| Author | Message | | Alpha | | Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 10:23 pm Post subject: Rice Addresses AIPAC on Iran |
| Forwarded:
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/46625.htm
<<The United States has focused the world's attention on Iran's
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. ... The world must not
tolerate any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon.
(Applause.) Nor can it tolerate Iran's efforts to subvert democratic
governments through terrorism. (Applause.)>>
Remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Annual Policy Conference
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC
May 23, 2005
(11:30 a.m. EDT)
Thank you very much. Well, thank you for that very warm
welcome. (Cheering.) Thank you for that warm welcome. Thank
you, Bernice, for that kind introduction and for your leadership of
this organization. I want to thank Amy Friedkin and Howard Kohr
for inviting me to address this wonderful audience. I would also
like to congratulate the new President-elect, Howard Friedman.
(Applause.) And judging by how many students I see in the
audience today, I know that AIPAC's future is clearly going to be
bright. (Applause.)
Let me begin by saying that Israel has no greater friend and no
stronger supporter than the United States of America.
(Applause.) For over half a century, AIPAC has strengthened the
religious, cultural and political bonds that unite our two great
nations, and I thank you for that. (Applause.)
The United States and Israel share much in common. We both
affirm the innate freedom and dignity of every human life, not as
prizes that people confer to one another, but as divine gifts of the
Almighty. As Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The God that gave
us liberty and life gave them to us at the same time."
Moral clarity is an essential virtue in our world today and for 60
years cynics and skeptics have proven that we have been
looking to false choices in the Middle East. They have claimed
that we must choose either freedom or stability, either
democracy or security. They have said that the United States
could either uphold its principles or advance its policies.
But by trying to purchase stability at the price of liberty, we
achieved neither and we saw the result of that on a fine
September morning. That is why President Bush has rejected
60 years of false choices in the Middle East. And as he said last
week at the International Republican Institute, "The United
States has a new policy, a strategy that recognizes that the best
way to defeat the ideology that uses terror as a weapon is to
spread freedom and democracy." (Applause.)
The President holds the deep belief that all human beings
desire and deserve to live in liberty. This idea, of course, did not
immediately find favor. Many continued to defend the false
choices of the past. But we knew then and we know now
America's message is clear, our principles are sound and our
policies are right, and today the nations of the world are finally
joining with the United States to support the cause of freedom.
(Applause.)
We measure our success in the democratic revolutions that
have stunned the entire world: vibrant revolutions of rose and
orange and purple and tulip and cedar. The destiny of the Middle
East is bound up in this global expansion of freedom. The days
of thinking that this region was somehow immune to democracy
are over. Working with our G-8 partners, the United States has
created the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative to
build partnerships with people in the region who are working for
greater liberty.
The flagship of this bold new policy is the Forum for the Future,
an unprecedented international venue to amplify the voices of
reform that are redefining the region. Together, we will tackle the
urgent goals of the Forum: political openness, economic liberty,
educational opportunity and the empowerment of women.
Today, nations all across the world are speaking a common
language of reform and they are helping citizens throughout the
broader Middle East to transform the parameters of debate in
their societies. The people of this region are expressing ideas
and taking actions that would have been unthinkable only one
year ago.
Some in the Arab media have even asked why the only real
democracies in the Middle East are found in the "occupied
lands" of Iraq and the Palestinian territories. What an incredible
thought. Today, citizens in the region are demanding that their
governments respond to this simple, audacious question.
And many states will have to answer their people's call for
genuine reform. Jordan and Bahrain and Qatar and Morocco are
all taking steps to introduce greater openness into their political
systems. Egypt has amended its constitution with electoral
reform. And even Saudi Arabia has held multiple elections. And
just last week, remarkably, the Kuwaiti legislature granted its
women citizens the right to vote. (Applause.)
Kuwait's recognition that it must include all of its people in
political life is, hopefully, an example that its neighbors will
follow. In Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of citizens have
demanded an end to the foreign suffocation of their country.
(Applause.) With strong international support, led by the United
States and by France, and with an explicit mandate from the
United Nations Security Council, Syria has gotten the message
loud and clear that it is not welcome in Lebanon. (Applause.)
The Syrian regime has withdrawn its decades-long military
presence. And at the end of this month, the Lebanese people
will go to the polls and set a new course of action. But we cannot
rest. Syria must also remove its intelligence forces and allow the
Lebanese people to be free. (Applause.)
To be sure, a vital source of inspiration for all of these reformers
comes from the people of Iraq, who defied threats of murder to
vote in free elections in January. They declared with one voice
that the will of the people, not the whim of a dictator, would
determine Iraq's future. They declared with that same voice that
no Iraqi regime would ever again torture its people, invade its
neighbors, attack its neighbors and offer financial incentives to
Palestinian homicide bombers. (Applause.)
Today, Iraq has a transitional government that will soon begin
framing a new national constitution. Free nations everywhere
have rallied to Iraq's side. There is a coalition of 30 countries
helping the Iraqi people to defend themselves from murderers
and terrorists. NATO is training Iraq's army officers, police forces
and civilian administrators. And next month, at the request of
Iraq's new government, the United States and the European
Union will co-host an international conference to build greater
support for democracy, prosperity and security.
