Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday denied an account by another Palestinian official of a meeting with US President George W. Bush, in which Bush is cited as saying he believed that God told him to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A statement in Abbas' name released by his office said that an excerpt from an interview with Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaath due to be broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corp in which Shaath described a meeting with Bush in June 2003 gave a "completely false" account.
In the interview for the series "Israel and the Arabs." Shaath described the meeting, at which he said Abbas was present.
"President Bush said to all of us: `I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, `George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did. And then God would tell me, `George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq.' And I did," Shaath said.
Bush went on: "And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, `Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And, by God, I'm gonna do it."
Bush, who became a born-again Christian at 40, is one of the most overtly religious leaders to occupy the White House, a fact which brings him much support in middle America.
Soon after, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz carried a Palestinian transcript of the meeting, containing a version of Bush's remarks. But the Palestinian delegation was reluctant publicly to acknowledge its authenticity.
"This report is not true," the Abbas statement said on Friday. "I have never heard President Bush talking about religion as a reason behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush has never mentioned that in front of me on any occasion and specifically not during my visit in 2003."
The BBC persuaded Shaath to go on the record for the first time for a three-part series. Israel and the Arabs: Elusive Peace will be broadcast in Britain on Oct. 10, 17 and 24, and in its entirety on PBS in the US.
Religion also surfaced as an issue when Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were reported to have prayed together in 2002 at his ranch at Crawford, Texas -- the summit at which the invasion of Iraq was agreed in principle. Blair has consistently refused to admit or deny the claim.
Mahmoud Abbas, who was also part of the delegation at Sharm el-Sheikh, told the BBC that Bush said: "I have a moral and religious obligation. I must get you a Palestinian state. And I will."
Shaath's comments came as Bush delivered a speech on Thursday aimed at bolstering US support for the Iraq war.
"We're facing a radical ideology with unalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world," he said.
He conceded that insurgents had gained ground in Iraq but the US would not leave until security had been established.
"Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. This is a dangerous illusion, refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe, or less safe, with Zarqawi and Bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people, and its resources?" Bush asked.
MONEY GRAB: People were rushing to collect bills scattered on the ground after the plane transporting money crashed, which an official said hindered rescue efforts A cargo plane carrying money on Friday crashed near Bolivia’s capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead and others injured, an official said. Bolivian Minister of Defense Marcelo Salinas said the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a city adjacent to La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft. Fire chief Pavel Tovar said at least 15 people died, but
LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER: By showing Ju-ae’s ability to handle a weapon, the photos ‘suggest she is indeed receiving training as a successor,’ an academic said North Korea on Saturday released a rare image of leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter firing a rifle at a shooting range, adding to speculation that she is being groomed as his successor. Kim’s daughter, Ju-ae, has long been seen as the next in line to rule the secretive, nuclear-armed state, and took part in a string of recent high-profile outings, including last week’s military parade marking the closing stages of North Korea’s key party congress. Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released a photo of Ju-ae shooting a rifle at an outdoor shooting range, peering through a rifle scope
India and Canada yesterday reached a string of agreements, including on critical mineral cooperation and a “landmark” uranium supply deal for nuclear power, the countries’ leaders said in New Delhi. The pacts, which also covered technology and promoting the use of renewable energy, were announced after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed a fresh start in the relationship between their nations. “Our ties have seen a new energy, mutual trust and positivity,” Modi said. Carney’s visit is a key step forward in ties that effectively collapsed in 2023 after Ottawa accused New Delhi
Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples might become tight, officials said, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran. The Israeli military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing airstrikes on Iran carried out jointly with the US. Israeli authorities late on Monday night said that they would reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza yesterday, for “gradual entry of humanitarian aid” into the strip, without saying how much. Israeli authorities previously said the crossings could not be operated safely during
RSS