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| U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns stands in front of a picture of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov. 21. |
Posted on 11/26/2004 1:27:37 AM PST by datura
| MIDDLE EAST REPORT |
Nightmare at Foggy Bottom: Arabists panicked
at prospect of Rice's appointments
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| U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns stands in front of a picture of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov. 21. |
Colin Powell has long operated on the principle, "Don't rock the boat."
It was his credo at the State Department where he usually sidestepped appointments and diplomacy.
But Powell is gone, to be replaced by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Foggy Bottom is scared. Nowhere is the fear more palpable than in the department's Near East Bureau. There, the fear is that Rice will bring in her own Middle East team and sideline the naysayers who opposed the war in Iraq, a vigorous campaign against Iranian nuclear weapons and the boycott of the late Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Powell spent much of his time protecting the Near East Bureau, particularly Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, from the rest of the administration. But Rice wants a new policy based on a bold approach to peace and democracy. She doesn't want any more winks to the Saudis or Syrians. When Bush talks about a new Middle East, Rice wants both U.S. allies and adversaries to know that he means it.
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| Daniella Pletka AEI |
Rice has been considering appointing Daniella Pletka, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, to be the new assistant secretary of state.
Pletka is different from Burns as night is to day. A scholar on the Middle East and former congressional aide, Pletka does not share Foggy Bottom's approach of holding U.S. foreign policy captive to pleasing Saudi Arabia and its allies. Indeed, Pletka believes that the Arab kingdom is desperate for U.S. help and is even willing, if pressed, to make meaningful democratic reforms.
The prospect of Burns being replaced by a conservative scholar as Near East bureau chief is a nightmare for many career diplomats. Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed. Some have been urging their Arab counterparts to express concern over Pletka's candidacy. Yes, Pletka makes no secret of being pro-Israel.
Rice has been urged to choose a compromise candidate, such as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt David Welch. The argument is that Welch is highly regarded by the rank-and-file and would win the respect of Arab diplomats.
A bigger fear to Foggy Bottom is Rice's intention to recommend Undersecretary of State John Bolton to become deputy secretary of state. Bolton, the administration's point man on nonproliferation, is the bane of every career diplomat: he speaks plainly and speaks his mind. Stay tuned.
The more of those 'Rat-diplos that are P*ssed of and quit the better...
Wonder if she's married?
These people need to worry..
L
Mass resignation is just what the doctor ordered. Having the Arab states (read Islamofascist regimes) respect US is not nearly as important as having them fear US.
Mutual accomodation is not in their lexicon. Perhaps we can teach them about enlightened self-interest.
This article has State Dept sources all over it. They even leaked who they want appointed instead of Ms. Pletka.
Mass resignation? Go ahead.
There is no way these comfortable GS-15's are giving up their cushy jobs.
They are bluffing, and even if they resign, no one will mourn them.
Hopefully they will quit...save Condi from having to clean house. State has been a problem for decades, and she's just the gal to straighten it out.
Whoop de Doo!!! Condi Rice is the real goods!
I don't know, but based on the following sentence, I think I love her.
Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed.
More about her: http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.50,filter.all/scholar.asp
I saw that while looking for a phone #. :)
They'll probably stay in town and work at places like Brookings, etc.
I don't know if a chainsaw will do it - a stump grinder maybe.
bumpo
Daniella Pletka is amazing. I have yet to see anyone beat her in a debate. I hope she gets the job.
You're probably right about that. Hey brother, what are you doing up so early? Getting ready for the commute back into DC this morning--or just can't sleep?
How I am noticing the influence of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) over the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
I know the CFR has WAY more clout, but it is strange to see nonetheless.
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