The Bomb Iran AIPAC Policy Conference 2005/ Speeches by Dems

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Hillary. Peter Beinart. Michael Ledeen. Dan Senor. Condi Rice. HOWARD DEAN (whose disgusting speech I can't find but it was at www.aipac.org/PC2005_Dean.pdf). Dennis Hastert. Nancy Pelosi. Harry Reid. Bill Frist. All of them were there beating the drums with Sharon.

AIPAC is busily scrubbing their site. So here's from google cache:

Record-breaking 4,000-plus delegates
Pro-Israel activists from all 50 states
450 lobbying meetings on Capitol Hill
1/2 the Senate and 2/3 of the House at the gala banquet
Nearly 1,000 students, faculty and professionals from 300 campuses
More than 100 student government presidents
More than 100 international visitors
13 in-depth forums exploring key topics
Dozens of hours of programming


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FEATURED FORUM SPEAKERS AND SESSIONS

THE DAY AFTER THE BOMB: HOW A NUCLEAR IRAN WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD

Ambassador Brad Gordon
Legislative Director, AIPAC
Dr. Michael Ledeen
Freedom Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
The Honorable Ephraim Sneh
Member of Knesset, Labor Party
DISENGAGEMENT AND BEYOND: THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS

Brig. Gen. Udi Dekel
Director of the Strategic Planning Division, Israel Defense Forces
Mr. David Makovsky
Director, Project on the Middle East Peace Process, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Ambassador Ron Prosor
Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Israel
BEYOND THE HEADLINES: THE MEDIA AND THE WAR ON TERROR

Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Israel Defense Forces
Mr. Dan Senor
Former Spokesman, Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority
THE PLAYERS AND THE PARTIES: BEHIND THE SCENES OF ISRAELI POLITICS TODAY

Mr. Eyal Arad
President, Arad Communications and Strategic Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ambassador Avi Gil
Former Director General, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Strategic Advisor to Vice Premier Shimon Peres
PROFS AND PROPAGANDA: ISRAEL IN THE ACADEMIC ARENA

Mr. Peter McPherson
President Emeritus, Michigan State University
Dr. Jonathan Adelman
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver
Mr. Jonathan Kessler
Leadership Development Director, AIPAC
TERROR IN THE USA: HOW VULNERABLE ARE WE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?

Mr. Michael Bopp
Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Mr. David Cohen
Senior Lobbyist for Homeland Security Affairs, AIPAC
APPROACHING STATEHOOD: ARE THE PALESTINIANS REALLY READY?

Mr. Khaled Abu Toameh
Palestinian Affairs Correspondent, The Jerusalem Post
Brig. Gen. Michael Herzog
Visiting Military Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Ms. Ester Kurz
Director for Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC
TODAY AND TOMORROW: THE PARTIES AND THEIR APPROACH TO FOREIGN POLICY

Mr. Peter Beinart
Editor, The New Republic
Mr. David Frum
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
BUSINESS AND BEYOND: HOW U.S.-ISRAEL COLLABORATION IS CHANGING THE WORLD

Mr. Erel Margalit
Managing Partner, Jerusalem Venture Partners
Mr. Jonathan Medved
Managing Partner, Israel Seed Partners
Mr. Larry Weinberg
Executive Vice President, Israel21C
WINDS OF CHANGE: UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST'S SHIFTING PICTURE

Dr. Robert Satloff
Executive Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Dr. Kenneth Stein
Director, Institute for the Study of Modern Israel at Emory University
KNESSET CONVERSATION: A ROUNDTABLE FEATURING ISRAELI POLITICAL LEADERS

The Honorable Reshef Cheyne
Member of Knesset, Shinui Party
The Honorable Meir Sheetrit
Minister of Transportation, Likud Party
The Honorable Ephraim Sneh
Member of Knesset, Labor Party
PROMISE OR PITFALL: WHAT'S NEXT FOR SYRIA AND LEBANON AND WHY IT MATTERS

Mr. Frederic Hof
President and CEO, Armitage Associates, L.C.
Mr. Avi Jorisch
Senior Fellow, The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Mr. David Gillette
Senior Lobbyist, AIPAC
NUTS AND BOLTS: HOW ISRAEL WILL IMPLEMENT DISENGAGEMENT

Mr. Eyal Arad
President, Arad Communications, and Strategic Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Brig. Gen. Udi Dekel
Director of the Strategic Planning Division, Israel Defense Forces
Dr. Shavit Matias
Deputy Attorney General, Israel
THE MONEY TRAIL: INSIDE AMERICA'S WAR ON TERROR FINANCING

