Bush ramps up Mideast peace push

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush hosts Jordan's King Abdullah II and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas this week, ramping up Middle East peace efforts before returning to the region next month.

Bush, who traveled there in January, is heading back to attend ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the modern state of Israel as well as push the parties towards a peace deal he wants before his term ends in January 2009.

Palestinian sources say the US president will meet Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at an Egypt-hosted summit in May. White House aides say a world economic forum, not joint peace talks, are on the agenda in Egypt.

US officials also say they are watching US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's ongoing trip to the Middle East.

~snip~

The United States says any Palestinian state must comprise Gaza and the West Bank, but refuses to talk to Hamas and will not -- or is unable to -- discuss possible ways to break that diplomatic logjam.


Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gX04fCja_BC8Sa7MlsxfmkNtsbXw

[0007]

1. Gee, it seems to me that a normal thinking person would have been on this

seven years ago. Why now?

[Nickster]

3. Because Prezidenting is hard work. You can't expect him to focus on ME peace while there's money to

be made for his buddies now do you?

[CanonRay]

2. He doesn't want Jimmy Carter to get the credit if something good happens.

[bemildred]

5. Bingo. nt

[LynnTheDem]

4. "ramps up"..."push"... Such "peaceful" words.

"When we talk of war, we really mean peace."

Rightwingnuts; truly the stupidest MFers ever.

[crimsonblue]

6. How can you have any agreement without Hamas?

Sure, we consider them to be "terrorists", but they were fairly and legally voted into power in Palestine. We pressed them to have elections, and now we just want to throw out the results? This is just ridiculous. The world ain't black and white, king george. Muslim activists and terrorists do NOT want the destruction of the US, nor Israel. They just want some fair compensation for having their land (which was a soveriegn country) taken away from them without their consult. They also want us to get out of Iraq and stop imposing ourselves into their culture and governmental activities. Not to mention that we angered the hell out of them with the army we built in Saudia Arabia. It's funny that SA was the home of most of the highjackers from 911, but yet we have not put any sanctions or reprimand on the Saudis. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the headquarters for Muslim extremism were rooted deeply in Saudia Arabia. It's time to start talking to people we don't like. Ignoring the elephant in the room won't make it go away, it'll just make you look like a jackass. And to think, only 20 years ago, we were bested buds with OBL and only 25 years ago we were in bed with Saddam.