Posted on 04/07/2002 8:13:28 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
A day after President Bush hinted that peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians pushed by ex-President Clinton had backfired, Secretary of State Colin Powell contradicted him, saying instead that the Clinton administration had actually done a good job.
"President Clinton gave it his all," Powell told "Fox News Sunday."
"He and Secretary Albright and National Security Advisor Berger and Dennis Ross and so many other people put their heart and soul into trying to get that agreement," the top Bush official explained. "And they came quite close to what would have been an historic agreement at the end of the Clinton administration."
On Thursday Powell's boss suggested that the Clinton efforts had been less than productive, and had in fact set the stage for the current round of violence.
"There wasn't (a U.S. peace initiative) all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened," President Bush told a British TV interviewer. "And as a result we had a significant intifadeh in the area."
On Saturday Bush moderated his remarks somewhat, telling reporters that he "appreciated what President Clinton tried to do."
Still, in comments Sunday, Powell seemed to echo positions more closely associated with the previous administration - including Hillary Clinton's support for the creation of a Palestinian state as a prerequisite to peace.
"It is important that the political process be moved up," Powell told Fox. "We have to quickly get to negotiations because the Palestinian people are looking to those negotiations for the creation of a state.
"And we have to look for a way to get that state created as quickly as possible so both sides have a vested interest in negotiating the permanent boundaries of a state," he added.
Previously President Bush had said he favored the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, but only after Palestinian officials had renounced violence against Israel.
Well, how can anybody argue with that? He did. But it wasn't at all working. Even Barak almost gave it all. But it wasn't all that Arafat desired. He failed. Many have failed for centuries.
"He and Secretary Albright and National Security Advisor Berger and Dennis Ross and so many other people put their heart and soul into trying to get that agreement," the top Bush official explained. "And they came quite close to what would have been an historic agreement at the end of the Clinton administration."
Sadly, for all it was not close enough. I shudder to think how the ostentatious overly self-absorbed egotistic Clinton would have made him the center of focus rather than the humbling experience it would have afforded a man of sincere honor and character.
I believe that Colin Powell is a stateman and has his own set of criteria for judging a man and his value. He may say these things because it is his code of conduct to do so, but deep down he knows that a man such as Clinton and his cronies were only looking to bring fame to themselves rather than focusing their efforts for a viable productive peace.
Look, make no mistake, Clinton was a rapist, and therefore evil. But few are completely evil. There is no particular reason to believe Clinton did not wish for world peace just for its own sake. Yeah he should have been punished for being a rapist and every other crime he engaged in.
After all this, Powell still gives Arafat benefit of the doubt and says he may meet with him. Uggg - more State Dept Arabist groupthink at work.
Arafat is an OBSTACLE to peace, not a PATH to peace. Israel has now figured that out, and imho will not negotiate seriously until he is replaced. Believe it or not, Sharon is doing more to help peace through his current actions than all the 'peace talks' put together. You could even say: No Justice (for terrorists), No Peace
While he worked very hard as the 'toon's Middle East Envoy (I believe that was his title), he has had a change of heart and has stated that the 'toon's ME policy was all wrong.
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