General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGeneral Question .... Did Sec. Kerry help in getting this cease fire?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/world/middleeast/israel-gaza.html?_r=0A Brief Cease-Fire Gives Gazans and Israelis a Chance to Take Stock
<Mr. Kerry, in lengthy discussions in Cairo last week, did not secure the seven-day cease-fire he
had sought, but he continued to press his case in Paris with Mr. Fabius and their counterparts from
Turkey, Qatar, Germany, Britain, and Italy, along with a representative of the European Union.
Mr. Kerry later met separately at the residence of the American ambassador to France with Khalid
bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, the Qatari foreign minister, and Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign
minister. Qatar and Turkey support Hamas and have served as intermediaries with Khaled Meshal,
the political head of the organization, who resides in Doha.>
I don't know all the answers and my heart aches for the dead, hurt, homeless, and tumatized but
I can take some comfort in knowing that we have some "grown ups" trying to get things done.
BTW in 2004 I met some of the people who served on the swift boat w/ Kerry in Vietnam and what
Karl Rove, Fox, and the right wing did in savaging John Kerry's service was and still is a shameful
page in American history.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)Just enough time to re-supply the support lines.
bigtree
(86,005 posts). . .who, apparently made the 12-hour proposal . . .
Sec. Kerry speaking to reporters on the 25th:
____ We dont yet have that final framework, but I will tell you this: None of us here are stopping. We are going to continue the conversations. And right now, before I came in here tonight, I had conversations with people on both sides of this conflict. Just spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who made it clear that he wants to try to find this way forward. I think the Secretary-General, who has graciously called for a 12-hour cease-fire, will speak in a moment about that possibility and where it will go. And Prime Minister Netanyahus indicated his willingness to do that as a good-faith down payment and to move forward. And Im grateful to the Secretary-General for his leadership in that regard.
But in the end, the only way that this issue is going to be resolved, this conflict, is for the parties to be able to come together and work through it as people have in conflicts throughout history. And its our hope, and we intend to do everything possible. Tomorrow, I will be in Paris, where I will meet with some of our counterparts, my counterparts, and where I will also meet with other players who are important to this discussion in an effort to be able to try to see if we can narrow the gap. And Prime Minister Netanyahu is committed to try to help do that over the course of the next day.
So we begin with at least the hope of a down payment on a cease-fire, with the possibility of extension, a real possibility in the course of tomorrow. And hopefully, if we can make some progress, the people in this region who deserve peace can find at least one step towards that elusive goal.
more: http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/07/229803.htm
More Power to John Kerry
Botany
(70,589 posts).... it is a start. From the little I could gleen from news reports it seems that Sec. Kerry
was working every angle and source he could and was trying to do it quitely too.
Thanx for your post.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)bigtree
(86,005 posts)Arriving in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with European foreign ministers to find ways of building on Saturday's 12-hour ceasefire
Israel agrees to extend Gaza war truce by 4 hours
Botany
(70,589 posts)America and the world lost so much with those two stolen election in 2000 and 2004.
bigtree
(86,005 posts)U.S. Embassy France @USEmbassyFrance · 6h
@JohnKerry is greeted by France's Foreign Minister, @LaurentFabius, Quai d'Orsay, Paris, July 26.#Gaza
Department of State @StateDept · 3h
Secretary @JohnKerry joins Foreign Minister @LaurentFabius for talks on #Gaza in Paris. More: http://go.usa.gov/5XdY
Department of State @StateDept · 2h
France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Turkey, the UK & the US hold talks on #Gaza in Paris. Photos: https://flic.kr/p/obRhvZ
Department of State @StateDept · 2h
Secretary @JohnKerry discusses #Gaza with @MFATurkey's @A_Davutoglu_eng in Paris. Photos: https://flic.kr/p/othBZ7
Department of State @StateDept · 24m
@JohnKerry's remarks with Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu and Qatari FM Khalid al-Attiyah after their meeting in Paris: http://go.usa.gov/575Y
Department of State @StateDept · 7m
.@JohnKerry: I express appreciation for Foreign Ministers Attiyah, Davutolgu's work on #Gaza. http://go.usa.gov/575Y
Department of State @StateDept · 7s
.@JohnKerry: Palestinians need to live with dignity, a life that is free from current restraints, free from violence. http://go.usa.gov/575Y
Department of State @StateDept · 5s
Secretary @JohnKerry in Paris: Israelis need to live free from rockets and from tunnels that threaten them. http://go.usa.gov/575Y #Gaza
Botany
(70,589 posts)Kerry might turn out to be one of the best Sec. of States we have had. He is smart,
fluent in French, and he has been around the block afew times.