President Bush Raises Questions About Clinton-Sponsored Mideast Summit in 2000

Associated Press via ABCNEWS ^ | 4/5/02 | AP via ABCNEWS

[Gorons]

Bush Derides Clinton's Mideast Work

The Associated Press

CRAWFORD, Texas April 5 — President Bush says the Mideast summit sponsored by former President Clinton resulted in a "significant intefadeh," or uprising, repeating an accusation his press secretary got in trouble for uttering.

"It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intefadeh in the area," Bush told Britain's ITV network in an interview taped for his weekend talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Middle East crisis and Bush's decision to send Secretary of State Colin Powell on a peacemaking mission will dominate their talks.

Joe Lockhart, who served as Clinton's press secretary, took issue with Bush's remarks. "He'll learn at some point that you have to face problems rather than to blame others," Lockhart said. "And the only thing more glaring here than his lack of leadership is his lack of knowledge."

During his last months in office, Clinton was heavily engaged in pressing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to strike an accord, but his intensive diplomacy capped by the 2000 Israeli-Palestinian summit at the Camp David presidential retreat failed.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, defending Bush against criticism that he had not played an active peacemaking role in contrast to Clinton, noted to reporters in February that the 17-month Palestinian uprising broke out during Clinton's presidency.

"In an attempt to shoot the moon and get nothing, more violence resulted," Fleischer said.

Clinton's former national security adviser, Sandy Berger, lodged a complaint with Bush's national security chief, Condoleezza Rice. She asked Fleischer to retract his comment, though advisers said at the time that Fleischer reflected the president's privately held views.

"No United States president, including President Clinton, is to blame for violence in the Middle East," Fleischer said in retraction.

Aides said Friday that Bush was not blaming Clinton, either, but rather Arafat for missing opportunities to make peace with Israel both in 2000 and during Bush's presidency.

Without mentioning Clinton by name, Bush said in the British television interview that a U.S. president should not call a summit without a good prospect for success.

"The only time that's appropriate for a U.S. president to call a summit, when it looks like something can get done," he said.

"The problem is, the American president, when he calls a summit, better get it right," Bush said. "If a summit fails, if the president ... lays it out there and nothing happens, generally the ... follow-up is worse than the status quo."

Bush did not rule out sponsoring a Mideast summit down the line. "Someday you may say, `I remember when I talked to old Bush, and there he is, sitting there with a big summit.' But now is not the time for one. I've got a different strategy."

[Gorons]

Yeeehaw! The Republicans are starting to form a spine! I love it :)

[Gorons]

bumpola

[Grampa Dave]

Great find!

Duh, what president is GW referring to here with this quote?:

"The problem is, the American president, when he calls a summit, better get it right," Bush said. "If a summit fails, if the president ... lays it out there and nothing happens, generally the ... follow-up is worse than the status quo."

[malia]

There is something to be said for picking your fight and hitting a home run!!

I think this will call of Madame Eagle on her shoulder, Jesse, and funniest of all Richardson and others. I had dreads of seeing them all on the Sunday rotation!

[Gorons]

As Bush has pointed out repeatedly:

You are with us, or with them:



And here we have the Grand Master of Shakedown, the Sheik of Slick, the man Bill Clinton wishes he was; I mean - the Reverend Jackson... Is it coincidence that he met with Arafat?

Note the date.

U.N. Conference Focuses on Middle East - Arafat: Israel Guilty of ‘Racist Practices’

By Ravi Nessman
The Associated Press


http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/racismconference010831.html

D U R B A N, South Africa, Aug. 31, 2001 — The Middle East dominated the opening of the world conference against racism today as Yasser Arafat accused Israel of "racist practices" against the Palestinian people.

###########

I wonder if Jackson and his cronies could have been the mysterious purchasers of industry stock before 9/11?

[CyberAnt]

"you have to face problems rather than to blame others"

Is Lockhart joking?? Face problems?? Since when did Clinton ever FACE any of his problems?? And ... when did Clinton accept respondibility for anything he did - all he ever did was blame others.

I should have known - it's the famous liberal "projection" game as usual. It's just the same ole, same ole!

[Quilla]

My sentiments exactly - Lockhart must have erased eight years from his memory.

When one thinks about Clinton's commitment to the Mideast peace process the memory of Monica Lewinsky permiates the air. Although it may have been rumor (the truth is so hard to determine with respect to Clinton), supposedly Arafat was once kept waiting during one of the ex-president's trysts. True or not, I suspect Arafat heard the same rumor. Yet, the week-long meetings in January of 1998 between Netanyahu, Arafat, and Clinton were overshadowed by new Lewinsky allegations. Even Clinton's adoring press asked questions about Lewinsky at an Arafat/Clinton news conference until the then pres. asked them to move on so he could continue with the people's work.

[timydnuc]

Calm down. You know the spin, just like me. It's a lie, just as all statements from the Clintons are lies. The good part is that the American people are seeing through the lies.

[timydnuc]

Lies to cover up lies to cover up lies to cover up the horrible truth. Let's face it, the lies of the Clinton administration are lies that will live with us for a while. Our job is to set the truth straight. Lies can't survive in the light of day, and lies die in the light of the truth.

Truth is our weapon, and a powerful weapon it is.

[TLBSHOW]

BTTT

[Miss Marple]

Oh, good, someone else besides me who thinks Jackson is more sinister than just a camera hog.

I still think he is somehow involved in arms smuggling. There was his Wall Street protoge who was arrested in Florida for involvement in a plot to buy stinger misssiles. And I still wonder why he was so successful in negotiating with third world thugs and dictators, who wouldn't normally have known who he was.

Highly suspicious of Mr. Jackson, I am.

[Paulie]

Lockhart said. "And the only thing more glaring here than his lack of leadership is his lack of knowledge."

I've always wondered if Joe Lockjaw finds it hard to breathe with his head up his @$$ all the time...

[patriot_wes]

Joe Lockhart, who served as Clinton's press secretary, took issue with Bush's remarks. "He'll learn at some point that you have to face problems rather than to blame others," Lockhart said. "And the only thing more glaring here than his lack of leadership is his lack of knowledge."

BS continues to flow from the lips of shills. Old joe was amazing in his ability to look the cameras straight in the eye and spout lies.

[CyberAnt]

Thanks, I needed that! Yes, the sheeple are beginning to see what a smarmy liar Clinton was all those years, and how he and his cronies continue to be.