Obama breaks silence on Gaza, calls civilian deaths 'a deep concern' : Indybay

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Palestine | International | U.S. | Anti-War | Government & Elections

Obama breaks silence on Gaza, calls civilian deaths 'a deep concern'

by Haaretz (reposted)
Tuesday Jan 6th, 2009 5:08 PM

Barack Obama, who takes over as U.S. president from George W. Bush on January 20, broke his silence about the violence in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling the loss of civilian lives in Gaza and in Israel a "source of deep concern for me."

Obama added he would adhere to his principle that only Bush should be the voice of U.S. foreign policy at this time but he would have plenty to say after his inauguration in two weeks.

Nonetheless, Obama said that he is "not backing at all from what I've said during the campaign we're going to engage effectively and consistently in the peace process." "We've got plenty to say about Gaza, and on January 20, you'll hear directly from me," he added.

Meanwhile, the United States on Tuesday signaled some flexibility over Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip, saying it would like to see "an immediate ceasefire" but emphasizing any such agreement must be durable, sustainable and indefinite.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to the United Nations on Tuesday was designed to show that the United States was open a variety of ways to achieve a cease-fire.

"We would like an immediate cease-fire, absolutely," McCormack told reporters, speaking after Israeli tank shells killed at least 40 Palestinians at a United Nations school where civilians had taken shelter. "An immediate cease-fire that is durable, sustainable and not time-limited."

Rice was headed to the United Nations on Tuesday to meet Arab ministers as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a bid to get a cease-fire deal in Gaza, the State Department said.

"The purpose of her trip is to move forward the international efforts to create a cease-fire in Gaza," said a State Department official.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053229.html

Add Your Comments

§Ms. 'Mushroom Cloud' is the 'Mother of all Liars'

by DLi

Wednesday Jan 7th, 2009 2:24 AM

Pardon me if I'm not exactly convinced of our (mis)State Dept. Secretary Rice's sincerity when she speaks of favoring a 'cease-fire' in the Israeli massacre in Gaza(especially when her Dept. spokesman quickly added the condition of a "durable" cease-fire. (Oh, by the way, Hitler himself would have favored a 'durable' peace in 1945 also, one that would include a permanent death on all his proclaimed enemies!) Remember, this is the same "Chevron tanker" Rice that said that the War on Iraq has nothing to do with Oil! And of course the same Dragon Lady who in 2002 told the world that Saddam was developing WMDs that would come as "mushroom clouds" onto our shores! Next thing you know, she would probably say that history will be a lot kinder to her boss-man(or is it her 'husband,' as she was clearly over-heard a couple years back in a TV interview?) than many pundits today--Oh, so sorry, she ALREADY SAID THAT last week on another TV interview! So, this "sweet" Afro-American wench is either the biggest 'Mother of all Liars," or is substantially Delusional, or more likely, both.

by JaeJay

Wednesday Jan 7th, 2009 11:21 PM

I find it hilarious how huge of a frenzy the media is making out of Obama's silence. Obama is already initiating change through his silence. Mainstream Western media (and I am assuming that now 'mainstream' Middle Eastern media has followed its path) is so familiar with low context modes of communication, that when a US President finally opts to use high context modes of communication out of respect, mainstream media does not know what to do with itself.

What about the op-eds from non-English media, non-Western countries, and high context communication countries? Of course we are not hearing any of that. As a person living in Asia, I believe people here see his silence very respectable, and we are all looking forward to the day when Obama is finally inaugurated.