President Bush says Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan must cut off financial aid to terrorist groups and help insure the security of Israel to foster the creation of a Palestinian state in a Middle East peace agreement. Trying to isolate longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Bush said he has come to realize that “it was impossible to achieve peace with Chairman Arafat. He’s failed the Palestinian people in the past.” Bush will hold twin Mideast summits next week, one with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian prime minister, and the other with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt as well as Abbas. The meetings will come after Bush visits Poland and Russia and stops in France for an abbreviated appearance at the annual summit of industrialized democracies. The Mideast trip marks Bush’s deepest involvement in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. He said he wanted to meet with Mideast leaders because “I am intent upon working toward a two-state solution in the Middle East — two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace. In other words, I want them to look me in the eye so they can see that I am determined to work to make this happen.” Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.