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Rice: PA Must Recognize the "Foundational Principles for Peace"

[State Department] Secretary of State Rice told a Congressional committee Wednesday: "It is extremely important to continue to show American commitment to the development of a political horizon so that the Palestinian people can see that their future rests with moderate forces like Abu Mazen [Abbas], not with those forces that are extreme. In that regard, frankly, the formation of the Palestinian unity government has provided something of a challenge because the Palestinian unity government as formed does not meet the Quartet principles. I have stopped calling them the Quartet principles; I now call them the 'foundational principles for peace,' because quite clearly you cannot have peace unless you recognize the right of the other party to exist, unless you're prepared to renounce violence, and unless you're prepared to live up to past agreements." "The U.S. is not prepared to change its assistance policies toward this government because it does not recognize those foundational principles for peace. We will nonetheless not suspend our contacts with those in the Palestinian government who have a record of fighting for peace."
2007-03-22 01:00:00
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