U.S. Goals for Middle East Falter

[kskiska]

A year ago, the Bush administration had a grand strategy for the Middle East, betting real progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and removal of Iraq's Saddam Hussein would allow the United States to launch a bold initiative for democratic reform across the region.

Today, Washington faces growing Arab backlash for endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral plan for Gaza and the West Bank, symbolized by the abrupt cancellation by Jordan's King Abdullah of a meeting with President Bush today. The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is still searching for a formula to create a government to assume sovereignty on June 30, with other countries also reviewing their troop commitments. And prospects for the democracy initiative to get support from an Arab League summit are rapidly dimming, with fears that Arab resolutions may instead criticize Washington, U.S. officials say.

In all three areas, Washington is looking for direction, bailouts or leadership from others -- the United Nations, Iraqis, Israelis, Arabs and Europeans -- to generate movement that U.S. officials have been unable to achieve since the hopes were unleashed last spring.

"Our interests in the Middle East are more vital, more complex and larger than ever before, but our political capital has never been lower," said Walter Russell Mead, a Council on Foreign Relations fellow just back from the region.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28873-2004Apr20.html

[KoKo]

1. Kemps Comments at end of article are interesting. Conservatives turning

on PNAC policy? Dare we hope?

On all three key planks of U.S. policy, momentum that was sparked by bold U.S. initiatives is now running against the United States, said Geoffrey Kemp, a Reagan administration National Security Council staffer and now a Nixon Center fellow.

"Whether you're talking about the situation in Iraq or the unilateral agreement with Sharon or the wildly mishandled democracy initiative, it's very hard to pick up a head of steam once you lose credibility in your overall stated goals," he said.

To regroup, Kemp added, the administration will need to "go back to the drawing board" on the tactics of stabilizing Iraq, promoting the logic of democracy in the region and promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

[lumpy]

2. The Hitlerian plans of Bushco

have gone astray.

[calimary]

3. I just called the Washington Post Ombudsman's office to complain.

Clicking around, I found the info:

(202) 334 - 7582 Monday through Friday 7a - 6p

or, for email, it's [e-mail]

The lady on the other end of the phone listened and took down some notes as I complained. I wanted to know "WHERE is the OUTRAGE about this?" I complained that we have the most dismal foreign policy, in complete disarray, and that's just the foreign policy department (don't even get me started on other areas!), and everybody in the media is STILL OKAY WITH THIS? WHERE is the critical reporting, the investigating, the muck-raking? I told her I'm old enough to remember Watergate and how the Washington Post showed true courage and leadership in getting to the bottom of things, and there is NONE of it now. NOBODY is going after these people! I also said that if this were Clinton, there'd probably be five or six impeachment proceedings underway right now, for everything that's been royally botched. But because it's bush, nobody says a word. I said I CANNOT understand the opinion polls that show so many people are still okay with this. I said that NOBODY I know of in my community is, and we're all wondering who's being polled because WE are NEVER contacted for our opinions, and, truly, nobody I know can understand how public opinion shakes out the way it does. I complained as ardently as I could without being overly obnoxious (I hope) and appealed to her to urge their writers to buckle down and do their jobs.

For What It's Worth... At least they have feedback about this. I just refuse to remain silent anymore. I realize THIS is a long-distance call, unlike the TOLL FREE number I prefer giving out. But perhaps some DUers in the Washington area can take advantage of it more economically. But there is also the email address for those who can't.

on edit - when this posts, it looks like "mbudsman" - which is wrong and gets you nowhere. It's suppposed to be [e-mail] - I hope it repeats properly here in this edit...

SHOOT! IT'S STILL NOT WORKING!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

I guess, just DELETE THE FRONT PART of that long link - the correct "OMbudsman" part comes up toward the end, after all that "target blank>" stuff.

[lumpy]

4. If the Bushco plan for Mideast US

dominance continues the need for a draft will become crucial. Bush's Mideast friends i.e the Saudis/Israel will be needing US protection. People over thirty, with or without family, will not be exempt from the draft. This can be turning into a Mideast world war. Everyone will be paying with their lives. Vietnam is looking like small potatoes compared to what might come. So don't feel comfy that because you are over 30 that you won't be a part of the plan.

[MUAD_DIB]

5. I can not recall any time that a world leader (Jordan)

has canceled a meeting with a United States President. Can anybody else?


Just how many people is the Monkey King going to piss on and piss off this year? Do we have any friends left in the world?

[shockingelk]

6. Canada, for 1

"Prime Minister Jean Chretien has canceled a private trip to Washington to receive an award, days after the U.S. ambassador criticized his government for failing to join the war against Iraq.

The decision came days after U.S. ambassador and former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci criticized Chretien's government for failing to join the war in Iraq.

A spokeswoman in Chretien's office says the prime minister felt it would be insensitive to collect an award when the U-S is at war. She denied the cancellation was a political move. "

http://www3.whdh.com:80/news/articles/local_iraq/A10829/

[cliss]

7. While I do not disagree with the concept of

bringing democracy to Iraq, I really take issue with who's proposing it. Look at the "leaders" who "want" Democracy, starting in Iraq.

George Bush and his henchmen are the closest thing to Enron in office. Ken Lay and his minions gave millions to assure that their buddy would help pave the yellow brick road for them. Look what happened to Enron.

Like they say in Al-Anon, "look first to your own self before you branch and and try to fix others".

Democracy may be a good thing, but not from these guys.