This is a fact that is lost entirely on the appeasement crowd.....
An excellent summary of recent history of the Near East. Suez was Eisenhower's biggest mistake: an attempt to "play fair" with people who have no concept of fairness, and only a very primitive notion of honor.
Of course, the Soviets were backing Nasser. Today, Putin is backing anyone who will hurt the US, so I guess things have not changed that much.
Frum is exactly right. Of course, it is too late to undo Eisenhower's folly, but we should at least try to learn from mistakes of the past. Bush is trying to do that, but with all the domestic anti-Americans around, and a traitorous opposition party, it is very difficult.
I must conclude that democracies such as ours don't really learn very well, particularly when they lack an effective educational system.
This expains the Intifada more than anything else. When Clinton (may doo-doo be upon him) invited Arafathead to the WH and Hillary embraced the first lady of PLO gangsterism, the Palestinians interpreted the gestures as an endorsment for the destruction of Israel. They envisioned a final terrorist jihad of thousands of suicide bombers from all over the Islamic world descending upon Israel. That it didn't happen that way speaks volumes about the Arab ability to believe in the feasibily of the most hair-brained of schemes. It also reveals their complete inability to admit the stupidity of previous empty promises and schemes. But Solomon said it 3,000 yrs ago--"Pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction." Arabs have haughty spirits in spades.