CIA sets up department to implement the road map (Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement

Haaretz ^ | 3/23/03 | Aluf Benn

[truthandlife]

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is establishing a special department that will be responsible for implementing the road map for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

According to reports reaching Jerusalem, the CIA officers will coordinate supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the road map, and track both sides' implementation of their responsibilities.

One team within the CIA department will focus on the reorganization of the Palestinian security services.

The CIA move is seen as an indication of the seriousness with which the Americans intend to see the road map implemented. A government source said last night that the U.S. administration is getting ready to implement the plan, with an emphasis on the security aspects as the key to any progress.

That's why the CIA got the job, said the source, noting that in the past the CIA was involved in helping to form and structure the Palestinian security services, and it sat in on the security coordination efforts between Israel and the PA.

In the past, Israel agreed to a small CIA team monitoring the territories, to track possible cease-fires and to supervise Palestinian reforms. But the current CIA department is much larger than that.

CIA Director George Tenet prepared a cease-fire plan two years ago, that Israel and the PA never implemented, which has evolved into the security core of the road map. Tenet visited Israel two and a half weeks ago for meetings with PM Ariel Sharon and the heads of the intelligence community.

According to the American plan, the U.S. will head the supervising mechanism of the road map's implementation, helped by the other members of the Quartet - Russia, the EU and UN - and other elements, a possible hint of direct British involvement.

The supervising mechanism will include four committees: the security committee will deal with reforms in the PA security apparatus and renewing security coordination, monitoring Palestinian activity against terror as well as the army's withdrawals from PA areas. The special operations committee will deal with the settlement freeze, evacuation of the illegal outposts, a cessation of the incitement and reopening of Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem. Two other committees will deal with civil reforms in the PA, and humanitarian affairs.

[truthandlife]

Not good news. I hope Bush is only playing lip service to this.

[American Soldier]

At first I was glad that we handed this to the CIA instead of one of our cuddly-butt agencies. However, I fear that the CIA is actually becoming a cuddly-butt agency.

[ex-snook]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 14, 2003

 

President's Remarks view listen

President Discusses Roadmap for Peace in the Middle East
Remarks by the President on the Middle East
The Rose Garden

 

 

 

10:00 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. We have reached a hopeful moment for progress toward the vision of Middle Eastern peace that I outlined last June. I spoke of a day when two states, Israel and Palestine, will live side by side in peace and security. I called upon all parties in the Middle East to abandon old hatreds and to meet their responsibilities for peace.

The Palestinian state must be a reformed and peaceful and democratic state that abandons forever the use of terror. The government of Israel, as the terror threat is removed and security improves, must take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable and credible Palestinian state, and to work as quickly as possible toward a final status agreement. As progress is made toward peace, settlement activity in the occupied territories must end. And the Arab states must oppose terrorism, support the emergence of a peaceful and democratic Palestine, and state clearly that they will live in peace with Israel.

This moment offers a new opportunity to meet these objectives. After its recent elections, the nation of Israel has a new government. And the Palestinian Authority has created the new position of Prime Minister. Israeli and Palestinian leaders and other governments in the region now have a chance to move forward with determination and with good faith.

To be a credible and responsible partner, the new Palestinian Prime Minister must hold a position of real authority. We expect that such a Palestinian Prime Minister will be confirmed soon. Immediately upon confirmation, the road map for peace will be given to the Palestinians and the Israelis. This road map will set forth a sequence of steps toward the goals I set out on June 24th, 2002, goals shared by all the parties.

The United States has developed this plan over the last several months in close cooperation with Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations. Once this road map is delivered, we will expect and welcome contributions from Israel and the Palestinians to this document that will advance true peace. We will urge them to discuss the road map with one another. The time has come to move beyond entrenched positions and to take concrete actions to achieve peace.

America is committed, and I am personally committed, to implementing our road map toward peace. Our efforts are guided by clear principles: We believe that all people in the Middle East -- Arab and Israeli alike -- deserve to live in dignity, under free and honest governments. We believe that people who live in freedom are more likely to reject bitterness, blind hatred and terror; and are far more likely to turn their energy toward reconciliation, reform and development.

There can be no peace for either side in the Middle East unless there is freedom for both. Reaching that destination will not be easy, but we can see the way forward. Now the parties must take that way, step by step, and America will be the active partner of every party that seeks true peace.

Thank you very much.

END 10:06 A.M. EST

[dennisw]

TRANSLATION:
Pallies get more guns and weapons training courtesy the CIA. Same as Oslo.

[Honestfreedom]

CIA Director George Tenet prepared a cease-fire plan two years ago, that Israel and the PA never implemented, which has evolved into the security core of the road map.<<

His cease fire was such a success that they want to continue with him and this evolved plan. In government circles nothing succeeds like failure.