Mr. Stuart Levey
Undersecretary for Enforcement, Department of the Treasury
PRINCIPLES AND PARTNERS: THE GROWING TIES BETWEEN INDIA, ISRAEL AND AMERICA

Ambassador Raminder Singh Jassal
Former Indian Ambassador to Israel, Embassy of India
Mr. Jeff Colman
Deputy Legislative Director, AIPAC

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A.I.P.A.C. Policy Conference 2005: Washington, May 22 -24


Confirmed speakers include:

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
(R-TN)

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL)

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

Rep. Jane Harman, Ranking Member, House Select Intelligence Committee (D-CA)

Israel, Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni

Israel, Minister of Interior Ofir Pines-Paz

Israel, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Natan Sharansky

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2005/05...hread_054.html

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Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean
AIPAC Policy Conference 2005
Washington, D.C.
Sunday, May 22, 2005

Thank you. It’s wonderful to be at the podium, although two years ago I was in the crowd and introduced, I might trade that for this, given what was going on two years ago. I want to thank Lee Rosenberg for the very kind introduction, a good Chicago Democrat. I’m very sorry to hear that Ken Mehlman won’t be with us tonight; my thoughts are with him and his family as he is in Israel at a family funeral. I’m glad to be here with Ari Fleischer. Ari Fleischer, as he will tell you, is a Middlebury [College], Vermont, graduate who – I don’t want to steal his line but – he told he at the last meeting we were at, he’s one of the few people to leave Vermont more conservative than when he got there. In a town where there’s very little bipartisanship any more, the fact that members of both parties can share the podium and an unshakeable commitment to strengthen the United States-Israel relationship is special and noteworthy. And I appreciate all that you have done, AIPAC, for once again inviting me to speak and all the contributions that you as individuals and as an organization have made to peace in the Middle East. :wow:

I recently had the honor of meeting with a number of your young leadership in March here and I don’t know a group of people who understand more about the responsibilities we as Americans have to advocate on behalf of our core values and our beliefs. I’m grateful for your work as citizens, who petition our government everyday on the critical issues of Israel security and the U.S.-Israel relationship. I’ve always been incredibly impressed by how hard AIPAC has worked over the years to educate candidates and elected officials. [font color = red]Today your work is as urgent and as valuable as it has ever been[/font], thanks to a wonderful and close friend of mine who was involved in the very founding of the Vermont chapter of AIPAC. It must have been 20 years ago; I had the pleasure of meeting members of your organization a long time ago in Vermont.

I know that behind the scenes everyday AIPAC leaders and staff make extraordinary contributions to peace in the Middle East. We are indebted for your hard work. The Democratic Party will continue to stand for a strong, robust and muscular foreign policy and we will lead the fight to use American influence and power to support both the interests of the United States and of our allies. The single greatest threat to the United States and Israel comes from radical Islamic terrorists, and Democrats will maintain our focus and will not be distracted in our promise to do whatever we can to protect Americans. [font color=red]Israel’s fight against terrorism is also America’s fight[/font] against terrorism and we are grateful for Israel’s unwavering friendship and support.

We will continue to work with our allies wherever possible to maximize American influence overseas, but Democrats will also vigorously seek to project America’s power where our interests are at stake. When it comes to American support for Israel and its security, there are no critical differences between the Democrats and the President. We speak with one voice on Israel and we will continue to speak with one voice.

Democrats will continue to support initiatives that enhance the United States-Israel strategic cooperation not only by strengthening Israel’s qualitative military edge but also through the continued development and utilization of measures to combat ballistic missiles and to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And as I said at the outset, Washington has become a bitterly partisan town, but Israel’s enemies must know and should hear loud and clear: When it comes to Israel, we are staunch allies and friends. Democrats and Republicans are united in our friendship and our promise to maintain Israel’s military superiority. Only when Israel feels secure and its neighbors know there is no military option will peace be a possibility in the Middle East.

I want to share a personal note about my relationship with Israel. When I was in Israel with AIPAC in 2003, we had an exceptional and extraordinary guide, a Canadian who had made aliyah 23 years earlier. We took a helicopter piloted by a brigadier general who took us just short of the Wazzani Springs, which at that time was the subject of a major dispute with Lebanon. And they had begun pumping water, which could have dire
implications for Israel. Because of that trip, I am able to explain to Americans how this struggle and this fight over this pump house which is the size no bigger than one or two of these tables, how those small things become such a big thing in the Middle East, how close everything is, how everything is a matter of inches, and inches matter. And I appreciate that extraordinary opportunity; I’m going to say a little bit more about it later.

