U.S. Walks a Tightrope on Terrorism in Israel [NYT]
Article says the U.S. side of support for Sharon's anti-terrorist campaign is a delicate balancing act. From the Israeli side it is much more straightforward, and the column of "longtime supporter" William Safire lets Sharon get down on the record that the Americans had not spoken of any restraints, and imply that we are now a two-part like-minded team busting terrorists.
The spurious story last night was even stronger, saying we were joining Sharon with no reservations - a propaganda effort perhaps?
It appears they're keeping Bush under wraps for a bit, to avoid upsetting that delicate balance, probably a good idea.
Doc
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nytimes.com
December 4, 2001
THE POLICY
By DAVID E. SANGER
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — The White House said today that "Israel has a right to defend herself," but denied that President Bush had effectively encouraged Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to order today's military strikes in Palestinian-controlled territory.
When he met Mr. Sharon at the White House on Sunday, Mr. Bush had notably omitted any call for Israeli restraint, according to administration officials. He also issued a series of demands that Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, do more than just arrest those responsible for three suicide bombings in Israel over the weekend. He demanded that Mr. Arafat dismantle the organizations thought to be behind the attacks.
Today, administration officials did not protest the first wave of warning attacks that were aimed near — but not directly at — Mr. Arafat's headquarters in Gaza. "They are clearly sending him a warning," one official said, "but they don't seem intent on toppling him — at least so far."
The administration continues to recognize Mr. Arafat as the head of the Palestinian Authority and has not backed away from its statements that he is the legitimate negotiating partner for the Israelis as both sides pursue peace. But in recent days Mr. Arafat has come in for unusually harsh criticism from some members of the Bush administration.
Mr. Sharon, in a speech tonight, drew a parallel between his own war on terrorism and Mr. Bush's. Some of Mr. Bush's aides speculated that Mr. Sharon was trying to enlist the United States into the battle against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Mr. Bush specifically mentioned both groups in his statement on Sunday.
That strategy poses a conundrum for the president, his aides concede. On one hand, Mr. Sharon is clearly battling terrorism, and in the words of one senior administration official, "it's reasonable for him to seek our help." On the other hand, Mr. Bush knows that providing that help will essentially end any hope of putting the United States in the role of Middle East mediator, a role to which Mr. Bush committed himself only two weeks ago.
At a briefing today, the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, was asked whether Mr. Bush had told Mr. Sharon that the United States would not object if he retaliated forcefully for the terrorist bombings.
"During that meeting yesterday, I think it's fair to say that the United States did not give anybody a green light, because nobody asked for a green light," Mr. Fleischer said. But he would not characterize Mr. Bush's view of how Israel should proceed.
In another sign of the difficulty the White House is having in adjusting its Middle East policy to the changed political realities since Sept. 11 and the attacks in Israel this weekend, Mr. Fleischer also would not say whether the administration interpreted Mr. Sharon's speech as a declaration of war.
Nor would he endorse or distance the White House from comments made Sunday by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, who noted Mr. Arafat's involvement in past terrorist acts, and suggested that the Palestinian leader had lost his authority over his own people.
"I don't know that he has good control over the Palestinian situation," Mr. Rumsfeld said Sunday. "He has not ever delivered anything for the Palestinian people throughout history."
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has repeatedly said that Mr. Arafat must bring extremist elements under control and then come to the bargaining table. And he has repeated that demand in recent days, including in a Saturday evening call to Mr. Arafat — after the first terrorist attack — where he insisted that the Palestinian Authority round up Hamas leaders.
But today Mr. Fleischer found himself with the delicate task of drawing a public, political distinction between Mr. Arafat and the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar. Responding to questions, he said Mr. Arafat had in the past taken steps toward peace, while Mr. Omar, "did not, has not and will not" consider peace.
At the State Department, a spokesman, Phil Reeker, said the United States would not be distracted by the Mideast violence from its first priority: Crushing terrorism with a "global reach," starting with Al Qaeda, the terror network headed by Osama bin Laden.
"Where we're focused right now is on seeking out, cutting off the Al Qaeda network, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban that have protected him," Mr. Reeker said.
But he added: "You can't pick and choose terrorists. That's the message that we've given to the Palestinian Authority."
Mr. Bush himself did not appear in public today, and made no comment about the situation in the Middle East. Reporters were barred, at the last moment, from questioning the president during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Sweden. |
