US President Bush acknowledged "times are tough" for the United States and the Middle East in an interview published by an Egyptian newspaper Saturday.
Bush also backed away from the "road map" peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians, adding that keeping the promise of a Palestinian state by 2005 "may be hard."
Regarding the prisoner-abuse scandal in Iraq, Bush said during the Al-Ahram interview he was "sorry."
"I can't tell you how sorry I am to them and their families for the humiliation," he said. "I'm also sorry because people are then able to say, `Look how terrible America is."
Bush conceded that the issue has cost the United States standing in the Middle East.
"I think that things in the Middle East for the United States are difficult right now," Bush said. "I think they're difficult because people don't really understand our intentions. ... I'd say right now times are tough for the United States and the Middle East."
Bush said he planned to send a letter to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei to call for better Palestinian leadership, and for setting up institutions that can then work to set up a Palestinian state.
But he indicated the letter would contain no guarantees - as Arabs had hoped - and that there would be no state by 2005.
"Well, 2005 may be hard, since 2005 is right around the corner. I readily concede the date has slipped some, primarily because violence sprung up," Bush said. "I don't want to make any excuses, but nevertheless, I think the timetable of 2005 isn't as realistic as it was two years ago."
He added: "Nevertheless, I do think we ought to push hard as fast as possible to get a state in place."
On his part, Yasser Arafat said on Saturday it was still possible to establish a Palestinian state by 2005. Arafat told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah that establishing a Palestinian state by 2005 was "more than realistic because according to the signed agreements....our state should have been declared by 1998 or 1999".
Bush declined to offer any guarantees on two issues of special concern to Arabs - that an eventual Palestinian state would encompass almost all the West Bank, and that Palestinian refugees who fled in 1948 from land that now lies in Israel be allowed to return.
Bush said those issues should be left for the government of the new Palestinian state to negotiate directly with the Israelis.
The letter to Qurei, Bush said, would say that the Untied States is still committed to the "road map" and the Palestinian state, "but also reminding him it's now time to step up and show leadership, show leadership against the terrorists, and show leadership in putting the institutions in place for a state to emerge."
Bush said times are hard for the United States in the Middle East because people in the region do not understand America's intentions, which he said were to build free and peaceful societies and to protect American security.
He accepted some of the blame for not getting that message across, but blamed as well the prison-abuse scandal.
"Obviously, our reputation has been damaged severely by the terrible and horrible acts, inhumane acts that were conducted on Iraqi prisoners," Bush said.
"So I've got to do a better job of explaining to the people that we're for a lot of things that most people who live in the Middle East want," he added. Bush said his desire to push a package of reforms for the "Greater Middle East" remains strong despite criticism.
"I am as strong today on reforms in the greater Middle East as I have ever been. I fully understand criticism. I mean, I get criticized all the time in my job," he said. "I think the job of a leader is to have a vision, a vision that is hopeful and optimistic."
He did not say whether he would impose sanctions on Syria, saying: "If I make the decision to put on sanctions, it will be because he (Syrian President Bashar Assad) hasn't been a full partner in the war against terror."
Bush said he understands the frustration of a recent poll in Iraq indicating that most people consider the United States an occupying power.
"I mean, if I were an Iraqi and I ... was asked, am I happy that somebody is running my government for me - which basically is what the question implies - the answer would be, no, we want to run our government ourselves," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
