Calls on Israelis, Palestinians to take action to advance peace

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns said that although the United States supports Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, Washington views Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza as unhelpful to the peace process.

"The United States position with regard to home demolitions in Rafah and anyplace else is very clear, and that is that we oppose them," said Burns, speaking in a May 16 interview with Al-Arabiya television in Jordan.

"[W]e don't see home demolitions, land confiscations, other steps that affect the lives of Palestinian civilians as being helpful to that process," he said.

Burns said the United States supports Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposal to withdraw from Gaza as "a way to re-start the process, to move toward implementation of the Roadmap."

A final status solution to the conflict would produce a two-state solution, as laid out by President Bush in 2002, and would affect "not just Gaza but the West Bank as well," he said.

The assistant secretary called for both parties to take action to move the peace process forward, in particular for Palestinians to act decisively against terrorism, and for Israel to ease conditions of Palestinians in the occupied territories.

"It's actions that are going to make a difference in the minds and lives of ordinary Palestinians, whose suffering and humiliations under occupation have gotten worse in the last three-and-a-half years, and make a difference in the lives of Israelis, whose own insecurities, under threat of terrorist attack have gotten worse, too," he said.

The United States has obligations as well and "is prepared to do its part," said Burns.

"If the Palestinian leadership is prepared to move ahead on its obligations in the Road map, the United States is prepared to do everything we can to help," he said.

Turning to Iraq, Burns said it is "not enough" for the Bush administration to merely express deep regret for the abuses committed against Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.

"[W]e also have to do everything we can, in an open and transparent way, consistent with our political system, to show that we're going to prevent these kinds of things from happening in the future, and to show our determination," he said.

U.S. forces will continue to serve in Iraq "in partnership with the Iraqis" after sovereignty is handed over to the Iraqi transitional government on June 30.

Burns said the United States looks forward to the creation of a multinational force as a result of a new U.N. Security Council resolution.

He also said the United States is committed to establishing a political system in Iraq that represents every part of the Iraqi population, which has, as its foundation, a sense of what it is to be an Iraqi, which cuts across ethnic lines or religious lines or anything else," said Burns.

Following is a transcript of Assistant Secretary Burns' interview with Al-Arabiya:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Dead Sea, Jordan)
For Immediate Release
May 16, 2004

INTERVIEW
Ambassador William J. Burns
With Al-Arabiya

May 16, 2004
Dead Sea, Jordan

QUESTION: Mr. Burns, I will start by asking, there are some reports saying the Secretary of Defense knew about the inhuman punishment that the prisoners in Iraq have received from the American troops. He knew about it, and he knew everything, and not just this, but he gave the order for it. What is your comment about this?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: I don't have a comment, because I haven't seen those reports. The only thing I would re-emphasize is what Secretary Powell said yesterday, and that is that it's not enough for the United States simply to express our deep regret for the abuses that were committed -- our regret not just because of the stain on the American image that that leaves, but also our regret for the humiliation and the suffering caused to the victims of those abuses and their families. It's not enough just for us to express that regret, we also have to do everything we can, in an open and transparent way, consistent with our political system, to show that we're going to prevent these kinds of things from happening in the future, and to show our determination.

QUESTION: So you don't think that the Secretary of Defense should resign? These reports were saying that he gave the orders, to do such a thing like this?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: I just -- I haven't seen the reports, so I can't offer you a comment on that.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, regarding to the Palestinian question. Arab people are saying that all the Americans are just giving promises, and then not do anything on the ground, like President Bush said the Palestinian state should be 2005, and now they want to replace Arafat, and he's an elected President as well, you know? So aren't we going to see a real American action on the ground, not just keep saying "blah, blah, blah, we want peace," and no action?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: Words certainly aren't enough in this case, whether they come from the United States or anyone else. It's actions that are going to make a difference in the minds and lives of ordinary Palestinians, whose suffering and humiliations under occupation have gotten worse in the last three-and-a-half years, and make a difference in the lives of Israelis, whose own insecurities, under threat of terrorist attack have gotten worse, too. Making progress is going to require us to do some difficult things, not just talk about them, but it's also going to require Palestinians and Israelis to do things as well... Palestinians, with regard to acting decisively against the terror and violence and the groups that have done so much to undermine legitimate Palestinian political aspirations. But the same is true with Israelis: they have obligations as well, under the Roadmap, which they need to fulfill.

QUESTION: But Secretary Powell said today that . . . Prime Minister Qureia, has had his hands tied by Arafat. Don't you think that Arafat is the legal president? He's been elected by the Palestinians!

