Posted on 05/17/2004 8:19:47 AM PDT by yonif
U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice criticized Israel on Monday for its plan for mass demolition of Palestinian houses in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip.
Rice, speaking in Berlin after a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, said the United States had told Israel "that some of their actions don't create the best atmosphere."
"It's a subject of conversation and it's a subject of concern," Rice said.
A senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Qureia appealed to Rice to stop Israel's mass demolition plan in Gaza's Rafah refugee camp, where thousands of Palestinians could be made homeless.
"He asked Condoleezza Rice to immediately intervene to stop the catastrophe in Rafah," chief negotiator Saeb Ereket told Reuters by telephone from the German capital.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined international criticism of the plan, saying on a weekend visit to Jordan that Washington opposed "wholesale bulldozing of houses" in Rafah.
Rice also urged Qureia to reform the Palestinian security forces.
She further told Qureia the U.S. does not believe Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is conducive to the peace process and that the PA must battle terrorism.
Quoting Palestinian sources, Israel Radio reported Monday that Qureia presented Rice with a cease-fire plan, saying that the truce is needed before the PA can reform security forces. Qureia also once again proposed that foreign observers be posted in the area to uphold the cease-fire.
Israel Radio reported Monday that the plan would offer a full cease-fire, under which Israel will be asked to stop all targeted assassinations of militants and all military operations within Palestinian Authority-administrated areas.
Rice's comments echoed remarks made a day earlier by Powell. He too urged the Palestinian leadership to take control of their security forces away from Arafat.
"What they need to do is to wrest control of the security forces from Chairman Arafat ... The Palestinian leaders can do it, and the leaders of the Arab world can do it, by saying to Chairman Arafat that your policies have not been successful, your leadership has not been successful in moving this process forward," Powell said.
Powell admitted that even opening negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians was only a remote possibility.
"I don't see how we can get there right away," Powell said in Shannon, Ireland, where his Air Force jetliner refueled en route to Washington.
Still, Powell said, U.S. President George W. Bush "has made it clear to me to keep going."
Powell also suggested that Palestinian and other Arab leaders should persuade Arafat, symbol of the Palestinian movement for almost four decades, to quit as head of the PA to make way for a successor willing to end terror against Israel.
"Mr. Arafat continues to take action and make statements that make it exceptionally difficult to move forward," he said.
Erekat said that Rice had reassured Qureia that the U.S. is committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, alongside Israel.
Israel Defense Forces on Monday morning cut off Rafah and may raze buildings in an effort to neutralize militants operating in the area.
Rice said Sunday that the U.S. was ready to be a partner in helping Palestinians build their own state.
"The institutions of statehood need to get started now," Rice said.
The national security adviser said she would tell Qureia that the U.S. offer of partnership depends on the Palestinians' building "accountable political and economic institutions," including security services controlled by an "empowered prime minister" who can use them "to fight terrorism."
"We are ready to be full partners with the Palestinians in doing that," she said. "We need movement from the Palestinians on those elements of the road map."
American and Israeli sources said that they did not expect the meeting to result in any dramatic decisions. The U.S. administration is still very angry at the PA for failing to apprehend the murderers of three American security personnel in Gaza seven months ago, the sources noted.
Israel Radio quoted Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha`ath as saying Monday that the Palestinians did not have high expectations for the meeting either.
The U.S. asked Qureia not to attack Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan during his meeting with Rice, and not to present any new plans of his own. Instead, the Americans expect the Palestinian prime minister to present proposals for combating terror and instituting reforms in the PA in accordance with the first stage of the stalled road map.
Israeli sources believe that Qureia will seek to receive an American promise that final status issues will be resolved through negotiation and not by unilateral Israeli decisions.
Ping.
America Continues Opposition to Rafiah Anti-Terror Offensive
17:29 May 17, '04 / 26 Iyar 5764
(IsraelNN.com) Meeting in Berlin with PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala), US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice reiterated America's opposition to the ongoing anti-terrorism offensive in the Rafiah area of Gaza. Rice stated some of Israel's actions do not contribute to an atmosphere of non- belligerence.
How wonderfully even handed and enlightened. Savages are trying to kill Jews, Jews don't want to be killed and the Americans are trying to split the difference.
Israel should fight terror in whatever way they see fit.
When necessary, I hope the US at least continues to demolish homes and Mosques in Iraq. I don't want the US to take advice from the State Dept. either.
We should learn from the Israelis, instead of criticizing them.
U.S. Concerned Over Israel's Demolition Plan-Rice
Mon May 17, 2004 08:14 AM ET
www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5164351
BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice
criticized Israel Monday for its mass demolition plan in a Gaza refugee
camp.
"It's a subject of conversation and it's a subject of concern," Rice said in
Berlin after a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie.
Rice said the United States had told Israeli officials "that some of their
actions don't create the best atmosphere."
A senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Qurie had appealed to Rice
to stop Israel's demolition plan.
Israel said it would raze hundreds of buildings in the Rafah camp to
neutralize militants who have ambushed its forces patrolling a narrow
corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.
Qurie's meeting with Rice was his first with a top White House policymaker
since he took office in late 2003, a gap reflecting the U.S. policy of
keeping Palestinian leaders at arm's length because of their failure to halt
violence against Israelis.
I want the US to demolish the Statist Dept.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined international criticism of the plan, saying on a weekend visit to Jordan that Washington opposed "wholesale bulldozing of houses" in Rafah.
Where the HELL are Bowell and the rest of the "world community" when the so-called palis shoot up a car with a pregnant woman and her little girls, execution-style?! Or when they blow up a restaurant full of people? Perhaps this is the only way to convey to these savages that aiding and abetting the murder of innocent Israelis will cost them something that matters to them.
Israel Radio reported Monday that the plan would offer a full cease-fire, under which Israel will be asked to stop all targeted assassinations of militants and all military operations within Palestinian Authority-administrated areas.
They must think the Israelis were all born yesterday - they know what a hudna really is...
"What they need to do is to wrest control of the security forces from Chairman Arafat ... The Palestinian leaders can do it, and the leaders of the Arab world can do it, by saying to Chairman Arafat that your policies have not been successful, your leadership has not been successful in moving this process forward," Powell said.
If he *really* believes that the rest of the arab world *wants* peace and democracy there, then he's not bright at all.
Israel Defense Forces on Monday morning cut off Rafah and may raze buildings in an effort to neutralize militants operating in the area.
Rice said Sunday that the U.S. was ready to be a partner in helping Palestinians build their own state.
"The institutions of statehood need to get started now," Rice said.
Huh? After spending precious American blood and treasury to dismantle 2 terrorist states, we're going to take a lead role in creating another one?! WTF?
The U.S. administration is still very angry at the PA for failing to apprehend the murderers of three American security personnel in Gaza seven months ago, the sources noted.
So, we reward the terrorists with support for statehood?! You know, if the Clinton administration were doing all this, virtually all of FR (except the Jew-haters) would be up in arms and just about ready to storm the White House with the Mother of all FReeps.
Pfffft...let Israel handle things how she sees fit. Continue witrh the demolitions and drive out the Pali terrorists and sympathizers.
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