WASHINGTON, 5 April — President George W. Bush announced yesterday that he is sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Middle East, to “implement UN Resolution 1402, to start a cease-fire, end terrorism and withdrawal of Israeli troops, and implement the Tenet and Mitchell plans.” No specific date was given for his departure.
Does Sec. Powell have a competent understanding to deal with the tough issues on the ground? Yes, says Ziad Asali, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Council, ADC, who met Sec. Powell on Wednesday with other Arab American leaders.
Asali said the group had a “frank, honest exchange with occasional displays of emotion” with the secretary. He said they aired “the concerns of the American Arab community and the Palestinian people,” and specifically focused on the questions of “tragic consequences of the attack and occupation, and the need to bring about immediate relief to the tragic situation that is unfolding in the cities and villages in Palestine.”
The Arab Americans leaders also spoke about the effect of the Israeli attacks on the image of the US, “which provides economic, military, and financial support to Israel, as well as political cover, and we thought this would rebound to the disadvantage of the US across the region and will destabilize the regimes that are friendly to the US,” said Asali.
Secretary Powell displayed a real understanding of these issues “and they are of great concern to him, and he understood the time element to act sooner rather than later. He understands the importance of time, and understands that there might come a time when the situation could get out of time and no one can control it.”
Furthermore, the ADC president said the secretary also understands that actions against civilians will generate terrorist actions. “He praised the memory of Yitzhak Rabin, and only mentioned Sharon in the context that he told them: ‘For every building that is hit, a terrorist is born.’”
Asali said the Arab American leaders urged the administration to be “more credible, and to have a more even-handed public policy.”
Regarding talk that Secretary Powell has been at odds with the more hawkish members of the Bush Cabinet, specifically National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and his assistant Paul Wolfowitz on Mideast issues. Asali said Powell “did not comment on” the apparent difference of option within the administration.”
The group was “quite encouraged with the secretary’s grasp of understanding of the Middle East. We are confident of his personal good intentions,” said Asali.
