09 May 2002
U.S. Says Palestinian Reform Essential for Political Solution
(Bush calls for Palestinian Authority backed by "true government")
(590)
By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- President Bush and his senior officials are calling on
the Palestinian Authority (PA) to undertake democratic reforms as it
reconstructs itself following recent Israeli military actions.
Speaking with Jordan's King Abdullah in Washington May 8, President
Bush said he was deeply concerned over the fact that many Palestinians
"don't believe there's any hope, there's no future."
"[W]e've got to make sure they have a better future, by putting an
economic plan in place. But that can't happen unless there is a
Palestinian Authority that's backed by a true government, I mean a
true sense of the ability to run itself," said Bush.
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said May 9 that the United
States as well as other international donors all look for governmental
accountability when giving humanitarian and economic assistance. The
Palestinian reforms advocated by the Bush administration are similar
to standards applied worldwide, he said.
"[W]e're not asking the Palestinian leadership itself to do anything
that we don't ask of other national leaderships around the world,"
said Boucher, speaking at the May 9 State Department briefing.
"We look for insurance, transparency to make sure that our money ...
goes to the people for whom it's intended. I don't see why any donor
would want to give money without some kind of system to ensure that,"
said Boucher.
President Bush on May 8 described his desire to see "structures in
place for a Palestinian Authority that respects rule of law, that has
its own constitution, that is able to fight corruption, that's able to
spend money properly when it gets it from foreign sources, so that
there is hope, there is hope for the Palestinian people."
Secretary of State Colin Powell said that reform of the PA "is
essential," following his May 8 meeting with British Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw.
Spokesman Boucher amplified Powell's comment in the May 8 State
Department briefing by saying that such reforms are tied to every
aspect of moving toward a political solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with its goal being the establishment of
a Palestinian state.
Boucher said that building Palestinian institutions in this manner "is
part of building their political future and ending the occupation." He
said reform of the Palestinian security services is needed to enable
the Palestinian Authority to combat terrorism.
"We believe that fighting against corruption, that having
accountability and responsibility, keeping terrorism out of the
security services, having responsibility and control the security
services and having a judicial process that works and works fairly and
transparently -- they're all essential parts of fighting against
terrorism and fighting against violence. Democracies around the world
fight successfully against violence and terrorism," said Boucher.
In implementing these efforts, Boucher said on May 9 that the United
States wished to work with Chairman Yasser Arafat, Arab and
international leaders to rebuild the PA with "democratic principles,
market economics, good governance, accountability, transparency,
opposition to terror."
In its recognition of Arafat as the head of the PA, Boucher said the
United States expects him to play "a constructive role" in the reform
effort.
"[A]s leader he has a responsibility to do the things that are
necessary for his people, and these are the things that we think are
necessary ... One has to expect that leadership to emerge and be
capable of governing, of establishing that state in a way that's
comparable to others," said Boucher on May 8.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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