Bush Plans More Palestinian Aid

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Bush Plans More Palestinian Aid
To Support Mideast Peace Effort
Associated Press
July 16, 2007 10:13 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, taking on a more personal role in the Mideast conflict, plans to speak Monday afternoon about increased financial and diplomatic support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government.

Edward Abington, a former American diplomat who advises Mr. Abbas, said he strongly suspects the president will announce that he will consult with Congress about providing additional money for Palestinian aid projects. What's unclear is whether it will be money that was promised to the Palestinians before, but never provided, or whether it would be a separate, new request to Congress.

"But the bottom line is whether this will make any difference, and in my opinion, it will not," Mr. Abington said. "The Bush administration has given some money in the past to support Abu Mazen and it has not resulted in any positive outcome. What is needed are steps on the Israeli side to relax checkpoints and other restrictions on movement that destroy the economy and make the occupation so oppressive."

Mr. Abbas controls just the West Bank after the Islamic militant group Hamas gained authority in Gaza in June. The nearly three million Palestinians essentially have two governments -- one controlled by Hamas in Gaza, the other by Mr. Abbas in the West Bank. Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction and is regarded a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel.

Mr. Abbas, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday, consolidated his control of the West Bank on Saturday and installed a government of moderates, led by Mr. Fayyad. Hamas said Mr. Abbas's move was unconstitutional and the group pledged to challenge the new government. Israel and the U.S. moved quickly to back Mr. Abbas.

"The president sees there is an opportunity there now to show the Palestinian people a choice between the kind of violence and chaos under Hamas in Gaza and the prospect, under President Abbas and Prime Minister [Salem] Fayyad, for an effective, democratic Palestinian state that can be on the way toward what we all want, which is a two-state solution -- a Palestinian homeland for the Palestinian people," national security adviser Stephen Hadley said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Mr. Hadley didn't elaborate about the type of financial assistance Mr. Bush planned to discuss. But a senior administration official said Mr. Hadley was signaling that the president would announce aid above the $86 million that the White House already has requested from Congress. That money was to help provide security for Mr. Abbas.

The administration also has said that it would contribute $40 million to the United Nations to help the Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip now controlled by Hamas.

Five years ago, Mr. Bush called for a separate, independent Palestine alongside Israel. He was the first U.S. president to back that notion so fully and publicly. But his administration has taken heavy criticism for letting the peace process drift while conditions worsened for the impoverished Palestinians.

International negotiators trying to bring peace to the Mideast plan to meet Thursday in Portugal. The group, which is expected to include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will confer with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the first time in his new role promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who also will attend the meeting, is increasingly concerned about the economic impact for Gaza. Mr. Ban, who is meeting with Mr. Bush at the White House on Tuesday, called for the opening of all crossings to allow humanitarian supplies and workers and commercial goods to enter the territory.

Source  Associated Press