The NEWS (Monrovia)
22 February 2008
editorial
Monrovia — United States President George W. Bush has assured Liberians that his government would help Liberia recover from years of destruction and war.
Bush gave the assurance Thursday upon his arrival on a one-day state visit to the country.
President Bush further said his country would support Liberia to achieve its development goals.
President Bush lauded the Liberian government for maintaining the peace, following many years of war. The American leader also said he was happy to visit Liberia and to see that the country was gradually recovering under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Importantly, President Bush admonished the people of Liberia (all Liberians) to maintain the peace they are enjoying and work with the government to rebuild their war-wrecked nation.
These assurances and admonitions from the President of the world's greatest nation are indeed far-reaching and could produce enormous fulfillment in Liberia's developmental quest provided the American president's subtle caution to Liberians is heeded.
In other words, for Liberia to sustain support from the United States, Liberians would have to work together in maintaining the peace and stability and at the same time remaining a strategic partner of the United States.
Whatever socio-political differences that may subsist among Liberians, such differences must never be allowed to undermine the goodwill from the United States.
When President Bush says that his country will "support Liberia to achieve its development goals", an interpretation of this is that America's development cooperation with Liberia would go beyond his tenure and that such cooperation will be based on Liberia's developmental prescriptions.
With this interpretation, Liberians are assured of America's continuous long-term development support.
On the other hand, we urge the Liberian leadership to seize upon Bush's assurance and place emphasis on value-added developmental approaches within the bilateral cooperation: such as support for local production within food and mineral sectors.
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Victoria Bernard- Johnson
Iwant to ba a part.