This party has a strong and proud history of unity in our unshakeable support for Israel, a longstanding friend and ally whose security the United States has bolstered and will protect. That includes working in Congress to ensure that Israel has the resources necessary to guarantee long term defense and security. From Israel’s birth, the great Democrat Harry Truman took the extraordinary, courageous step to immediately extend America’s hand to recognize the State of Israel. Democrats have done anything that we need to do to foster the special and enduring relationship between the two countries. Maintaining Israel’s security is a key to the United States’ national security interest. A strong Israel is essential for advancing America’s security and America’s interest in building a stable world. Democrats will continue our support of the Israeli government and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s leadership as Israel prepares to leave Gaza and some settlements in the West Bank.

The Prime Minister has put himself at political and physical risk, and now it is time for the other side to begin to show they’re willing to take political risks of their own. We cannot be lulled into a false sense of security. The Palestinian leadership has made some important moves but there remains much to be done. Words are important in the Middle East, and Palestinian [Authority] President [Mahmoud] Abbas has made many important speeches in Arabic about the need to end terrorism. But these are even more important, and Democrats will stand steadfast in our calls for Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in their midst. President Abbas has a hand to be played, and it is time to play that hand and to see real action against terrorism. This engagement provides an extraordinary opportunity for the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate they are a reliable partner in peace. Lands that Israel turns over to the Palestinian Authority must not be used as launching pads for rockets and terrorism. We support the visions of two states living side by side, but the establishment of a Palestinian state must be contingent on a cessation of violence and terror.

The Palestinian Authority must dismantle terrorist infrastructure and continue the ongoing transformation to leaders untainted by terror. And America has a role to play, too. Democrats will continue to support aid to the Palestinians if there is full transparency and accountability. The money must get to the people for whom it is intended, and this is a major test of Palestinian leadership, to see if the money flow is transparent, is accountable and is used as intended. Financial assistance is important, but so is the need to stop incitement and hateful teaching. We cannot let another generation of Palestinian children and university students be taught that in the Palestinian territories and other Arab states that Jews, Israelis and Americans are the root of all evil. Incitement
of violence and hatred must be an issue that we confront. I do not speak simply of the school books that are found in Palestinian schools.

I speak about the poison that Saudi Arabia is putting out around the world by financing the teaching of hatred of Americans, Christians, Jews and moderate Muslims. You cannot fund fundamentalist schools, radical schools, and promote media outlets that preach anti-Semitism and regularly demonize Israel. The President’s friendship with the Saudis must not cloud America’s judgment that the Saudis must be boldly confronted. There is a long-term danger in what the Saudis are using our oil money for. Israel is safer and the United States is safer when we reduce our dependence on foreign oil. America needs a national comprehensive energy plan that stops rewarding Saudi Arabia and develops renewable and alternative energy sources while respecting the environment. Reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil is not enough.

Iran is right now potentially the most dangerous nation on the face of the earth. Should they get nuclear capability, that presents an enormous danger not simply to Israel, but because Iran is an open sponsor of terrorism, it presents a real danger to the United States of America as well, and we must not permit Iran to possess nuclear weapons and we must do more to stop them. Iran has blood on its hands, not just Israeli blood. They have American blood on their hands. They need to be dealt with in a way that makes it very
clear what our intentions are.

By all means, diplomacy must come first; it is essential, but it has been five years. At the end of the day, the United States must make it clear that we will not permit Iran to possess nuclear weapons.

This is about more than safety; it’s about an extraordinary people and extraordinary history. When I was in Jerusalem and the Old City, we were walking along and came upon a plaque affixed to a post which was near an excavation. And it quoted a Biblical verse about King Hezekiah and, to paraphrase it, that finding that there was going to be an invasion of Hezekiah’s country he commanded his subjects to build a wall to keep out the invaders. And he said, “You should build the wall with stone even if it means cutting your houses in half, even if it means taking stone from wherever it was to keep out the invaders, whatever you had to do.” And we looked down into the excavation, and there was a wall built out of stone with a half of a stone house coming out of the wall.

