Report: Bush to deliver MidEast speech

UPI ^ | Monday, June 24, 2002

[JohnHuang2]

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush is tentatively scheduled to deliver a speech Monday unveiling his administration's new Middle East policy, Ha'aretz reported, citing White House officials.

Bush was scheduled to deliver the speech last week, but decided to postpone following the two suicide bombings in Jerusalem, in which 26 people were killed and the subsequent Israeli reaction.

The president spent the weekend conferring with advisers on the timing and details of the much-anticipated speech, which will outline new American proposals to end the Middle East conflict.

The newspaper reported in its Monday edition that aides want Bush to make the speech before heading to Canada on Tuesday for a three-day summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Palestinian Authority minister Nabil Sha'ath called on President Bush to declare his support for a Palestinian state that would be created within two years.

Sha'ath told "Fox News Sunday" he hoped Bush "will set a timeline of not more than two years" in his call for the establishment of Palestinian state.

"Of course we would like to declare a state that would be in effect legally bound with the borders of 1967," he said. In practice, however, "the borders will be negotiated... We don't mind some minor modifications on the '67 borders on a swap basis."

Bush is expected Monday to call for formation of a state of Palestine with permanent borders within three years. The new U.S. policy is expected to call for the early creation, perhaps within a year, pf a Palestinian state with temporary, or provisional, borders.

Once a state is established, Israel would be asked to halt incursions into Palestinian areas, freeze settlement building and be willing to negotiate with the Palestinians, the newspaper said.

The president's proposal for a temporary Palestinian state was met with caution Sunday by lawmakers who realize that achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians will not come easy.

"The quite frank fact is there has been such a deterioration in the Middle East that there is no ground on which the Palestinians and the Israelis can talk to one another," said Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

"I think he's right now the only man with a plan. I hope it will work," said Lott, of Bush's controversial proposal. "But one of the things you have to understand about Israel today, Israel will have freedom and it will have peace in that order and on their own terms."

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., told CNN the president "has to be careful that we don't get a signal that violence and suicide bombings or homicide bombings as I call them, are going to be rewarded."

Copyright © 2002 United Press International

[rintense]

Spot on! Completely agree. It's all part of a bigger plan...

[nravoter]

How can a state be "provisional"? Seems to me it either exists or it doesn't.

Exactamundo. Sort of like a Federal entitlement program: once it's in existance, it's never going away.

Does anyone honestly think that, once established, the Palestinian state will ever be dismantled by the US, UN, or whomever, no matter what it does?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Well said. Thank you both for your posts.

[exmarine]

I'm through watching Bush's speeches. His handling of the war has shown me that he is not a leader (I don't care what hte polls say - polls liked Clinton too). It's a blunder to support a palestinian state (a terror state?). This is a stupid move, and it will only make things worse! Who is Bush trying to appease - the oil-rich Saudis perhaps? Our cowardly European allies (i use the term "allies" very loosely), or the political correctniks in the U.S. who would rather search swedish grandmothers than target the real culprits - middle eastern islamic men!

I tell you now - there is one way to win this war- give the islamists (and their state sponsors in Syria, Saudi, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, etc.) an ultimatum! Attack the U.S. again, kiss Mecca good-bye! - and stick to it! The only thing these animals fear is losing Islam itself. Ooops - I suppose that isn't politically correct. Will the thought police now come and arrest me?

[exmarine]

However, the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia was a catalyst for the terrorism of the current day.

People use the term "wahhabism" as if it represented a small band of heretical radicals. WRONG! It represents fundamental islam and perhaps 20% or more of muslims ascribe to it! Let's all get real before it is too late.

[hchutch]

I agree with that figure.

At the same time, my instructions for this war to the President are along the lines of the operational orders I quoted in post 35, prior to one of the finest moments on military history.

[cake_crumb]

"Well, let's say they get their land... they get their state... conditioned on acting like human beings... and the violence continues... then Israel and US can say to the world... they have revealed themselves to be what they truly are."

...(Actually your entire post) Truth and rational thinking BUMP.

[over3Owithabrain]

Rush to the sound of guns? Did I say that? Giving a terrorist regime a nation-state seems to me to be the knee-jerk reaction.

I fear you will have a long, unfulfilled wait if you are expecting some grand Bush scheme to come together. But it's your free will.

Still not clear how American elections would be lost by not caving in to the Arafat terror regime and the slaughter of civilian Jews. Even the almighty polls don't reflect anything of the sort.

Sticking to principles and successful leadership are not mutually exclusive.

[hchutch]

You miss the point of my posts 35 and 41.

Again, look at the quote in 35, albeit slightly expanded format:
"In carrying out the task assigned....you will be governed by the principle of calculated risk, which you will interpret to mean the avoidance of exposure of your force to attack by superior enemy forces without prospect of inflicting, as a result of such exposure, greater damage to the enemy."

Poohbah pegged the source of the quote - the operational plan issued to our commanders at the Battle of Midway.

Unlike some people, I feel that we have to do a little footwork here. And the fact is simple. The U.S. Israel know that a lot of this Palestine stuff is a distraction - just as the Aleutian Islands were the distraction in Operation MI.

We know the real threat is Iraq, just as Nimitz knew the real threat was at Midway. We have to focus on the real threat. The Israelis, particularly Sharon and Netanyahu, are willing to trust Bush, and they have a hekc of a lot more to lose than we do on this front. If they can trust Bush, I can do no less than turst him as well.

[cake_crumb]

"Still not clear how American elections would be lost by not caving in to the Arafat terror regime and the slaughter of civilian Jews. Even the almighty polls don't reflect anything of the sort. "

I checked your profile page...what is your country of origin, please?

[Bill Davis FR]

his policy should be the support of isarel in deporting the palestinians to jordan and building an electric fence east of the jordan river...

[carton253]

Well... Jordan doesn't want them. They made that clear in September, 1970 (known as black september).

[Bill Davis FR]

well...jordan is the natural homeland of the palestinians

[over3Owithabrain]

NYC - what's your point?

Care to stereotype me?

[over3Owithabrain]

Gee, what a great idea - distract everyone by allowing more and more innocent Jews to be bombed, give the bombers what they want, and proclaim yourself peacemaker.

How many times has Bush condemned the bombings and said "not again"?

What happened to his last great ME policy speech, you know, the one where he sent Powell to make peace and said no more terrorism would be tolerated? Seemed like all his loyalists around here were saying he was setting the Pallies up so the next time they used terror they would be shut down.

Well, we've had quite a few "next times", haven't we? But of course George means it this time.

Like giving them their own sovereign state makes it easier to stop the goal of eliminating the Jews.

[rwfromkansas]

Supposedly, any interim state is contingent on no more violence and reform in the PA.

I can support this.

If he doesn't require that though, I will be disappointed.

[rwfromkansas]

Nonsense.....if Bush has conditions on any state as is being reported. Now, if there is no such conditions, I am afraid you are right.

[rwfromkansas]

Again, wait to see the conditions for a state before condemning Bush to hell.

[Hila]

Politics are dictating, but our "Christian" president should know better than to mess with Israel, being part of a dividing the land God gave to the Israelites will only bring immediate consequences. Our nation must stand with the Jews in keeping their territory; why not create a Palestinian state within the huge, vast territory of the Arabs? Saudi Arabia and all other Arab countries detest the so-called Palestinian people. America's help on behalf of the terrorist state will bring terrible repercussions to our nation.