Jointly penned article by the UK, US leaders calls for sovereign Palestine, defends Libya offensive and bin Laden assassination.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFDavid Cameron 311(photo credit: Reuters)
The US and Britain on Tuesday pledged their commitment to Israeli security and Palestinian sovereignty.“We are unified in our support for a lasting peace between a secure Israel and a sovereign Palestine,” US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in an opinion piece published in the Times of London that morning.RELATED:UK, France lay red lines on terms for Palestinian state 'State must be able to defend itself against any threat’ The piece was published on the second day of Obama’s six-day European tour. He started out in Ireland on Monday and then flew to London later that night. He also plans to head to France where he will attend the G-8 Summit.The trip, which comes after Obama’s speech on the Middle East, gives the president an opportunity to strengthen his ties with Europe on key issues relating to democratic upheavals in that region as well as the new vision he laid out for resolving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.Although Obama mentioned Israel more times than any other country in his speech Thursday, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict took up only sentence in Tuesday’s opinion piece which spoke of the deep connection between Britain and the US and the need to enhance economic cooperation.“Every day our diplomats and security and intelligence agencies work together. We are working urgently to de-escalate tensions and prevent a return to war in Sudan’s contested Abyei region,” the two leaders wrote.They noted that the death of Osama bin Laden struck a blow against terror but did not end the the continued threat from al- Qaida against both countries.“We must work together to protect our people from their poisonous ideology and the violence that flows from it,” the two men wrote.They pledged to continue their military work in Afghanistan through “training the Afghan national army and police so they can provide security for their country, and our troops can come home.”There are momentous events occurring in Middle East countries where people are demanding basic rights and freedoms, the two men wrote.“We will stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy.We do so because democracy and respect for universal rights is a good for the people of the region, and also because it’s a key part of the antidote to the instability and extremism that threatens our security,” the two men said.“We will continue to enforce the UN resolutions with our allies until they are completely complied with. Our actions in Libya are not, and will never be, a burden our countries carry alone. We will work with partners so they share the load and the costs and continue to support the legitimate and credible Transitional National Council and its efforts to prepare for an inclusive, democratic transition.Together we show the world that the principles of justice and freedom will be upheld by all,” the two men said.
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