Keyword: jordansummit

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  • World's great minds gather for Jordan summit

    05/18/2005 1:28:47 AM PDT · by LibWhacker · 7 replies · 418+ views
    Hollywood actor Richard Gere joined some 30 Nobel Laureates for a gathering of the world's top thinkers in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. The conference, bringing together luminaries such as former peace prize winner the Dalai Lama, has set itself the none too modest task of finding solutions to the world's problems. "A process begins here -- a process that all of you will shape -- and by your effort, help shape our world," host King Abdullah II of Jordan said in his opening speech. Highlighting the conflict in the Middle East, he said the world needed to make...
  • Last Stop on the Oslo Road?

    07/25/2003 11:39:59 AM PDT · by Weimdog · 4 replies · 154+ views
    National Review ^ | E-mail Author | Barbara Lerner
    July 25, 2003, 9:50 a.m. Last Stop on the Oslo Road? Deciphering W.’s vision. By Barbara Lerner hy did he do it? Why did George W. Bush go to Aqaba and agree to do his best to implement the Four Powers roadmap? Why is he following through assiduously, hosting Abu Mazen Friday and Sharon again next week? The roadmap is this year's version of the Oslo plan to produce "peace in the Middle East" by creating a 23rd Arab state called Palestine. This idea has been the driving force, the unquestioned idee fixe of American policy in the region for...
  • Trading Places

    06/13/2003 7:11:46 AM PDT · by yonif · 4 replies · 144+ views
    Jewish World Review ^ | June 13, 2003 / 13 Sivan, 5763 | Jonathan Tobin
    As far as friends of Israel are concerned, the history of the presidency of George W. Bush will be divided into two parts: pre-Aqaba and post-Aqaba. Prior to the summit last week at which Bush formally launched his "road map" to peace in a scorching desert photo op, centrist and right-wing American Jews saw Bush as their hero. His June 24, 2002 speech enunciated principles of peace that they had longed to hear for decades. Bush demanded that the Palestinians renounce terror, and throw out their corrupt and murderous leadership before they could even hope for a state alongside Israel....
  • Not Guiliani

    06/11/2003 1:00:11 AM PDT · by yonif · 5 replies · 164+ views
    Connecticut Jewish Ledger | June 13, 2003
    It’s hard not to like George W. Bush, and opinion polls in the United States show that most people do. He has changed the world for the good, and while no one expects perfection, there are times when falling short can make the rest of what he does matter much less. Last week, he focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict showing little appreciation of what had gone before and in doing that he made himself vulnerable and involved himself in something that could diminish much of what he’s done elsewhere. Opinion writer Charles Krauthammer thinks that the United States put its...
  • Imprint of W . . . as in whirlwind

    06/08/2003 11:47:32 PM PDT · by kattracks · 5 replies · 135+ views
    Washington Times ^ | 6/09/03 | Donald Lambro
    <p>It was, by any measure, a productive week for President Bush. He has started to repair ruptured relations in Europe, spurred the Middle East leaders to get tougher with terrorism, and put Israel and the Palestinians on a rocky "road map" that could lead to peace.</p>
  • How Bush Got Religion

    06/08/2003 5:07:24 PM PDT · by Dog Gone · 13 replies · 202+ views
    Time Magazine ^ | June 8, 2003 | JAMES CARNEY
    Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas seemed uncomfortable in the official meetings with his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, and President George W. Bush at their summit in Aqaba, Jordan, last week. So Bush stepped in and did what he does best: he schmoozed. Leaving aides and interpreters behind, the President took the two leaders outside, where they sat under the shade of palm trees for 40 minutes and discussed ways to give a fresh start to the peace process. "I wanted...to observe the interplay between the two," Bush said later. "Did they have the capacity to relax in each other's presence?...
  • Abbas calls off Gaza visit, says Aqaba speech was misunderstood

    06/08/2003 2:30:53 PM PDT · by veronica · 35 replies · 122+ views
    Jpost ^ | June 8 2003
    Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) said Sunday that he is keen on pursuing talks with Hamas and other Palestinian groups with the hope of avoiding a civil war. Speaking at his office in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Abbas said many Palestinians misunderstood his speech at the Aqaba summit in Jordan last week. It seems that the Aqaba speech has been misunderstood," Abbas said. He said he would clarify his position on this matter later. There is no other way but to continue the dialogue [with the Palestinian factions]," he stressed. This is the only way...
  • Ten dead in worst day since Aqaba summit (IDF, Machpela Cave Killings update)