I was looking at it, seeing it as living history, Biblically living history, and our guide turned and said, “You see those houses?” He pointed to a stone apartment building that had been put up in the Old City after the Israelis unified Jerusalem, and he said, “A Jew can sit in the top story of these four story new stone houses, and they look down on this excavation and they know that they can pray in the same language and the same prayers that were made in that house 3,000 years ago.” It was an extraordinary moment for me. This is not just about Middle East politics, and it’s not just about democracy. It’s about the preservation of an extraordinary part of human history and a part of human history that means a lot not just to Jews in this country, it means a lot to Americans. We will stand against the rise of global anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it appears.

I am delighted there are more than 1,000 college students here for this conference and you should know that on college campuses you have allies among young Democratic leaders who will stand up against those who are anti-Israel and those who teach anti-Semitism. Your investment in these future leaders will continue to ensure a passionate advocacy for the causes that we share.

Democrats will not only defend Israel; we will continue to defend the rights of Jews to be Jewish in America. America is a nation of many faiths, and it’s a nation for all of our people. My wife’s grandmother, Cecelia Steinberg, fled Lithuania at age 17 without the permission of her family, to escape persecution because she knew that in America, you don’t have to be afraid to be Jewish. She knew that in America you don’t have to be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, and in America your granddaughter can one day grow up to be a doctor and marry the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. We are proud and honored to have received 77 percent of the Jewish vote in the last election, my only partisan remark this evening.

We are strong on defense. We believe in Israel, we are strong allies of Israel and we will continue to work to ensure American Jews are comfortable being American Jews. We have strong commitments to Israel in the past. We have strong commitments to Israel now and we will continue to have strong commitments to the State of Israel with all their courage and extraordinary fortitude over 3,000 years of history. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.


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Jane you ignorant ^%*()

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
AIPAC Policy Conference 2005
Washington, DC
May 24, 2005

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you Lonnie. Welcome to Washington for this extraordinary AIPAC Conference. I’m told that the attendance far surpasses any other conference and it’s always been one of the biggest gatherings that Washington hosts every year. So I congratulate you for being here in these numbers with this energy and
enthusiasm.

I also thank my friend, Bernice who h as served so well on behalf of AIPAC and congratulate Howard Friedman the incoming President. I thank Howard Core, your executive director, Amy Freidkin and everyone who works for AIPAC not just when there is a great gathering like this conference but every single day, working with us in the Congress, working here in Washington. I want to take just a few minutes to discuss some of the significant challenges facing the United States, Israel and our world today. As you know better than most, events in the Middle East are absolutely critical, to our hope for a safer, more secure world. A world in which every nation is free from the threat of global terrorism and a strong lasting relationship between the United States and Israel is essential to our efforts to build that world of peace and security.

As all of usknow, our future here in this country is intertwined with the future of Israel and the Middle East. Now there’s a lot that we could talk about and obviously much has been discussed but in the short period that I have been given the honor of addressing you, I want to start by focusing on our deep and lasting bonds between the United States and Israel. Now these are bonds that are more than shared interests, these are bonds forged in a common struggle for human rights, for democracy, for freedom. ((oh puke :puke:)) These are bonds that predate the creation of the State of Israel, that really predate the creation of the United States. Because they are rooted in fundamental beliefs and values about the dignity and rights of men and women, to live in freedom, free from fear, free from oppression and there is no doubt that these incredibly strong bonds and values will remain as the loadstar of our relationship with our democratic friend and ally, Israel.

Now Israel, Israel is not only however a friend and ally for us, it is a beacon of what democracy can and should mean. It is after all a pluralistic democracy. It is as many of us know from personal experiences, a very dynamic democracy with many points of view and those are expressed with great frequency and vigor. So if people in the Middle East are not sure what democracy means, let them look to Israel, which has been and remains a true, faithful democracy.

But we know that the goal, the important essential goal of a democratizing Middle East is complex and it is not without risks. A few months ago, I went for the second time to Iraq and Kuwait and Afghanistan and Pakistan and I returned home with hopefulness about Senator what I had seen and learned but also with a sense of caution about how we should proceed. In Iraq, I saw firsthand the daily challenges confronting the Iraqi people. I met with a number of our troops, the brave young men and women who are on Freedom’s frontlines in Iraq. I met with our civilian representatives in the Embassy and other agencies who are also risking their lives to help the Iraqi people and I met with representatives of the former interim Iraqi government and he newly elected Iraqi government as well as private Iraqi citizens.

