What should Arab leaders say to Collin Powell? [Archives:2002/16/Focus]

Saadi Salama
Palestinian Diplomat in Sana’a
Finally, the American Secretary of State Mr. Powell is arriving at the region. Thats due to the strong public and official pressures from the international community on the American administration to convince the Israeli side to withdraw from the Palestinian territories in accordance with the United nations Security Council resolution 1402. Wherever Mr. Powell goes in the region, he should listen to a single voice from the Arab leaders.
Withdrawal of the Israeli occupation means exiting totally from all the cities, villages and refugee camps and their surroundings, to the position of September 28th 2000, the date when Sharon put the gas on fair by visiting the Holy Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. An unconditioned withdrawal and not another deceptive redeployment is what is needed
Otherwise the USA visit would be another deception, merely to absorb the Arabic streets rage towards the USA administration for its soft policy towards Israel, or to please the Arab Leaders who apparently seem to be as angry as their nations to what has happened to the Palestinians, that is the wild barbaric terror of massacres.
Powells welcoming to Sharons declaration of the withdrawal is not considered as progress in the American administration policy towards the Palestinians. These are lies to deceive the Israelis, the world and especially American public opinion, the American administration that initially have approved all of his actions to the finest details.
Every time the administration says that it will help the Palestinians, we become shocked. How are we supposed to understand this position while the Israeli forces are slaying the Palestinian in Jenin, Nablus, and their refugee camps, while the American administration stands aside watching without an eye blink, providing Sharon with the needed time to terminate as many Palestinians as he can?
Despite his comments, considering the Israeli withdrawal in Qalqilya and Tulkarem as sufficient, Mr. Powell never commented on the Israeli invasion to the other areas in Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah.
The Palestinians think that the leaders, that are to meet with the USA Secretary of State Mr. Powell should argue with him and have long discussions about the unfair stand of American policy. The USA minister should understand that the Arab public can trust the USA and become a very loyal ally, providing equity in US policy towards them, and providing ending the Israeli terror against them, and not to attempt bending and humiliating the Palestinian and calling their legitimate struggle as terror while harboring the Israeli terror the last occupying terror on earth.
The Arab leaders should tell the USA minister what he should hear. He is not the High Commissioner of Palestine, he is the foreign minister of a super power country that considers itself as the head of the democratic world, and the protector of the foundations of the democracy and freedom. Arent the Palestinian struggling to get their independence and freedom on equal footing with others?
Once and for all the minister should hear that the American administration policy in the region is catastrophic, unfair, abuses one party for the benefit of the other, and he should understand that such a policy does not benefit the America itself and against its interest in the Middle East. He should also understand that the mysterious and soft language towards Israel does not appeal to the Arab world, thus it does not oblige them, and therefore they do not accept it and what ever will be could be!!
There must be one Arab leader that dares to say what should be said, this is not a political suicide, it is the right and wise thing to do. In the past, the Intifada taught the world the meaning of the rock as a weapon, and now the sacrifices should teach the world another lesson in struggle overcoming the weakness to triumph against the soul enslaves.
The current tragedy reminds us with the previous Nakba of 1948, for the similarity in the losses of life and for the conspiracies against us, a conspiracy that everyone shares.
It is the interest of the Arab Leaders with their people, especially the Palestinian with their civilians, fighters, and defenders in the Jenin Refugee Camp, Nablus, Balata, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and elsewhere, to make Powell hear what he hasnt expected and what he is not used to hear, while approaching the area carrying in his basket a bouquet of warnings and threats to the Arab especially the Palestinian and waving his favoring to Israel covering for its aggression and attacks.
Mr. Powell should say inside Israel and to the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon that he must withdraw now and completely and without no further delay from all the Palestinian lands and not only from Qalqilya and Tulkarem while maintaining the closure on them.
The Arab Leaders have nothing to lose.

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