    06/08/2003 11:54:44 AM PDT · by Land_of_Lincoln_John · 3 replies · 160+ views
    The Jersusalem Post ^ | June 8, 2003 | MARGOT DUDKEVITCH
    Five Israelis and five Palestinians were killed Sunday in two Palestinian-initiated attacks on Israeli targets in, the first at an IDF post near the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip, and later at the Machpela Cave in Hebron on the West Bank. Four IDF soldiers were killed and four were wounded early Sunday after three Palestinian terrorists disguised as Israeli soldiers infiltrated an IDF outpost near the Erez checkpoint in the Gaza Strip. According to a senior IDF officer in the Gaza Strip, the three gunmen, members of the Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, arrived at...
  • Palestinian Officials Blast Hamas

    06/07/2003 10:53:57 AM PDT · by NormsRevenge · 8 replies · 136+ views
    Yahoo! News ^ | 6/7/03 | Ravi Nessman - AP
    JERUSALEM - Frustrated Palestinian officials harshly criticized Hamas on Saturday, saying the Islamic militant group's abandonment of talks aimed at ending attacks against Israelis could torpedo a new peace plan just as it was getting off the ground. The Palestinian foreign minister chided Hamas, saying it should "act responsibly." Hamas officials said Friday they were cutting off their truce negotiations with Palestinian officials in anger over Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' concessions at a Mideast summit Wednesday in Jordan. At the meeting with President Bush (news - web sites) and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites), Abbas...
  • Peace advocates in Egypt revive efforts

    06/07/2003 9:27:21 AM PDT · by Ranger · 1 replies · 151+ views
    Christian Science Monitor ^ | 6/6/03 | Paul Schemm
    CAIRO – Early last month, William Welles heard that the Israeli ambassador was coming to visit his downtown Cairo art gallery - again. He locked the doors and went to sit in a coffee shop across the street to watch. The last time the Israeli ambassador visited his gallery unannounced in March, Mr. Welles was condemned in the local press. This time, the ambassador arrived to find a closed gallery. The incident is one small measure of how politically and socially unacceptable it has become in Egypt to host envoys of the state of Israel. Almost a quarter century after...
  • Remember the 'Bush Doctrine': Kyle Williams explains why Mideast peace plan won't hold

    06/07/2003 12:28:15 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 2 replies · 172+ views
    WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Saturday, June 7, 2003 | Kyle Williams
    All eyes are upon the tiny country of Israel this month, as President Bush, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon run down the so-called "road map" for peace in the Middle East. At the heart of this, President Bush and his Mideast team are in a long line of previous administrations who attempted to coordinate peace in Israel. There is a question of whether it is the United States government's role to be involved in coordinating peace in other countries, but a precedent has already been set. A U.S. president is always frowned upon if...
  • Bush Trusts Instincts, Works on Success

    06/06/2003 9:15:35 AM PDT · by Jewels1091 · 116+ views
    Associated Press ^ | Fri Jun 6, | TERENCE HUNT
    WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites), by his own description, is a practical man, a leader who doesn't want to waste time on high-profile meetings unless they hold the promise of success. He likes to speak plainly and directly, he says, and tries to get leaders off their formal talking points and into more casual conversations. He trusts his instincts when sizing up people. "One of my jobs is to try to help relax people in a setting. I hope I'm pretty good at that," Bush said the other day. "How do you feel, do you feel relaxed...
  • Mideast Leaders Look Homeward [Bush, Mideast Peace, and Iraq WMD]

    06/06/2003 2:35:38 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 15 replies · 796+ views
    New York Times ^ | Friday, June 6, 2003 | By JAMES BENNET
    <p>AQABA, Jordan, June 4 ? Locked in conflict, fearing for their very existence as nations, Israelis and Palestinians have for generations prized national unity, deferring or papering over internal disputes about the means and ends of their struggles. Continues.</p> <p>SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, June 4 -- Hailing what he sees as "The potential for broader peace among the peoples" of the Middle East, President Bush, in his first thrust into grueling Mideast peace-making, pledged Tuesday that "America is committed and I am committed to helping all the parties to reach the hard and heroic decisions that will lead to peace."</p>
  • Where was Israel's flag at summit? Josh Hasten explains symbolic subtleties at Mideast confabs

