Powell ordered to Middle East with message
President says enough is enough; warns about more violence
By Ron Fournier
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — In a new push for peace, President Bush on Thursday demanded that Israel pull back its troops from Palestinian cities it occupied in recent days and called on Arab nations to do more to crack down on terrorists. He ordered Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region to carry the message.

KRT CAMPUS President George W. Bush announced Thursday that he will send Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Middle East to help peace efforts.

“The storms of violence cannot go on,” Bush said. “Enough is enough.”

In a Rose Garden speech with Powell at his side, Bush chastised Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat — “The situation in which he finds himself today is largely of his own making” — and warned Syria and Iran against fomenting more violence.

“To those who would try to use the current crisis as an opportunity to widen the conflict: Stay out,” Bush said. He did not mention Iraq, though senior advisers said Bush believes Saddam Hussein is supporting suicide bombers attacking Israel.

His call for an Israeli retreat was a sudden shift in Bush’s rhetoric, which has been hard to pin down in the rush of events. Just five days ago, he defended Israel’s storming of Arafat’s compound, saying, “I can understand why the Israeli government takes the actions they take.” At the same time, his administration backed a U.N. resolution calling on Israel to withdraw its troops.

The president has faced mounting criticism with each new suicide bombing against Israelis and every military response from Israel. He has been accused of doing too much and, by other critics, too little.

Marwan Kanafani, an adviser to Arafat, welcomed the Powell mission but expressed skepticism about Bush’s motives.

“It was the maximum that we could expect from the United States president at this time, with all the commitments and alignments with the Israelis,” he said in a telephone interview from Gaza. “I’m realistic. I don’t expect him to come and say the Palestinians are right and the Israelis are wrong. He went as far as he could, and this is something we appreciate.”

There was no immediate reaction from Israel, though Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to permit a U.S. envoy to meet with besieged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The move raised the promise of diplomatic activity and perhaps a Powell-Arafat meeting next week.

Bush’s announcement got a quick endorsement from Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., D-Del., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“President Bush is doing the right thing in getting more personally involved and outlining his vision for making political progress in the Middle East,” Biden said.

Another Democrat, Rep. Anthony D. Weiner of New York, called Powell’s visit “a bow to the bombers.” He said: “Sending Secretary Powell is a retreat from the principle that violence should not be rewarded.”

Senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Bush decided Wednesday that last week’s suicide bombings coupled with Israel’s strong military response compelled him to restate his views on the region and add a couple of new wrinkles. He still backs Israel’s right to defend itself, but now views the incursions as counterproductive, officials said.

By stepping up pressure on Arab countries to help curb terrorism, Bush was tacitly acknowledging that Arafat had failed to stop terrorism and is unlikely to do so alone, senior officials said. With his call to Israel for an end to incursions, the president was giving Powell an achievable goal for his mission — one that the president hopes will be a small step toward a cease-fire and, perhaps ultimately, peace talks.

Aides said Bush believes the Israeli assaults into Palestinian areas could eventually undermine Israel’s security by inciting more violence and even spread the conflict beyond the Israeli-Palestinian borders.

He also urged Israel to stop building settlements in Palestinian areas and “show a respect for — and concern about — the dignity of the Palestinian people.” He said closed border crossings should be opened to allow for a freer flow of Palestinians.

U.S. officials said Bush purposely did not mention a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal or the end to settlements, a step Israel has already conditionally agreed to carry out as part of the derailed peace process.

“I speak as a committed friend of Israel, out of concern for its long-term security,” Bush said.

To the Palestinians, Bush restated his warning that nations that help terrorists will be treated the same as terrorists. He urged Arafat and his Arab neighbors to “join us in delivering a clear and unequivocal message to terrorists: Blowing yourself up does not help the Palestinian cause. To the contrary, suicide bombing missions could well blow up the best and only hope for a Palestinian state.”

He urged Arab countries to help Arafat disrupt terrorist financing and stop the incitement of violence “by glorifying terror in state-owned media.”

“As Israel steps back, Palestinian leaders and Israel’s Arab neighbors have a responsibility to step forward and show the world that they are truly on the side of peace,” Bush said.

As Bush spoke, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in an address to his nation that Israel’s military campaign will create hatred among 300 million Arabs. He urged the Bush administration to “exert its maximum effort” to ensure an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories.

Aides said he was frustrated and disappointed with Arafat’s inability to stem terrorism, and is hoping the Arab leaders will fill the void. There were other signs that Bush is casting about for an alternative to Arafat, such as Powell’s plans to talk to other Palestinian leaders during his trip.

Powell intended to talk to Arafat by telephone later Thursday.

Bush said of Arafat: “He has missed his opportunities and thereby betrayed the hopes of his people.”

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002