Hillary offers US aid to help boost ties with Muslim world

MARRAKESH, Morocco, (Reuters/AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered aid on Tuesday to boost ties with the Muslim world and urged Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries to move beyond recrimination in the search for peace.
We are determined and persistent in the pursuit of that goal, she said in a speech at a development forum in Morocco attended by Arab ministers.
After a weekend of heated words about the perceived US tilt towards Israel on the issue of settlements on the occupied West Bank, Hillary said it was important for all sides to be careful about what we say and avoid angry rhetoric.
We need to work together in a constructive spirit towards this shared goal of a comprehensive peace. I believe very strongly that it is attainable ... (and) that with your support we can find a way through, she told the sixth Forum for the Future Conference. Hillarys speech unveiled a modest new set of aid proposals aimed at building on President Barack Obamas promise in a June address in Cairo to make a new beginning on Washingtons strained ties with the Islamic world.
The US Secretary of State repeated that the United States is committed to reaching a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, saying this was a key to achieving a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.
Hoping to cast the US as a helpful partner in development for Muslim communities, Hillary outlined a series of small steps to increase funding for civil society groups, youth empowerment and job promotion. She also announced measures to encourage entrepreneurs, support investment in technology and improve the education of women. An Entrepreneurship Summit will be held in Washington next year to bring together Americas business leaders with others from around the world, she said.
She also announced a Civil Society 2.0 project, intended to empower grassroots civil society organisations around the world by helping them use digital technology.
The secretary of state said inter-faith working groups would be set up to hold meetings twice a year to encourage dialogue between the private sector as well as governments.
The programmes Hillary announced include a $76 million project to boost economic opportunities in Yemen, a $30m project for vulnerable young people in Jordan and an entrepreneurship summit in Washington next year to bring Muslim innovators together with US business leaders.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera television, US Secretary of State Hillary said the US demand for a halt in Israeli settlement expansion is clear and that she could have been clearer when speaking about it, days after stirring an Arab backlash over praising Israels plan to ease settlement growth. I think President (Barack) Obama was absolutely clear. He wanted a halt to all settlement activity, she said.