The United States unveiled on Thursday an ambitious program to help modernize Arab society with an initial contribution of $29 million and pledges to raise much more from Congress and from rich Arab states.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, announcing the program, , the Middle East Partnership Initiative, said "we are adding hope to the U.S.-Middle East agenda. We are pledging our energy, our abilities and our idealism to bring hope to all Gd's children who call the Middle East home."
"Hope begins with a paycheck," he said. "And that requires a vibrant economy." Few details were released by Powell in a speech and news conference at the Heritage Foundation, a private research group.
Powell said 14 million Arab adults lack the jobs they need to put food on their tables, roofs over their heads and hopes in their hearts, 10 million school-age children are at home or working and half the Muslim women in the region are illiterate, he said.
"Too many people there lack the very political and economic freedom, empowerment of women and modern education they need to prosper in the 21st century," he said.
Powell said the $29 million U.S. contribution was designed to get the program started. According to AP, he said the administration would ask Congress for more money next year that will be in addition to the more than $1 billion the United States already provides annually in economic assistance to Arab countries.
Asked whether such rich Arab countries as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait should help finance the program, Powell said the United States would seek contributions from Arab nations, as well.
Meanwhile, Powell said the administration would keep trying to establish a Palestinian state by 2005. But acknowledging that peacemaking was moving at a snail's pace, he said: "We would do anything to find a way to move forward."
"We would do anything to ... end the terror and the violence that comes from the Palestinian community -- some parts of the Palestinian community," he said. "Get the terror and the violence down, then we're in a position to get movement from the Israeli side."
Another condition for progress was that the Palestinians choose new leaders and change their institutions, he said. "As the Palestinians make progress in this direction, Israel will also be required to make hard choices, including an end to all settlement construction activity," Powell aired. (Albawaba.com)
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