Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Powell speaks out about allegations of massacre in Jenin. The Secretary of State testified in before the Senate Appropriations Foreign Ooperations Subcommittee, today.

On allegations of a massacre:
"Clearly, innocent lives may well have been lost," Powell testified. But, he said, "I have no evidence of mass graves. I see no evidence that would support a massacre took place." Powell said he based his assessment on a 3-hour inspection of the refugee camp Friday by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns.

I don't deny that civilians may have been killed and the possibility exists that IDF forces used some brutal measures, but for international bodies and governments to make the allegations without definitive evidence is unconscionable. After all, we have much more convincing evidence and concrete proof that Yasser Arafat is an active terrorist chieftan.

Now it appears Colin Powell was reading my page last week. I wish they would cite me on this :
Powell said he saw no reason why accusations of Palestinian atrocities against Israel should not be explored by the United Nations, as well.

What did he tell Yasser?
"I made clear that if we don't see deeds, if we don't see action, there is not much we can do for him,"

I hope he said it in those terms.

When the 'good' Mr. Leahy tried to intone that, while surely not the fault of the honorable Secretary, the Administration was slow to act in the conflict Mr Poweel responded:
"I don't think that's an accurate portrayal," he told Leahy. "As soon as taking office, we became engaged," Powell said. He cited approval of recommendations by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell for easing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians and starting them on a road to peacemaking. Violence sidetracked action, but "the failure was theirs, not ours," Powell testified.

I think that the accusations that Powell is a dove and maybe a bit squishy are hastily made. Surely he is taking and advocating different tracks in some of the issues the Administration faces but, I get the feeling that Powell's public persona is a very carefully built construct. Not that he is insincere or fake, but I think he knows he is to play a role and he does so.

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