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Mr. Bush, can this many
diplomats be wrong?
The American Educational Trust, publishers of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, hosted a press conference in Washington on May 4th to announce and discuss the following letter to President Bush. The letter was signed by dozens of US former diplomatic personnel who had served in the Middle East and by others familiar with the area.
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
We former U.S. diplomats applaud our 52 British counterparts who recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticizing his Middle East policy and calling on Britain to exert more influence over the United States. As retired foreign service officers we care deeply about our nation's foreign policy and U.S. credibility in the world....
We also are deeply concerned by your April 14 endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral plan to reject the rights of three million Palestinians, to deny the right of refugees to return to their homeland, and to retain five large illegal settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. This plan defies U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for Israel's return of occupied territories. It ignores international laws declaring Israeli settlements illegal. It flouts U.N. Resolution 194, passed in 1948, which affirms the right of refugees to return to their homes or receive compensation for the loss of their property and assistance in resettling in a host country should they choose to do so. And it undermines the Road Map for peace drawn up by the Quartet, including the U.S. Finally, it reverses longstanding American policy in the Middle East.
Your meeting with Sharon followed a series of intensive negotiating sessions between Israelis and Americans, but which left out Palestinians. In fact, you and Prime Minister Sharon consistently have excluded Palestinians from peace negotiations. Former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo voiced the overwhelming reaction of people around the world when he said, "I believe President Bush declared the death of the peace process today."
By closing the door to negotiations with Palestinians and the possibility of a Palestinian state, you have proved that the United States is not an even-handed peace partner. You have placed U.S. diplomats, civilians and military doing their jobs overseas in an untenable and even dangerous position.
Your unqualified support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations, Israel's Berlin Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied territories, and now your endorsement of Sharon’s unilateral plan are costing our country its credibility, prestige and friends. Nor is this endorsement even in the best interests of the State of Israel.
It is not too late to reassert American principles of justice and fairness in our relations with all the peoples of the Middle East. Support negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, with the United States serving as a truly honest broker. A return to the time-honored American tradition of fairness will reverse the present tide of ill will in Europe and the Middle East—even in Iraq. Because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the core of the problems in the Middle East, the entire region—and the world—will rejoice along with Israelis and Palestinians when the killing stops and peace is attained.
