- President George W. Bush
- The White House
- 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
- Washington, DC
-
- Dear Mr. President:
-
- We former U.S. diplomats applaud our 52 British counterparts
who recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticizing his
Middle East policy and calling on Britain to exert more influence over
the United States. As retired foreign service officers we care deeply about
our nation's foreign policy and U.S. credibility in the world. At the request
of our government and military colleagues, we have added their names as
well.
-
- We also are deeply concerned by your April 14 endorsement
of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral plan to reject the
rights of three million Palestinians, to deny the right of refugees to
return to their homeland, and to retain five large illegal settlement blocs
in the occupied West Bank. This plan defies U.N. Security Council resolutions
calling for Israel's return of occupied territories. It ignores international
laws declaring Israeli settlements illegal. It flouts U.N. Resolution 194,
passed in 1948, which affirms the right of refugees to return to their
homes or receive compensation for the loss of their property and assistance
in resettling in a host country should they choose to do so. And it undermines
the Road Map for peace drawn up by the Quartet, including the U.S. Finally,
it reverses longstanding American policy in the Middle East.
-
- Your meeting with Sharon followed a series of intensive
negotiating sessions between Israelis and Americans, but which left out
Palestinians. In fact, you and Prime Minister Sharon consistently have
excluded Palestinians from peace negotiations. Former Palestinian Information
Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo voiced the overwhelming reaction of people around
the world when he said, "I believe President Bush declared the death
of the peace process today."
-
- By closing the door to negotiations with Palestinians
and the possibility of a Palestinian state, you have proved that the United
States is not an even-handed peace partner. You have placed U.S. diplomats,
civilians and military doing their jobs overseas in an untenable and even
dangerous position.
-
- Your unqualified support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations,
Israel's Berlin Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied
territories, and now your endorsement of Sharon,s unilateral plan are costing
our country its credibility, prestige and friends. Nor is this endorsement
even in the best interests of the State of Israel.
-
- It is not too late to reassert American principles of
justice and fairness in our relations with all the peoples of the Middle
East. Support negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, with the
United States serving as a truly honest broker. A return to the time-honored
American tradition of fairness will reverse the present tide of ill will
in Europe and the Middle East"even in Iraq.
-
- Because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the core
of the problems in the Middle East, the entire region"and the world"will
rejoice along with Israelis and Palestinians when the killing stops and
peace is attained.
-
- Sincerely,
-
- Andrew I. Killgore, Ambassador to Qatar, 1977-1980
- Richard H. Curtiss, chief inspector, U.S. Information
Agency
- Colbert C. Held, Middle East Regional Officer
- Thomas J. Carolan, Consul General, Turkey, 1988-1992
- C. Edward Bernier, Counselor of Embassy for Information
and Culture, Pakistan 1995-1996
- Donald A. Kruse, American Consul in Jerusalem
- Ambassador Edward L. Peck, former Chief of Mission in
Iraq and Mauritania
- John Powell, Admin Counselor of Embassy in Lebanon, 1975
- John Gunther Dean, Ambassador to India
- James Akins, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
- Talcott Seelye, Ambassador to Syria
- Eugene Bird, Counselor of Embassy in Saudi Arabia
- Richard H. Nolte, Ambassador to Egypt
- Ray Close, Chief of Station Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1971-1979
- Shirl McArthur, Commercial Attache, Thailand
- David Fredrick, Country Director Peace Corps Morocco
1986-1990
- Bill Rugh, Ambassador to UAE and Yemen
- James Curran, Deputy Chief of Mission Togo 1973-1975
- Joseph Cheevers, Office of Inspectors General 1987
- Robert L. M. Nevitt, Minister for Press Affairs for the
U.N.
