Arabs ask US to stop siding with Israel, resume honest broker role

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 11-11-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

CAIRO, Nov 11 (AFP) - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said here Tuesday he urged the United States to stop siding with Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians and resume the role of "honest broker."

Mussa said he informed visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, standing by his side at a press conference, "of the Arab view that the situation in Palestine is at an impasse.

"And that stirs great anger among the Arabs and will lead to serious consquences," Mussa said, speaking in Arabic.

"We must settle this question in a serious and objective way, and not with the aim of satisfying one party, which is Israel, at the expense of the Palestinians," he added.

"The situation is blocked until the United States resumes its role as honest broker," he said. "The Arab League wants the United States to play this impartial role again and not to be aligned completely with Israel."

He also said he told Armitage of "Arab concern over the situation in Iraq and added that as long as there is an occupation, there will be a resistance, whether in Iraq or in Palestine."

Mussa stressed the need "to return power to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible by drafting a constitution quickly, holding elections, forming a government and drawing up a timetable for a US withdrawal from Iraq."

During his two-day visit to Egypt, Armitage has said Washington will hand over power to an Iraqi government when one is capable of handling the tasks.

US officials said Armitage was returning to Washington later Tuesday after completing a four-day tour that has taken him to Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

[glorgau]

The "situation" has always been blocked. The Arabs aren't playing the "honesty" role either. The current US position is simply calling a shovel a shovel.

[Joe Boucher]

I don't see Israeli Jews killing Americans.
I do however see Arab Muslims killing everyone everywhere that isn't Muslim.
As a Christian American I say F. U Arab Muslim.

[dennisw]

Arabs real complaint is we help Israel out from being destroyed by these mad dogs. Idiots blame the Jews for everything instead of themselves and their Hitlerian religion of Jihad.

[tiamat]

"And this just in: "US asks Arabs to quit blowing people up....Details at 11!"

[putupon]

[11B3]

The head of the Arab league should be gushing with thank yous for the fact that the US keeps the IDF on a leash. If we let them go free, there won't be any more illegal occupation of Israel by the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians. Actually, there wouldn't be any Palis at all.

I say let the IDF loose, I've had about all of the Pali crap I can stomach. Actually, that goes for all of the Arabs and Islamonazis in general. The only time they aren't bitching and complaining is when they are killing others. Assimilate with the modern world, Arabs, or face extermination.

[monkeyshine]

Yeah yeah yeah. The situation has been at an "impasse" for 80 years. The Arabs have been "angry" the whole time. And where has all this anger gotten them?

Israel has turned into a burgeoning economy, and the Arabs are as poor as the dirt they live on, and the Palestinians don't have a state. Even Saudi Arabia has seen its per capita income slide by 50%, because they are interested in nearly all things other than their their own betterment.

You think, maybe, the Arab League might consider that it has nothing to do with whether America is an "honest broker" or not, rather it has to do whether the Arab League can change their tactics and rhetoric?

[monkeyshine]

Heck man, the Arabs have killed more Arab Muslims than Americans or Israelis put together!