Posted on 05/06/2002 4:06:17 PM PDT by kattracks
NEW YORK – An international military force including Americans should be sent to the Middle East to end the conflict in the region, former president Bill Clinton told 2,000 students, faculty, and alumni at Hunter College in New York yesterday.
“If there is going to be anything like a lasting settlement,” Clinton said, “I believe it will require international forces – Americans, Europeans, Russians, and others, and I think we should show up and do it.”
Clinton urged the students to support his stance. He said Israel would reject an international force that did not include Americans, explaining, “The Israelis believe that America is the only great country that cares whether they live or die.” “You should be for it. We have to do it,” he said.
Clinton, addressed the college as part of its Presidential Public Leadership Program. He discussed the failed Camp David negotiations during the summer of 2000. Blaming Palestinian Authority Chairman Arafat for the failure of the talks, he attributed Arafat’s refusal to sign a peace deal to “short-term political considerations,” rather than a lack of desire to make peace, as Israeli and American negotiators, including former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross, believe.
“We had a pretty good deal,” said Clinton of the Camp David offer. “It was mostly short-term political considerations that kept [Arafat] from doing that,” he said.
Clinton was more complimentary of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, whose peace plan he praised. “The Crown Prince has a reputation of being uncorrupt, deeply religious in a broader sense, and reasonably new to the national political scene. I have high regard for him and I think he’s absolutely sincere” in his peace efforts, he said.
Any peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, he said, could not include the right of return for the millions of refugees Arab countries demand be admitted to Israel.
Clinton took Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to task for heightening tensions in the region. “To have a lasting peace, we will have to have a significant change in [Sharon’s] position,” he said.
Clinton cited former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin as the one leader who was capable of bringing peace to Israelis and Palestinians.“If he hadn’t been murdered, there would be peace today in the Middle East, and the guy who killed him knew exactly what he was doing,” he said.
Surely he jests. Or is he so corrupt he can't recognize it when he sees it?
Clinton also met with the Saudi Prince and all of a sudden the dynamic changed, and when Bush got to him finally, the Prince was able to dictate terms, instead of dealing with what Bush had to say. Clinton is causing severe instability in our foreign policy, and he's undermining our President. He should be tried for Treason, not just for the crap he pulled while in office, but for the things he's doing right now.
It used to be that the NYTimes was merely nitwit/complicit media for the Clinton agenda, a pawn under the force of a single man's will. In hindsight, that was a charitable and clearly false impression for which I dimly wrung my hands-- for years! Now I chuckle at this obvious canard.
In this piece, the irrelevant and legacy mongrel Clinton is the spokesperson for the the NYTimes, specifically, Thomas Friedman. Columnist/communist Friedman is the original voice of these thoughts.
It seems I leant Bubba too much credit-- and fear-- for/of his "original" thoughts. My mistake. He seems so harmless and pitiable now.
Looking back, how I believed this creature was the mastermind of original discourse, a framer of American culture, a danger to the journey of a stout nation, or in complete control of the media . . . I dunno. Mine were simpleton fears. I was unpracticed to his sort. I'm sorry.
I call for an international force in Clinton's pants.
Has the man figured out, he's no longer the president, Thank God!
And in a story of equal impact on the World scene:
"Clinton calls for an Italian Sub, No Onions hold the lettuce and a diet coke".
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