Now, I speak to these reform efforts because the United States
looks to a future and has a vision of a day when Israel is no
longer the sole democracy in the Middle East. (Applause.) This
aspiration shapes the very heart of our approach to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict as well. For four years, President Bush
refused to meet with Yasser Arafat. (Applause.) He did so
because Arafat valued neither Israel's security nor his own
people's liberty. (Applause.)
There were those who ridiculed this principled decision as if the
refusal to negotiate with a man who aided and abetted terrorism
somehow revealed a lack of concern for peace. America and
Israeli had tried before to gain peace where democracy did not
exist and we are not going down that road again. (Applause.)
Instead, President Bush advanced a vision of two democratic
states: Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and
security. And today, the Palestinian people are trying to meet this
democratic challenge. In January, they voted in historic elections
for a leader who rejects violence as a path to peace. President
Abbas has committed to both freedom and security and
President Bush has offered his hand in friendship, just as he
promised he would.
In three days, when they meet together here in Washington, they
will build a relationship that is one that is based on the good
faith that only democratic leaders can bring. The President will
be clear that there are commitments to be met, that there are
goals to be met, but that democracy is a goal that is
unassailable and incontrovertible. (Applause.)
Prime Minister Sharon has also recognized that Israel is gaining
a legitimate partner for peace and he has made courageous
decisions that could change the course of history. Beginning in
August, Prime Minister Sharon will implement his plan to
withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Israel's
disengagement strategy presents an unprecedented and
incredibly delicate opportunity for peace and we must all work
together to capitalize on this precious moment. (Applause.)
To strengthen our present opportunities, all nations must meet
their obligations. Israel must take no actions that prejudice a
final settlement or jeopardize the true viability of the Palestinian
state. And Israel must help to create the conditions for the
emergence of that democratic state.
The Palestinian Authority must advance democratic reform and it
must dismantle all terrorist networks in its society. (Applause.)
Arab states must end incitement in their media, cut off all
support for terrorism and extremist education, and establish
normal relations with Israel. (Applause.)
To nurture our present opportunity, President Bush proposed
and the Quartet nations endorsed the appointment of James
Wolfensohn as Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement. Jim
Wolfensohn will help the Israelis and Palestinians coordinate on
non-military aspects of their disengagement, including
disposition of assets and revitalization of the Palestinian
economy.
To protect our present opportunity, President Bush has sent
General William Ward to help the Palestinians reform their
security services. General Ward is also coordinating all
international security assistance to the Palestinians, including
training and equipment.
To expand our present opportunity, the United States has greatly
increased our financial assistance to the Palestinian people. We
are pledging $350 million to help the Palestinians build the free
institutions of their democratic state. This is an unprecedented
contribution to the future of peace and freedom in the Middle
East.
Yes, this past year has brought forth a dramatic shift in the
political landscape of the Middle East. But this moment of
transformation is very fragile and it still has committed enemies,
particularly the Government of Iran, which is the world's leading
sponsor of terrorism. (Applause.)
The United States has focused the world's attention on Iran's
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. And along with our
allies, we are working to gain full disclosure of Iran's efforts to
obtain nuclear weapons. The world must not tolerate any Iranian
attempt to develop a nuclear weapon. (Applause.) Nor can it
tolerate Iran's efforts to subvert democratic governments through
terrorism. (Applause.)
Ladies and gentlemen, the Middle East is changing and even
the unelected leaders in Tehran must recognize this fact. They
must know that the energy of reform that is building all around
them will one day inspire Iran's citizens to demand their liberty
and their rights. The United States stands with the people of
Iran. (Applause.)
President Bush has declared that advancing the cause of
freedom is the calling of our time and in the broader Middle East,
his policies are expanding the scope of what many thought
possible. With our support, the people of the region are
demonstrating that all great human achievement begins with
free individuals who do not accept that the reality of today must
also be the reality of tomorrow. Of course, there will always be
cynics and skeptics who hold the misguided belief that if they
can not see their goal, then it cannot be possible. They will try to
elevate their cynicism by calling it realism and they will criticize
all who echo the stirring words of Theodore Hertzel, "If you will it,
it is no dream." (Applause.)
In 1776, cynics and skeptics could not see an independent
America, so they doubted that it could be so. They saw only 13
colonies that could never hang together and would surely hang
separately. But there were others who had a vision, a vision of
the United States as a free and great nation, a democracy, and
one day, a complete multiethnic society. With perseverance, the
American people made that vision a reality. In 1948, cynics and
skeptics could not see the promise of Israel, so they doubted it,
said it could never be fulfilled. They saw only a wounded and
wandering people beset on all sides by hostile armies.
But there were those who had another vision, a vision of a
Jewish state that would shelter its children, defend its sacred
homeland, turn its desert soil green and reaffirm the principles
of freedom and democracy. With courage, the Israeli people
made that vision a reality. (Applause.)
Today, cynics and skeptics cannot see a democratic Middle
East, so they doubt that it is a realistic goal. They focus only on
the despotism that has shaped the region's past and still
defines much of its present. But ladies and gentlemen, make no
mistake, freedom is on the march in Afghanistan and Iraq and in
Lebanon and in Georgia and Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan and in the
Palestinian territories.
Yes, it is hard and progress is uneven. There are violent men
who will stop at nothing to prevent democracy's rise. Yet people
all across the Middle East today are talking and demonstrating
and sharing their vision for a democratic future. Many have given
their very lives to this noble purpose.
The United States and Israel must defend the aspirations of all
people who long to be free. And with our unwavering support, we
can help to make the promise of democracy a reality for the
entire region.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
2005/543
Released on May 23, 2005
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Unites States Policy toward Iran:
http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/wake-up-america-your-government-is-hijacked-by-zionism/2005/05/19/united-states-policy-toward-iran.php
Last edited by Alpha on Mon May 23, 2005 10:39 pm; edited 3 times in total | |  | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:27 pm Post subject: Protest the Role of AIPAC in US Policy toward Palestine/Isra |
| Protest the Role of AIPAC in US Policy toward Palestine/Israel
"Washington Wednesday" Action Alert
Date: June 1, 2005
BACKGROUND
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its annual policy conference in Washington, DC on May 22-24. AIPAC is an organization that lobbies on behalf of Israel for US military and economic aid to support Israel's illegal occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem. AIPAC's one-sided agenda is partly responsible for the highly unbalanced US policy toward Palestine/Israel.
A mid-level Defense Department analyst, Larry Franklin, was arrested recently for allegedly passing US intelligence to two AIPAC officials who were subsequently fired and are also under investigation. It is believed that this information was then passed to Israel. They will shortly be charged with espionage, according to a recent article in Haaretz. Despite the gravity of the charge, Members of Congress and the Bush Administration continued to laud AIPAC and the US-Israel relationship at its annual conference. Among the speakers at the conference were Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Bill Frist (R-TN), and Harry Reid (D-NV), Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Dennis Hastert (R-IL), and Jane Harman (D-CA).
TAKE ACTION
1) Contact your Members of Congress and ask them to have AIPAC register as an agent of a foreign government.
Contact information for your Members of Congress can be found at www.congress.org but for specific addresses of Congressional members who spoke at the conference, see below.
AIPAC describes itself as "America's Pro-Israel Lobby" and closely coordinates policy with the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC and the Israeli government, making it an agent of a foreign government. AIPAC should not be allowed to keep its 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charitable status, but should be required to register as a lobbyist for a foreign agent.
2) Contact the seven Members of Congress and the Bush Administration who participated in the AIPAC conference and made remarks supporting or ignoring Israel's illegal military occupation:
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA-8), Democratic Minority Leader of the House, denied that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is the primary reason for the continuation of the conflict. According to Pelosi, "There are those who contend that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about Israel?s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This is absolute nonsense. In truth, the history of the conflict is not over occupation, and never has been: it is over the fundamental right of Israel to exist." Source: http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=999
Contact info for Rep. Pelosi: Phone: (202) 225-4965, Fax: (202) 225-8259, Email: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apparently believes that military occupations promote "real democracies" in the Middle East. Rice thought it "incredible" that some in the Arab media "have even asked why the only real democracies in the Middle East are found in the 'occupied lands' of Iraq and the Palestinian territories." Source: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/46625.htm
Contact info for Sec. Rice:
Phone: 202-647-5291
Email: http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_secretary.html
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) ignored Israel's denial of human rights, freedom, and self-determination to the Palestinian people and insisted that what unites Israel and the United States is the promotion of these values. According to Sen. Clinton,
"I want to start by focusing on our deep and lasting bond between the United States and Israel. Now, these are bonds that are more than shared interests. These are bonds forged in a common struggle for human rights, for democracy, for freedom; they are rooted in fundamental beliefs and values about the dignity and rights of men and women to live in freedom, free from fear, free from oppression." Source: http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/speeches/2005524910.html
Contact info for Sen. Clinton:
Phone (202) 224-4451
Fax: (202) 228-0282
Email: http://www.clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
Sen. Bill Frist
Phone: (202) 224-3344
Fax: (202) 228-1264
E-mail form: http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm
Rep. Jane Harman
Phone: (202) 225-8220
Fax: (202) 226-7290
E-mail form: http://www.house.gov/harman/emailJane.html
Rep. Dennis Hastert
Phone: (202) 225-2976
Fax: (202) 225-0697
E-Mail form: http://www.house.gov/hastert/write1.shtml
Sen. Harry Reid
Phone: (202) 224-3542
Fax: (202) 224-7327
E-mail form: http://www.reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm
ABOUT "WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY": The Council for the National Interest collaborates on an action alert the first Wednesday of each month on a topic related to US policy toward Israel and Palestine in association with the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and its coalition of 200 member organizations, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Partners for Peace, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
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