Posted on 10/25/2005 2:34:30 PM PDT by andyk
OTTAWA -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested Tuesday that Israel must loosen controls at border crossings to allow freer passage for Palestinians and economic development in areas that would one day be an independent Palestinian state.
Rice spoke in the Canadian capital a day after reports that a top Mideast envoy had criticized Israel for moving too slowly on negotiations to open borders around the Gaza Strip.
Israel withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza over the summer after nearly 30 years. The territory, now under Palestinian control, is on the other side of Israel from the larger Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank, and Palestinians must cross Israel or go through Egypt to pass between the two areas.
"It is very clear that the crossings issues need to get resolved," Rice said.
She did not specifically call on Israel to change its border policies, but did not dispute the findings of envoy James Wolfensohn that Israel was stalling in the restoration of movement across the borders.
Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president now working as a special envoy on behalf of the United States and other foreign mediators, said the delay was preventing him from moving on to larger reconstruction efforts, such as tourism, agriculture and industrial projects.
Borders "need to get freed up so that the kind of economic program we all want to see in the Palestinian territories" can begin, Rice said.
Wolfensohn is "simply asking the parties to do everything they can now that the Israelis are out of the Gaza to make sure that the Gaza is going to be a place where Palestinians can see a different kind of life and therefore start to build the foundations for a Palestinian state," she said.
In an Oct. 17 letter to the U.N. secretary-general obtained by The Associated Press, Wolfensohn said Israel was behaving almost as if the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip never happened.
Without dramatic progress soon, a rare chance to revive Gaza's shattered economy - and the peace process - will be lost, he said.
Israel closed the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Gaza's main link to the outside world, shortly before it withdrew from Gaza. It also has severely restricted the passage of Palestinian laborers and goods in and out of Israel, the main Palestinian export market, since a wave of rocket attacks right after the pullout.
Israeli officials say the measures are solely because of security considerations.
Wolfensohn acknowledged such concerns but said Israel and the Palestinians should be able to quickly resolve differences over borders.
On another subject, Rice said in Canada that the United States wants to resolve a long-standing trade dispute over Canadian lumber.
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Monday he was willing to negotiate a lumber agreement if Washington returned $3.5 billion in contested duties, and he threatened to sue if the United States wouldn't budge.
"I think it's extremely important not to speak in apocalyptic language on this," Rice said at a press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew.
Pettigrew blamed the U.S. timber industry for pressuring the Bush administration.
"It is a very tough lobby. You have my sympathies, Condi," Pettigrew said.
Rice smiled but did not respond.
The United States accuses Canada of sending millions of board feet of lumber from government-owned timberlands across the border at low prices, making it tough for U.S. companies to compete.
North American Free Trade Agreement panels ruled in favor of Canada and said $3.5 billion in U.S. tariffs and duties collected on Canadian lumber were not justified. The United States claims the tariffs are legal.
You read the stuff that's happened in Gaza since the giveaway? The place is turning into a lawless mess good only for launching terrorist attacks on the rest of Israel.
What was so hard about this for George and Condi? Terribly stupid.
And sports. Every time I hear his name I first think of his (NFL head coach) dad.
Maybe she's thinking "legacy".
However, I have not respected her since her giggling appearance after the E-3 incident on one of the interview shows. Our plane comes home in pieces in a box and she's taking credit and laughing cutely like a schoolgirl. She should have hung her head in shame. I have never trusted her since.
Dick Morris wants Hillary versus Condi to be our choice in 2008. The toethucker always wants his pals, the Clintons to win easy.
If they were an enemy of the United States we would make sure their oil was as embargoed as Iraq's in the 90's.
Are we punishing them in any way? No body likes Chavez but you can not pretend that Venezuela is an enemy of the United States and that Israel should not do business with them.
Unlike Iraq, there is no way we can get a global boycott of Venezuela. (Indeed, we couldn't really get a global boycott of Iraq --- witness Oil for Food Abuse.)
Venezuela is a enemy of the US; read the links. If you cannot see that, perhaps you should reconsider your recent registration here (Oct 15, 2005?) --- you'd be happier at the DU.
It's often believed that the State Dept. says one thing publicly to Israel and then says something else in private. This is not new to Rice. I think it has something to do with the US trying to be a broker in the Pali-Israeli conflict. Personally, I think it's a dumb idea. The mad Muslims already think we're puppets of the Jews, why not just confirm it and be done with the whole thing?
And see how well that worked...
Problem solved. Go through Egypt.
Borders "need to get freed up so that the kind of economic program we all want to see in the Palestinian territories" can begin, Rice said.
Please DO NOT speak for me, Ms. Rice.
Not gonna happen here. I'm sick to death of Compassionate Liberal Conservatives.
You mean, like we do the Saudi's?
You are as right about everything as about my recent registration.
You are correct re: registration. I apologize. It was another person who does not understand commodity markets.
That said, you need to learn basic economics.
And people want this woman for president?
It is interesting that in your links at 70, all those refer to Venezuela "actions" against "US interests". What has the Bush Administration done to punish Venezuela if they are an "enemy"? In one of the links, it refers to Venezuela making trouble for some US companies, including IBM. Why should IBM do business there and not Israel? As far as Commodities and other financial instruments I will acknowledge to not being as competent as Hillary.
Venezuela has an a**hole leader -who may be in power due to fraud-and there will be tension as long as he is in power but for the time being it is absurd to call Venezuela and enemy of the US.
Let me know when it heats up, otherwise I'm done with Venezuela.
No kidding.
They are enamoured with how she makes them feel about themselves...noble...righteous....moderate.
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