World Tribune.com
Dell Axim X5 Handheld 468x60

Bush forgives Palestinian terror, citing national security

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, December 4, 2002

The Bush administration has acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority has violated its pledge not to engage in terrorism but has suspended any sanctions against the regime of Yasser Arafat.

U.S. officials said the presidential decision came after months of discussion between the State Department and Congress over Washington's response to PA and Fatah documents relayed by Israel to the United States that cited funding to a range of groups that attacked Israeli civilians. The documents were captured by Israel during Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank in April, Middle East Newsline reported.

"The Palestinian documents were never disputed by the administration," an official said. "The problem was that the minute you acknowledge that the PA and [PA Chairman Yasser] Arafat was funding terrorism then you have to cut relations with all of them. Then, there's nobody to talk to and you're back to square one."

In a White House announcement on Monday Bush ordered the suspension of the sanctions and downgrade in relations contained in Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003. The president cited national security concerns.

"Furthermore, I hereby determine that it is in the national security interest of the United States to waive that sanction, pursuant to section 604 of the act," Bush said in a memorandum to Secretary of State Colin Powell. "This waiver shall be effective for a period of 180 days from the date hereof or until such time as the next report required by section 603 of the act is transmitted to the Congress, whichever is later."

Last month, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Arafat has established what he called a "holding company" for terrorists. In a Nov. 24 speech in a San Antonio, Texas church, DeLay called on the administration to cite what he termed terrorist groups and their state sponsors in the Middle East.

"Arafat agreed to resolve outstanding issues through negotiation," DeLay said. "He committed Palestinians to a peaceful resolution. He renounced the use of terrorism. And he promised to assume responsibility over all the elements of the PLO. He agreed to crack down on terrorism. But since Oslo, Arafat's PA has been nothing more than a holding company for terrorist subsidiaries."

The sanctions under Section 603 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act call for the denial of visas to PLO and PA officials as well as the downgrade in the status of the PLO office in the United States to that prior to the Oslo accords in 1993. This means that the only PLO institution allowed to operate would be the Palestinian Information Office in Washington.

In addition, the sanctions call for the United States to designate the PLO, Fatah and the PA as foreign terrorist organizations. The designation would include Arafat's praetorian guard Force 17. In addition, the United States would be banned from providing anything other than humanitarian assistance to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

At the United Nations, the United States voted for the first time against a General Assembly resolution that condemned the Israeli annexation of eastern Jerusalem. It was the first time in years that Washington opposed the resolution rather than abstaining.

Print this Article Print this Article Email this article Email this article Subscribe to this Feature Free Headline Alerts
Google
Search Worldwide Web Search WorldTribune.com Search WorldTrib Archives

See current edition of Geostrategy-Direct.com

Return to World Tribune.com Front Cover

New