– Powell: “Time to End the Intifada”
Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview on Al Jazeera Wednesday: “You say we blame the victims. Who are the victims? The victims are those who are being blown up by bombs. And then there is the response on the part of the Israelis, who have tried to protect themselves from these bombs by going after individuals who they believe are responsible. And so, there are victims on all sides of this question….What has it [the intifada] accomplished for the Palestinian people? Has it produced progress toward a Palestinian state? Has it defeated Israel on the battlefield? So it is time to end this process. It is time to end the intifada.” (State Department)
– U.S. Threatens Green Light to Expel Arafat:
Arafat’s personal advisor, Nabil Abu Rodeina, received a “cold shower” during his last visit to Washington.
The Arabic newspaper Al-Arab Al-Yom reported this weekend that senior administration officials who met with Abu Rodeina gave him an unmistakable message:
If Arafat fails to implement the commitments he made to the U.S. by the November elections, the administration will remove its objection to his being expelled by Israel.
– A rally organized in Ramallah on Wednesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the intifada was attended by fewer than 150 Palestinians. Similar rallies in other West Bank cities also drew small crowds.
– Palestinian Poll: 77% Support Bombing Israeli Civilians, 74% See Disengagement as Palestinian Victory
– Israel’s Nuclear Program: No Double Standard – Gerald M. Steinberg
– Egypt Bans Madonna after Israel Visit
(Hat tip: COP Daily Alert)
