US gives $40m aid to Palestinians

[Guest INXS]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4241983.stm

 

The US has pledged to give $40m (£21m) in the next 90 days to the Palestinian Authority amid new peace hopes.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would also appoint a "security co-ordinator" and peace monitors to help Palestinian reform.

 

Ms Rice was speaking at a news conference after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

 

Mr Abbas welcomed US intervention and called on Israel to take its own measures to work towards peace.

 

He said he hoped his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday would help advance the process.

 

It's not often I applaud the current US government but...wow. This is a fantastic move.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

$40 million buys a lot of strap-on explosives...

[Guest INXS]

And also a lot of aid for the Palestinian people that have had their homes bulldozed.

[Guest Loss]

Indeed, this is a great move.

[Guest Cerebus]

Arafat may be gone, but his cronies are still there. Does Bush really have that much faith in Abbas? I wouldn't.

[2GOLD 0]

Arafat may be gone, but his cronies are still there. Does Bush really have that much faith in Abbas? I wouldn't.

 

I think it's more we are trying to get SOME goodwill going and about the only thing that seems to appease some is aid.

 

Not weapons, we REALLY never need to do something as stupid as that again. Our "Weapons instead of aid" idea of fixing the Middle East really didn't work very well in the 80's....ok, it didn't work at all.

 

Worth a shot to give them a chance and show some faith in them.

[Guest Cerebus]

Forgive me if I'm not rushing for optimism for the government that forced my family to leave their home (hint: I'm NOT talking about Israel).

[2GOLD 0]

Forgive me if I'm not rushing for optimism for the government that forced my family to leave their home (hint: I'm NOT talking about Israel).

 

I have none either, but we gotta try something.

We can't just bomb them to hell when they are finally starting to show SOME signs they might wake up.

 

And some is a hell of a lot better than the zero they gave us before.

 

Gullible? Probably, but no one would agree we should rush in and attack them. Cept Mike who I think wanted us to unleash Israel on them.

[Justice 0]

Um, my only problem is that they haven't done anything to deserve this. Perhaps if we had, well, some improvements or something from the Palestinians we could pledge aid, but nothing has really happened.

[Guest MikeSC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4241983.stm

 

The US has pledged to give $40m (£21m) in the next 90 days to the Palestinian Authority amid new peace hopes.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would also appoint a "security co-ordinator" and peace monitors to help Palestinian reform.

 

Ms Rice was speaking at a news conference after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

 

Mr Abbas welcomed US intervention and called on Israel to take its own measures to work towards peace.

 

He said he hoped his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday would help advance the process.

 

It's not often I applaud the current US government but...wow. This is a fantastic move.

Even funnier, since we've been giving the Palestinians money for years now.

 

http://www.usaid.gov/wbg/about.htm

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Way to kill a thread's vibe...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

We're making it public this year, which is a good thing. Abbas seems to have given the vibe that he'd rather talk than fight, so maybe the time is right for a two month break from the fighting

[Vern Gagne 0]

Well Abbas has told Palestenian TV not to show Suicide Bombers, and not to call refer to them has martyrs.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I am hopeful, but not exactly optimistic. It is worth a shot though. It isn't that much money for the US, and the worst that can happen is that the status quo is maintained.

[Styles 0]

Well Abbas has told Palestenian TV not to show Suicide Bombers, and not to call refer to them has martyrs.

There's Palestinian TV?

[2GOLD 0]

Well Abbas has told Palestenian TV not to show Suicide Bombers, and not to call refer to them has martyrs.

There's Palestinian TV?

 

Yes, it's a lot like MAD TV and SNL....only it's funny.

[Guest BDC]

Hoist a drink and hope this comes out alright. I remember when Abbas was talked about as Arafat's replacement and the news (whichever network, I was going back and forth) called him a guy that'd rather talk than fight. I sure hope so.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

The US funds terrorism?

[Swift Terror 0]

Not so fast with all the warm fuzzies...

 

 

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=3931

 

 

Rice Ignores Arafat's Grave

By Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon

 

 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made no acknowledgement of Yasser Arafat's grave when she met the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah on Monday before concluding a whirlwind trip to Israel and the PA.

 

Unlike a long line of other leaders who paid some kind of homage to Arafat's grave at the entrance to the Mukata, when visiting PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Rice's car simply pulled into the compound, passed the grave and Rice got out and walked into the building.

 

On the way out, she also made no acknowledgment of the grave, unlike other leaders, like EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana who laid a wreath or British Prime Minister Tony Blair who walked by and nodded.

 

One US official said that the question of how Rice would comport herself around the grave did not come up in preparatory meetings for the visit. "It was not an issue," he said.