AMBASSADOR BURNS: Of course, it's obvious that President Arafat was elected by the Palestinian people, and he's their elected leader; we haven't taken issue with that. What we've taken issue with is the performance of the Palestinian leadership. Again, not as a favor to the United States, but in the self-interest of the Palestinians, to act in a way which is actually going to bring about an independent, viable Palestinian state, which is so much in the interests of Palestinians as well as Israelis. And so it's the behavior of the Palestinian leadership that has caused concern for us.

We recognize we have obligations, too. Secretary Powell told Prime Minister Qurei yesterday -- and I'm sure Dr. Rice will repeat this tomorrow in Berlin -- the United States is prepared to do its part. If the Palestinian leadership is prepared to move ahead on its obligations in the Roadmap, the United States is prepared to do everything we can to help.

QUESTION: People say or think that there's a double standard for the Americans according to the Palestinian question on dealing with Israel. Israel is now killing and destroying in Rafah, and we hear no comment about that.

AMBASSADOR BURNS: The United States position with regard to home demolitions in Rafah and anyplace else is very clear, and that is that we oppose them. We have always understood and strongly support Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. That's our position and it will continue to be our position. But we don't see home demolitions, land confiscations, other steps that affect the lives of Palestinian civilians as being helpful to that process.

QUESTION: Do you think the Palestinian state could be Gaza, just Gaza, not all the Occupied Territories?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: No. I think a final status solution which produces the kind of two-state solution that President Bush has clearly laid out -- the first President to do that -- has to be built on negotiations between the parties, and a solution that affects not just Gaza but the West Bank as well. Our view of the proposal that Prime Minister Sharon had put on the table is that it offers a way to re-start the process, to move toward implementation of the Roadmap within the framework of the Roadmap and to revive a sense of hope in the two-state solution. But it has to be part of a larger process. It has to involve the West Bank as well, ultimately, and it has to involve a resolution of those very difficult final status issues, and that's going to require negotiations between the parties. The United States can't substitute for that.

QUESTION: According to the Iraq question, Mr. Ambassador, do you think the American and other countries' army will stay in Iraq after the Iraqis take over? Will the American troops stay for security? Some people think that if the Americans leave Iraq, it'll be a big mess -- there's no army or nothing, you know?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: The United States is fully and firmly committed to doing its part in Iraq, and that includes helping Iraqis to regain control over their own affairs and to ensure law and order and security in the country. We're determined to do that in partnership with the Iraqis. After the 30th of June, there'll be a sovereign interim government in Iraq. We're going to work with that government; we're going to work with our partners in the UN Security Council in pursuit of a new resolution to work out a framework so that we can continue to contribute our troops -- again, in partnership with the Iraqis -- as they rebuild their own security services.

QUESTION: They will stay in the cities, or they will go out from the cities, the troops?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: Those are judgments that are going to have to be made later on, tactically. But again, I think the key point here is that we are going to pursue this in partnership with the Iraqis. We look forward to the creation of a multinational force through a new UN Security Council resolution, and an effort that the United States is determined to continue to help Iraqis maintain law and order and their own security.

QUESTION: Are you looking forward to seeing Arab troops from the Arab states, maybe in the multinational force, do you wish to see Arab troops in Iraq? [inaudible]

AMBASSADOR BURNS: I think that, as a general matter, the United States welcomes contributions from throughout the international community and throughout the region, both in terms of security, as well as economic reconstruction, support for the political process. It's obviously going to be up to Iraqis themselves, especially once they have a sovereign interim government, to determine the kinds of support that's going to be most useful to them. But as a general principle, sure, we would support that, and we will continue to try to encourage others to contribute.

QUESTION: You're supporting democracy in Iraq, but would you accept a Shiia' state, according to democracy?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: Well, democracy means that the Iraqis themselves are going to have to determine not only their own political system, but how that political system is run. That's what we're committed to doing, what we're trying hard to do, with the United Nations, because this isn't exclusively an American responsibility or an American effort, it's something that all of us in the international community share an interest in doing. What we're trying to do is help Iraqis help set up a political system, set up institutions, which allows them to govern themselves fairly and freely.

QUESTION: But would the Americans -- the administration -- accept the Shiia state in Iraq, similar to Iran?

AMBASSADOR BURNS: What the United States is committed to, as I said before, is a political system for Iraqis that represents the interests of Iraqis, every part of that population, which has, as its foundation, a sense of what it is to be an Iraqi, which cuts across ethnic lines or religious lines or anything else. And that's what I think is most important to encourage Iraqis to do.

QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, thank you very much for this interview.

AMBASSADOR BURNS: Thank you, my pleasure.

(end transcript)

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