_______ ____ ______ / |/ / /___/ / /_ // M I D - E A S T R E A L I T I E S / /|_/ / /_/_ / /\\ Making Sense of the Middle East /_/ /_/ /___/ /_/ \\ http://www.MiddleEast.Org News, Information, & Analysis That Governments, Interest Groups, and the Corporate Media Don't Want You To Know! * * * * * * * IF YOU DON'T GET MER, YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! To receive MER regularly email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OH MY GOD! MID-EAST REALITIES - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 12/09: Jimmy Carter was Camp David 1. George Bush was the Gulf War to destroy Iraq (after his predecessor, Ronald Reagan, armed Iraq to attack Iran shortly after the American hostages were let go, plus of course the Lebanon war). Bill Clinton is Oslo and Camp David II. And they all remain involved -- Bush through surrogates son, Baker, Cheney, Powell -- with Bill Clinton now signaling his desire to remain as super mediator! Problem is, the Arab "client regimes", Arafat now among them, are co-opted enough and incompetent enough to encourage Bill Clinton. Problem is the Israelis are smart enough to do the same. Problem is, both Al Gore and George W might be crafty enough to agree, each for his own reasons! If only the Palestinians had leaders who would say: no more smooth-talking American negotiators, no more duplicitous international conferences, no more impotent U.N. resolutions -- enough historical lies and diplomatic tricks -- any further international conferences about us can be right here in Jerusalem...or Gaza, or Ramallah, or Nablus. And if the Arab regimes, and the world in general, will not truly stand up for basic Palestinian rights -- not with more soothing words but with real actions -- there's no need to meet with them any more anyway! CLINTON WANTS TO BE MEDIATOR AFTER LEAVING OFFICE By Damian Whitmore and Christopher Walker PRESIDENT CLINTON'S trip to Northern Ireland next week may not be his last his last quest for peace. [The Times, UK, 9 December]: Mr Clinton, who regards his work in the Province as one of the greatest achievements of his presidency, has told advisers that he would be ready to help to drive negotiations over power-sharing after he leaves office. He has indicated that he would like to follow a similar path to that of Jimmy Carter, who has carved out a role as an international mediator in the years since he left the White House. Mr Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, said that Mr Clinton would be willing to continue his work in Northern Ireland or other trouble spots where he believes he has had some success. "I'm sure the President will have an abiding interest in peace in Northern Ireland, peace in the Middle East, peace in the Balkans and will always be available if it's necessary and useful," Mr Berger said. "I don't want to speak for him, but I don't think that's too great a risk on my part of saying that." The White House is playing down hopes of any breakthrough during Mr Clinton's visit on decommissioning of IRA weapons and other areas that continue to divide the two sides in Northern Ireland. Mr Berger said that the President was "not going to negotiate the current issues" because that was for the British and Irish Governments. "He will try to contribute to a climate in which the parties and the Governments are better able to reach solutions in the future." In a speech at the Odyssey Arena on Belfast's revitalised waterfront next Wednesday, Mr Clinton will urge the people of Northern Ireland to "focus on the unmistakeable benefits that have been brought by the Good Friday accord, arguing that the problems of powersharing are far more preferable to the problems of being powerless," Mr Berger said. Accompanied by his wife, Hillary, his daughter Chelsea and his mother-in-law, Dorothy Rodham, Mr Clinton will arrive in Dublin on Tuesday for talks with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and President McAleese. He will also go to Dundalk, just south of the border with Northern Ireland. In Belfast, where the President will stay on Tuesday night, he expects to be accompanied by the Tony Blair and will meet the leaders of all the power-sharing parties. Wednesday night will be spent with the Blairs at Chequers. On Thursday, he will give an address at Warwick University on "the unsustainable gap between rich and poor among and within nations". He will also be given an audience by the Queen. The Ulster visit is likely to cause a security nightmare, as thousands of unvetted members of the public will be offered free tickets to hear the President speak at the Odyssey Arena. Among the places where tickets will be available from today are distribution points in the staunchly republican Andersonstown area of West Belfast and at a leisure centre on the city's equally loyalist Shankill Road, scene of the continuing bloody feud between loyalist paramilitary groups. Copyright 2000 Times Newspapers Ltd. This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard terms and conditions. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from The Times, visit the Syndication website. . MiD-EasT RealitieS - www.MiddleEast.Org Phone: 202 362-5266 Fax: 815 366-0800 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscriibe email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with subject SUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with subject UNSUBSCRIBE