[FirstTomato]

Isn't the CIA responsible for bring the terrorist Yassar Arafat back into the West Bank?

At any rate, the so-called "Palestinians" shouldn't be rewarded for their uber-hatred.

But unfortunately, it looks like this may be the best way for anything approaching "peace". The problem is, with people like the "Pals" who are to be given what they didn't earn--they are likely to not appreciate it, and be just as hateful as ever. There are 22 Arab nations now wanting to eliminate Israel off the face of the Earth, and probably with a separate Palestine, there will be 23.

[SJackson]

Training too.

IMRA's valid comments on the article.

IMRA: To the CIA's credit they did an excellent job training a generation of Palestinian snipers. The problem was that instead of using their skills to fight Palestinian terrorists, these CIA trained snipers have been murdering Israelis ever since.

The CIA faces a tremendous conflict-of-interest challenge when put in the "monitoring" role. The CIA is involved in American efforts to deal with terrorists impacting American interests around the world and the Palestinian security officials have intimate contacts and relations with their terrorist brothers around the world. The CIA can ignore illegal Palestinian activity in return for Palestinian information and assistance relating to other terrorist groups.

It should also be kept in mind that the CIA's mandate is not to serve the truth but to serve American interests. If it serves American interests to proclaim that night is day, up is down or that the Palestinians are in compliance the CIA will do just that.

Speculation? Hardly. Representatives of the CIA were sharing pitas and coffee with Palestinian security officials while they were busy coordinating and directing terrorist operations and weapons producing projects. The CIA didn't expose the operations - Israel did.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Alouette]

The Palestinian state must be a reformed and peaceful and democratic state that abandons forever the use of terror.

That carrot is dangling at the end of a loooooooong stick.

[truthandlife]

bump

[Jeremiah Jr]

The CIA move is seen as an indication of the seriousness with which the Americans intend to see the road map implemented. A government source said last night that the U.S. administration is getting ready to implement the plan, with an emphasis on the security aspects as the key to any progress.

That's why the CIA got the job, said the source, noting that in the past the CIA was involved in helping to form and structure the Palestinian security services, and it sat in on the security coordination efforts between Israel and the PA.

In the past, Israel agreed to a small CIA team monitoring the territories, to track possible cease-fires and to supervise Palestinian reforms. But the current CIA department is much larger than that.


Isaiah 47

Judgment on Babylon


¹ "Come down and sit in the dust,
        O virgin daughter of Babylon;
        Sit on the ground without a throne,
        O daughter of the Chaldeans!
        For you shall no more be called
        Tender and delicate.
        ²Take the millstones and grind meal.
        Remove your veil,
        Take off the skirt,
        Uncover the thigh,
        Pass through the rivers.
        ³Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
        Yes, your shame will be seen;
        I will take vengeance,
        And I will not arbitrate with a man."


        ⁴As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name,
        The Holy One of Israel.


        ⁵"Sit in silence, and go into darkness,
        O daughter of the Chaldeans;
        For you shall no longer be called
        The Lady of Kingdoms.
        ⁶I was angry with My people;
        I have profaned My inheritance,
        And given them into your hand.
        You showed them no mercy;
        On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily...

Oy vey...

[Thinkin' Gal]

Jordan Times
Friday-Saturday, July 7-8, 2000

Stinky 'CIA flower' takes root in Arab world
By Ruba Saqr

AMMAN — The strangest flower on earth, which can be found in the Arab world, does not tower over high-rises or have dinosaurs for ancestors, an American environmentalist told the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) on Tuesday.

Biologist Lytton Musselman told the audience at an RSCN seminar that the flower was actually a homely, leafless, subterranean member of the Hydnoraceae family resembling a root.

He said that in Egypt, people call the plant `Tartoos' and dry it out to make medicine.

As for the biologist, his assessment of the odd species was: “I like to call it the CIA flower because it grows underground... and it smells bad.”

In contrast to its revolting appearance and icky smell, according to Musselman, this flower tastes great once it develops into a sort of insect-attracting, pomegranate-like fruit.

He said its fruit was even sweeter than the cream used in the ultra-sugary Arabic dessert qishda.

Musselman further said that this unattractive flower, which has sprouted only two sub-species in Central and South America and Africa, was poorly studied.

However, the sweet blossom appears to have ignited a passion in the professor, who has toured the world teaching about the “strangest flower on earth” — or, to be more specific, “under earth.”

[SJackson]

Yasser, Abu and friends aren't interested in carrots.

Fatah calls on Muslims to attack US, UK targets (..in response to war in Iraq)