Posted on 02/02/2006 6:22:22 AM PST by Wuli
In reaction to the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, Condoleeza Rice's response was:
"She's [Condi] asked her staff to look into that. Why is it that we didn't see this coming?"
I am sorry all you Condi supporters, but this is extremely disconcerting.
It is completely indicative of someone living in the policy wonk world of the State Department, getting 99.99% of their news and "analysis" from that world and clueless as to what is actually going on. 9/11 was the result of 40 years of that kind of myopic foreign policy thinking.
"Didn't see it coming?? Let's see -
(A)the Palestinians more than anyone saw the years of constant corruption and corrupt cronyism of Arafat and his lackeys; so we can conclude that the state department simply ignored how deep that corruption was and they ignored how well it was known and resented by the average Palestinian; they accepted the Arafat/PA media presentation of who and what Arafat and the PA were (NOT);
(B)without their public figurehead, Arafat's lackeys were more concerned about divying up the spoils and the perks of the PA, and the Palestinian people knew that as well; if how the PA managed the "takeover" of Gaza did not bring that to light at foggy bottom, then nothing would have;
(C)for all its moral and political corruption, Hamas:
(1)was not associated organizationally with Arafat or the PA,
(2)spent millions every year on Palestinian welfare and charity institutions, buying the support of millions of poor Palestinians and
(3)never adopted the "we will recognize Israel" position that Arafat and the PA adopted in the Oslo accords;
and finally -
(D) the "street" in the Palestinian territories credited Hamas and its terrorism as having secured Gaza from Israel.
And Condi, in what I can only look at as ignorance, says : "how did this [Hamas wins election] happen?".
It is apparent that you could not learn these things working at the State Department.
I am no more fond of "the media" than the next Freeper, but there is a difference between not being fond of the media and not believing all the media says versus being totally uninformed and clueless.
To recognize the biases in the media is one thing, but to turn all outside, independent information off; to not be informed beyond what only your staff and your bureaucrats tell you; to not seek information and analysis beyond the confines of those who are trying to shape your opinions, and still make public policy is the equivalent of having your head buried in bureaucratic quicksand. It's dangerous.
Call it a diplomatic ass chewing, and I'm sure that on 911 The President asked the very same question of his advisers, starting with Dick Cheney and working his way down.
Are you prepared to call him a failure for that as well?
Nobody in the Council on Foreign Relations(George Soros pals) should ever get near the presidency again.
If she resigned her membership and repudiated the Council and it's plans I might give her a look.
no offense, but I think wuli joined a year ago.
The facts of the 9/11 terrorists were not in front of Bush or Cheney or Rummy nor available to be in front of them.
The facts of the depth of disenchament and corruption of the PLO, the PA, Arafat and his sucessors and the facts of Hamas and their repsective history and the conditions on the ground, relative to the strenght of Hamas, was known, was available and was ignored. Condi was last in a State Department bubble. Had she still be in academia, out from under the cloud at the State Department, where she would do her own critical thinking, she would probably have been one who tried to warn her peers about a likely Hamas victory.
I do not see Rummy as lost in the cloud at DOD, in fact, from what I am told, he is not loved very much by the civilian bureacracy at DOD - because he lets them know he is in charge, not them.
“We knew these sand-nazi's were all the same... but hey, the world wants us to stave off Armageddon so we gave it a shot.”
everyone says she'd make a fine nfl commissioner. I think it is 'cause she likes football or something.
It is not taken out of context.
Read the article posted in one of the answers on this thread.
She is directing that the State Department investigate why she was not told to expect a Hamas victory.
I doubt that John Bolton had to be told by anyone to expect Hamas would win, but then Condi's chief deputy for political affairs, Nicholas Burns, was probably spending more time consulting with his last boss, John Kerry (Burns was one of Kerry's top foreign policy advisors), than he was with John Bolton.
I would vote for Condi Rice tomorrow if she just would reissue a statement that she is definitely pro life instead of pro choice which she has stated.
It is what she has told many people she would really like to do - NFL Commissioner.
I would put Bolton in charge of the entire State Department; he would clean house, he would not simply accept what the Diva's at the State Department tell him and, I believe he would not have been, as Condi was, surprised by the Hamas victory.
Ambassador Bolton needs to clean up the UN first.
Welcome to FreeRepublic.
I completely agree, there are not enough John Boltons and Colin Powell was a disapointment in many regards.
BUT John Bolton was an advisor to Condi Rice before she went to State, he to the US mission / UN, so she has the ability and knowledge to pick sound advisors.
Some of the old guard at State, CIA (all of the agencies practically) have got to go....
I know, I was kinda playing dumb on purpose. It just seems weird to me when people say "wow , she'd be a great commissioner" and I'm wondering , why would she be any better than mu next door neighbor?
First Wuli stated his opinion and furnish no proof for that opinion other than what he thinks. My first argument would be that if you are of the opinion Condi did not see it coming and that is disqualification for the presidency then who are the politicians running for president that saw it coming and on that basis should be elected.
Unfortunately, Nostradamus declined the job of Secretary of State, citing health concerns. Punxsutawney Phil, likewise demurred, stating "Any job in which I have to deal with democrats and Europeans is not my idea of rewarding work".
Dr. Rice is infinitely more qualified than you know. Get used to seeing a lot of her after Nov, 2008, too.
FMCDH(BITS)
If you use Mozilla as your browser, go to the upper right hand corner and find the Dictionary button and enter delusional.
FMCDH(BITS)
Where are these facts stated or where can they be acquired? Even Hamas only expected thirty - forty percent of the vote by their own advisers. In the first news cast after the vote they stated they themselves were surprised. So surprised that they still don't have anyone in line to fill the positions. They sought to fill a few seats and instead they got many and now they have to scramble. They were not prepared to just step in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.