*EPF112 06/16/2003
Powell Pledges Commitment to Two States "Living Side-by-Side in Peace"
(Address to convention of American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) (850)

By G. Hishmeh
Washington File Special Correspondent

Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged to an overflow audience of Arab-Americans June 14 that the United States remains committed -- "President Bush is totally committed" -- to the vision of a Palestinian state and an Israeli state "living side-by-side in peace."

Powell was speaking at the 20th annual convention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab-American grass-roots organization in the United States.

"What is the alternative? What is the alternative?" the secretary repeated. "We must take this opportunity for peace and push forward. It will be difficult. ... Nobody knows more about the difficulties that lay ahead than I do. I have been working on this now from the first day that I became secretary of state."

Acknowledging that there may be arguments on the next steps, he added, "the reality is we must end terror and violence, we must move forward, we must take this chance for peace."

He promised that the United States "will not get weary. We will not waver. We will not stop. We will not step aside. The President is committed. I am committed. His administration is committed. We will succeed."

Others seated at the head table with the secretary of state included outgoing ADC President Ziad Asali, former Senator James Abourezk who founded ADC in 1980, and Edward Said, the prominent educator and writer.

Ralph Nader, an Arab-American peace activist who ran in the 2000 presidential election, also spoke, and was critical of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, particularly legislation passed after the September 11 attacks that have subjected some in the Arab and Muslim communities to governmental scrutiny.

Nader called on the Bush administration to engage the Israeli peace movement in Israel -- and its supporters within the American Jewish community -- in its quest for support among Israelis for a settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (In fact, an official of the Americans for Peace Now was among other American Jews present at the banquet.)

Powell praised the ADC for its "dedication to erasing discrimination," pointing out that he too has suffered discrimination as an African-American. "It's only in my generation have I seen the kinds of improvements that would allow a black man to stand before you as secretary of state and as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. So I know all about discrimination."

He credited ADC with being a "vital bridge" for understanding between Arabs and Americans and told the members they have "a special responsibility" to share their wisdom across cultural boundaries.

He added, "I salute you for doing just that -- for speaking out for peace in the Middle East and against intolerance within our own borders."

Powell reminded his audience of the roles of some Arab-Americans, like Fawaz "Tony" Ismail, the largest distributor of that "quintessential American symbol," the American flag (June 14 was Flag Day in the United States); Fred Saidy for bringing "joy to millions through his movies and his Broadway productions"; and "our dear friend" George Mitchell, the former senator and "peacemaker extraordinaire (and) one of today's most distinguished Americans."

Aware of the concerns of the Arab and Muslim communities over U.S. immigration policies, he underlined that a new system is now under development. Under "U.S. VISIT," he said, America "will always be seen as a welcoming place, a place that wants people to come and visit, to get an education, to take advantage of our healthcare system, our cultural attractions ... [that] will help ensure that all visitors to this great country are received with dignity and with humanity."

Turning to foreign policy issues, Secretary Powell declared that "our enemies are terrorists and their supporters, not people of any single faith or ethnicity." He said they will be stopped, their weapons and networks destroyed and their finances frozen.

Powell appeared upbeat, saying "the landscape is shifting." In the Middle East, he continued, "We are seeing change in Iraq. ... [Iraqis] have been freed from the terror of an outlaw regime that filled mass graves with the bodies of its victims."

On the Arab-Israeli conflict, Powell argued that President Bush, in going to Aqaba, Jordan, for the meeting June 4 with Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers, Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon, moved his vision for peace in the region "a giant step" forward.

"We must not let this new momentum toward peace lag," Powell said. "The parties must turn these courageous commitments into peace on the ground. There is no time for parsing promises. The two sides must now perform."

"The liberation of Iraq and the rekindled hopes for Arab-Israeli peace mark the crest of a new and welcome wave of freedom, openness, and economic reform in the Middle East," he said. "From the Straits of Gibraltar to the Strait of Hormuz, we are seeing stirrings of economic and political reform."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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