    06/06/2003 12:58:21 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 2 replies · 152+ views
    WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, June 6, 2003 | Josh Hasten
    In a conflict where every word uttered, every handshake, facial expression or body movement matters, this week's Aqaba summit had the international community focused on every subtle move expressed by all participants involved. First, the three Mideast leaders and the American president walked toward their speaking podiums in perfect stride, side by side. Then there was the first-ever public handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas that captured everyone's attention. And squeezed in between was the rhetoric: Abbas's speech renouncing terrorism, Sharon's pledge to dismantle newly constructed outposts, and of course president Bush restating...
  • The unilateral surrender of Israel continues

    06/06/2003 12:33:54 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 10 replies · 128+ views
    TownHall.com ^ | Friday, June 6, 2003 | Charles Krauthammer
    WASHINGTON--President Bush held two Middle East summits this week. The first, with the Arab states, was an abject failure. The second, with the prime ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, was merely a troubling echo of another abject failure, the Oslo handshake of 1993. Let's be plain about what happened at Sharm el-Sheik. The president of the United States put his prestige on the line for the sake of Arab-Israeli peace and the Arab states gave him nothing. They refused to endorse Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. They spoke of their opposition to ``terrorism,'' even as...
  • Arafat scorns Abbas' efforts at Mideast peace talks

    06/06/2003 12:11:02 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 124+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Friday, June 6, 2003 | By Paul Martin
    <p>DOHA, Qatar &#8212; Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, in a campaign supported by his newspapers and some ministers, publicly rebuffed his prime minister just hours after the three-way summit in Jordan with President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.</p>
  • Abdullah ‘Nearly Pulled Out of Summit Over Ties With Israel’ (Normalization w/ Israel)

    06/05/2003 4:47:03 PM PDT · by Stultis · 14 replies · 159+ views
    Arab News ^ | 6 June 2003
    JEDDAH, 6 June 2003 &#8212; Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, nearly withdrew from the summit with US President George W. Bush in Egypt because of US pressure to speed up Arab normalization with Israel, it was reported yesterday. Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, said Prince Abdullah rejected a US request to mention in the final summit communique that the Arab parties agreed to normalize ties with Israel as part of steps to build trust with the Jewish state. Prince Abdullah threatened to pull out of Tuesday&#8217;s summit held in the Egyptian...
  • Iraq: What must be done now

    06/05/2003 1:28:23 PM PDT · by Rummyfan · 7 replies · 133+ views
    Steyn On Line ^ | 5 June 2003 | Mark Steyn
    Iraq: what must be done now Mark Steyn, just back from the Middle East, says that a new order cannot be rushed into existence New Hampshire On the face of it, Jordan’s election this month would seem to be a lively affair. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve driven the length and breadth of the country. Well, not the length, but the breadth — from the Allenby Bridge across from the ghastly Arafat squat on the West Bank over to the eastern desert and the Iraqi border post at Trebil. And in every town you pass through there are...
  • Bush and Sharon in Aqaba: "Don't Try These Tricks on Me Again" (DER SPIEGEL)

    06/05/2003 1:08:01 PM PDT · by tictoc · 38 replies · 173+ views
    Der Spiegel ^ | Jun 5, 2003 | Volkhard Windfuhr
    BUSH AND SHARON IN AQABA "Don't Try These Tricks on Me Again" By Volkhard Windfuhr, Aqaba At the Summit of Three in Aqaba, George W. Bush was extremely brusque with Ariel Sharon. Arriving in an irritable mood, the US president encountered a Prime Minister who appeared morose. AP Sharon, Bush, Abbas Exactly 36 years ago today, Israeli tanks rolled over Egyptian border guards on the Sinai without any advance warning, while in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said sirens shrilly reported enemy planes. The infamous Six Days War had broken out, a war whose territorial and political consequences plague the Middle...
  • Bush's Magical Mystery Tour

