Middle East envoy accused of ‘parroting’ Israeli demands during negotiations The Palestinian leadership has stepped up its attack on Tony Blair in his role as envoy of the Middle East Quartet, saying that his “parroting” of Israeli demands casts doubt on his credibility. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, confirmed that Palestinian leaders had discussed whether to make a formal request to the Quartet that Blair be removed from his position, but had decided against such a move. “Everyone had reservations about Blair’s performance, but we don’t want to embarrass him any more,” Shaath said. “If you want to do it, you wait until things have quietened down.” Hostility towards Blair, who has been the Quartet’s envoy since soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007, has hardened in recent weeks. Blair acted as a “defence attorney” for the Israelis during a debate within the Quartet in July, when its partners – the US, EU, Russia and the UN – were unable to agree on a statement on the outlines of a return to peace talks. This, Shaath said, gave cause for “serious doubt that he could carry on his duties” as a neutral. He described Blair as “a personal friend, a brilliant man, extremely intelligent, with an important record of achievement, at least in his early years”. When he took on the role of Quartet envoy, “we thought he would be a real support to the Palestinians. But he gradually reduced his role to that of asking the Israelis to take down a barrier here or a barrier there… He really escaped all the political requirements of his job as representative of the Quartet.” In fact, Blair’s remit from the Quartet was restricted to easing economic constraints in the West Bank and Gaza and helping with state-building. He was asked to take on the role of political mediator by the US only in the run-up to the Palestinians’ demand for full membership at the UN. “He was parroting exactly what the Israelis wanted,” said Shaath. However the Quartet’s eventual statement “had few flaws, if any”. Its call for restraint on provocative actions was clearly intended to encourage the Israelis to curb settlement expansion, he said. But Israel’s announcement last week of 1,100 new homes in the settlement of Gilo was a rejection of the statement and an indication of its intent to continue its “land grab”, according to Shaath. Tony Blair Palestinian territories Israel Middle East peace talks Middle East United Nations Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Middle East envoy accused of ‘parroting’ Israeli demands during negotiations The Palestinian leadership has stepped up its attack on Tony Blair in his role as envoy of the Middle East Quartet, saying that his “parroting” of Israeli demands casts doubt on his credibility. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, confirmed that Palestinian leaders had discussed whether to make a formal request to the Quartet that Blair be removed from his position, but had decided against such a move. “Everyone had reservations about Blair’s performance, but we don’t want to embarrass him any more,” Shaath said. “If you want to do it, you wait until things have quietened down.” Hostility towards Blair, who has been the Quartet’s envoy since soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007, has hardened in recent weeks. Blair acted as a “defence attorney” for the Israelis during a debate within the Quartet in July, when its partners – the US, EU, Russia and the UN – were unable to agree on a statement on the outlines of a return to peace talks. This, Shaath said, gave cause for “serious doubt that he could carry on his duties” as a neutral. He described Blair as “a personal friend, a brilliant man, extremely intelligent, with an important record of achievement, at least in his early years”. When he took on the role of Quartet envoy, “we thought he would be a real support to the Palestinians. But he gradually reduced his role to that of asking the Israelis to take down a barrier here or a barrier there… He really escaped all the political requirements of his job as representative of the Quartet.” In fact, Blair’s remit from the Quartet was restricted to easing economic constraints in the West Bank and Gaza and helping with state-building. He was asked to take on the role of political mediator by the US only in the run-up to the Palestinians’ demand for full membership at the UN. “He was parroting exactly what the Israelis wanted,” said Shaath. However the Quartet’s eventual statement “had few flaws, if any”. Its call for restraint on provocative actions was clearly intended to encourage the Israelis to curb settlement expansion, he said. But Israel’s announcement last week of 1,100 new homes in the settlement of Gilo was a rejection of the statement and an indication of its intent to continue its “land grab”, according to Shaath. Tony Blair Palestinian territories Israel Middle East peace talks Middle East United Nations Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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Middle East envoy accused of ‘parroting’ Israeli demands during negotiations The Palestinian leadership has stepped up its attack on Tony Blair in his role as envoy of the Middle East Quartet, saying that his “parroting” of Israeli demands casts doubt on his credibility. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, confirmed that Palestinian leaders had discussed whether to make a formal request to the Quartet that Blair be removed from his position, but had decided against such a move. “Everyone had reservations about Blair’s performance, but we don’t want to embarrass him any more,” Shaath said. “If you want to do it, you wait until things have quietened down.” Hostility towards Blair, who has been the Quartet’s envoy since soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007, has hardened in recent weeks. Blair acted as a “defence attorney” for the Israelis during a debate within the Quartet in July, when its partners – the US, EU, Russia and the UN – were unable to agree on a statement on the outlines of a return to peace talks. This, Shaath said, gave cause for “serious doubt that he could carry on his duties” as a neutral. He described Blair as “a personal friend, a brilliant man, extremely