Now I came away with several overwhelming impressions. First, no matter what one thinks about events that have unfolded in Iraq, there is no doubt that the American Military has performed admirably, with professionalism and that every young man and woman who wears the uniform of our country deserves our support, whether they be active duty, guard or reserve troops. You know it is on trips like that, despite the often dangerous circumstances, I wish I could bring everyone of my constituents, all nineteen million of them and any others who could come, to see firsthand. I flew from Baghdad to Fallujah in a Blackhawk helicopter, met with the Marines who had liberated Fallujah from the insurgents and terrorists. I met with many others of our Marines and soldiers who are committed to their mission, to try to bring freedom to the people of Iraq. They as well as the troops I saw in Kuwait and in Afghanistan are committed to this fundamental belief that people deserve the right to be free, deserve the right to select their own governments ((:wow: this woman has no shame!)), deserve the right to plot and plan for a better future for themselves and their children.

I hope that each of you as you travel through your states and communities will make it a point to thank these young people because they’re paying a very high price. Sixteen hundred plus lost their lives, thousands, thousands have returned home grievously injured, because of the advances in battlefield medicine, and the new body armor that our troops wear, many are surviving injuries that would’ve left previous generations of young men and women dead. So there is no doubt that America has started down a path with blood and treasure to try to create the condition for democracy and freedom in the Middle East which has consequences for the entire region, for our security and certainly for Israel’s.

At this critical time, in this complicated situation we find ourselves in, I think it’s important to recognize the extraordinary stand that Prime Minister Sharon and the democratically elected government of Israel have taken as they face the risks and challenges of disengagement and as they try to deal with the newly elected Palestinian leadership. The Prime Minister, whom I’m pleased to note will follow me to this stage and the state of Israel that he devoted his entire life to serving, are taking a tremendous risk.

I believe it is our obligation as friends and supporters and allies of Israel to support Israel’s efforts for peace, stability and security. Now this means doing more than providing Israel with economic aid so that it can remain strong in the face of ongoing threats. We must also demand that President Abas dismantle the structures of terror that the Palestinian leadership has employed for so long. You know, in a democracy, even a fledgling democracy, leaders must be held accountable and
President Abas must be held accountable for the actions taking place under his leadership. I know that you are asking your senators and representatives to sign on to a letter to President Bush about this and I’m proud to support these efforts because there can be no doubt that as Israel and its democratic government take these steps and we support them, there has to be reciprocity on the other side as well. And making progress toward peace and security also requires the end of the barrage of hate and incitement that is still officially sanctioned by the Palestinian authority Now I was relieved to learn this week that the Palestinian authority removed the protocols of the Elders of Zion from its website. Reportedly, it had been included on the website under the heading, History of Zionism but what was it doing there in the first place even though we are
relieved that it is no longer there. (( Is this true? The “reportedly seems like a weasely CYA way of reporting something you know not to be true))

We must continue to be vigilant about monitoring hate and incitement and anti-Semitism not only by the Palestinian authority but throughout the Arab world. Saudi textbooks characterize Jews as wicked. Iranian news reports obviously representing the opinion of their government have lent credence to holocaust deniers. This is an issue that all of us need to be concerned about and five years ago I stood with my friend Ellie Weizel to denounce this incitement, this violence, this anti-Semitism and Palestinian textbooks and I’ve been working on this issue because to me it is one of those basic issues that how do we expect to have a democratically elected Palestinian government if their textbooks are still preaching such hatred. And if we allow this dehumanizing rhetoric to go unchallenged because what is happening is young minds are being infected with this anti-Semitism and that is going to run counter to what we hope can happen over the next years as we do work for peace and stability. So we must continue to shine a bright spotlight on these messages of hatred and these enticements for martyrdom in these textbooks and on the media that take young minds that twist and pervert them and create a new generation of terrorists and
insurgents.

About a year and half ago I held a hearing with Senator Specter on the Palestinian media and I confronted the Palestinian authority representative about this issue whom we had invited to come and address the Senate Committee. I urged him to acknowledge that when it comes to children, whoever those children, shielding them from hate and violence should be the number one priority of their families and their governments and the entire global community to prevent this hatred from festering. Using children as pawns in a political process is tantamount to child abuse and we must say it has to end now. And of course that infection is contagious and it can spread beyond the Palestinian territories. It can spread into other parts of the Arab world and it can impact what goes on there.

And of course one of the areas I deeply concerned about is Iran and its pursuit of nuclear weapons because a nuclear armed Iran would shake the foundation of global security to its very core. Israel would be most immediately and profoundly threatened by this development but Israel would not be alone. Knowing of Iran’s historic and present ties to terrorist networks, how would we feel, here in America, if the Iranians could start producing nuclear weapons at will? How would the Europeans feel if Iran could start producing nuclear weapons at will? So let us be unequivocally clear, a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable but it is not just unacceptable to Israel and the United States, it must be unacceptable to the entire world starting with the European governments and people.