Sincerely,
1. Andrew I. Killgore, Ambassador to Qatar, 1977-1980
2. Richard H. Curtiss, chief inspector, U.S. Information Agency
3. Colbert C. Held, Middle East Regional Officer
4. Thomas J. Carolan, Consul General, Turkey, 1988-1992
5. C. Edward Bernier, Counselor of Embassy for Information and Culture, Pakistan 1995-1996
6. Donald A. Kruse, American Consul in Jerusalem
7. Ambassador Edward L. Peck, former Chief of Mission in Iraq and Mauritania
8. John Powell, Admin Counselor of Embassy in Lebanon, 1975
9. John Gunther Dean, Ambassador to India
10. James Akins, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
11. Talcott Seelye, Ambassador to Syria
12. Eugene Bird, Counselor of Embassy in Saudi Arabia
13. Richard H. Nolte, Ambassador to Egypt
14. Ray Close, Chief of Station Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1971-1979
15. Shirl McArthur, Commercial Attache, Thailand
16. David Fredrick, Country Director Peace Corps Morocco 1986-1990
17. Bill Rugh, Ambassador to UAE and Yemen
18. James Curran, Deputy Chief of Mission Togo 1973-1975
19. Joseph Cheevers, Office of Inspectors General 1987
20. Robert L. M. Nevitt, Minister for Press Affairs for the U.N.
21. John Brady Kiesling, Political Counselor, Greece
22. E. William Tatge, Counselor for Commercial Affairs, France
23. Henry Precht, Deputy Chief of Mission, Egypt
24. John O. Sutter, FSO, The Asia Foundation's Representative for Indonesia, 1982-1984
25. James J. Halsema, Counselor for Public Affairs, Egypt
26. Nancy LeRoy, Public Affairs Officer, Mexico
27. Thomas M. Martin, USIA Congressional Liaison Officer,
28. Robert C. McLaughlin, USIA Madrid
29. Edward Alexander, Counselor for Public Affairs, East Berlin, 1976-1979
30. Roman Lotsberg, Admin Officer, Office of European Affairs
31. Dr. Shirley Hill Witt, Cultural Affairs Officer, Zambia, 1994-1996
32. Arthur L. Lowrie, Political Advisor to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command
33. Carleton Coon, Ambassador to Nepal 1981-1984
34. Jane Coon, Ambassador to Bangladesh, 1981-1984
35. George B. Roberts, Ambassador to Guyana, 1979-1981
36. Robert V. Keeley, Ambassador to Greece
37. John E. Marsh, First Secretary, Embassy Kuwait, 1971-1973
38. Thomas W. Fina, Consul General, Milan, 1973-1979
39. Harland H. Eastman, Consul General, Tangier, Morocco, and Tel Aviv, Israel
40. Arthur Mudge, Director, USAID Mission to Sudan, 1980-1983
41. Ronald I. Spiers, Undersecretary of State for Management
42. Albert L. Seligmann, Director, Office of Japanese Affairs, 1981-1983
43. Orin D. Parker, President, America-Middle East Educational Services, 1979-1988
44. Robert C. Amerson, Counselor for Public Affairs, Italy
45. Christian Freer, Colonel, AUS ret., former chief of CIA stations and War Plans staff
46. Thomas J. Hirschfeld, Deputy U.S. Rep MBFR Negotiations
47. Edward R. M. Kane, Deputy Chief of Station, CIA, Iraq, 1963-1965
48. Col. Richard Hobbes, US Army Retired, Politico-Military Adviser to NEA 1974-1977
49. Col. David Antoon, US Air Force, Retired
50. Brig. General Augustine A. Verrengia, USAF Ret.
51. Greg Thielmann, Director, Office for Strategic Proliferation Military Affairs, Bureau of Intelligence and Research
52. Robin Berrington, Cultural Attache, Japan
53. Gary S. Usrey, Deputy Chief of Mission, Morocco
54. Owen Roberts, Ambassador to Togo
55. Chas W. Freeman, Jr. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Assistant Secretary of Defense, 1993-1994
56. Edwin Paul Kennedy, Jr., Regional Affairs Officer for N. African, Near Eastern, and S. Asian Affairs, USIA
57. Thomas J. Scotes, Ambassador to Yemen, 1975-1978
58. Michael Mennard, Ph.D., Regional Public Affairs Officer, India
59. Francois M. Dickman, Director Arabian Peninsula Affairs 1972-1976, Ambassador to UAE 1976-1979 and Kuwait 1979-83
60. Terrell E. Arnold, Former Deputy Director Office of Counterterrorism and Consul General, Brazil
61. Roderick M. Wright, Counselor for International Economic Affairs U.N., Geneva 1989-1990
62. Michael A. Rugh, USAID Mission Director to Somalia 1990-1991
63. Kathleen Christison, Middle East Policy Analyst, CIA, 1971-1979
64. William Christison, Director, Office of Regional and Political Analysis, CIA, ret. 1977-1979
65. Donald Easum, Ambassador to Nigeria
66. Jack McCreary, Public Affairs Officer, Rabat, Tunis, Sanaa, Baghdad
67. Paul D. Molineaux, Lebanon, 1976-1978
68. Charles E. Lahiguera, FSO, ret.
69. Dr. Frederick E. Machmer, Jr. Minister Counselor, U.S. Department of State, ret.
70. David Rehfuss, Economic Counselor, Saudi Arabia, 1990-1992
71. William E. Ryerson, Ambassador to Albania
72. Lambert Heyniger, Consul, Algeria, 1976-1978
73. Ernest Dane, Consul General, Haiti 1981-1983
74. Margot Mazeau, Assistan General Counsel, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
75. Edward J. Savage, Assistant Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs, White House
76. Robert E. White, Ambassador to Paraguay, El Salvador, President, Center for International Policy
77. Lucian Heichler, Minister-Counselor, Senior Foreign Service, ret.
78. Stephen W. Buck, Consul General, Saudi Arabia, 1996-1999, Deputy Chief of Mission, Iraq
79. Jordan T. Rogers, Deputy Chief of Mission, Pakistan, 1968-1969
80. Michael A. Ceuvorst, Consul General, West Germany
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