    06/05/2003 2:27:46 AM PDT · by Seti 1 · 18 replies · 244+ views
    UExpress ^ | June 2, 2003 | Georgie Anne Geyer
    BUSH'S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR WASHINGTON -- This week, President Bush embarked upon a far-flung royal "victory" trip that had all the accoutrements of a conquering Roman Caesar and boasted of all the daring accomplishments of a modern-day Columbus or Alexander the Great. The "Man Called W" rode away from our nation's capital in an elegant plane -- in place of the fancy-dress horses and gallant galleons of his predecessors -- while his bards and minstrels sang robust songs of victory in Afghanistan and Iraq to inspire the masses. En route, the president embraced small, relatively poor countries and drew them...
  • W ropes 'em at summit

    06/05/2003 1:54:59 AM PDT · by kattracks · 3 replies · 78+ views
    New York Daily News ^ | 6/05/03 | KENNETH R. BAZINET
    President Bush gave himself a Texas-size pat on the back after yesterday's Mideast summit, vowing to "ride herd" on the Israelis and Palestinians to ensure they follow the road map to peace. "The first signs of peace happen when people make up their mind to work toward peace. And that's what you saw," he said, sipping a Diet Coke on Air Force One after meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers in Jordan. "I know that peace can finally come," Bush said after the powwow at the Aqaba home of King Abdullah, whose late father, King Hussein, was the...
  • Palestinian official: Abbas in phone contact with Arafat during summit [Impossible I tell you!]

    06/05/2003 2:07:08 AM PDT · by yonif · 13 replies · 174+ views
    Jerusalem Post ^ | Jun. 5, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
    While Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas flew around the region in recent days, meeting with Arab leaders, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat sat in his mostly destroyed office directing his premier every step of the way. The United States and Israel have worked to sideline Arafat and remove him from all peace contacts, but the veteran PLO leader refuses to fade away. He remains the undisputed leader of his people and has worked feverishly in the past few days to prove it. He delayed a pre-summit meeting between Sharon and Abbas, publicly greeted a released...
  • Critical steps toward peace

    06/05/2003 12:51:24 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 110+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Thursday, June 5, 2003 | House Editorial
    <p>In an event that may be remembered as a turning point in the search for Middle East peace, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas took a number of major steps forward during yesterday's historic peace summit in Aqaba, Jordan. The two leaders went beyond what they have previously said in describing concrete steps they are prepared to take in order to achieve peace. Mr. Sharon said that Israel supports President Bush's vision of two independent states, one Israeli and one Palestinian, living side-by-side in peace. The Israeli leader &#8212; until recently his country's best-known advocate of territorial expansion &#8212; pledged to immediately remove settlement outposts that were established without government approval. Also, in remarks that would be revolutionary for any Likud Party politician &#8212; and are even more so in Mr. Sharon's case &#8212; he said his government understands the importance of "territorial contiguity" for an independent state of Palestine, a key demand from the Arab side.</p>
  • Arab leaders vow to fight terrorism

    06/05/2003 12:31:36 AM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 1 replies · 132+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Thursday, June 5, 2003 | By Joseph Curl
    <p>SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt &#8212; President Bush yesterday prodded Arab leaders into repudiating terrorism in the Middle East and forcefully called on Israel to remove settlements in the disputed territories.</p> <p>Under pressure from Mr. Bush, who said Arab countries bear as much responsibility as Israel for producing lasting peace in the region, Arab leaders at the summit here responded in a statement with a strong condemnation of terrorism "regardless of justifications or motives" and vowed "to work for a Middle East that is free of strife and violence, living in harmony, without the threat of terrorism or dangers of weapons of mass destruction."</p>
  • Roundtable Interview of the President by White House Press Pool

    06/04/2003 7:20:10 PM PDT · by FreeVietnam · 15 replies · 145+ views
    The White House ^ | 06/04/03 | President George W. Bush
    Aboard Air Force One En Route Doha, Qatar 4:40 P.M. (L) THE PRESIDENT: First of all, it's progress. Great success happens when there's two states, living side-by-side in peace. And this is progress. I thought I would -- since this is an historic trip, I thought I would just have you up and share thoughts and answer questions. We'll go around for a while. First, I'm pleased with what happened yesterday and today. The first signs of peace happen when people make up their mind to work toward peace. And that's what you saw. You heard some pretty firm statements...
  • Bush determined to build bridge over troubled waters (NOT a Simon & Garfunkle alert!)

