UPDATED ON:
Friday, January 23, 2009
09:32 Mecca time, 06:32 GMT
News Americas
Obama lays out Middle East vision
Mitchell, right, and Holbrooke, left, are both
seasoned diplomats [AFP]
Barack Obama, the US president, has urged Israel and the Palestinian group
Hamas to maintain their ceasefires in Gaza in his first remarks on the crisis
since taking office.
The US leader was speaking at the state department as he named George Mitchell,
who helped broker the Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland, as US
special envoy for the Middle East.
Obama said he was "deeply concerned" about the loss of life in Gaza and also
reiterated the US view that Israel had a right to defend itself from
Palestinian rocket attacks.
"It will be the policy of my administration to actively and aggressively seek a
lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Israel and its
Arab neighbours," Obama said.
"Now we must extend a hand of opportunity to those who seek peace. As part of a
lasting ceasefire, Gaza's border crossings should be open to allow the flow of
aid and commerce," Obama said.
Obama also reiterated the US backing for international demands made of the
Hamas faction that governs Gaza: that it recognise Israel, end violence and
agree to recognise previous peace agreements with Israel.
He also said the US would support efforts to end weapons smuggling across the
Gaza border from Egypt.
'Unfortunate start'
Obama did, however, call for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
following its offensive, and said the US would provide humanitarian and
economic assistance to the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
"It seems that Obama is trying to repeat the same mistakes that [former US
president] George Bush made"
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas spokesman
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas spokesman, told Al Jazeera that Obama's remarks seemed to
show that the US viewed the situation through "Israeli eyes".
"It seems that Obama is trying to repeat the same mistakes that George Bush
made without taking into consideration Bush's experience that resulted in the
explosion of the region instead of reaching stability and peace in it," he said.
"I think this is an unfortunate start for President Obama in the region and the
Middle East issue. And it looks like the next four years, if it continues with
the same tone, will be a total failure."
More than 1,300 Palestinians, and 13 Israelis, died after Israel began its
offensive in Gaza on December 27, before both sides separately declared a
ceasefire on January 18.
Veteran negotiator
Mitchell, 75, acknowledged there were "many reasons to be sceptical" about the
prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In depth
Profile: George Mitchell
"The key is the mutual commitment of the parties, and the active participation
of the United States government," he said.
He is best known for helping to broker Northern Ireland's landmark Good Friday
agreement in 1998 which ended decades of bloody conflict, and experience which
he said led him to form the conviction that "there is no conflict that cannot
be ended".
In 2000, he also presided over a committee investigating the ongoing violence
of the Middle East conflict, which recommended Palestinians do more to stop
attacks on Israel and Israel stop settlement building on occupied land.
Obama also named Richard Holbrooke, a former UN ambassador, as his special
envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Dayton architect
Holbrooke, another US political veteran with years of diplomatic experience, is
best known for brokering the 1995 peace agreement that ended three years of war
in Bosnia.
Holbrooke, on accepting the position, said he had been given a "daunting
assignment".
Journalist and analyst Roy Gutman told Al Jazeera that the fact that Obama
appointed Holbrooke as the first such envoy for the region on only his second
day in office shows that the issue is a top priority for the Obama
administration.
Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 4
Hassan Aden
United States 23/01/2009
Do Hold Your Breath For Change
Despite the fact that President Obama may be honest and determined to see
changes on the ground, I doubt that he will be able to do that much for the
simple reason that the country’s total control is in grip of interest
lobbyists who dictate both domestic and foreign policies. The desire of the
majority of the American people does not count in the US. But the will of the
lobbyists does!
Nicholas
Nigeria 23/01/2009
Aljazeera make news
I have notinced Aljazeera is an Arab propaganda tv station. I have watched
their style of programms and pictures being showed on their programms. Its all
anti Israel views. They even went as far as bringing two anti-Israel debating
one Pro-israel and defending the views of Anti-Israelis debators just to prove
that Israel is devided against itself. This is shaping the news and not casting
the news. We need to know the devastation jews face too and not the arabs only.
digdeeper
Australia 23/01/2009
obama lays out middle east vision
not much vision involved there. what is needed is LESS u.s. involvement in the
middle east. less vetoing of u.n. requests to keep israel under control and
less financial support.
Victor
United States 23/01/2009
Dissappointed
This is just the start of all the dissappointments for those who wholeheartedly
place their hope on Pres. Obama. U.S. policy will not change radically just
because there is a new president. Israel has a large constituent voting block
and a strong force of lobbyist that even as a minority, the Jewish sector of
American society is able to support Israel. The biggest benefactor of US Aid is
Israel and will continue to receive it. The Palestinians will have to live w/
this dissappointment & more
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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