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US diplomats launch Bush attack
The BBC ^ | 4 May 2004 | Staff

Posted on 05/04/2004 12:43:51 AM PDT by fdsa2

Around 50 retired US diplomats have written to US President George Bush to complain about America's policy towards the Middle East. The letter is similar to one written by 52 former British diplomats to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair last week.

The former US diplomats complained that President Bush's approach is losing the US "credibility, prestige and friends".

They criticised what they say is Washington's unabashed support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The American diplomats said they were deeply concerned by Mr Bush's endorsement last month of Mr Sharon's plan to withdraw unilaterally from Gaza.

'Great danger'

They were planning a press conference on Tuesday to go public with their opposition, according to the American Educational Trust (AET), a foundation where some of the former diplomats are based.

"Early responses are staggering," the AET said on Monday, adding "signatories are united by their belief that the US government is heading toward great danger."

"Our hope is that both political parties will take heed and listen to the voices of experienced diplomats," it said.

"Your unabashed support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations, Israel's Berlin-Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied territories and now your endorsement of Sharon's unilateral plans are costing our country its credibility, prestige and friends," the letter warned.

We're not the good guys any more... We are viewed as hypocritical.

Former diplomat William Rogers

Israel says it has no choice but to kill militants planning to carry out suicide attacks, and that its West Bank barrier is for security only.

The signatories praised their British counterparts who went public over their concerns last month.

"We former diplomats applaud our 52 British colleagues who recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticising his Middle East policy and calling on Britain to exert more influence over the United States," the US letter begins.

The organiser of the American missive, Andrew Killgore, who served as US ambassador to Qatar from 1977 to 1980, told the BBC: "We thought American diplomats were as unhappy as British diplomats were over what the president did."

He called for President Bush to withdraw his support for the disengagement plan, which Mr Sharon may have to modify after failing to gain the support of his Likud party.

He said Mr Bush should not "take away the right of the Palestinians to return, or give Sharon the right to take settlement blocks in the West Bank which will hardly leave the Palestinians any contiguous territory".

'Torpedo'

"It seems to torpedo the idea of a separate Palestinian state," he added.

Mr Killgore said the letter was mainly about policy towards Israel and the Palestinians, but it touched on Iraq too.

"If anything Iraq is worse," he said.

William Rogers, who was under-secretary of state for economic affairs in the mid-1970s, has not decided whether to sign the letter yet, but said: "We're not the good guys any more and our foreign relations have been and are being damaged. We are viewed as hypocritical."

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Washington said those in the Bush administration who do support Mr Sharon might well point out that the state department has always been a sceptical supporter of Israel.

Mr Sharon himself has always made a point of dealing directly with the White House.

There has been no response yet from the White House, our correspondent says, though in the past, the administration has been quick to savage its critics.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
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Does anyone have any information on these AET group?
1 posted on 05/04/2004 12:43:52 AM PDT by fdsa2
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To: fdsa2
They criticised what they say is Washington's unabashed support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

And throwing our support behind a terrorist pig like Arafat would be better???

Why do these people hate the jews so much?

2 posted on 05/04/2004 12:49:23 AM PDT by Mo1 (Make Michael Moore cry.... DONATE MONTHLY!!!)
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To: fdsa2
Fire them all and get new people who support our policies.
3 posted on 05/04/2004 12:49:53 AM PDT by JasonC
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To: fdsa2
"The organiser of the American missive, Andrew Killgore, who served as US ambassador to Qatar from 1977 to 1980"

The Carter years. Sigh. Are these "diplomats" all appointees of Democrat administrations?

I'd be curoius to hear their explanation of why _diplomacy_ failed at the UN. 12 years of useless condemnations of Iraq. A corrupt oil for food program. France & Russia playing ego games in the war on terror, etc.

Perhaps these "diplomats" are discouraged that the Munich Waltz didn't make a comeback...
4 posted on 05/04/2004 12:50:53 AM PDT by Fenris6
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To: fdsa2; All
http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?DOCID=1G1:90984280&refid=ip_encyclopedia_hf

---
Following are individuals, organizations, companies and foundations whose help between January 1 and August 2, 2002 is making possible activities of the tax-exempt AET Library Endowment (federal ID #52-1460362) and the American Educational Trust, publisher of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. We are deeply honored by their confidence and profoundly grateful for their generosity.

HUMMERS

($100 or more)

Anonymous donor, Seattle, WA

Shakir Abbas, Newberry, FL

Peter Abboud, Austin, TX

Mohamed Abdelnabi, Union, KY

Selma and Evelyn Abdo, Syracuse, NY

M. Aburmishan, Des Plaines, IL

Michael and Jane Adas, Highland Park, NJ

Ethel Adnan, Sausalito, CA

Kay and Rhonda Ajluni, New Bern, NC ...
---

then the article cuts off...
5 posted on 05/04/2004 12:52:54 AM PDT by swilhelm73
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: Fenris6
Must say I am not that surprised - IMHO this is an expression of the eternal and universal battle between civil servants and politicians.
7 posted on 05/04/2004 12:54:28 AM PDT by fdsa2 (Blair = Kelly donĀ“t you forget that!)
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To: Fenris6
So the cheese and whine set doesnt like GWB...all the more reason to vote for him!
8 posted on 05/04/2004 12:54:50 AM PDT by rrrod
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To: fdsa2
Mr Killgore was appointed under Carter, if that helps with party affiliation.
9 posted on 05/04/2004 12:57:06 AM PDT by exnavy
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To: fdsa2
Where's Joe McCarthy when we really need him!!!

Revive the House un-American Activities Committee!!!


10 posted on 05/04/2004 12:58:27 AM PDT by Robert Drobot (God, family, country. All else is meaningless.)
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To: fdsa2
Around 50 retired US diplomats have written to US President George Bush to complain about America's policy towards the Middle East. The letter is similar to one written by 52 former British diplomats to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair last week.

=====

BUSH TO MORONS : YOU ALL ARE FIRED !!

11 posted on 05/04/2004 12:58:30 AM PDT by KQQL (@)
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To: fdsa2
The American Educational Trust, publishers of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, will host a press conference in the Lisagor Room of the National Press Club, 529 14th St, NW, Washington, DC at 12:00 noon on Tuesday May 4, 2004, to announce and discuss the following letter to President Bush. If you are a former diplomat and would like to sign the letter, please call the Washington Report at 202-939-6050, extensions 104, 106, or 0, or email us at info@wrmea.com. If you are a non-diplomat, you may sign on in the supplementary list. Please include a title, and the place and position of your last post if you were an foreign service officer. Thank you.


http://www.wrmea.com/index.htm
12 posted on 05/04/2004 12:59:14 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: tantric
Secretary of State William Rogers
January 22, 1969
13 posted on 05/04/2004 1:00:30 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: fdsa2
There has been no response yet from the White House, our correspondent says, though in the past, the administration has been quick to savage its critics.

Is the author sure he's refering to the right administration?? This sounds a lot like the Sink Meister's MO.

14 posted on 05/04/2004 1:01:01 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (A vote for JF'nK is a vote for Peace in our Time!)
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To: fdsa2
That's like fifty child molesters complaining about the statute of limitations.

Wonder how many of them were Soviet agents. At least ten, I'd guess.
15 posted on 05/04/2004 1:02:21 AM PDT by dsc
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To: Fenris6
Since his retirement in 1980 from the U.S. foreign service he has served as president of the Musa Alami boys town foundation of Jericho, board member of American Near East Refugee Aid, and co-founder and board member for one year of the Council for the National Interest in Washington DC.

Since he co-founded the American Educational Trust in 1982 its magazine, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, has received an award from the national Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) in 1993. For his work as its publisher, Ambassador Killgore has received awards from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in 1992, from the Council for the National Interest (CNI) and Partners for Peace in 1993, from the United Muslims of America and the Islamic Association for Palestine in North America in 1994, and from the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development and the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine in 1995.


16 posted on 05/04/2004 1:03:05 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: fdsa2
Are they equally well-paid by the Saudis?
17 posted on 05/04/2004 1:03:07 AM PDT by xm177e2 (Stalinists, Maoists, Ba'athists, Pacifists: Why are they always on the same side?)
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To: fdsa2
THE OLD GUARD DIES HARD!!!

It's a new era and these washed up old farts want to continue the status quo.

If Kerry is elected it will be 4 or 8 more years of the same ol' same ol' treading water crap authored by the old, stick in the mud, establishment bullbuttdung garbage eating good for nothing "diplomatic" fossils of a by gone era...

18 posted on 05/04/2004 1:03:17 AM PDT by zarf (..where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia work base that has an attachment?)
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To: swilhelm73
They call their donors HUMMERS? I'm surprised they don't list the mosques each belong to.
19 posted on 05/04/2004 1:05:20 AM PDT by Quilla
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To: Quilla
Is Israel Losing the Intifada?

By Andrew Killgore

June 1989, Page 17

Israel's brutality against the Palestinians has cost it much of its good name in the US. Is it also losing the physical battle against the intifada in the West Bank and Gaza? Impressions during a four-day visit in March say yes.

More...

20 posted on 05/04/2004 1:08:30 AM PDT by kcvl
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