Hillary Clinton takes aim at Arafat (SUPER MEGA BARF!!!)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton warned on Sunday that the United States would "root out" any terrorist elements in Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority -- just as the Taliban became a U.S. target for harboring al-Qaida.

"The same message must be sent to the Palestinian Authority and to Chairman Arafat: Anyone who harbors or turns a blind eye to terror in their midst will be held accountable," said the senator.

She spoke after a series of weekend suicide bombings against Israel killed 25 people and wounded nearly 200, prompting Arafat to order dozens of Islamic militants arrested.

"This rests squarely on the shoulders of Yasser Arafat," she said, adding that he has continually refused to round up and imprison terrorists.

"No one is safe because the leadership of the Palestinian Authority refuses to take responsibility for the acts of terror that have occurred with increasing frequency," Clinton told reporters at Manhattan's Pierre Hotel, where she was honored for her work in education by the American Organization for Rehabilitation Through Training.

The non-governmental ORT runs schools in Israel; three of this weekend's victims attended one of the schools, ORT officials said.

Clinton said Americans' outrage at the attacks is deeper since the Sept. 11 terrorism on their own soil.

She likened the Palestinian Authority to the Taliban as a protector of terrorists.

"The United States, with the president's leadership, has made clear that we will root out the al-Qaida network, and therefore had to root out the Taliban because of the comfort and support that they gave to the al-Qaida terrorist network," the senator said.

She was flanked by Malcolm Hoenlein, executive director of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who also attended the dinner.

"What the president declared for Osama bin Laden in going thousands of miles away to fight, Israel will have to do just a few miles away," Hoenlein said.

He said many of the attacks against Israelis have been carried out by terrorists from organizations financed and supported by Arafat. The American Jewish official said more than half the attacks were perpetrated by members of the Palestinian leader's security and police forces.

The United States, Clinton said, would target any state or power "that does not bring about law and order in the territories that it controls and does not take the necessary steps that are required to imprison and prevent terror across their borders."

Malcolm Hoenlein is a somewhat controversial figure in the realm of Jewish politics in America. He is the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which is the primary defense group of the American Jewish community (US Arafat). The Conference of Presidents is composed of many different Jewish organizations which have varying opinions on Jewish issues. Their goals include fighting terrorism as well as promoting American aid to Israel (US Rabin). Hoenlein has gained notoriety in recent years as the result of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as well as events prior to it. Even though a number of American Jews did not agree with Rabin's policies on the peace process, the difficulties of Israel were brought back to the forefront after his assassination. This happened despite the appearance that concern for Israel and its problems had been dwindling amongst American Jews (Yosef).

Israeli officials in general were upset with American Jewish leaders who were critical of the peace process (US Rally). Prior to his assassination, Yitzhak Rabin expressed a desire that American Jews stay out of Israeli politics and focus more on benevolence for those who want to emigrate to Israel. Many were upset by these comments, but Malcolm Hoenlein defended Rabin, saying that he was simply being misunderstood. Hoenlein felt that Rabin was merely raising important issues which needed to be discussed (US Rabin). Following Rabin's assassination, Hoenlein and the Conference of Presidents organized an apolitical rally in New York to demonstrate the unity of American Jews.

ARAFAT GAVE GEMS TO CLINTONS, ALBRIGHT

In a new gifts twist, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reportedly showered Bill and Hillary Clinton in gold and diamond necklaces, bracelets and earrings - $12,000 in gifts in all. In addition, Arafat gave former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright jewelry worth $17,400, according to this week's New York Observer, which also reports the gifts to the Clintons.

The Clintons didn't take the gifts with them, so they were sent to the National Archives with other offerings from world leaders, said aides to the former president and Sen. Clinton (D-N.Y.).

State Department spokesman Nick Griffith said he didn't know what happened to Arafat's gifts to Albright.

The Clintons were required to disclose all the gifts they kept when they left the White House - and the revelation that they tried to walk off with some gifts that were meant for the White House, not them personally, sparked a gifts-grab controversy that prompted them to return some gifts.

On their disclosure forms, there weren't any gifts listed as having come from Arafat, the Palestinian leader who has been strongly criticized - nearly to the point of being ostracized - by President Bush for Mideast violence.

Hillary Clinton says Palestinians deserve an independent state

By MARILYN HENRY and JAY BUSHINSKY

NEW YORK (May 8) - Stepping away from the official US position, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told a group of Israeli and Arab youths that she supports the eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state.

In remarks released yesterday by US officials, Clinton said: "I think it will be in the long-term interests of the Middle East for Palestine to be a state, and for it to be a state that is responsible for its citizens' well-being ... a state that has to accept the responsibility of governing."

"I think that is very important for the Palestinian people, but I also think it is very important for the broader goal of peace in the Middle East," Clinton added.

The remarks were made Wednesday during a question-and-answer session to a gathering of 75 Arab and Israeli youths in Villars, Switzerland. Clinton spoke via satellite from Washington.

They prompted measured expressions of concern among Israeli officials and American Jewish leaders, with the latter questioning Clinton's timing and motives.

Both the White House and State Department denied yesterday that Clinton was breaking new ground in US policy on a Palestinian state, saying that she was merely expressing her own opinion.

"That view expressed personally by the First Lady is not the view of the president" and is "not part of any kind of calculated strategy," White House press secretary Mike McCurry told reporters.

In Jerusalem, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aviv Shir-On said he had taken heard the disclaimer. However, he added: "It is important for Mrs. Clinton to know that many Israelis regard an independent Palestinian state as a danger to the State of Israel."

In New York, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that "it is unfortunate that Mrs. Clinton's comments came at a sensitive stage of the negotiating process.

"While we appreciate the administration's dissociating itself from these comments, they certainly will raise questions about whether this constitutes a shift in policy, a tactical decision or an off-the-cuff remark that runs counter to long-established policy," he said.

Mel Salberg, chairman of the President's Conference, termed Clinton's remark " an unfortunate statement at this delicate time."

"For the First Lady to make this kind of statement could have a significant impact," Salberg said.

Twenty-four Israeli high school students joined Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian and American teenagers at the conference, called the Middle East Youth Summit, organized by the Washington-based Seeds for Peace Organization.

Clinton urged the young people to exercise caution during their military service.

While countries must defend themselves, she said, "I think it is very important to always ask yourselves, 'Is what I am being asked to do honest and right and ethical?'" (Hillary Clinton asking if anything is ETHICAL is a SICK JOKE!!!)

For the last week, the youths have been meeting in the Swiss resort to develop a "Charter of Villars," which was expected to be a set of principles for Middle East peace.

The charter, which was scheduled to be completed last night, will be distributed to government leaders in the Middle East, and to the US and UN, a spokeswoman for the conference said.

The conference also hosted dignitaries from the region, including former prime minister Shimon Peres, coalition chairman MK Meir Sheetrit (Likud), Palestinian Minister Saeb Erekat and Jordan's Queen Noor.

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