[eureka!]

Here comes the tide of analysts. Thanks for the post...

[hchutch]

Seems to me he's gotten a look at a couple of the documents, and he's probably sending Powell to take a longer, more thorough look over them.

Yassir Arafat is running out of time, IMHO.

[Sir Gawain]

Here's my paraphrasing:

Bush: Israel--pull out of the occupied territories. Palestinians--stop blowing yourselves up. If you don't stop after Israel has pulled out and shown that they're making an effort, I'm giving Israel the green light to wipe your sorry asses off the face of the earth.

Hey I can dream.

[Miss Marple]

Note that Sharon has until next week to finish.

Also I found it very good that he called Syria, Iran, and Iraq on the carpet.

I don't know about the settlements...I am not up to speed on that issue and how important they really are to the Israeli people as a whole.

Pretty strong, and I bet they already have something going on or Powell wouldn't be sent over there.

[freedomcrusader]

The chairman of the Palestinian Authority has not consistently opposed or confronted terrorists.

Half truth. The whole truth is that he has supported, equipped, trained, and supplied terrorists. Arafat is firmly on the side of the terrorists, and the longer official U.S. policy ignores that, the worse off the Middle East will be. Therefore, I don't think Bush's speech is terribly helpful to the cause of peace in the Middle East.

[mardler]

L E A D E R S H I P !

[mardler]

L E A D E R S H I P !

[rintense]

Excellent speech. I bet the Arab league is peeing their pants right now.

[RamsNo1]

Israeli settlement activity into occupied territories?

[PoisedWoman]

Decades of bitter experience teach a clear lesson: Progress is impossible when nations emphasize their grievances and ignore their opportunities.

True of every individual on the face of the earth as well as every nation. This is a beautifully crafted speech. I hope everyone hears it and reads it.

[Ward Smythe]

Thanks for posting the transcript. It's good to know what he really said.

[Sabertooth]

To the contrary, suicide bombing missions could well blow up the best and only hope for a Palestinian state.

This is actually a very hopeful statement.

Perhaps soon, we'll recognize the legitmate purpose for Jordan's existence isn't to be a haven for Saudi-displaced Hashemites...

Because Jordan is actually Palestine.

[Steve0113]

And to those who would try to use the current crisis as an opportunity to widen the conflict: Stay out.

That's pretty clear.

[1234]

TX for posting. good speech; and we all know it'll take time to see how it fits with reality in the future.

[Attillathehon]

. And to those who would try to use the current crisis as an opportunity to widen the conflict: Stay out.

Y'all hear me Sadam. I'm talkin' to ya.

Way to go Mr. President!

[d14truth]

"All who care about the Palestinian people should join in condemning and acting against groups like al-Aqsa, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and all the groups which oppose the peace process and seek the destruction of Israel."

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?

[Faraday]

The heart of the speech is in the following:

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.

[semaj]

"I expect better leadership and I expect results."

Signal to interested parties...Bye bye Arafat.

[Mortimer Snavely]

“I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied.”

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.

[maquiladora]

God bless President G W Bush, I agree with everything he says in this speech. An excellent, honest, fair and strongly worded speech.
I respect him and the new administration even more every day.