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Middle East
Arabs to Stand by Arafat Despite His Absence at Summit
2003-06-04
Arab leaders will stand by Yasser Arafat as the “legitimate” Palestinian thug in charge leader despite his absence at a summit here with US President George W. Bush, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said here yesterday. “Arafat is the elected legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and Abu Mazen is the prime minister,” Maher told reporters as Arab foreign ministers prepared for today’s summit in this Red Sea resort.
Nope, the old surprise meter didn't twitch.
[snipped, rerun from yesterday]
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said he expected Arab support for the full implementation of the road map. “We hope President Bush is coming here not just to talk but to implement the road map except for the parts we don't like,” he added.
Hey Nabil, plan on giving up the right of return?
US Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters on the plane that the summit in Aqaba in particular would be a major moment for the reform-minded Abbas. “I think the whole world will be anxious to hear what he will do he has to say,” he said. “This will be a chance for the president, Abu Mazen and Ariel Sharon to stand together and show their determination to move forward” at the summit in Jordan’s Red Sea resort, Powell added. Arafat played down his own exclusion from the two summits with Bush in an interview published on Sunday by the London-based Arab newspaper Al-Hayat.
"O-v-e-r here! Lookie! I'm still important!"
Posted by:Steve White

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