Bush allows PLO's American offices to remain open [GIVE ME A BREAK]

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 17, 2003 | JANINE ZACHARIA

[yonif]

US President George W. Bush invoked a national security waiver on Wednesday to prevent sanctions from being levied on the PLO for a period of six months.

Under the Foreign Relations Act of 2003, PLO non-compliance with signed peace accords and continued use of terror and violence would force the president to impose at least one of a menu of sanctions unless he invokes a waiver contained in the law.

President Bush's decision to waive sanctions on the PLO comes as his administration plans to try to jumpstart the dormant Middle East peace process.

[Light Speed]

Arutz Sheva

Still No Reforms in the PA

It's been a year already that Israeli officials - followed shortly after by others in the U.S. and even in the PA - have been talking about the need for reforms in the Palestinian Authority leadership, and there is still no new government. Yasser Arafat has rejected a new Cabinet proposed by his own Prime Ministerial appointee, Abu Mazen.

Abu Mazen presented his list of ministers at a Fatah Central Committee meeting on Sunday night in Ramallah, but Arafat refused to accept it. The PLO chairman, known to many as the father of modern-day terrorism, objected to the placement of so many of his political enemies in high positions. Most notably, Muhammad Dahlan was promoted to a newly formed post giving him most of the powers of an Interior Minister, while Arafat-supporters such as Saeb Erekat, Yasser Abed Rabbo and others were relegated to lower-lever roles. Erekat and Abed Rabbo are not even certain to accept their appointments.

In addition, appointees Hikmat Zayad and Saad Al-Karones have elicited objections because of their reputation for corruption. Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes that Nabil Amar, appointed by Abu Mazen as Information Minister, was one of the very first within the PA to call for a change; he resigned his post last May when Arafat rejected his demand for "deep reforms" in the Cabinet and the PA's security organs.

U.S. President George Bush has said that he would publicize the Road Map plan - calling for a temporary PA state as early as this year - as soon as Abu Mazen announces his new government. Israel has submitted a list of 14 or 15 "reservations" against the Road Map, but American spokesmen have said that they will be considered only after the plan is publicized.

[Illbay]

Yes, I'm a "bigot" toward Americans that ought to be grateful to live in this free land.

And as far as "what Israel was after," bullsh*t. I don't care if we wouldn't give them the correct time of day, Pollard was an AMERICAN with a classified security rating, who betrayed his own country for another.

You're either with us, or you're against us. Many people likely died because of that creep.

[Illbay]

I really don't give a **** what the story is behind the foreign aid. If you're a "friend"--especially one who is dependent on U.S. largesse for your survival--you don't behave like those creeps have behaved.

IMO, Israel is just another Middle Eastern country that pats you on the back while they reach for the knife.

[yonif]

Israel is just another Middle Eastern country that pats you on the back while they reach for the knife.

You are making a mistake by your statement. Israel is the greatest ally the US ever had. I will say no more...

[adam_az]

The King David hotel was a British military base at the time, making it a legitimate target. Also, the Brits were warned that it would be blown up, and that they should evacuate. They scoffed and didn't believe it could be done. The British behavior in Palestine at the time was atrocious. It was particularly real swell of them to turn back Nazi death camp refugees by the boatload during the war, and the only thanks the British arabists got was having the Mufti of Jerusalem support and befriend Hitler. They really screwed that place up.

The others I'm not familiar with, but your word is kind of suspect for me, so I'm going to have to assume you are as wrong on those as you have been with every thing else you've had to say on this topic.

Oh and back to your other post, I never ever have called you an "antisemite." (Funny that you are quick to paint anyone who disagrees with YOU as unpatriotic...) Must be your guilty conscience getting to you after saying that all American born Jews who don't move to Israel are too 'scared,' but that all Jews in the US also have a double allegiance and are all willing to spy for Israel, risking their life. You are a nice piece of work. You hate Jews who are "cowardly," and you hate Jews who defend themselves.

Oh, and Caspar Weinberger quotes? Brother, please!

Try coming at me with something that isn't from an indicted perjurer.

