Posted on 11/10/2004 1:26:30 PM PST by yonif
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Wednesday he sees a fresh opening for Mideast peace as a new leader emerges to replace the ailing Yasser Arafat.
"There will be opening for peace when leadership of the Palestinian people steps forward and says, 'Help us build a democratic and free society,'" Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with the secretary-general of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
"And when that happens - and I believe it's going to happen because I believe all people desire to live in freedom _the United States of America will be more than willing to help build the institutions necessary for a free society to emerge so that the Palestinians can have their own state," Bush said.
"The vision is of two states, a Palestinian state and Israel living side by side, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and I look forward to being involved in that process," Bush said.
In June 2002, Bush urged the Palestinians to replace Arafat with leaders "not compromised by terror." Today, Arafat is suffering from kidney and liver failure, and his brain is not fully functioning because of bleeding.
Gearing up for a new Palestinian leadership, the Bush administration has conveyed its strong support for elections within 60 days of Arafat's death.
The elections, which are called for under Palestinian law, are viewed within the administration as a way of ensuring a legitimate transfer of authority to new leaders with the hope they would take charge of maintaining order and nurturing a nascent Palestinian government.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a telephone call on Tuesday from Mexico City while attending meetings with Mexican government officials, discussed the transition with Nabil Shaath, the de facto Palestinian foreign minister.
"They talked about the situation as it was and what plans were being made," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Wednesday.
"Our interest is in seeing smooth arrangements. And they appear to be being made and carried out. And we hope that the calm and the kind of orderly processes prevailing will continue," Boucher said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, are expected to play leading post-Arafat roles. Both were undercut by Arafat and did not make big inroads in halting attacks on Israel by militant Palestinian groups.
Powell and Shaath "didn't get into the questions of who might attend whatever ceremonies or funerals there might be," Boucher said. "We really have nothing to say on that at this point."
Plans are being made for a funeral in Cairo and burial in Ramallah, where Arafat made his headquarters.
Edward Abington, a former U.S. consul-general in Jerusalem who advises Arafat and other Palestinian leaders, described Arafat's medical condition as "pretty static."
"People are waiting to see what happens," Abington said.
Abington, in a telephone interview from Ramallah, said the Bush administration has told the Palestinians "strongly" that an election should be held within 60 days of Arafat's death.
""There will be opening for peace when leadership of the Palestinian people steps forward and says, 'Help us build a democratic and free society,'" "
Not coincidentally, this will happen on the same day that monkeys fly out of my ass and hell freezes over.
Yes, elections. That will fix things. Ignore the fact that if terrorists couldn't run for office, there'd be no election.
While our legal system to assessing damages against those who support Hamas, a terrorist group, Judge: Islamic Charities Liable in Death, the State Dept is putting them in power. Perhaps al Qaida should be on the ballot in Iraq.
Question from IMRA: In the view of the US - can Hamas run in PLC elections?
Answer: First of all, we consider Hamas a terrorist organization. We don't deal with them, and we don't believe that they have any useful role to play, either in the roadmap process, or in a future Palestinian state, as long as they are involved in terrorist activity. The PA is aware of our position on this matter.
However, and this is perhaps a tautology, we do not control Palestinian elections.
Paul Patin
Press Attache
U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv
Wednesday, 10 November, 2004
It's more likely that the new leadership of the Palestinian people will step forward and say, "Death to Israel" or something along those lines.
Not in English, and the world will fall for it again, pressuring Israel.
A fresh sandwich is made with two slices of fresh bread, not one.
You want legacy baby? How 'bout FREEDOM in the Middle East! Now that's a frickin' legacy.
It won't make a nation..
They won't be the leaders of a nation..
They won't be citizens of a nation..
There is NO NATION.. of Palestine..
It doesn't exist..
And if God has any say in it, there never will be..
God gave that land to Israel..
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