Home - Yahoo! - My Yahoo! - News Alerts - Help

See the Hottest News & Photos

Home | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | World | Local | Entertainment | Sports | Science | Health 

Politics Headlines

Thursday February 28 4:34 PM ET

White House Regrets Blaming Clinton on Mideast

By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Thursday he regretted suggesting that former U.S. President Bill Clinton's push for a Middle East peace deal was to blame for the last 17 months of violence in the region.

Earlier on Thursday, Fleischer suggested that Clinton's ''shoot the moon'' effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before leaving office was responsible for the strife in which nearly 1,200 people have died since September 2000.

While he did not cite Clinton by name, Fleischer alluded to the former president's July 2000 drive at Camp David to broker a deal between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

``I mistakenly suggested that increasing violence in the Middle East was attributable to the peace efforts that were under way in 2000,'' Fleischer said in a rare written statement that expressed regret for his earlier remarks.

Fleischer said his earlier comments did not reflect the position of the administration and said his boss, President Bush, supported Clinton's efforts to bring about a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

``No United States president, including President Clinton, is to blame for violence in the Middle East. The only people to blame for violence are the terrorists who engage in it,'' Fleischer said. ``I regret any implication to the contrary.''

Breaking a tradition of not criticizing former presidents, Fleischer earlier suggested that Clinton's efforts had created unrealistic expectations that then boiled over into strife.

``You can make the case that in an attempt to shoot the moon ... more violence resulted,'' Fleischer told reporters during his morning briefing. ``That as a result of an attempt to push the parties beyond where they were willing to go ... it led to expectations that were raised to such a high level that it turned into violence,''

During his afternoon briefing, Fleischer said Clinton ''tried valiantly to achieve peace in the Middle East'' but did not retract his earlier comments. Asked if he stood by his morning remarks, Fleischer said: ``Of course I stand by it.''

A Clinton spokeswoman, speaking before Fleischer issued his statement of regret at midafternoon, dismissed his comments.

``It is unfortunate that the spokesman for the president, in dealing with the Middle East, is trying to pass blame,'' Clinton spokeswoman Julia Payne said. ``They would be better off using their energies to facilitate the peace process.''

A Bush administration official, who spoke after Fleischer issued his statement and asked not to be identified, said: ``We agree completely that President Clinton made tireless, energetic efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.''

Israeli forces shot their way into two Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank on Thursday, killing at least 10 people in an upsurge of violence that cast a shadow over a peace initiative from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Thursday's raids on Balata and a second camp in the town of Jenin followed an attack at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank late on Wednesday by a Palestinian suicide bomber who blew herself up, wounding three Israeli policemen.

The latest violence raised the toll to at least 906 Palestinians and 280 Israelis killed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip began in September 2000.

Earlier Stories
W.House Regrets Comment Blaming Clinton on Mideast (February 28)
W.House Seems to Blame Clinton for Mideast Violence (February 28)
W.House Hints Clinton to Blame for Mideast Violence (February 28)
Bush Praises Saudi Plan for Mideast Peace (February 26)