Israel fears scathing U.S. report on its West Bank policies

[ProgressiveMuslim]

By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff

Tags: Israel, West Bank, IDF

The United States security coordinator for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, retired general James Jones, is preparing an extremely critical report of Israel's policies in the territories and its attitude toward the Palestinian Authority's security services.

A few copies of the report's executive summary (or, according to some sources, a draft of it) have been given to senior Bush Administration officials, and it is reportedly arousing considerable discomfort. In recent weeks, the administration has been debating whether to allow Jones to publish his full report, or whether to tell him to shelve it and make do with the summary, given the approaching end of President George Bush's term.

Jones was appointed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following the Annapolis peace conference last November. His assignment was to draft a strategic plan to facilitate stabilization of the security situation, as a necessary accompaniment to Israeli-Palestinian final-status negotiations. In this context, he assessed the PA security forces in the West Bank, whose reform is being overseen by another American general, Keith Dayton. Jones has visited the region several times and met with senior Israeli government officials and army officers.

more....
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1004143.html

[Sezu]

1. I look forward to the report. Israeli gov't policies should always be

open to legitimate criticism especially if there are recommendations which can improve things.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Agreed!

[azurnoir]

2. Bush is trying to block the release of the report

he's afraid it will make him and maybe McCain look bad too.

From the article
x
The harsh criticisms contained in the executive summary are reportedly upsetting the Bush administration. Some senior U.S. officials are demanding that the full report not be published, so as not to create a storm in advance of the presidential elections in November. Jones, however, is apparently insisting that his full report be published,
just as the report he issued last year on the Iraqi security forces was.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. My bet is it'll be shelved n/t