Posted on 04/04/2002 8:05:19 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Y'all hear me Sadam. I'm talkin' to ya.
Way to go Mr. President!
Yet to lay the foundations of future peace, I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied. I speak as a committed friend of Israel; I speak out of a concern for its long-term security, the security that will come with a genuine peace. As Israel steps back, responsible Palestinian leaders and Israel's Arab neighbors must step forward and show the world that they are truly on the side of peace.
Responsible Palestinian leaders??? And why should Israel halt incursions when the Palestinians are attacking them?
And, this just in, missiles launched from Lebanon into Israel. Will the Lebanese authorities take action against those who launched them? If not the Lebanese, then is not Israel forced to defend themselves?
As Israel steps back, responsible Palestinian leaders and Israel’s Arab neighbors must step forward and show the world that they are truly on the side of peace. The choice and the burden will be theirs.
The world expects an immediate cease-fire, immediate resumption of security cooperation with Israel against terrorism, an immediate order to crack down on terrorist networks. I expect better leadership and I expect results.
These are the elements of peace in the Middle East, and now we must build the road to those goals. Decades of bitter experience teach a clear lesson: Progress is impossible when nations emphasize their grievances and ignore their opportunities. The storms of violence cannot go on. Enough is enough.
And to those who would try to use the current crisis as an opportunity to widen the conflict: Stay out. Iran’s arms shipments and support for terror fuel the fire of conflict in the Middle East, and it must stop. Syria has spoken out against al Qaida; we expect it to act against Hamas and Hezbollah as well. It’s time for Iran to focus on meeting its own people’s aspirations for freedom, and for Syria to decide which side of the war against terror it is on.
The world finds itself at a critical moment. This is a conflict that can widen or an opportunity we can seize.
The Israelis are again being asked to take risks for the hope of an agreement; the Palestinians are again told to live up to their word. But most importantly, the Islamic world is told to demand peace and provide the environment in which it can occur. And if they don't the conflict can widen. President Bush is taking a gamble but also informed Israel's enemies of the dangers of not cooperating.
I agree wholeheartedly. This is the real meat of the speech. Yes, the Israeli part is newsworthy for the moment but once the dust settles and the real analysis comes forth, this will be the key, IMHO.
As I said in my above post, the real gist of this speech was a reprimand and a warning to the Arab states.
Signal to interested parties...Bye bye Arafat.
Powell is going to take that elsewhere, and there will be a changeover in the Palestinean Authority's leadership. And the new leaders will be placed on notice.
Or else.
Thus Bush asks Israeli to stop hunting down homicidal-suicidal psychopaths and destroying their sanctuaries. Oh well, let's see what stern admonishment will do to stop these bottom feeders.
Chairman Arafat renounced terror as an instrument of his cause, and he agreed to control it. He’s not done so. The situation in which he finds himself today is largely of his own making. He’s missed his opportunities and thereby betrayed the hopes of the people he is supposed to lead.
Given his failure, ...
Damn it, George, just say it!!!
"Arafat is a terrorist"!!!
Good question.
Israel has only one real friend and that's the USA. Without its support and help it would be them against the world. Israel cannot afford to alienate its only real ally.
The massage is going to be pretty clear. Arafat is toast, and is probably headed for exile in Morocco - as far from Israel and the holy cities as possible while still staying in the Arab world. There will be new Palestinean leadership, and they will be on notice.
Oh, and there's also going to be a close eye on Saddam. The first time he so much as TWITCHES, he's gonna wish he hadn't - if he lives.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.