US envoy Mitchell leaves for Middle East

The Special Envoy for Middle East senator George Mitchell, fully empowered by US president Barack Obama, has left for a nine-day tour of the region and European countries in an effort to achieve a lasting peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israel conflict.

"Senator Mitchell is going to be fully empowered by me and fully empowered by secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton. So when he speaks, he will be speaking for us," Obama said before Mitchell left for the Middle East.

Mitchell, who was appointed the Special Envoy last week, on Monday left for his whirl-winding nine-day tour to Egypt, Israel, the West bank, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. A peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict has disillusioned several past US presidents.

The former Senate Majority Leader would also be going to several European countries including France and Britain. A few more countries could be added on his itinerary as the trip progresses, an Obama Administration officials said.

"I am hopeful that, during this initial trip, one of the earliest initiatives that we have taken diplomatically, that not only is he able to communicate effectively how urgent we
consider the issue, but that we're also going to be able to listen, and to learn, and to find out what various players in the region are thinking," Obama said.

Senator Mitchell will be able to give us some ideas in terms of how we can solidify the cease-fire, ensure Israel's security, also ensure that Palestinians in Gaza are able to get the basic necessities they need and that they can see a pathway towards long-term development that will be so critical in order for us to achieve a lasting peace, he said. 

The US president said that the cause of peace in the Middle East was important to the United States and its national interests.

Stressing that he wanted genuine progress and not just photo-ops, Obama said "when I say progress, not just photo-ops, but progress that is concretely felt by people on the ground, so that people feel more secure in their lives, so that they feel that the hopes and dreams and aspirations of their children can be met; that is going to be our task."

Acknowledging that the progress was not going to be achieved overnight, he said that he was absolutely confident that, if the United States is engaged in a consistent way and
an in early fashion, that genuine progress can be made.

Mitchell will be accompanied by other State officials, including deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale, as well as representatives from National Security Council and Department of Defense, US State Department spokesperson Robert Wood said.

They will also be joined in Jerusalem and Ramallah by the Acting assistant secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration Sam Witten and USAID Special Assistant to the
Administration George Laudato.

Besides actively and aggressively seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Israel and its neighbours, Mitchell will also work to consolidate cease-fire in Gaza.

He will establish an effective and credible anti-smuggling and interdiction regime to prevent rearming of Hamas, facilitate reopening of border crossings, and develop
effective response to the immediate humanitarian needs of the Palestinians in Gaza and eventual reconstruction, Woods said, adding Mitchell was going to the region in a listening mode.