April 29, 2003 - The Hour Online: Shays urges resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2003: April 2003 Peace Corps Headlines: April 29, 2003 - The Hour Online: Shays urges resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

By Admin1 (admin) on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - 4:34 pm: Edit Post

Shays urges resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict





Caption: RCPV Congressman Chris Shays visiting a school on the West Bank.

Read and comment on this story from The Hour Online that RPCV Congressman Chris Shays says that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue facing the U.S. and the world. He recently returned from a trip abroad to Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and heard from many people there that are concerned about the welfare of the Palestinians.

During his trip Shays was the first Congressman to visit Iraq, crossing the border from Kuwait against the wishes of the Army and State Department. "I think members of Congress who send people into battle better be willing to go there," said Shays, who described his time in the Peace Corps during the Vietnam War as a way of contentiously objecting to the conflict.

He praised humanitarian aid workers and organizations, such as Westport-based Save the Children. "Save the Children blows me away," he said, because of their willingness to enter in a dangerous area. "And they are chomping at the bit to get in (Iraq)," to deliver aid, Shays said. Non-governmental organizations can help the U.S. rebuild Iraq and should be let into the country as soon as possible to provide relief, he said. Read the story at:


Shays urges peace*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Shays urges peace

By RYAN FLINN

Hour Staff Writer

NORWALK -- Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue facing the U.S. and the world, said U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, at a press briefing Monday morning in Norwalk. The representative has recently returned from a trip abroad to Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and heard from many people there that are concerned about the welfare of the Palestinians.

"There has to be peace there," Shays said. "It is in our national interest to see the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolved." Shays was part of a congressional delegation that traveled to the Middle East between April 11 and 24. Sitting at the end of a long table next to an American flag, with a painting of an American flag behind him, Shays also shared some of the stories, sights and conversations he had with children, students, leaders and others.

"These Palestinian kids -- you just want to hug everyone of them," Shays said. "Most of them said, 'We have obstacles, but we're going to survive.' " What struck Shays most was the poverty of the area, and stories of Jewish settlers' brutality. At first, Shays simply said what he heard had disturbed him and he did not want to talk about it. But when pressed, he told reporters about settlers that would pull Palestinian children out the arms of parents and beat the child against a wall, and other settlers who would go into Palestinian stores and push people and items to the floor. Many Palestinian children have seen parents, brothers, sisters and relatives shot by soldiers, he said.

"There isn't a child on the West Bank or in Gaza that hasn't seen someone killed," Shays said. He hopes to hold congressional hearings on the conflict, and discuss what he saw with his Jewish constituents.

Shays heard similar stories in Iraq, under its former leader, Saddam Hussein. When U.S. soldiers opened the prisons there, they found it full of children. "Why were they full of kids? Because their parents had been killed," Shays said. Soldiers also found gallows for hanging prisoners inside the jails. "This is a regime that when it wanted to empty its prisons held mass executions." When asked if he was concerned for his own safety, he replied that he didn't understand why journalists and humanitarian aid workers were allowed in the area, but congressional representatives were advised against doing so.

"I think members of Congress who send people into battle better be willing to go there," said Shays, who described his time in the Peace Corps during the Vietnam War as a way of contentiously objecting to the conflict.

Shays praised humanitarian aid workers and organizations, such as Westport-based Save the Children.

"Save the Children blows me away," he said, because of their willingness to enter in a dangerous area. "And they are chomping at the bit to get in (Iraq)," to deliver aid, Shays said. Non-governmental organizations can help the U.S. rebuild Iraq and should be let into the country as soon as possible to provide relief, he said.

He believes the U.S. military action in Iraq will be admired from a strategic point of view in the future. He was particularly impressed with the small groups of Special Forces that were able to secure areas in Iraq as large as Connecticut.

"The troops did an off-the-charts job," Shays said. "This will be an operation that will be studied with great amount of awe." In other matters, Shays said he would not release his tax returns, instead saying that all of his office expenses are accounted for, and that he would rather lose an election over the issue than release his tax returns to the public.