I know that during your conference and in the lobbying that you will be doing on Capital Hill, you’re trying to draw attention to the threat that is posed by a nuclear Iran and I commend you for these efforts.This is one of our most serious, security and foreign policy priorities. And we need to make working with our allies to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon a top priority. Now one of the terrorist groups that Iran supports is Hezbollah and we know that Hezbollah poses a direct and dire risk to the stability of the Middle East. Syria’s withdrawal from the Lebanon, which is very good news for the Lebanonese people also, creates an opportunity for Hezbollah to wreak havoc. So we need to remain vigilant about the terrorist threat and work to stop the flow of support to Hezbollah from Syria and Iran.

And we need to convince our European allies of Hezbollah’s threat to order in the region and to the civilized world and to convince them to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. And the Europeans must do more to cutoff the funding and the fundraising that goes on in Europe for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad as soon as possible.

Now there are many other important and pressing issues that must be on our agenda but I know that as you travel to the Hill to meet with your representatives and senators you will be presenting a very thoughtful and compelling analysis of these and other challenges we face.

I thank you for not only being willing to stand up for our values and our relationship with Israel but also to take your responsibilities as citizens seriously. To lobby and to advocate, to persuade and dissuade, to discuss these critical issues with all who will listen.

We are living at an extraordinary moment in history. There are some days when I am very optimistic and there other days I have to confess that I am pessimistic. I guess that just goes with the territory. But what I am absolutely convinced of is that our common values, values shared and exemplified by our country and by Israel are the right values, the values that everyone should have an opportunity to be exposed to and to understand and hopefully to emulate. ((GOD FORBID!!))

There is no other option in the world that as Tom Friedman said, has been flattened. We can communicate with each other, we can be transported over long distances quickly, we can follow events in other places far away and therefore we need to recognize that our struggle, our ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy is the only way that we can ensure that in this shrinking flattened world, our children will have a chance for peace and security.

We cannot shrink from the duty that this time has imposed upon us. We can have great, and we should, great debates and discussions about what are the best ways to proceed and to pursue these common objectives. We need that. We need that debate and discussion because we are in uncharted territory. No one has all the answers and we need the combined intelligence and good ideas of as many people as possible.

So what you are doing today is not only on behalf of AIPAC, not only on behalf of Israel, not only on behalf of the strong and enduring relationship between the United States and Israel. It is truly on behalf of the kind of world we want for our children and for those lucky enough, grandchildren. And we cannot grow weary; this is a long arduous path. Israel, Israelis, the American Jewish community and the broader diasporas know about this struggle and this path better than most. So if we resolve not to grow weary but to pursue these values together I am ultimately not only optimistic but confident that the world will see a better and brighter day and our children will thank us for making it possible.

Thank you all very much. God bless you.

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Oh. My. Goodness.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
AIPAC Policy Conference 2005
Washington, DC
May 23, 2005
Thank you very much. Well, thank you for that very warm welcome. Thank you for that warm
welcome. Thank you, Bernice, for that kind introduction and for your leadership of this
organization. I want to thank Amy Friedkin and Howard Kohr for inviting me to address this
wonderful audience. I would also like to congratulate the new President-elect, Howard Friedman.
And judging by how many students I see in the audience today, I know that AIPAC's future is
clearly going to be bright.

Let me begin by saying that Israel has no greater friend and no stronger supporter than the United
States of America. For over half a century, AIPAC has strengthened the religious, cultural and
political bonds that unite our two great nations, and I thank you for that.

The United States and Israel share much in common. We both affirm the innate freedom and
dignity of every human life, not as prizes that people confer to one another, but as divine gifts of
the Almighty. As Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The God that gave us liberty and life gave them
to us at the same time."

Moral clarity is an essential virtue in our world today and for 60 years cynics and skeptics have
proven that we have been looking to false choices in the Middle East. They have claimed that we
must choose either freedom or stability, either democracy or security. They have said that the
United States could either uphold its principles or advance its policies.

But by trying to purchase stability at the price of liberty, we achieved neither and we saw the
result of that on a fine September morning. That is why President Bush has rejected 60 years of
false choices in the Middle East. And as he said last week at the International Republican
Institute, "The United States has a new policy, a strategy that recognizes that the best way to
defeat the ideology that uses terror as a weapon is to spread freedom and democracy."