intelligent, with an important record of achievement, at least in his early years”. When he took on the role of Quartet envoy, “we thought he would be a real support to the Palestinians. But he gradually reduced his role to that of asking the Israelis to take down a barrier here or a barrier there… He really escaped all the political requirements of his job as representative of the Quartet.” In fact, Blair’s remit from the Quartet was restricted to easing economic constraints in the West Bank and Gaza and helping with state-building. He was asked to take on the role of political mediator by the US only in the run-up to the Palestinians’ demand for full membership at the UN. “He was parroting exactly what the Israelis wanted,” said Shaath. However the Quartet’s eventual statement “had few flaws, if any”. Its call for restraint on provocative actions was clearly intended to encourage the Israelis to curb settlement expansion, he said. But Israel’s announcement last week of 1,100 new homes in the settlement of Gilo was a rejection of the statement and an indication of its intent to continue its “land grab”, according to Shaath. Tony Blair Palestinian territories Israel Middle East peace talks Middle East United Nations Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Middle East envoy accused of ‘parroting’ Israeli demands during negotiations The Palestinian leadership has stepped up its attack on Tony Blair in his role as envoy of the Middle East Quartet, saying that his “parroting” of Israeli demands casts doubt on his credibility. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, confirmed that Palestinian leaders had discussed whether to make a formal request to the Quartet that Blair be removed from his position, but had decided against such a move. “Everyone had reservations about Blair’s performance, but we don’t want to embarrass him any more,” Shaath said. “If you want to do it, you wait until things have quietened down.” Hostility towards Blair, who has been the Quartet’s envoy since soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007, has hardened in recent weeks. Blair acted as a “defence attorney” for the Israelis during a debate within the Quartet in July, when its partners – the US, EU, Russia and the UN – were unable to agree on a statement on the outlines of a return to peace talks. This, Shaath said, gave cause for “serious doubt that he could carry on his duties” as a neutral. He described Blair as “a personal friend, a brilliant man, extremely intelligent, with an important record of achievement, at least in his early years”. When he took on the role of Quartet envoy, “we thought he would be a real support to the Palestinians. But he gradually reduced his role to that of asking the Israelis to take down a barrier here or a barrier there… He really escaped all the political requirements of his job as representative of the Quartet.” In fact, Blair’s remit from the Quartet was restricted to easing economic constraints in the West Bank and Gaza and helping with state-building. He was asked to take on the role of political mediator by the US only in the run-up to the Palestinians’ demand for full membership at the UN. “He was parroting exactly what the Israelis wanted,” said Shaath. However the Quartet’s eventual statement “had few flaws, if any”. Its call for restraint on provocative actions was clearly intended to encourage the Israelis to curb settlement expansion, he said. But Israel’s announcement last week of 1,100 new homes in the settlement of Gilo was a rejection of the statement and an indication of its intent to continue its “land grab”, according to Shaath. Tony Blair Palestinian territories Israel Middle East peace talks Middle East United Nations Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who for years pushed for reconciliation with the Taliban, now says attempts to negotiate with the insurgent movement are futile. (Oct. 1)
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With a verdict expected soon in the appeals trial of Amanda Knox, the American woman convicted of murdering her British roommate, the media have descended on Perugia, Italy.(Oct. 1)
Continue reading …With a verdict expected soon in the appeals trial of Amanda Knox, the American woman convicted of murdering her British roommate, the media have descended on Perugia, Italy.(Oct. 1)
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With a verdict expected soon in the appeals trial of Amanda Knox, the American woman convicted of murdering her British roommate, the media have descended on Perugia, Italy.(Oct. 1)
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With a verdict expected soon in the appeals trial of Amanda Knox, the American woman convicted of murdering her British roommate, the media have descended on Perugia, Italy.(Oct. 1)
Continue reading …Tea party Republican Todd Akin, who refuses to meet with his constituents , has inspired them to take their questions to the web and Twitter with the #AskToddAkin campaign. The website, AskToddAkin.com allows concerned citizens to automatically send tweets that question why the representative opposes programs that help the people of Missouri. The AFL-CIO says: So far, he hasn’t been willing to meet with voters in his district, even though he’s been traveling far and wide to tea party meetings and fundraisers hours outside of his district. When his constituents held a town hall meeting a block from his office, he wouldn’t even contact them to decline, although he did issue a press statement saying he wouldn’t go to a “Union Hall,” calling the town hall meeting a “Rally and Protest.” Among the questions voters can ask Akin: Why he voted to eliminate Medicare? Why he thinks Medicare is unconstitutional? Where are the jobs? Akin has a lifetime Progressive Punch score of 1.13 percent on labor issues, which is skewed by a few positive votes dealing with the erosion of workers’ rights caused by international trade deals. When it comes to other issues, such as giving aid to workers hurt by those trade deals, union rights, occupational safety and health, outsourcing, protection of worker pensions, workplace rights and the rights of public employees, Akin has never voted in favor of America’s workers.
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