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Arab Americans Meet with Secretary of State Colin Powell

Posted on Thursday June 17, 2004

Washington- Arab American Institute President James Zogby and Chairman George Salem joined other Arab American leaders today for a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell. AAI Chairman George Salem requested such a meeting to discuss issues of concern to the Arab American community.

“We appreciate the candor and openness Secretary Powell showed today,” said AAI Chairman George Salem. “The Secretary has consistently displayed his dedication to a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and has always shown a great deal of respect for the concerns of the Arab American community.”

The meeting included discussion of the recent escalation of violence in Gaza, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza pullout plan and the June 30 transfer of power in Iraq. Arab American leaders reiterated their belief in the importance of bilateral negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli leadership and stressed that the role of the United States should be that of an evenhanded broker.

“Today’s meeting, which was the first between Arab Americans and Secretary Powell in over two years, was an important opportunity to convey our concern about the deteriorating situation both in Palestine and Iraq,” said AAI President James Zogby. “As Americans, it is distressing when our foreign policy does not project the values which we hold dearest. We made it clear that continued US silence on suffering in the Occupied Territories not only contributes to Palestinian suffering but has taken a toll on Arab respect for the United States.”