Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Bush-Sharon
Billmon's analysis of today's Bush-Sharon press conference. It is a wonder how little press this got, considering this :
Yes, this might be simplify things a bit too much, but, I don't think the current administration realizes that a key to the U.S. being seen as legitimate in the eyes of Middle Easterner's, is to be engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an even handed peace broker. Sure, everyone there knows Israel is one of our biggest allies, but at one time we were perceived to at least be making an effort at being fair. The Israel-Palestinian conflict is a major recruiting tool for Al Qaeda and other like minded terror groups. In fact, the Sunnis in Fallujah who mutilated the four U.S. contractors claim to be from a new group called the "Brigades of the Martyr Ahmed Yassin", the Hamas "spiritual" leader, assassinated by Israel. Sure, these groups know that linking the U.S. and Israel is an easy thing to do, even if it's a stretch, but, it's all connected one way or another.
|
In an appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and in an exchange of letters to be made public later today, Bush accepted essentially all of what the Israeli leader had sought. The move substantially changes U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, softening the American objection to Israel's settlements and dropping a reluctance to dictate terms of a final peace settlement.
More Bllmon: "To call this document the most craven, under-handed and one-sided agreement ever negotiated by the U.S. government would be unfair. There are, after all, those 19th century Indian treaties to take into account. But it's pretty clear that, rumors of their demise notwithstanding, the neocons are alive and kicking, and still have a death grip on the U.S.-Israeli relationship. It seems almost inconceivable to me that having plunged America into the bloody quicksand in Iraq, the neocons are now to receive as their reward an only modestly reduced version of their dream of a Greater Israel. Fuck up and move up indeed."
Yes, this might be simplify things a bit too much, but, I don't think the current administration realizes that a key to the U.S. being seen as legitimate in the eyes of Middle Easterner's, is to be engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an even handed peace broker. Sure, everyone there knows Israel is one of our biggest allies, but at one time we were perceived to at least be making an effort at being fair. The Israel-Palestinian conflict is a major recruiting tool for Al Qaeda and other like minded terror groups. In fact, the Sunnis in Fallujah who mutilated the four U.S. contractors claim to be from a new group called the "Brigades of the Martyr Ahmed Yassin", the Hamas "spiritual" leader, assassinated by Israel. Sure, these groups know that linking the U.S. and Israel is an easy thing to do, even if it's a stretch, but, it's all connected one way or another.
