Clinton Laments Lack of Progress in Middle East

Reuters | 9/8/01 | Reuters

[anniegetyourgun]

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton lamented on Saturday that he had not been able to do more to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, where violence between Palestinians and Israelis continues.

Clinton said he had made some progress in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together during his eight years in the White House but had failed to leave a legacy of peace.

``Now all hell breaks loose there every day and both communities are full of grieving and funerals,'' Clinton said in a wide-ranging speech at a charity dinner for a Sydney children's hospital.

``I regret that I was not strong or wise or eloquent or persuasive enough to head it off,'' he said.

Violence flared again in the Gaza Strip and West Bank overnight, overshadowing efforts to arrange talks between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres which might lead to a truce.

In all, some 556 Palestinians and 158 Israelis have been killed in 11 months of bloodshed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted nearly a year ago after peace talks stalled.

Current international attempts to broker a settlement hinge on the Mitchell report, a truce-to-peacemaking plan charted by a committee led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell.

It calls for an immediate halt to violence followed by confidence-building steps, such as a freeze on Jewish settlement building and resumption of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, before further peace negotiations.

Peres said on Friday he and Arafat planned to meet next week and then hold two follow-up sessions to try to reach a cease-fire in the fighting.

[anniegetyourgun]

The legacy of piece laments his lack of legacy of peace.

[nralife]

The problems that we have in the Middle east today are the direct result of Klinton's bungling!!! Sure, there has always been problems there and there always will be, but when Clinton tried to FORCE a last minute peace deal between the two sides, he brought the tensions to a full boil! Most of the killing going on today is the direct result of Clinton searching at all costs for some sort of a legacy!!!

Second Amendment Breaking News (discussion forum)

[AdvisorB]

Clinton had 8 years to turn the ugly frog (arafat) into a prince. Despite the kisses (many of them on the dictator's derriere) the prince never materialized.

[anniegetyourgun]

Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[Josiah6]

Clinton said he had made some progress in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together during his eight years in the White House but had failed to leave a legacy of peace.

What an arrogant piece of human debris!!!

You left an legacy of death and war, by bringing in your knee-pad lackeys Begala and Lizard Head to overthrow a conservative goverment.

[johniegrad]

Former President Bill Clinton lamented on Saturday that he had not been able to do more to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, where violence between Palestinians and Israelis continues

Implicit in his lamentations is his belief that he is omnipotent. Feeling sorry for not having accomplished something assumes it was something you could have accomplished in the first place. This guy believes that somehow he, himself, could have directed the outcome if only he'd done something different.

It's the same line of narcissistic reasoning that goes along with attempts to repeal the 22nd Amendment. That is, X42 believes he is so special that the Constitution should be changed for him and that, if it was, he would obviously be re-elected.

Narcissistic personality disorder.

[anniegetyourgun]

Yep - he's a total nutcase.

[Uff Da]

Former President Bill Clinton lamented on Saturday that he had not been able to do more to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, where violence between Palestinians and Israelis continues....

Clinton didn't seem to be able to do much in Ireland, either!!

[anniegetyourgun]

Ping for an actual laugh at the content in this article - as opposed to the responses on the thread!

[M Kehoe]

He (x42) is just not going to go away, is he?

I guess I will have to listen to his and his concubine's socialistic rants/lies for a long time.

Sheesh!

5.56mm

[Teacup]

It's kind of hard to secure lasting peace in the Middle East when you keep inviting Arafat to the White House. And when Hillary is planting a big wet kiss on Mrs Arafat. Poor Billy, NOT!

[Thinkin' Gal]

11 January 2001

Tel Aviv pub-goers call for Clinton to run for PM

Reuters

If U.S. President Bill Clinton is wondering what to do when he retires from the White House in nine days, a group of Israelis has a job offer: prime minister of Israel.

"He's a pensioner. He will be looking for a job and he won't want to lower his standards," said Edik Ehrlich, 38, a part-owner of the Abraxas Pub in Tel Aviv, who launched a beer-soaked "Clinton for Prime Minister" campaign.

"To be prime minister of Israel is better then president of the United States," Ehrlich said.

Disappointed with both Prime Minister Ehud Barak and right-winger Ariel Sharon , his challenger in Israel's February 6 election, pub regulars -- who have dubbed themselves its parliament -- came up with the pro-Clinton campaign.

"It's our fantasy," Ehrlich said about the group of two dozen "parliamentarians".

Free t-shirts with a picture of Clinton waving and the slogan "Clinton to power. Israel - 2001" are on tap. Dozens of the shirts have been distributed.

The humour masks a mood of melancholy that has descended on the country, and especially its left wing, since a Palestinian uprising erupted 16 weeks ago in the absence of peacemaking progress.

"As a left-winger, (Barak) has negotiated in a way that divides the country," said Shlomo Lecker, 35, an arbitrage trader, explaining his disappointment in the Labour Party leader's peace efforts with the Palestinians.

"Sharon? Lebanon," Lecker said dismissively, referring to the former defence minister's master-minding of Israel's divisive 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

And why Clinton? "Because of Monica, of course," Hila Vidor, 25, a theatre student and bartender at Abraxas, said with a smile, referring to the presidential sex scandal revolving around White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

"Barak is not strong enough and Sharon is too old-fashioned. He's (Clinton's) got style," said Vidor, a cigarette dangling from her fingertips.

On election day, the Abraxas "parliament" will either not vote or write Clinton's name in on a blank white ballot. Their vote won't be counted but it would be a form of protest.

Tongue still firmly in cheek, Ehrlich said that if Clinton accepted the job offer, he would be granted honorary citizenship -- at least by the pub's parliament.

"That he's not Jewish, doesn't matter," he said.

Tel Aviv pub-goers call for Clinton to run for PM

[ChocChipCookie]

``I regret that I was not strong or wise or eloquent or persuasive enough to head it off,'' he said.

His arrogance is staggering. He implies that he is oh-so strong and wise and eloquent. It just wasn't quite enough to solve this conflict, which, after all, has been going on for centuries. If only he'd had another four years.... Blech!! It's enough to turn one's stomach.

[A CA Guy]

Maybe Clinton needs to get the old kneepads out and help out where he can! Starting with the camels!

[anniegetyourgun]

Woo - what a find, TG!

"That he's not Jewish, doesn't matter," he said.

That he's a fool, apparently doesn't matter either!

[MeekOneGOP]

``I regret that I was not strong or wise or eloquent or persuasive enough to head it off,'' he said.

Just anything to get in the news, huh? He's outta there as of January 20th, and still he grabs the news?!?!

If only he would regret the things he did that he had control over, like being faithful to his family - (Of course, he should really regret ever marrying hitler) - instead of something he had no control over. Here's his legacy!:

Oops! Sorry. Editors note: It has been reported that the cigar should actually have been posted thusly! ;-)

[MeekOneGOP]

Clinton said he had made some progress in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together during his eight years in the White House but had failed to leave a legacy of peace.

Oh, he left a legacy of peace all right. It's just spelled differently! ;-)

[FlyVet]

"...for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way."

- Quote from God, Exodus 33:3. I see things haven't changed much in the past 4000 years.

[FlyVet]

Golden Calf then, Clinton now....