US Steps Up Pressure On Palestinians To Drop UN Statehood Bid

[Purveyor]

The US is attempting to fire up a fresh round of Middle East peace talks in an attempt to head off a major diplomatic embarrassment over a looming Palestinian request for recognition of statehood at the United Nations.

Washington has again dispatched negotiators to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders as it scrambles to find ways to avoid carrying out a threat to veto a Palestinian request for full membership of the UN, which is expected to be made to the security council or the general assembly next week.

If the request is made to the security council, a US veto of Palestinian demands for statehood – on the grounds that two decades of negotiations has failed to end the occupation – is likely to further damage America's already battered reputation in the Middle East, particularly when Washington has strongly backed the uprisings in Libya and Syria and broadly welcomed the Arab spring.

The US is working with Tony Blair, special envoy of the quartet of the UN, EU, US and Russia, to come up with a framework for talks that could lure the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. US envoys David Hale and Dennis Ross, the European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Blair are due to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/14/palestinians-pressure-united-nations-statehood

[msongs]

1. why does Obama administration hate democracy for others? nt

[oberliner]

3. What does this have to do with democratcy for others?

There is really no connection.

[polly7]

2. LMAO Tony Blair, special envoy ...... peace master. What a farce.

Palestinians have deserved statehood from the beginning. This bowing to Israel is beyond disgusting.

[harun]

4. I don't see why the U.S. cares what the Palestinians do at the U.N.

they are simply going to veto everything that provides any assistance to the Palestinians. Always have.