Bush warns of consequences if Arafat stays

[TheOtherOne]

CANADA: UPDATE 1-Bush warns of consequences if Arafat stays.
By Adam Entous
 

13:50 ET

Reuters English News Service

(C) Reuters Limited 2002.

KANANASKIS, Alberta, June 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush threatened on Wednesday to cut off money to the Palestinians if they failed to embrace reform, stepping up pressure for the removal of longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

"I've got confidence in the Palestinians, when they understand fully what we're saying, that they'll make the right decisions," said Bush. But he warned: "I can assure you, we won't be putting money into a society which is not transparent and corrupt, and I suspect other countries won't either."

The threat came as key U.S. allies meeting in the Canadian Rockies resort of Kananaskis expressed little enthusiasm for Bush's call for replacing the Palestinian president with new leaders "not compromised by terror."

Like Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was frustrated with Arafat, who has called elections for January and announced plans to run again.

"We've got to have leadership we can negotiate with that is serious about peace and resists and totally rejects terrorism," Blair said.

But he added: "It's for the Palestinians to elect the people that they choose to elect... So this is not a question of us going in and saying to the Palestinians, 'Look, we're going to run your election.'"

Bush and Blair met one-on-one during the opening day of the annual summit of the Group of Eight nations. The meeting is expected to be dominated by reaction to Bush's blueprint for a Palestinian state and his call for Arafat's removal.

A senior U.S. administration official said Bush believed that Arafat must be removed from power after receiving Israeli intelligence that the Palestinian leader authorized a $20,000 payment to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

The armed group, linked to Arafat's Fatah faction, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Israel last week that killed six people and wounded 35.

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this was not the sole factor behind Bush's position on Arafat, pointing to earlier evidence such as the Iranian shipment of arms aboard the Karine A ship seized by Israel .

The official called the $20,000 payment "just one more drop in the pond of information" that helped convince Bush to finally give up on Arafat.

TOUGH CONDITIONS

Bush has set tough conditions for his proposed path to provisional Palestinian statehood within 18 months and a final settlement in three years.

In addition to seeking new leadership, Bush has called for sweeping democratic reforms, a constitution and a new security arrangement that Israel can trust.

Asked who would judge whether the Palestinians have fulfilled U.S. demands, Bush said: "The free world. The people who are going to be asked to put up money."

Bush said he would use "diplomatic pressure" to get the Palestinians to reject terrorism, but added: "I'm never ruling out military. All options are available."

"Sometimes we'll use military force, and sometimes we won't," Bush said. "And in the case of the Middle East, obviously, the road map I've laid out is one that calls upon all our friends and allies to join and bind together against terror."

"We all have responsibilities, and in this case the tool I'm using is diplomatic pressure, and to work with our friends and allies to convince all parties they have a responsibility to bear."

[HELLRAISER II]

Aren't they one in the same, they don't admit it but we know that's the case. As i'm sure you do.

[monkeyshine]

It's probably just another one of Bush's poor sentence structures. I think he meant to say "we won't be putting money into a society which is not transparent and [which is] corrupt.

[ppaul]

Palestinians in a clean and free election, which the US and other Western countries will monitor

Free election.
Right.

Why Arafat?

Joseph Farah

Please look at the photo accompanying this column.

Stare at it. View it carefully. Study the image.

This is the face of Yasser Arafat's terror.
This is what it looks like. This is how he remains in power.
This is why we continue to deal with this murdering fiend after more than 30 years.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

This one may be worth many more.

The story behind this photo is simple. It's not unique. The victim is called a "collaborator" by Arafat's "police force." He was one of Arafat's terrorists who was suspected of working with Israel in some way.

The important thing to understand about this photo is that this is how Arafat rules his own people – by sheer terror, by brute force, by barbaric tactics that would be unimaginable to most in the West.

Yet, we continue to deal with him.
We continue to support him financially with U.S. taxpayer dollars.
We continue to give him credence as an international peacemaker.

If you care to know more details, the victim was eviscerated after this picture was taken. I have photos of that, too. I will spare you the more gruesome images.

Free elections?
Hardly.

:

[Bill Davis FR]

why is the us supporting Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

[Catspaw]

Of course, they're all one and the same, all controlled by Arafat.

I remember seeing a story a while back about Yasser. When he was in the plane crash, he made his stooges go back & search the plane to find his notebooks, because his notebooks have *everything* in them. He controls everything in the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah couldn't operate there if he didn't approve.

[dawn53]

I suspect that if the Palestinians in a clean and free election, which the US and other Western countries will monitor, elect Arafat, Bush will respect that election result and work with Araft

I don't think so.

Here's the reason why (excerpt from speech)

I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror.

I call upon them to build a practicing democracy, based on tolerance and liberty. If the Palestinian people actively pursue these goals, America and the world will actively support their efforts. If the Palestinian people meet these goals, they will be able to reach agreement with Israel and Egypt and Jordan on security and other arrangements for independence.

Arafat simply does not meet the condition of "not compromised by terror."

[Grampa Dave]

Secret photo of President Bush discussing options re AraFatty!

GW,"First we have to clean out the Axis of Whining Weasels in Europe. Then, we go after the Clymer Arafat! You good old boys have plenty of gasoline and chains for this saw?

[Light Speed]

Dubbya is serious..and means exactly what He says....Euro crowd cannot save the Gargoyl from Hell[Arafat]..., Hizbullah,Al Qeda,Islamic Jihad...
Soon 6th Fleet will be parked off Lebanon...then the Hurt is gonna be commin down on top of em!

[traditionalist]

The phrase, "not compromised by terror" is ambiguous, and I believe intentionally so. Is a leader who once engaged in terrorism but now denounces it and takes real, concrete steps to work against it still "compromised by terror?" That depends on how you interpret "compromised," and the vagueness of the word allows a lot of room for interpretation.

Bush is a straight talker. If he wants something specific, he says it clearly and unambiguously. If Bush really meant to demand that Arafat quit or that the new Palestinian leadership not include anyone who ever participated in terrorism, why did he not say so explicitly, as is his usual style?

Do you really think his ambiguity serves no purpose? Think about it.

I think Bush was ambiguous because he wanted to convey the fact that he wants Arafat out while at the same time allowing himself enough wiggle room to justify working with Arafat if he wins the upcoming election. Powell's comments seem to support my analysis of Bush's speach.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think Bush administration statements and clarifications in the next few months will prove me right. We'll see.

[crystalk]

Any Palestinian "not compromised by terror," has already been torn to pieces and eviscerated as a collaborator, by the Arafat regime long ago.

By definition, any Pallie still alive is a terrorist.

[traditionalist]

That past Palestinian elections were not free or clean does not mean that there cannot be such elections in the future, particularly if the West takes an interest.

[Bobby777]

Good for President Bush ... Mr. President, move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem ...

[Grampa Dave]

Ah yes, the 6th fleet and their private pond, the Med. Just a little pressure for Syria, Lebanon, and Lybia not to mention Arafatty.

Do the despots who rule these countries understand what Preemptive Strikes mean, and how those strikes can be done very quickly and with very deadly efficiency from our 6th Fleet.

In less than 24 hours all war toys, the military leaders and communications systems in these pathetic despotic countries will no longer be. Then the good people in those countries can set up their own government without despots.

[veronica]

Secret photo of President Bush discussing options re AraFatty!

Hee hee, that's a good one Grampa.

[Grampa Dave]

You know that deep down, he would like to use it as I'm joking about.

On a serious vein, after the Rose Garden Speech, I see Arafatty as Dead Terrorist walking.

Who will off him? I don't believe that we or the Israelis will have to do it.

He became rat non gradia when President Bush made that speech. I think that either one of his own thugs will take him out to try to climb to power, or one of his former Arab Buddies who just happen to control an Islamic thug country.

[quesera]

I suspect that if the Palestinians in a clean and free election, which the US and other Western countries will monitor, elect Arafat, Bush will respect that election result and work with Araft. He was ambiguous enough in his speach to allow enough wiggle room to do that. The comments of Colin Powell today indicate as much.

Excuse me, but BULL!

Arafart is toast! That fat lying merderous pig is out. After today's statement by W, it could not have been spelled out any clearer. Now whether the pig accepts the new policy or not, that's another problem, but trust me, he and probably the rest of the world know exactly what W is saying, except you of course.

[quesera]

merderous = murderous

I should learn to control my temper, or at least calm down before going near the keyboard.

[pgkdan]

President Bush told the world they were either with us or with the terrorists. He meant it. Now he's giving the Palestinian people a chance to declare their allegiance in this war. If they elect a terrorist like Arafat, or elect a Hamas controlled legislature, we'll know which side they are on and act accordingly.

[Nam Vet]

"I suspect that if the Palestinians in a clean and free election, which the US and other Western countries will monitor......"

Just so that Dim-Bulb socialist Carter is at least half a world away, and all of his cronies that helped him moderate the last elections are with him.

Nam Vet

[Catspaw]

And I thought merderous was a variation of "merde."