The President holds the deep belief that all human beings desire and deserve to live in liberty.
This idea, of course, did not immediately find favor. Many continued to defend the false choices
of the past. But we knew then and we know now America's message is clear, our principles are
sound and our policies are right, and today the nations of the world are finally joining with the
United States to support the cause of freedom.

We measure our success in the democratic revolutions that have stunned the entire world: vibrant
revolutions of rose and orange and purple and tulip and cedar. The destiny of the Middle East is
bound up in this global expansion of freedom. The days of thinking that this region was somehow
immune to democracy are over. Working with our G-8 partners, the United States has created the
Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative to build partnerships with people in the region
who are working for greater liberty.

The flagship of this bold new policy is the Forum for the Future, an unprecedented international
venue to amplify the voices of reform that are redefining the region. Together, we will tackle the
urgent goals of the Forum: political openness, economic liberty, educational opportunity and the
empowerment of women.

Today, nations all across the world are speaking a common language of reform and they are
helping citizens throughout the broader Middle East to transform the parameters of debate in their
societies. The people of this region are expressing ideas and taking actions that would have been
unthinkable only one year ago.

Some in the Arab media have even asked why the only real democracies in the Middle East are
found in the "occupied lands" of Iraq and the Palestinian territories. What an incredible thought.
Today, citizens in the region are demanding that their governments respond to this simple,
audacious question. :wtf:

And many states will have to answer their people's call for genuine reform. Jordan and Bahrain
and Qatar and Morocco are all taking steps to introduce greater openness into their political
systems. Egypt has amended its constitution with electoral reform. And even Saudi Arabia has
held multiple elections. And just last week, remarkably, the Kuwaiti legislature granted its
women citizens the right to vote.

Kuwait's recognition that it must include all of its people in political life is, hopefully, an example
that its neighbors will follow. In Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of citizens have demanded an
end to the foreign suffocation of their country. With strong international support, led by the
United States and by France, and with an explicit mandate from the United Nations Security
Council, Syria has gotten the message loud and clear that it is not welcome in Lebanon.

The Syrian regime has withdrawn its decades-long military presence. And at the end of this
month, the Lebanese people will go to the polls and set a new course of action. But we cannot
rest. Syria must also remove its intelligence forces and allow the Lebanese people to be free.
To be sure, a vital source of inspiration for all of these reformers comes from the people of Iraq,
who defied threats of murder to vote in free elections in January. They declared with one voice
that the will of the people, not the whim of a dictator, would determine Iraq's future. They
declared with that same voice that no Iraqi regime would ever again torture its people, invade its
neighbors, attack its neighbors and offer financial incentives to Palestinian homicide bombers.

Today, Iraq has a transitional government that will soon begin framing a new national
constitution. Free nations everywhere have rallied to Iraq's side. There is a coalition of 30
countries helping the Iraqi people to defend themselves from murderers and terrorists. NATO is
training Iraq's army officers, police forces and civilian administrators. And next month, at the
request of Iraq's new government, the United States and the European Union will co-host an
international conference to build greater support for democracy, prosperity and security.
Now, I speak to these reform efforts because the United States looks to a future and has a vision
of a day when Israel is no longer the sole democracy in the Middle East. This aspiration shapes
the very heart of our approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well. For four years, President
Bush refused to meet with Yasser Arafat. He did so because Arafat valued neither Israel's security
nor his own people's liberty.

There were those who ridiculed this principled decision as if the refusal to negotiate with a man
who aided and abetted terrorism somehow revealed a lack of concern for peace. America and
Israeli had tried before to gain peace where democracy did not exist and we are not going down
that road again.

Instead, President Bush advanced a vision of two democratic states: Israel and Palestine living
side by side in peace and security. And today, the Palestinian people are trying to meet this
democratic challenge. In January, they voted in historic elections for a leader who rejects violence
as a path to peace. President Abbas has committed to both freedom and security and President
Bush has offered his hand in friendship, just as he promised he would. ((:wow:))

In three days, when they meet together here in Washington, they will build a relationship that is
one that is based on the good faith that only democratic leaders can bring. The President will be
clear that there are commitments to be met, that there are goals to be met, but that democracy is a
goal that is unassailable and incontrovertible.

Prime Minister Sharon has also recognized that Israel is gaining a legitimate partner for peace and
he has made courageous decisions that could change the course of history. Beginning in August,
Prime Minister Sharon will implement his plan to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West
Bank. Israel's disengagement strategy presents an unprecedented and incredibly delicate
opportunity for peace and we must all work together to capitalize on this precious moment.
To strengthen our present opportunities, all nations must meet their obligations. Israel must take
no actions that prejudice a final settlement or jeopardize the true viability of the Palestinian state.
And Israel must help to create the conditions for the emergence of that democratic state.
The Palestinian Authority must advance democratic reform and it must dismantle all terrorist
networks in its society.