Shays voted against an energy bill because he disagreed with a provision to open up a section of the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known as ANWR. He said he did support another provision in the bill that proposed raising gas mileage rates on automobiles to wean Americans off of their dependence on oil from the Middle East.

He voted for a welfare reform bill that increases the number of recipients each state must have working 40 hour work weeks from 50 percent to 70 percent in 2008. The bill allows 16 hours of the 40-hour work week to be composed of educational training.

On health care, Shays voted for a bill that caps federal medical malpractice "pain and suffering" awards to $250,000; bans patients from bringing lawsuits after three years from an injury or one year after discovery of malpractice; prevents patients from recovering 100 percent of damages from one single party if more than one party is found at fault; caps economic damage awards to either $250,000 or twice the amount of damage, whichever is higher; and requires plaintiffs to show clear and convincing evidence of malicious intent from the defendants.

On the possibility of running for higher office, Shays denied rumors that he was considering a run for governor of Connecticut. He said that current Gov. John G. Rowland may seek another term, or his lieutenant governor, Jodi Rell, may run for the office as well. Shays said he would support each candidate for the position, because he enjoys representing his district of Connecticut, and does not think he would want to run the state. "I have one of the best jobs anyone could possibly have, and I think I'm good at it," he said. Ryan Flinn is the business editor. He can be reached at 354-1047.

Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL

4/28/03
Main Sections
PCOL Magazine
Breaking News
One World
Peace Corps Library


Directory Sign Up

Volunteer Directory
Directory by COS
RPCVs by COS
RPCVs by Interest
Recent Headlines
White House kicks back Gearan nomination 28 Apr
Ask your Congressman to co-sponsor HR250 28 Apr
NPCA announces first Associate Group 16 Apr
PCVs hope to return to China 15 Apr
How the DFI can wire West Africa 14 Apr
PCVs end Standfast in Senegal 10 Apr
Mismanagement at Americorps 10 Apr
Dodd PC Amendment approved in Committee 9 Apr
Peace Corps plans 20% Annual Growth 7 Apr
Special: Hear Jack Vaughn on May 4 7 Apr
PC suspends China Program over SARS 5 Apr
more breaking news...
Special Sections
Advocacy
Bulletin Board
Cartoons
Congress
Directors
Headlines
History
Humor
Laws
Lost RPCVs
Master Index
NPCA
Obituaries
PCVs
Photography
RPCVs
Recruitment
Return to COS
Safety of PCVs
Service
Speaking Out
Stories
The Third Goal
Training
US Peace Corps
USA Freedom Corps
PCOL Magazine - May 2003 Issue
Jack Vaughn - Peace Corps Legend
The Digital Freedom Initiative
Committee Approves Dodd's PC Legislation
PCV returns to China on her own
The Peace Corps' Secret

Special Report - Iraq Reconstruction
Shays says aid organizations curtailed in Iraq
RPCV to re-establish financial system in Iraq
US has obligations in Iraq says RPCV


Special Reports
Exclusive: How RPCVs organized anti-war Ad
Improvements needed in Volunteer Support
From Russia with Love
GAO Reports on PCV Safety and Security
The Controversy over Lariam
Senior Staff Appointments at PC HQ
PC Expansion: The Numbers Game?
Why the Peace Corps needs Shriver's 4th Goal
When should PC return to Afghanistan?
RPCV Spy dies in Moscow
The Case for Peace Corps Independence
USA Freedom Corps paved with good intentions
more special reports ...



Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Fiji; Congress; Iraq

PCOL4555
23

.

By Anonymous (ool-44c63f7c.dyn.optonline.net - 68.198.63.124) on Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 3:10 pm: Edit Post

Can someone answer a quesion for me? During the Vietnam War was Peace Corps service ever considered "alternative service" for conscientious objectors?

And were male Peace Corps Volunteers ever issued draft deferments if they entered the Peace Corps?


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: