EU will work with Arafat if re-elected - Prodi

Ananova ^ | July 1, 2002

[TaxPayer2000]

EU will work with Arafat if re-elected - Prodi

European Commission President Romano Prodi said the EU would continue its dialogue with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat if he is re-elected in January, despite US calls for his replacement.

"It is up to the Palestinian people to choose their leader and not us," Prodi said in Copenhagen as Denmark took over the helm of the EU presidency.

"We have to accept the result of a free election whether we like it or not," he said.

US President George Bush last week threatened to withhold new US aid from the Palestinians if they fail to replace Palestinian Authority chairman in elections early next year.

The White House said Bush had "given up hope" for Arafat to enact reforms but Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen echoed Prodi's comments.

"It is not up to me to decide with whom I have to negotiate. We will of course negotiate with the leader elected by the Palestinians," he said.

However Rasmussen added: "I share president Bush's disappointment that Arafat has obviously not done what he could and what he should do to prevent terrorism and suicide bombers."

© AFX News

[Cachelot]

European Commission President Romano Prodi

Oh yeah, Romano Prodi, the man who would be Benito.... The EU will simply drown in its own slime some day.

[Catspaw]

Of course they'll work with Arafat. They've already thrown a ton of money down a rat hole, and they're ready to throw in more.

[goldstategop]

Yup. If Arafat gets "reelected" in a sham election, the Eurotrash will continue to work with him. I guess that's their contribution to Palestinian democracy.

[Catspaw]

Oh, Arafat has burned them & will continue to burn them, all the time being the professional victim. But you can bet these elections are going to be a sham.

But hey, if they elect Arafat, they know we won't work with him & we sure as hell don't have to give him any money.

[Maceman]

"We have to accept the result of a free election whether we like it or not,"

Accept it, yes. Give it money and negotiate with it, no.

[yendu bwam]

It's the same EU that loves Saddam, Castro and Mugabe. They've never seen an evil man they didn't love. They're also the same ones who insisted on 'dealing' with Slobodan Milosevic. Way to go EU! If they brought back Hitler, the EU would be there to welcome him.

[servantoftheservant]

these euros won't be seen with Austrian president Haider but they fall all over themselves trying to get kiss pictures with Arafat

[eclectic]

Talk about throwing a wrench into the wheels of the Anti-Terror War

[Right_in_Virginia]

"We will of course negotiate with the leader elected by the Palestinians," he said."

And if Arafat is "elected", you can negotiate with him using YOUR money, not ours.

[Always A Marine]

"We will of course negotiate with the leader elected by the Palestinians."

Yeah, but the Israelis won't. So screw him.