 

The PA decided not to make a fuss about the issue to avoid marring relations with the US.

 

In their meeting, Abbas reiterated his commitment to the implementation of the road map and urged the US to play an active role in jump-starting the peace process.

 

The meeting, the first of its kind between a senior US official and Abbas since his election, was attended by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath and Minister for Negotiations Saeb Erekat.

 

Abbas said the PA was pinning high hopes on Rice and congratulated her on her new job. Addressing her with a wide smile on his face, he said: "You are always in the right place."

 

Abbas thanked US President George W. Bush for his decision to support the PA financially and for his renewed efforts to achieve peace in the region. "We hope the US, the biggest country among the Quartet, will play an active and basic role in the peace process," he said.

 

He also called for US backing on the issues of settlements, Jerusalem and the security fence, expressing his gratitude for Washington's opposition to the Israeli government's decision to confiscate land in east Jerusalem.

 

"We have and will continue to work toward fulfilling our obligations under the road map," he pledged, expressing hope that Israel would also abide by the plan.

 

"The road map is the only way to achieve President Bush's vision of a viable and independent Palestinian state that would exist alongside Israel in peace and security," he said.

 

Domestically, Abbas said he had embarked on a process of financial and judicial reforms "in order to lay strong foundations for the Palestinian state."

 

Rice hailed Abbas for his efforts to restore law and order and for resuming security coordination with Israel. She also praised the January 9 PA election as a positive step toward implementing major reforms.

 

"The Palestinian people voted for a president whose platform called for political reforms and negotiations with Israel to end the violence," she said. "In our view, this is the right path."

 

Rice pledged to help the PA revamp its security forces, strengthen the economy and build democratic institutions. She said the US would provide the PA with $40 million within the next three months to help rebuild infrastructure and create jobs in the private sector.

 

"This is a time of hope, a time we can hope for a better day for the Palestinian and Israeli people both," she said.

 

Rice called on both sides to carry out their obligations to the peace process, citing a "fight against terrorism" by the PA and "no unilateral changes to the status quo" on the part of Israel. She said Israel was aware of US concerns over the route of the security fence and over settlement construction.

 

"The larger point is that it is time for both parties to make their maximum efforts to give this chance for peace a real chance," Rice said. "I have been encouraged by my conversations here and my conversations with the prime minister in Israel that in fact both parties understand the moment before them and understand their responsibilities."

 

Hamas rejected the proposal made by Rice to assign a security coordinator to assist PA security forces in reining in armed groups.

 

Hassan Youssef, a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank, said his movement rejected Rice's proposal "since the Palestinian issue is not merely a security case. Turning the Palestinian issue into a security case means supporting the Israeli logic and the Israeli agenda."

 

In addition, Youssef said that there would be no cease-fire if Israel continued its "aggression" and refused to release the prisoners.

 

At a press conference at Ben-Gurion Airport before leaving, Rice said, "The parties are showing a capability to make progress on their own. The US does not believe that it is necessary to intervene just for the sake of intervening... bilateral security cooperation is more important that anything that we could do trilaterally."

 

She sounded a decidedly upbeat note before leaving for meetings in Rome and Paris, saying "We are very optimistic about measures the Palestinian leadership has taken on security."

 

She also commended Israel for the steps it has taken, and said her optimism this time is based on the emergence of a new PA leadership "that believes conflict needs to be resolved through negotiation, not violence" and because of Israeli's decision to withdraw from Gaza and four West Bank cities.

 

Although she did not want to wade into the hot domestic question of a referendum on disengagement, saying that Israel is a democratic country that has to make its own decisions, she did say the US very clearly believed disengagement was a positive step, and hoped that whatever was decided regarding the referendum would not change the current timetable.

 

Earlier Monday, Rice met with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz in Jerusalem. Following the meeting, in which the two discussed the worrying situation of Iran, Mofaz said that a military strike against Iranian nuclear targets was not on the agenda. "I think we see eye-to-eye that the diplomatic path is the correct one at this time," he said. "We did not speak of other options."

 

Mofaz said he told Rice he hoped the US would bring the issue of Iranian nuclear weapons program to the UN Security Council which could impose sanctions and demand "wide and penetrating" inspections of all Iranian nuclear installations.

 

"The Iranians are very much concerned with the fact that the Americans are leading the termination of the Iranian nuclear program," Mofaz said. "At this juncture in time this is certainly the correct path."

 

As part of her diplomatic tour, Rice also met with Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres Monday morning.

