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| Middle East |
| Bush Escalates Anti-Arafat Campaign |
| 2002-06-27 |
| President Bush today escalated his campaign to convince skeptical allies that the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, must go, saying that the United States would not provide aid to the Palestinians if they failed to make serious reforms in structure and leadership. "The people that are going to be asked to put up money" will judge whether reforms are sufficient, Bush told reporters during a Canadian summit of leaders of the Group of Eight, the world's seven major industrial democracies and Russia. "Listen, I can assure you we won't be putting money into a society which is not transparent and [is] corrupt. And I suspect other countries won't either." Sure hope he sticks by that pledge. Not being a member of the diplomatic corps, I never have been able to understand why we feel obligated to give large amounts of money to regimes whose populations spend hour after hour, day after day, running around their streets and making faces and calling us names. I don't consider the fact that their people would starve to death without the dough is a reason, because if the people running around, hollering, and blowing razzberries were gainfully employed the problem would be alleviated. If it's their country, and they don't want us to interfere, then they shouldn't extend the hand. If they do want charity, "please" and "thank you" are appropriate. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |