U.S. Envoy to Israel Pledges to Speak Out


AP
Date: 07-27-05

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - The newly named U.S. ambassador to Israel promised Wednesday to speak out against terrorist attacks and praised Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as moving against violent groups in a low-key but productive way. ADVERTISEMENT Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding his nomination, veteran diplomat Richard H. Jones said the Bush administration did not approve of Abbas' strategy of "trying to co-opt" violent groups and bring them over to his side instead of challenging them head-on.

"But what really matters is that there be an end to the violence," Jones said.

He spoke at a hearing in which three other nominees for ambassadorships also testified: Francis J. Ricciardone for Egypt, William J. Burns for Russia and William R. Timken for Germany.

All four were praised, and the Senate is expected to approve them before it closes down at the end of the week for a monthlong August vacation.

Jones, who speaks Arabic and has served in four Arab countries in a career now in its third decade, took an outspoken stand against terror.

"I am not shy about taking on terrorists," Jones said. "When I was ambassador to Lebanon I had no problem in condemning terror, including Hezbollah," he said of the group that for years has attacked Israel from sanctuaries in Lebanon.

Jones also reaffirmed that Abbas was obliged to dismantle Palestinian terror groups in the first stage of a three-step U.S.-backed road map for peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians.

"He is going about it his own way," Jones said.

"Abbas has shown he is willing to take on Hamas with his courageous leadership. And that is what we have to see more of," the diplomat said.

Touting the Bush administration's strong support for Israel, Jones said the "special relationship between the United States and Israel is strong, perhaps stronger now than at any time in the past."

With Israel due to relinquish Gaza and part of the West Bank beginning in three weeks, Jones said "the administration's commitment to this effort is steadfast."

Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., offering lukewarm praise of Abbas at the hearing, said Abbas was "clearly better than Yasser Arafat, that corrupt, reptilian terrorist."

Ricciardone, meanwhile, said the United States would offer Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "appropriate support" to help the Egyptian people realize their democratic aspirations.

In what clearly was a message to Mubarak, who has taken steps toward reform but is under U.S. pressure to do more, the former U.S. ambassador to the Philippines said, "Egyptians now are insisting that world standards of democratic governance must be Egyptian standards, too."

These include, he said, freedom for all law-abiding parties and candidates to campaign, with access to the media and the right to assemble free from violence and intimidation.

"We also hope that Egypt will not only encourage domestic monitors, but also invite international observers to bear witness to exemplary exercises in democracy," Ricciardone said.

Mubarak, who has been president for nearly a quarter-century, is expected to announce his intention to run in the Sept. 7 presidential election.

___

On the Net:

Senate Foreign Relations Committee: http://foreign.senate.gov/

CIA factbook on Egypt:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html

State Department: http://www.state.gov

Source

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


Home