    06/04/2003 4:26:08 PM PDT · by fightinJAG · 2 replies · 377+ views
    Sydney Morning Herald ^ | June 5, 2003 | Staff
    Bush determined to build bridge over troubled waters June 5 2003 Launching a new era of peacemaking in the Middle East, the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers appeared together publicly for the first time in Jordan yesterday, with the United States President, George Bush. Much stood in the way of this image: Palestinian terrorism, Israeli occupation - and a swimming pool. The last obstacle was soon removed when the Jordanians built a bridge over the pool behind King Abdullah's new palace, allowing the leaders to walk over the water, side by side, towards the massed cameras. When a first bridge...
  • Netanyahu: "We've been down this road before"

    06/04/2003 2:22:10 PM PDT · by veronica · 26 replies · 110+ views
    JPost ^ | June 4 2003 | Staff
    Asked by CNN Wednesday night why he declined the invitation to join the Israeli delegation to the Aqaba peace summit, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he had serious reservations about Palestinian readiness to implement the 'road map' and to accept Israel as a Jewish state. "We've been down this road before," said Netanyahu. "Until the Palestinians teach their children to accept Israel; until they actually go out and arrest, and even fight terrorists; and until they drop the right of return, this will remain a 'flowery path' and we've been down this path before," added the Finance Minister and former...
  • Aqaba summit unlikely to produce breakthrough

    06/04/2003 5:43:15 AM PDT · by SJackson · 2 replies · 158+ views
    Jerusalem Post ^ | 6-3-03 | HERB KEINON
    AQABA Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the US are all expected to stop just short of delivering the type of dramatic statements at the summit here on Wednesday that could drastically change the parameters of the conflict. Senior Israeli diplomatic officials said PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will stop short of calling for an outright end to terrorism, US President George W. Bush will stop short of saying Israel needs to be recognized by all its neighbors as a Jewish state, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will stop short of endorsing a Palestinian state. Instead, one official said, the sides...
  • Bush puts his prestige on the line

    06/04/2003 9:18:36 AM PDT · by knighthawk · 15 replies · 236+ views
    National Post ^ | June 04 2003 | David Warren/Ottawa Citizen
    Contrary to media assumptions, the U.S. President knows the Arabs and not the Europeans are his most important "sell," his most difficult, and for the biggest stakes. For the purpose of his grand exercise in the assertion of American power is not to become fashionable in Paris, but to eliminate "terror international," its causes and effects. That is why he is moving so recklessly on Israel/Palestine, and throwing himself into the bearpit in Sharm el-Sheik and Jordan. Previously, he sent Colin Powell, and it was unworthily suggested he was willing to sacrifice the credibility of his Secretary of State on...
  • Arab moderates authorize Bush to complete his program

    06/04/2003 9:46:51 AM PDT · by fightinJAG · 116+ views
    Arabic News ^ | June 4, 2003 | Staff
    Arab moderates authorize Bush to complete his program Regional-USA, Politics, 6/4/2003 It seemed from the "half an hour" summit which was held in Sharm Esh Sheikh yesterday that the five Arab leaders who took part in it authorized the US President George W. Bush to complete his work plan in the region, being in Palestine through concentrating on halting the Intifada and linking it to terrorism, or in Iraq where the Arab side seemed to be remarkably neutral, giving no hints to the war Iraq was exposed to or the occupation it undergoes currently. As Bush had neglected to remark...
  • Bush's Arab Summit address

    06/04/2003 9:52:06 AM PDT · by knighthawk · 1 replies · 69+ views
    The Australian ^ | June 05 2003
    TEXT of the statement today by US President George W Bush at the Aqaba summit. King Abdullah, thank you for hosting this event. Her Majesty, thank you for your hospitality. It is fitting that we gather today in Jordan. King Abdullah is a leader on behalf of peace, and is carrying forward the tradition of his father, King Hussein. I'm pleased to be here with Prime Minister Sharon. The friendship between our countries began at the time of Israel's creation. Today, America is strongly committed and I am strongly committed to Israel's security as a vibrant Jewish state. I'm also...
  • SHARON'S 4.June.2003 AQABA REMARKS

    06/04/2003 7:01:39 AM PDT · by SJackson · 117+ views
    IMRA ^ | 6-4-03
    Israel Government Press Office Wednesday, June 04, 2003 Israeli Statement (04/06/2003) I would like to thank His Majesty King Abdullah for arranging this meeting, and express Israel's appreciation to President Bush for coming here to be with Prime Minister Abbas and me. Thank you. As the Prime Minister of Israel, the land which is the cradle of the Jewish people, my paramount responsibility is the security of the people of Israel and of the State of Israel. There can be no compromise with terror and Israel, together with all free nations, will continue fighting terrorism until its final defeat. Ultimately,...
  • Bush to Powell, Rice: make peace plan top priority

    06/04/2003 7:08:24 AM PDT · by Brian S · 11 replies · 139+ views
    Reuters ^ | 06-04-03
    4 June 2003 13:35 AQABA, Jordan, June 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday ordered his top two foreign policy advisers to make his Middle East peace plan "a matter of the highest priority." Bush also tapped John Wolf, a top State Department official, to lead a U.S. monitoring team to track Israeli and Palestinian moves to carry out the "road map", which outlines reciprocal steps by Palestinians and Israelis leading to a Palestinian state by 2005. "All sides have made important commitments and the United States will strive to see these commitments fulfilled," Bush said after...
  • Sharon accepts 2 states side-by-side - Sharon vows to remove unauthorized outposts

    06/04/2003 6:38:39 AM PDT · by Phil V. · 28 replies · 174+ views
    Internet Jerusalem Post - Haaretz ^ | Wednesday, June 04, 2003 Sivan 4, 5763 | THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF - Daniel Sobelman (Sharm el-Sheikh), Haaretz
    Jun. 4, 2003 Sharon accepts 2 states side-by-side; vows illegal settlement removal immediatelyBy THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF      In his statement at the end of the Aqaba summit Wednesday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reiterated Israel's acceptance to have "two states living side by side," for both Israel and the Palestinians.  He said that Israel understands "the need for territorial contiguity" of a Palestinian state.  Making another promise that was expected of him, Sharon said that Israel, "is a society governed by the rule of law, thus we will immediately begin to remove unauthorized outposts," referring to a...
  • Bush, Sharon, Abbas Arrive in Aqaba

    06/04/2003 1:12:08 AM PDT · by yonif · 6 replies · 172+ views
    The Aqaba Summit - Sharon, Bush, Abdullah, Abbas - has begun, bringing hope to some, and trepidation that once again Israel will pay a heavy price in exchange for nothing - to others. Prime Minister Sharon will first meet this morning with U.S. President George Bush, and then with King Abdullah of Jordan, while Bush is meeting with Muhammad Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. At 3PM Israel time, each of the leaders will make what many assume will be historic declarations. Sharon will reportedly say that he will order the immediate destruction and removal of an unspecified number of outposts...
  • The Jordan summit

    06/03/2003 11:06:39 PM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 131+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, June 4, 2003 | House Editorial
    <p>President Bush, having concluded yesterday's anti-terror summit with Arab leaders in Egypt, was preparing to step up pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to narrow their differences on critical issues in the peace process when he meets with them today in Aqaba, Jordan. At yesterday's meeting, Mr. Bush reiterated his call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state next door to Israel, and urged the Jewish state to relinquish settlements in the West Bank so there would be "continuous territory that the Palestinians can call home." We support Mr. Bush's call. The president also urged the assembled parties &#8212; in particular, Mr. Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and King Hamad of Bahrain &#8212; to cut off sources of funding to terrorist organizations. Mr. Bush won commitments from the Arab leaders to crack down on terrorism. The administration also urged Arab parties to take action to end incitement of anti-Semitic rhetoric in the popular press.</p>
  • Arab leaders vow to fight terrorism

    06/03/2003 10:49:09 PM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 7 replies · 155+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, June 4, 2003 | By Joseph Curl
    <p>SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt &#8212; President Bush yesterday prodded Arab leaders into repudiating terrorism in the Middle East and forcefully called on Israel to remove settlements in the disputed territories.</p> <p>Under pressure from Mr. Bush, who said Arab countries bear as much responsibility as Israel for producing lasting peace in the region, Arab leaders at the summit here responded in a statement with a strong condemnation of terrorism "regardless of justifications or motives" and vowed "to work for a Middle East that is free of strife and violence, living in harmony, without the threat of terrorism or dangers of weapons of mass destruction."</p>
  • Bush Continues To Contiguous Summit Unclear As To Meaning [3 version of what is said]

