Bush sees Abbas as terror fighter

By Les Kinsolving

Editor’s note: Each week, WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Les Kinsolving asks the tough questions no one else will ask. And each week, WorldNetDaily brings you the transcripts of those dialogues with the president and his spokesman. If you’d like to suggest a question for the White House, submit it to WorldNetDaily’s exclusive interactive forum MR. PRESIDENT!

At today’s White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer about his contention that the Palestinians are ready to join Israel in fighting terrorist organizations.

WND: Ari, on page one of this morning’s Washington Times, you are quoted as disagreeing with the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in saying, “The president’s message is that the best security comes from the Israelis and Palestinians working together to fight terror.” And my question is, can you name even one Palestinian organization or individual who has ever expressed realistic willingness to join Israel in fighting Hamas or any of the many other Palestinian terrorist organizations?

FLEISCHER: This is why what took place in Jordan was so important, because previously, with Yasser Arafat in charge of the Palestinian Authority, the answer was hard to find. Now there is a new moment of opportunity both for the Israelis and for the Palestinian people, with Prime Minister Abbas and with his Security Minister Dahlan in charge – Mohammed Dahlan, in charge of fighting terror.

And the president does believe in the statements that he received from Prime Minister Abbas about his dedication to finding a peaceful solution, and to fighting terror. And, very importantly, the Arab nations are also participating in helping Prime Minister Abbas and Minister Dahlan to be successful on their fight against the terrorist elements.

WND: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who won the Wisconsin state Democratic convention poll decisively over Sen. Kerry and the others, has said, regarding the location of Saddam’s WMDs, “How much did the president know, and when did he know it?” And my question is, in view of the statements last year in which Sens. Kerry, Liebermann and Graham, as well as Congressman Gephardt, all affirmed that Saddam had WMDs, doesn’t the president believe this Dean smear is more directed at Dean’s rival Democrats than at the president?

FLEISCHER: I think – the fact of the matter is there is a terrible split in the Democratic Party and among its presidential candidates about whether or not Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

WND: So he’s going after the Democrats rather than the president, isn’t he?

FLEISCHER: Many who have the most experience have said that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, indeed.

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Les Kinsolving

Les Kinsolving hosts a daily talk show for WCBM in Baltimore. His radio commentaries are syndicated nationally. His show can be heard on the Internet 9-11 p.m. Eastern each weekday. Before going into broadcasting, Kinsolving was a newspaper reporter and columnist – twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for his commentary. Kinsolving's maverick reporting style is chronicled in a book written by his daughter, Kathleen Kinsolving, titled, "Gadfly." Read more of Les Kinsolving's articles here.


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