Arab states must end incitement in their media, cut off all support for terrorism and extremist
education, and establish normal relations with Israel.
To nurture our present opportunity, President Bush proposed and the Quartet nations endorsed the
appointment of James Wolfensohn as Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement. Jim Wolfensohn
will help the Israelis and Palestinians coordinate on non-military aspects of their disengagement,
including disposition of assets and revitalization of the Palestinian economy.

To protect our present opportunity, President Bush has sent General William Ward to help the
Palestinians reform their security services. General Ward is also coordinating all international
security assistance to the Palestinians, including training and equipment.

To expand our present opportunity, the United States has greatly increased our financial
assistance to the Palestinian people. We are pledging $350 million to help the Palestinians build
the free institutions of their democratic state. This is an unprecedented contribution to the future
of peace and freedom in the Middle East.

Yes, this past year has brought forth a dramatic shift in the political landscape of the Middle East.
But this moment of transformation is very fragile and it still has committed enemies, particularly
the Government of Iran, which is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism.

The United States has focused the world's attention on Iran's pursuit of weapons of mass
destruction. And along with our allies, we are working to gain full disclosure of Iran's efforts to
obtain nuclear weapons. The world must not tolerate any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear
weapon. Nor can it tolerate Iran's efforts to subvert democratic governments through terrorism.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Middle East is changing and even the unelected leaders in Tehran must
recognize this fact. They must know that the energy of reform that is building all around them
will one day inspire Iran's citizens to demand their liberty and their rights. The United States
stands with the people of Iran.

President Bush has declared that advancing the cause of freedom is the calling of our time and in
the broader Middle East, his policies are expanding the scope of what many thought possible.
With our support, the people of the region are demonstrating that all great human achievement
begins with free individuals who do not accept that the reality of today must also be the reality of
tomorrow. Of course, there will always be cynics and skeptics who hold the misguided belief that
if they can not see their goal, then it cannot be possible. They will try to elevate their cynicism by
calling it realism and they will criticize all who echo the stirring words of Theodore Hertzel, "If
you will it, it is no dream."

In 1776, cynics and skeptics could not see an independent America, so they doubted that it could
be so. They saw only 13 colonies that could never hang together and would surely hang
separately. But there were others who had a vision, a vision of the United States as a free and
great nation, a democracy, and one day, a complete multiethnic society. With perseverance, the
American people made that vision a reality. In 1948, cynics and skeptics could not see the
promise of Israel, so they doubted it, said it could never be fulfilled. They saw only a wounded
and wandering people beset on all sides by hostile armies.

But there were those who had another vision, a vision of a Jewish state that would shelter its
children, defend its sacred homeland, turn its desert soil green and reaffirm the principles of
freedom and democracy. With courage, the Israeli people made that vision a reality.
Today, cynics and skeptics cannot see a democratic Middle East, so they doubt that it is a realistic
goal. They focus only on the despotism that has shaped the region's past and still defines much of
its present. But ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake, freedom is on the march in Afghanistan
and Iraq and in Lebanon and in Georgia and Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan and in the Palestinian
territories.

Yes, it is hard and progress is uneven. There are violent men who will stop at nothing to prevent
democracy's rise. Yet people all across the Middle East today are talking and demonstrating and
sharing their vision for a democratic future. Many have given their very lives to this noble
purpose.

The United States and Israel must defend the aspirations of all people who long to be free. And
with our unwavering support, we can help to make the promise of democracy a reality for the
entire region.

Thank you very much.

[H2O Man]

a leading neoconservative discussed plans to expand power by way of "neoliberals." We would err in thinking that Joe Lieberman is the lone example.

If my old and weary bones allow, I hope to post an essay that documents how the neoconservative genesis -- from the Six Day War in '67 -- has led to the growing neoliberalism.

[Tinoire]

Lieberman isn't the only one, he's just been more obvious about it- there are others even more insidious.

Please, please post that essay- I would love to read it!

[Tinoire]

Lieberman isn't the only one, he's just been more obvious about it- there are others even more insidious.

Please, please post that essay- I would love to read it!

[H2O Man]

It is on GD.

[Genius]

To those who don't know it, Dean has always been pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian.