Barak says `factual errors' in Clinton's `My Life'

[Classical_Liberal]

Barak says `factual errors' in Clinton's `My Life'

By Haaretz Staff



Former prime minister Ehud Barak, rejecting assertions by Bill Clinton that he bore major responsibility for the breakdown of Israeli-Syrian peace talks in January, 2000, said yesterday that the former U.S. president's account of the negotiations was based on "factual inaccuracies on the simplest of levels."




"Clinton is not lying" in the account in the recently published "My Life," Barak said, but he added that the president was absent from many of the discussions that preceded the breakdown in talks held in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and may have adopted reports given to him by aides.

According to Clinton, on the eve of the talks, Barak had led him to understand that in exchange for a full peace with Damascus, Israel would agree to return to the border that existed prior to the 1967 Six Day War. Such a border would entail a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights plus ceding an additional strip of land along the Kinneret.

Israel has long publicly held that it would not agree to the full Syrian demands, and that Damascus was asking for too large a swath of land along the lake.......

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/444570.html

[Ganja Ninja]

1. So who's fault was it?

The Syrians wanted peace and Barak wanted some lake front property.

[Gimel]

3. I can believe it

the president was absent from many of the discussions that preceded the breakdown in talks held in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and may have adopted reports given to him by aides.

Clinton wasn't there 100%.

that "lake front property" is all that saves Israelis in Tiberius from the Syrian armed advance. That strategic area will not be returned for a cold peace.

[IA_Seth]

4. Syrian Armed Advance

Let's see...the threat of a "syrian armed advance" in return for a chance at lasting regional peace or continuing down the same path that has done nothing for either side....Is Israel really afraid of any Syrian aggression? That would be like us fearing an attack by Mexico!

I know few minds on this portion of DU really change, but come on!

[Gimel]

5. No peace

No peace agreement has been signed and Syria is technically at war with Israel. The occupation of Lebanon and hostile action show that de facto peace has not been achieved.

One cannot exchange peace for a threat to citizens lives. Israel does not exist, according to Syria. Your analogy with US and Mexico is absolutely astounding in its ineptness.

[IA_Seth]

6. Peace

And Israel is not-so-technically at war with its own people, and had the opportunity to pursue peace in a region where peace is hard to find.

The anology between Mexico-America and Syria-Israel was in regards to each country's military capabilities. Like the good Israeli general said earlier this week, Israel could "wipe out" the resistance if they wanted to.

[Gimel]

7. Questionable

Your first statement assumes a lot and you offer no proof of it. There is a division of opinion among Israelis, but as in every democracy, the majority (plurality) rules. Israel's people are sometimes at war with one another, but that is within the government as well as outside of it, so the statement "Israel is at war with its own people" is a mis-reading of the situation.

"The good Israeli general", whomever that was, was not referring to Syria with that statement.

[Classical_Liberal]

8. Plurality is about right. It really sucks. That is how Adolf

got elected.

[The Magistrate]

9. How Did Adolf Get Elected, Ma'am?

Do, please, enlighten us concerning how this relates to current political events in Israel.

Enquiring minds want to know....

[Classical_Liberal]

10. A united minority that is fairly right wing more or less jerks around

the majority. Besides even when the so=called majority wins there it doesn't include most of the Palestinians being governed by that country.

[Gimel]

11. Three right wingers

have been removed from Sharon's cabinet recently. Doesn't seem as though they are jerking anyone around at the moment.

Replaced cabinet ministers

[bemildred]

2. The giant ego speaks again ...

Dueling giant egos here, actually.