    06/03/2003 10:28:12 PM PDT · by yonif · 4 replies · 185+ views
    Israel National News ^ | 00:56 Jun-04-03, 4 Sivan 5763
    Since yesterday’s speech at the Sharm el-Sheik summit three versions of what George Bush intended to say regarding a future Palestinian state’s geographical makeup have emerged. Bush himself said that the Palestinian state would have to include continuous territory. White house spokesman Ari Fleischer later clarified that Bush had intended to say contiguous rather than continuous. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that what was most important is that the state not be a series of South African-like Bantustans. The Palestinians must accept it as a state and feel free to move between its territories.
  • On Camera but Unaware, Bush Displays His Fervor

    06/03/2003 8:22:05 PM PDT · by Brian S · 67 replies · 180+ views
    New York Times ^ | 06-03-03
    By ELISABETH BUMILLER SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, June 3 — It was not surprising that President Bush would get tough with the Israelis and Palestinians and demand that both get their houses in order. What was surprising, because of an extraordinary mistake by Egyptian television, was that Mr. Bush would be caught unawares on camera today speaking about the Middle East with more bluntness, emotion and religious fervor than had been heard before. Anyone who has regularly watched Mr. Bush in speeches and news conferences could tell in an instant that he had no idea that his remarks to five...
  • Bush, Arab Leaders Denounce Violence, Promote Peace (Update4)

    06/03/2003 6:20:23 PM PDT · by Ernest_at_the_Beach · 2 replies · 153+ views
    Bloomberg News ^ | Last Updated: June 3, 2003 13:05 EDT | Bloomberg
    <p>June 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush won support from Arab leaders who denounced terrorism and threw their support behind a three-year international ``road map'' to bring peace between Arabs and Israelis.</p> <p>Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said the leaders ``welcome the road map'' for creation of a Palestinian state, reject ``the culture of extremism and violence,'' and use ``all the power of the law'' to cut off arms and money for terror groups.</p>
  • Bush in the driver's seat of Middle East peace talks _ literally

    06/03/2003 5:03:28 PM PDT · by fightinJAG · 24 replies · 138+ views
    San Francisco Chronicle ^ | June 3, 2003 | Tom Raum
  • Stop settlements now, Bush tells Israel

    06/03/2003 4:31:48 PM PDT · by dennisw · 105 replies · 287+ views
    times uk ^ | June 04, 2003 | By Roland Watson in Sharm el-Sheikh
    Stop settlements now, Bush tells Israel By Roland Watson in Sharm el-Sheikh PRESIDENT BUSH threw down the gauntlet to Ariel Sharon yesterday and challenged him to make substantial withdrawals from the West Bank. “Israel has got responsibilities,” Mr Bush said on the eve of today’s historic Middle East peace summit. “Israel must deal with the settlements. Israel must make sure there is a continuous territory that the Palestinians can call home.” The call was his most specific yet concerning Israel’s responsibilities under the “road map” towards peace and a Palestinian state. It also represented a personal gamble, deepening Mr Bush’s...
  • Summit Speculations

    06/03/2003 3:41:02 PM PDT · by SJackson · 3 replies · 184+ views
    Arutz Sheva ^ | 6-3-03
    Regarding the upcoming tripartite summit in Jordan, senior Israeli sources say they have received the address that Mahmoud (Abu Mazen) Abbas plans to deliver at the conclusion of the Aqaba summit. In it, the sources said, he will declare that the Palestinian Authority will make every effort to bring an end to the "military nature" of the Oslo War. This is a step back from the requested announcement that he would fight terrorism and the terrorist infrastructure. Abu Mazen also refuses to explicitly recognize the Jewish State in his remarks. Not just Abu Mazen, however. It has just come to...
  • Arab Leaders Issue Incendiary Statement After Summit

    06/03/2003 3:23:12 PM PDT · by LarryM · 60 replies · 162+ views
    Debka ^ | 6/3/2003
    DEBKAfile reports: After Bush departed Sharm al-Sheikh Tuesday, his 5 Arab co-summiteers issued negative statement. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Palestinian Authority voiced support for Arafat as elected Palestinian president and endorsed Palestinians right of return to pre-1948 lands, with no mention of need to halt terror and Palestinian armed confrontation. Palestinian dep. foreign minister Ali Sadeq: Present at Arab-American summit was head of American snake that invaded Iraq and is dispossessing Palestinian and Arab nations
  • Statements by President Bush and President Mubarak of Egypt

