|  | | | H I G H L I G H T S
| Thursday, October 20, 2005 | | |
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 President Bush Welcomes Palestinian President Abbas to the White House
President Bush (Oct. 20): "This is a time of great possibility in the Middle East. And the people of the region are counting on their leaders to seize the opportunities for peace and progress. This work isn't going to be easy, but the path forward is clear. I want to thank President Abbas for his hard work. I appreciate your service, Mr. President." [full text]
 Assuring Victory in Iraq
Secretary Rice (Oct. 19): "...[W]ith the Iraqi Government, our political-military strategy has to be to clear, hold, and build: to clear areas from insurgent control, to hold them securely, and to build durable, national Iraqi institutions." [full text]
Iraq: Post-Referendum Update
Amb. James Jeffrey, Senior Advisor on Iraq (Oct. 18): "We see this as a historic day. It was a great day for democracy; it was a great day for the Iraqi people. It was a very bad day for the terrorists who tried to disrupt the voting." [full text; photo gallery]
 Earthquake in Pakistan and India
The United States’ initial $50 million relief package includes food, water, medical supplies, blankets, tents and humanitarian assistance personnel to assist Pakistan following the earthquake that struck on October 8. The Department of Defense is providing additional transportation, food, tents and other relief supplies. We continue to coordinate with the Government of Pakistan to assess needs and faciliate distribution. [full text]
For the many Americans who will want to make private contributions to assist the victims of this disaster, we recommend that they contact the American Red Cross or the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
| | | | | I N O T H E R N E W S | | | | |  Ambasador John R. Bolton testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the challenges and opportunities in moving ahead on UN reform.
Assistant Secretary Paula DeSutter spoke at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on compliance with nonproliferation, arms control, and disarmament agreements.
| | The American people have long been providing generous humanitarian assistance. More than 850 million people around the world remain hungry. In the United States, 450 national private voluntary organizations sponsor World Food Day, reflecting the broad concern and generosity of the American people in alleviating global hunger.
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