow that it may face US sanctions should it sell advanced conventional weapons or sensitive technology to Tehran.

Russia has dismissed the US concerns saying any weapons sales to Iran will be defensive in nature, will not violate non-proliferation agreements and will not affect the balance of power in the Middle East.