- John Brady Kiesling, Political Counselor, Greece
- E. William Tatge, Counselor for Commercial Affairs, France
- Henry Precht, Deputy Chief of Mission, Egypt
- John O. Sutter, FSO, The Asia Foundation's Representative
for Indonesia, 1982-1984
- James J. Halsema, Counselor for Public Affairs, Egypt
- Nancy LeRoy, Public Affairs Officer, Mexico
- Thomas M. Martin, USIA Congressional Liaison Officer,
- Robert C. McLaughlin, USIA Madrid
- Edward Alexander, Counselor for Public Affairs, East
Berlin, 1976-1979
- Roman Lotsberg, Admin Officer, Office of European Affairs
- Dr. Shirley Hill Witt, Cultural Affairs Officer, Zambia,
1994-1996
- Arthur L. Lowrie, Political Advisor to the Commander
in Chief, U.S. Central Command
- Carleton Coon, Ambassador to Nepal 1981-1984
- Jane Coon, Ambassador to Bangladesh, 1981-1984
- George B. Roberts, Ambassador to Guyana, 1979-1981
- Robert V. Keeley, Ambassador to Greece
- John E. Marsh, First Secretary, Embassy Kuwait, 1971-1973
- Thomas W. Fina, Consul General, Milan, 1973-1979
- Harland H. Eastman, Consul General, Tangier, Morocco,
and Tel Aviv, Israel
- Arthur Mudge, Director, USAID Mission to Sudan, 1980-1983
- Ronald I. Spiers, Undersecretary of State for Management
- Albert L. Seligmann, Director, Office of Japanese Affairs,
1981-1983
- Orin D. Parker, President, America-Middle East Educational
Services, 1979-1988
- Robert C. Amerson, Counselor for Public Affairs, Italy
- Christian Freer, Colonel, AUS ret., former chief of CIA
stations and War Plans staff
- Thomas J. Hirschfeld, Deputy U.S. Rep MBFR Negotiations
- Edward R. M. Kane, Deputy Chief of Station, CIA, Iraq
- Col. Richard Hobbes, US Army Retired, Politico-Military
Adviser to NEA 1974-1977
- Col. David Antoon, US Air Force, Retired
- Brig. General Augustine A. Verrengia, USAF Ret.
- Greg Thielmann, Director, Office for Strategic Proliferation
Military
- Affairs, Bureau of Intelligence and Research
- Robin Berrington, Cultural Attache, Japan
- Gary S. Usrey, Deputy Chief of Mission, Morocco
- Owen Roberts, Ambassador to Togo
- Chas W. Freeman, Jr. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Assistant
Secretary of
- Defense, 1993-1994
- Edwin Paul Kennedy, Jr., Regional Affairs Officer for
N. African, Near
- Eastern, and S. Asian Affairs, USIA
- Thomas J. Scotes, Ambassador to Yemen, 1975-1978
- Michael Mennard, Ph.D., Regional Public Affairs Officer,
India
- Francois M. Dickman, Director Arabian Peninsula Affairs
1972-76, Ambassador to UAE 1976-79 and Kuwait 1979-83
- Terrell E. Arnold, Former Deputy Director Office of Counterterrorism
and
- Consul General, Brazil
-
- Others
-
- Edy Korthals Altes, Ambassador of the Netherlands in
Madrid 1983-1986
- Mr. Gerben Meihuizen (The Hague) former Netherlands Ambassador
in Syria,
- Saudi Arabia and Algeria
- Former Congressman Paul Findley (R-IL)
- Robert Norberg, Director ARAMCO, ret.
- Bishop John William Assemby of Yahweh
- William Hughes, WWII veteran, retired engineer
- Clyde A. Farris
- Mary Ann Schwab, teacher, voter
- Rev. J. Martin Bailey, Consultant to the Common Global
Ministries Board
- Henry E. Kydd, retired Army Sergeant, director of homeless
shelter, grandfather
- Dr. Edna Homa Hunt
- David Wade, Ph.D, Researcher
- E. Faye Williams, Esq.
- Koen Stork, Netherlands Ambassador in Bucarest
- W. Lance Haynes, Professor of Speech and Media Studies,
University of Missouri-Rolla
- David S. Dodge, President, American University of Beirut,
ret.
- Mrs. Frederick G. Roberts, widow of Frederick Roberts,
CIA, Turkey
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