San Diego Jewish World
'There's a Jewish story everywhere' |
Vol. 1, No. 136 |
Thursday, September 13, 2007 |
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Jews in Congress
New Hampshire (1)
New York (7) |
Rice interview adds to speculation that Syria was trying to go nuclear San Diego Jewish World report WASHINGTON, DC—Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added credence to reports that Syria may have been attempting to secretly build a nuclear facility during an interview with Fox broadcaster Sean Hannity today. One of seven interviews Rice gave in the build-up toward President Bush's speech tonight on Iraq, Hannity's was the only one to also ask about Syria: "What are we to make of the reports this week that, in fact, Syria is building nuclear facilities" Hannity asked. Rather than confirm or deny the report directly, Rice responded that the United States has "long been concerned about the weapons of mass destruction. I think the President put it at one time that—you know, we have to have policies that prevent the world's most dangerous people from having the world's most dangerous weapons. "And that's what we do and that's what we do every day," Rice continued. "And we are working with our allies and working directly to try to shut down activities. We had a big success, for instance, when we shut down the A.Q. Khan network, which was a source of proliferation to all kinds of rogue states and so this is a constant activity. "That's why we have a Proliferation Security Initiative that tries to intercept dangerous cargos. So this is something that's been at the highest point of the President's agenda since he came into power and we work every day and we watch it every day and we're vigilant about it and we're determined." Hannity did not try to pin Rice down further on the Syria question. In another interview with Adam Schrager of KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Denver, the Secretary of State was asked about a recommendation by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (Democrat, Colorado) that the U.S. mission in the Middle East should be more focused on diplomacy, and lest on providing its security. "We're very actively engaged in much of the iplomacy that was suggested by this very fine group of Americans led by Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton," Rice responded. "I, myself, am going to attend a regional conference of Iraq's neighbors. We've had one. We will have another. Iran and Syria will probably both be there, as they were at the conference a few months ago. The U.N. is stepping up its role in Iraq. Just the other day, the Saudis announced they're putting a diplomatic mission in Iraq. "And we are also pursuing other diplomatic goals in the Middle East. I'll very soon be on my way to Israel and to the Palestinian territories to help the Palestinians and Israelis make progress toward a Palestinian state. "So we're very actively engaged in the diplomacy. We could not agree more that Iraq is a part of a broader Middle East strategy." Asked by Pamela Smith of KATV, an NBC affiliate in Little Rock, whether she might attend the 50th anniversary of the Little Rock school desegregation battle, Rice again referred to her role as a traveling diplomat. "Well, I don't have a schedule just yet. I am, of course, traveling all the time. I'm trying very hard--we're trying very hard these days to help the Palestinians move toward a Palestinian state and there are a number of other demands. But certainly there will be a representative there because this is an extraordinary moment for America to remember the sacrifices of those who brought civil rights and brought a healing to the United States—our kind of second founding to overcome our birth defect of separation and slavery to make all Americans full citizens in this great country." The preceding was based on interview transcripts provided by the U.S. State Department
In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival. Terrorists and extremists who are at war with us around the world are seeking to topple Iraq's government, dominate the region, and attack us here at home. If Iraq's young democracy can turn back these enemies, it will mean a more hopeful Middle East and a more secure America. This ally has placed its trust in the United States. And tonight, our moral and strategic imperatives are one: We must help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future and also threaten ours. Eight months ago, we adopted a new strategy to meet that objective, including a surge in U.S. forces that reached full strength in June. This week, General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress about how that strategy is progressing. In their testimony, these men made clear that our challenge in Iraq is formidable. Yet they concluded that conditions in Iraq are improving, that we are seizing the initiative from the enemy, and that the troop surge is working. The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress. For Iraqis to bridge sectarian divides, they need to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. For lasting reconciliation to take root, Iraqis must feel confident that they do not need sectarian gangs for security. The goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it. As I will explain tonight, our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home. Since the surge was announced in January, it has moved through several phases. First was the flow of additional troops into Iraq, especially Baghdad and Anbar province. Once these forces were in place, our commanders launched a series of offensive operations to drive terrorists and militias out of their strongholds. And finally, in areas that have been cleared, we are surging diplomatic and civilian resources to ensure that military progress is quickly followed up with real improvements in daily life. Anbar province is a good example of how our strategy is working. Last year, an intelligence report concluded that Anbar had been lost to al Qaeda. Some cited this report as evidence that we had failed in Iraq and should cut our losses and pull out. Instead, we kept the pressure on the terrorists. The local people were suffering under the Taliban-like rule of al Qaeda, and they were sick of it. So they asked us for help. (jump to continuation)
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