Posted on 04/01/2002 9:11:58 AM PST by ARCADIA
Amid a wave of international concern over Israel's ongoing siege of Yasser Arafat, the United States again condemned the latest Palestinian suicide bombings yesterday and said Mr Arafat could do more to stop such attacks.
Several world leaders made direct appeals to Israel, asking it to show restraint and to ensure Mr Arafat's safety. The foreign ministers of China and Japan, and Morocco's King Mohammed called either the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, or the Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, to voice concern. France, Germany, Turkey and Arab states also urged restraint.
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has called on Mr Sharon to pull back his tanks from Mr Arafat's headquarters. Mr Straw tried to speak to Mr Arafat by telephone but the line went dead. He hopes to speak soon to Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, about the siege.
The Speaker of Greece's parliament accused Israel yesterday of committing "genocide".
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates all made diplomatic appeals, and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia contacted the US to voice his concerns.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said in a statement: "The military confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians is cause for great concern. It holds the danger of a destabilisation of the entire region. The German government urgently appeals to the Israeli side to guarantee Palestinian President Arafat will not be harmed."
Amid such growing concern over Israel's siege of Mr Arafat's compound in Ramallah, the US has stood almost alone – backing Mr Sharon's right to defend his country.
On Saturday – with Mr Arafat still trapped and with his communications under threat – President George Bush told reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, that the Palestinian leader could, and should, do more to prevent suicide attacks, including the most recent in Tel Aviv.
Yesterday, a senior official repeated Mr Bush's assertion. "We condemn these terrorist attacks," the official said.
"Chairman Arafat knows what he needs to do. President Bush was very clear about that yesterday and in previous days and our heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to the victims and the families of the victims of these brutal attacks."
Washington's refusal to express anything other than "grave concern" about the situation in Ramallah underlines the difficulty which the Bush administration faces in addressing the problem of the Middle East, while also prosecuting its so-called war on terror.
When Mr Bush came to office last year, it was immediately made clear that the United States would play a much-reduced role in trying to achieve a peaceful settlement in the region and that the President would not expend the sort of personal and political capital that the previous president, Bill Clinton, had. A series of initiatives aimed at attempting to bring both sides together was terminated.
The attacks of 11 September have made criticism of Israel more difficult for Mr Bush – even if he wished to indulge in such activity. In the aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington, Mr Sharon visited Mr Bush, and argued the Palestinian suicide bombers were no different to those who had attacked the US. It was an argument which the US did not seek to counter.
While Mr Bush last year became the first US President to use the word "Palestine" in terms of an independent state, his administration's dealings with the two sides remain unbalanced. Though Mr Arafat has repeatedly condemned the spate of suicide bombings, Mr Bush has refused to meet the Palestinian leader until he makes a public call in Arabic for the suicide bombings to end and to arrest those involved in the attacks.
Israel needs to keep everyone one away and tend to business. These ppl are putting soldiers in harms way by their very presence.
I believe it already has. There were 19 suicide bombers on those airplanes on 9-11. Three of four managed to hit their targets. All killed innocent civilians.
Our response has been more forcefull that we allowed the Israelies, at least until the Passover Seder bombing. I think that one pushed our President right over the edge.
DITTO!!
Moral Fortitude Vs. Vacillation
Source:CNSNews.com Commentary from the National Anxiety Center
Published: April 01, 2002; Author: Alan Caruba
"It now appears that the Bush administration has decided to support Israel fully in its desperate need to protect itself against its enemies. The reason is simplicity itself. The enemies of Israel are the enemies of America and the West. The enemy is the worldwide Islamic Jihad.
The Islamic Jihad, if one takes note of the headlines, was waged this passed week in Jammu, India, when Muslims attacked a Hindu place of worship, and, of course, against Israel. The Jihad is being waged in the Philippines, in Indonesia, in Russia, and lies just beneath the surface in nations that include England and throughout Europe.
The war is not about a "Palestinian State" because Israel is a sovereign nation and there is no need for it to cede its own land, much of it won in battles against besieging neighbor nations, in order to justify its existence.
Moreover, Israel is simply America's and Europe's "front lines" in the Middle East. Our front lines at home can be found at "Ground Zero" and in the rebuilt Pentagon. Our front lines represent every target the Islamic Jihadist has targeted for destruction. Our front lines are those defeatists who would thwart our ability to achieve a higher level of energy independence.........."
Prediction: HE WILL BLAME THE WHITE MIDDLE CLASS!!!! MARK MY WORDS!!!
I've been thinking the same thing. Suicide bombers seem to be the ultimate weapon in their eyes. Open societies cannot really stop them. Before long, we'll be blackmailed for all manner of things by suicide bombers.
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