 

Peres, well aware of the importance that the US places on the democratization of the Middle East, told Rice that "economic democracy" was no less important than "political democracy." He said this meant an economy that is modern, transparent and based on high-tech. Peres said that "economic democracy is felt by the people," and that in order for people not to feel disappointed by the peace process, immediate benefits for the population should be given precedence over the long term.

 

 

 

 

And for an editorial masquerading as a news article:

 

USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02...tomb-rice_x.htm

 

 

Rice snubs Arafat by bypassing tomb

By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY

 

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's motorcade drove past Yasser Arafat's glass-enclosed tomb Monday, one more snub to the late Palestinian leader who had been largely ignored by the Bush administration.

Rice paid the first visit by a U.S. secretary of State to the Palestinian government headquarters here since 2002, meeting with Arafat's successor, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Related item: Israel, Palestinians to declare truce)

 

Rice and her entourage met with Abbas inside the same ruined compound building where then-secretary of State Colin Powell visited a besieged Arafat in April 2002 during Israel's incursion into the West Bank. Rice passed within 200 yards of Arafat's resting place.

 

For two years prior to Arafat's death, President Bush had refused to talk to the Palestinian leader. The White House had made clear that it held Arafat responsible for terrorism against Israelis and said a clampdown was a prerequisite for peace negotiations. Arafat's death Nov. 11 did little to change his status. When Powell made his last official trip to the West Bank after Arafat's death in November, he visited Jericho instead of Ramallah.

 

Other leaders have come, however. Since his riotous funeral here, Arafat's burial site, which includes his signature black and white checked kaffiyeh and is protected by an honor guard, has been visited by former president Jimmy Carter. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and British Foreign Minister Jack Straw have laid wreaths.

 

Even British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch U.S. ally who considered Arafat a terrorist, paid his respects in December, in a way. Blair paused outside the tomb's glass covering, nodded and briefly stood silent.

 

Rice's decision will be viewed "as a slap in the face for all the Palestinians," said Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. "In Arab political culture, one must show respect and dignity to fallen enemies."

 

"The people of Palestine will be unhappy about this," said Ali Sawafta, a journalist with WAFA, the Palestinian news agency. "They want the respect for the president, who was our leader for more than 50 years."

 

Arafat had dreamed of spending eternity on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. But Israel refused permission. Instead, Palestinians used backhoes to clear away crushed cars and mangled debris left as a reminder of the 2002 Israeli raid on Arafat's headquarters and broke through the asphalt in the compound's parking lot.

 

Arafat's coffin was laid inside a concrete tomb that Palestinians hope will someday be moved to Jerusalem, which they also consider the capital of a future state. Soil from Jerusalem's Temple Mount lines the grave.

 

Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland, said Rice's snub demonstrated that the "post-Arafat era" has begun. "In the end, people are looking more for real change ... than for simple gestures."

 

Rice couldn't completely avoid Arafat. As she answered questions during a news conference with Abbas, a portrait of the late leader smiled over her shoulder.

[2GOLD 0]

Ok, so are we REALLY trying to make Rice into a bad person for not acknowledging the grave of a terrorist f*ck head?

 

Screw Arafat and I applaud Rice for not stopping. If you have nothing nice to feel about the jerk, then keep on driving. Not like she got out and spit on the tomb for god sake.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Ok, so are we REALLY trying to make Rice into a bad person for not acknowledging the grave of a terrorist f*ck head?

Dingdingdingdingdingdingding, give this guy a cigar, because he's got the right answer.

 

For a while now, the White House has been running on a "Arafat is an asshole and a blockade to peace" line. I thought for a while that it was simply an excuse to ignore the situation and allow Israel to keep 'em busy while the US goes around fighting terrorism, real and imaginary, in other places.

 

However, it seems like they're actually going to mean what they say on this one, which is a relief. Doesn't mean they're going to think any higher of Arafat than they did before, though, nor should they.

[Dr. Tom 0]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's motorcade drove past Yasser Arafat's glass-enclosed tomb Monday, one more snub to the late Palestinian leader who had been largely ignored by the Bush administration.

What a bunch of leftist poppycock.

 

Arafat was a subhuman piece of shit terrorist. I'm glad he's dead. The world should be glad he's dead. The only acknowledgement Dr. Rice should have given his grave was as a nice place to drop a deuce.

[Justice 0]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's motorcade drove past Yasser Arafat's glass-enclosed tomb Monday, one more snub to the late Palestinian leader who had been largely ignored by the Bush administration.

What a bunch of leftist poppycock.

 

Arafat was a subhuman piece of shit terrorist. I'm glad he's dead. The world should be glad he's dead. The only acknowledgement Dr. Rice should have given his grave was as a nice place to drop a deuce.

No it's not. It's a compliment, you just have to read it the right way.