Posted 6/24/2003 03:51:00 PM by Ocean Guy
A Year Ago Today.... forgotten already

The President, From the Rose Garden:

For too long, the citizens of the Middle East have lived in the midst of death and fear. The hatred of a few holds the hopes of many hostage. The forces of extremism and terror are attempting to kill progress and peace by killing the innocent. And this casts a dark shadow over an entire region. For the sake of all humanity, things must change in the Middle East.

He articulated conditions for change:

I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror...

I call upon them to build a practicing democracy, based on tolerance and liberty...

And when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions and new security arrangements with their neighbors, the United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East...

A Palestinian state will never be created by terror -- it will be built through reform. And reform must be more than cosmetic change, or veiled attempt to preserve the status quo...

A Palestinian state will require a vibrant economy, where honest enterprise is encouraged by honest government...

A Palestinian state will require a system of reliable justice to punish those who prey on the innocent...

Today, Palestinian authorities are encouraging, not opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the United States will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure...

Arab states have offered their help in this process, and their help is needed...

I've said in the past that nations are either with us or against us in the war on terror. To be counted on the side of peace, nations must act...

Every leader actually committed to peace will end incitement to violence in official media, and publicly denounce homicide bombings...

Every nation actually committed to peace will stop the flow of money, equipment and recruits to terrorist groups seeking the destruction of Israel -- including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah...

Leaders who want to be included in the peace process must show by their deeds an undivided support for peace...

Arab states will be expected to build closer ties of diplomacy and commerce with Israel, leading to full normalization of relations between Israel and the entire Arab world...

As violence subsides, freedom of movement should be restored, permitting innocent Palestinians to resume work and normal life...

I can understand the deep anger and despair of the Palestinian people. For decades you've been treated as pawns in the Middle East conflict...

In just a year he has trashed ALL of the conditions. Isreal has conceded too much already. It's way past time for the Arabs to do something to prove that peace is possible. Words are NOT enough.