Abbas to Bush: Resume peace talks now

Source: AP

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told President Bush in a telephone call Monday that now is the time to resume Mideast peace talks, a spokesman said.

The call focused on the ongoing situation following the takeover of the Gaza Strip last week by the Islamic militant Hamas group, aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

"President Abbas told Mr. Bush that this is the time to resume the political negotiations and to revive the hope of the Palestinian people," Abu Rdeneh said.

He said Bush affirmed his support for Abbas' policies and the measures he's taken.

The White House said Bush called Abbas "to express support for him and the Palestinian moderates."

Bush welcomed Abbas' suggestions and ideas "and said clearly these are areas for a lot of discussion the rest of this week," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Washington. Bush will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070618/ap_on_re_mi_ea/palestinians_peace_talks

Priorities, you know? :shrug:

While he wasn't perfect, we are in desperate need of a throw-back to the Clinton days with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Why don't we get it? This is why they hated us in the first place. Because we supported an Israeli government that attempted an only slightly tamed emulation of America's early, but brutal method to dealing with the Native Americans, only with regards to the Arabs. Give the Palestinian people a viable, fair state. Then let's see who wants to change their tone. Then let's see who will view America as a leader again. We cannot pretend to have the moral high ground when we use it arbitrarily, and there is almost nothing that people hate more than hypocrisy.