U.S. Says Still Opposed to Assassination of Arafat

Reuters ^ | Fri Apr 23, 2004 | Reuters

[yonif]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department said on Friday it stood by its opposition to the assassination of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat after Israel's prime minister said he no longer felt bound by a pledge not to harm the Palestinian leader.

"Nothing has changed in the U.S. position and I will look at the statement and see what we have to say," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he was no longer bound by a pledge he gave President Bush not to harm Arafat.

"I said during in our first meeting about three years ago that I accepted his request not to harm Arafat physically," Sharon told Israel's Channel 2. "But I am released from this commitment. I release myself from this commitment regarding Arafat."

Sharon said he told this to Bush last week during a meeting with him at the White House, where he received U.S. approval for his plan to unilaterally evacuate all settlements from the Gaza Strip and some in the West Bank.

When Sharon appeared to threaten Arafat on April 2, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters: "Our position on such questions -- the exile or assassination of Yasser Arafat -- is very well known. We are opposed."

[yonif]

ARAFAT APPROVED ATTACK ON U.S. CONVOY

Kaddoumi: PLO charter was never changed [back the Iraqi terror; happy Israel will leave Gaza]

In response to a question what does Arafat mean when he talks about the continuation of the struggle, Kaddoumi, who is one of the few PLO leaders still living in Tunisia, said: "Yes, the national struggle must continue. I mean the armed struggle. In the past we abandoned our political parties in favor of the armed struggle.

"Fatah was established on the basis of the armed struggle and that this was the only way to leading to political negotiations that would force the enemy to accept our national aspirations. Therefore there is no struggle other than the armed military struggle."

[yonif]

Ping.

[Sloth]

Israel and the U.S. both need to mind their own business.

[mewzilla]

Foggy Bottom said...With a State Dept. like this, who needs enemies?

[goldstategop]

The State Department is the anti-Israel branch of the U.S government. Richard Boucher's statement is par for the course. Of course Arafart IS a terrorist - he's the godfather of modern terrorism. My advice to the Israeli government would be to do to His Ugliness what the U.S does to Osama Bin Laden not what the U.S says Israel should do to its own enemy.

[yonif]

The thing is, the White House spokesperson has said the same as well.

[aynrandfreak]

We were also saying that we were opposed to the wall at first.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I would say WASTE HIM as an example.
But, perhaps it would be best if his own folks could do it instead.

Arafatty clearly deserves to die.
He ordered the death of Americans a year or so ago.
Americans visiting to bestow a scholarship or something on palestinians.

Why he is still breathing is beyond me.

[yonif]

Why his regime continues to receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the US is also a question.

[SF Republican]

I am opposed to hang overs put I accept them

[philosofy123]

Arafat will not leave except on his back. The Palestinian people need a better pragmatic and more articulate leader. We have many Palestinian-American Lawyers that we can groom to lead the Palestinian people. You remember Vaclav Hovel, Vicente Fox, even Jacques Chirac, all were American graduates, and experienced people who went back to lead their countries.

[Spok]

Miriam-Webster defines assassinate as 'to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously'. The press universally uses this word when the IDF kills a terrorist. Since these killings are not unexpected, it must be assumed that the press deems them, or wants them to be considered, acts of treachery. My point is that use of the owrd 'assassinate' is a clear manifestation of bias or spin. Like when GWB talks about an accomplishment, they say he is 'touting'. Look it up.

[conserv13]

You think Powell is the only one? Bush Sr. and Jr. are very tight with the Saudis. Powell takes orders from Bush.

[aimhigh]

The thing is, the White House spokesperson has said the same as well.

Nations are judged according to how they judge Israel. We won't get Osama if we stop Israel from getting Arafat.

[Smartass]

[SF Republican]

Why not send him into exile, say in Arkansas, he can be an exhibit at the one who shall not be mentioned mobile home park, I mean Presidential Library.

[Bobby777]

wink, wink; nudge, nudge. A nod's as good as a wink.

[NYC GOP Chick]

The "Palestinian people" already have a leader. His name is King Abdullah II.