Re: Fw: bush rebuked by former US diplomats

Sorry about this, I don't know how it happened but my other reply was being
rejected and this got addressed here by mistake. Eileen
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "kas2eileen" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 7:14 PM
Subject: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] Fw: bush rebuked by former US diplomats


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "J. David Alcantara" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Cc: "Danays Alvarado" <[email protected]>; "Comite Latino"
> <[email protected]>; "George DeCarlo" <[email protected]>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 3:01 PM
> Subject: bush rebuked by former US diplomats
>
>
> > The full text of a letter from some 50 retired US diplomats urging
> President
> > Bush to reverse his Middle East policy.
> >
> > Dear Mr President:
> >
> > We former US diplomats applaud our 52 British colleagues who recently
sent
> a
> > letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticising his Middle East policy
and
> > calling on Britain to exert more influence over the United States.
> >
> > As retired foreign service officers we care deeply about our nation's
> > foreign policy and US credibility in the world.
> >
> > We also are deeply concerned by your April 14 endorsement of Israeli
Prime
> > Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral plan to reject the rights of three
> > million Palestinians, to deny the right of refugees to return to their
> > homeland, and to retain five large illegal settlement blocs in the
> occupied
> > West Bank.
> >
> > This plan defies UN Security Council resolutions calling for Israel's
> return
> > of occupied territories.
> >
> > It ignores international laws declaring Israeli settlements illegal.
> >
> > It flouts UN Resolution 194, passed in 1948, which affirms the right of
> > refugees to return to their homes or receive compensation for the loss
of
> > their property and assistance in resettling in a host country should
they
> > choose to do so.
> >
> > And it undermines the Road Map for peace drawn up by the Quartet,
> including
> > the US. Finally, it reverses longstanding American policy in the Middle
> > East.
> >
> > Your meeting with Sharon followed a series of intensive negotiating
> sessions
> > between Israelis and Americans, but which left out Palestinians.
> >
> > In fact, you and Prime Minister Sharon consistently have excluded
> > Palestinians from peace negotiations.
> >
> > Former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo voiced the
> > overwhelming reaction of people around the world when he said: "I
believe
> > President Bush declared the death of the peace process today".
> >
> > By closing the door to negotiations with Palestinians and the
possibility
> of
> > a Palestinian state, you have proved that the United States is not an
> > even-handed peace partner.
> >
> > You have placed US diplomats, civilians and military doing their jobs
> > overseas in an untenable and even dangerous position.
> >
> > Your unqualified support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations,
> Israel's
> > Berlin Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied
> > territories, and now your endorsement of Sharon's unilateral plan are
> > costing our country its credibility, prestige and friends.
> >
> > It is not too late to reassert American principles of justice and
fairness
> > in our relations with all the peoples of the Middle East.
> >
> > Support negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, with the United
> > States serving as a truly honest broker.
> >
> > A return to the time-honored American tradition of fairness will reverse
> the
> > present tide of ill will in Europe and the Middle East - even in Iraq.
> >
> > Because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the core of the problems
in
> > the Middle East, the entire region - and the world - will rejoice along
> with
> > Israelis and Palestinians when the killing stops and peace is attained.
> >
> > Signatories include
> >
> > Andrew I Killgore, Ambassador to Qatar, 1977-1980
> > Richard H Curtiss, former chief inspector, US Information Agency
> > Colbert C Held, Retired FSO and author
> > Thomas J Carolan, Counsel General Istanbul, '88-'92
> > C Edward Bernier, Counselor of Embassy, Information and Culture,
> Islamabad,
> > Pakistan
> > Donald A Kruse, American Consul in Jerusalem
> > Ambassador Edward L Peck, former Chief of Mission in Iraq and Mauritania
> > John Powell, Admin Counselor in Beirut, '75-'76
> > John Gunther Dean, last position held US Ambassador to India
> > Greg Thielmann, Director, Office for Strategic Proliferation and
Military
> > Affairs, Bureau of Intelligence and Research
> > James Akins, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
> > Talcott Seeyle, Ambassador to Syria
> > Eugene Bird, Counselor of Embassy in Saudi Arabia
> > Richard H Nolte, Ambassador to Egypt
> > Ray Close, Chief of Station Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1971-1979
> > Shirl McArthur, Commercial Attache, Bangkok
> >
> >
>
>
>
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