    06/03/2003 10:51:48 AM PDT · by SJackson · 12 replies · 185+ views
    White House ^ | 6-3-03
    Four Seasons Resort Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt 3:50 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT MUBARAK: Today we have met with the President of the United States, President George Bush, to affirm our common commitment to seize this historic moment to advance the peace cause forward. President Bush gave impetus to the peace process by his vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security. This vision means that, alongside the existing state of Israel, a new state for the Palestinians will emerge. We welcome the road map rising from this vision, and adopted by the Quartet, especially since it has been...
  • Absent Arafat works behind the scenes of summit

    06/03/2003 10:32:46 AM PDT · by Jimmyclyde · 7 replies · 130+ views
    boston.com ^ | June 3, 2203 | Nidal al-Mughrabi
    Absent Arafat works behind the scenes of summit By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, 6/3/2003 GAZA -- Yasser Arafat remained isolated behind mounds of rubble at his West Bank compound Tuesday but his exclusion from a landmark summit in Egypt could not stop him from playing a behind-the-scenes role. Aides to Arafat, once a frequent flier to foreign capitals, suggested he was not happy about being frozen out of the U.S.-Arab talks, where new Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas led the Palestinian delegation. But they made clear that the Palestinian president -- an icon of Palestinian nationalism -- had made his presence felt...
  • Bush refuses to declare that Israel is a Jewish state [at the summit] (Freeper Translation)

    06/02/2003 9:50:04 PM PDT · by yonif · 33 replies · 168+ views
    Maariv Israeli Newspaper ^ | June 3, 2003 | Sahar and Hogi
    Translation from Hebrew to English by me of the first section talking about this refusal: From signals that have arrived in the last few days to the state level in Israel it is found that President Bush does not intend to declare during the summit in Aghaba that the State of Israel is "the state of the Jewish people." Israel asked the Americans to include in Bush's speech the notion of the existance of Israel as a Jewish state, to make it clear that the Americans do not recognize the Right of Return of the Palestinians, however it was Palestinian...
  • Bush locks Europeans out of Middle East process

    06/02/2003 4:27:03 PM PDT · by Pokey78 · 11 replies · 97+ views
    The Independent (U.K.) ^ | 06/03/03 | Eric Silve and Sa'id Ghazali
    George Bush travelled from Evian to the Middle East yesterday, determined to deny the Europeans a role in monitoring progress along the international road-map to a Palestinian state.Today he meets Arab leaders in Egypt before hosting a formal Middle East summit in Aqaba, Jordan, tomorrow between Israelis and Palestinians. European diplomats have been excluded. An Israeli official told The Independent yesterday: "There will be no Europeans involved in the monitoring process. This has been a clear understanding between Israel and the United States."The US monopoly chips away at Tony Blair's claim before the invasion of Iraq that Britain was a...
  • A summit against terror

    06/01/2003 11:38:32 PM PDT · by JohnHuang2 · 117+ views
    Washington Times ^ | Monday, June 2, 2003 | House Editorial
    <p>When President Bush meets with Arab leaders tomorrow at Sharm el-Sheikh, he'll have a strong message to deliver to his host, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, and a select group of Arab participants, including Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah of Jordan, King Hamad of Bahrain and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, on the need to fight terrorism. In a series of interviews on Thursday, Mr. Bush emphasized that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan must "work together to cut off funding for terrorist groups."</p>
  • G-8 No One Stands out Like George W. Bush (Pictorial)

    06/01/2003 11:37:22 PM PDT · by JustPiper · 23 replies · 335+ views
    Various ^ | 5-1-03 | N/a Various
    Brazilian (news - web sites) President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2nd L) poses with (L to R) U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites), U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites), Chinese President Hu Jintao, Swiss Confederation President Pascal Couchepin, and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, during the traditional family photo at the G8 Summit in Evian, June 1, 2003. World leaders meet in Evian for the June 1-3, 2003 G8 Summit and join counterparts from 12 major developing countries to discuss debt relief, AIDS (news - web sites) and access to clean water....