[adam_az]

"And as far as "what Israel was after," bullsh*t. I don't care if we wouldn't give them the correct time of day, Pollard was an AMERICAN with a classified security rating, who betrayed his own country for another."

How convenient, to mask your ignorance by claiming what was the cornerstone of your last argument is not important.

"You're either with us, or you're against us. Many people likely died because of that creep."

Yeah. Syrians. so it's all good. Please show me one credible source documenting Americans who died because of Jonathan Pollard? Quotes from perjurers and geocities webpages don't count.

[adam_az]

" I really don't give a **** what the story is behind the foreign aid. If you're a "friend"--especially one who is dependent on U.S. largesse for your survival--you don't behave like those creeps have behaved."

Again - where when and which named administration official threatened to cut off aid?

None.

You are making things up to support your ignorant, uninformed position.

I've asked you numerous questions in this thread about the basis of your arguments, and you followed up by dismissing my question as unimportant.

This isn't going very well for you it seems, I'll let up on the chinstrap comments, you are getting little enough blood flow to the head as it is.

[adam_az]

"Never mind. You most certainly are not worth the trouble. You are not only clueless, you may very well be hopeless."

Howlin, you are referring to Caspar Weinberger, who is a perjurer. Not exactly a good reference.

I guess I was worth the trouble for you to call me names?

Are you 12 years old, or something?

[Terridan]

"Bush allows PLO's American offices to remain open..."

It is an excellent intelligence tool. Lights, camera, ACTION!!! ;) (Not to mention a banking source for the terrorists)

[Dave S]

I don't see how waiving past acts of terrorism is going to promote anything even closely resembling a peace process. It hasn't worked in the past, and no one can explain to me how it is somehow supposed to work this time, either. It seems to me that we first need to drain the swamps of the terrorists before any meaningful peace process can happen.

With rare exceptions, acts of terrorism by the PLO have not been directed towards Americans. Achille Lauro was done by PLF, an offshoot of PLO.

I would say a comparable situation would be negotiating with the Irish Republican Army and the Orange Men of Northern Island.

[Dave S]

By your logic, you would say it would be ok to have a North Korean embassy here?

Are you sure we dont? We had Communist Chineese and Soviet embassies during the height of the Cold War.

[Dave S]

terrorism at Hebrew University, which killed 5 americans

They could just as easily been killed visiting the wrong part of town in any other country or this one for that matter. I dont think its been proven that the PLO were targeting Americans, just that they werent going to allow them to be human shields to protect the Israelis.

[Dave S]

The first one was about the USS Liberty friendly fire incident.

Friendly fire my ass. Israel knew damn well what they were doing. They were looking out for their national interest and if ours got in the way, so be it.

You neglected to mention that creep Pollard. Do you deny he was a traitor and that the Israelis traded our secrets to the Russians?

[Dave S]

Israelis have totally STOPPED weapons sales to China, as per a White House request.

If they are our friends, why did we have to REQUEST it? Would the US government sell M-16's to the PLO or to the Syrians?

[Dave S]

Menachin Begin was a terrorist wanted by the British Government.

[Dave S]

if you do a search you'll find a hundred websites dedicated to "bringing Jonathan home" (by which they mean "to Israel"; kind of an odd thing, since he never lived there but is American. Like many here, his first allegiance was to Israel, not to his own nation. What do we call that?)

TREASON! Shoot the bastard or send him to Guantanamo to be some arabs wife.

[Dave S]

This thread is about the PLO not Pollard don't let them get get this derailed

They are both scum to me.

[adam_az]

"If they are our friends, why did we have to REQUEST it? Would the US government sell M-16's to the PLO or to the Syrians?

We are Israels friends and we sell weapons to the Saudis, Jordanians, and Egyptians, all countries that have invaded Israel several times each since 1948. How many times has China invaded the US since 1948?

[adam_az]

Menachin Begin was a terrorist wanted by the British Government.

They said the same thing about George Washington, if you recall. If you read a bit about the British behavior there at the time, you will find it a more than a little distasteful, as well. Not to mention that the British violated the Balfour agreement by giving Jordan to the Hashemites as a consolation prize for letting the House of Saud stealing Arabia.