Posted on 12/06/2006 12:43:40 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
The White House has been examining a proposal by James Baker to launch a Middle East peace effort without Israel.
The peace effort would begin with a U.S.-organized conference, dubbed Madrid-2, and contain such U.S. adversaries as Iran and Syria. Officials said Madrid-2 would be promoted as a forum to discuss Iraq's future, but actually focus on Arab demands for Israel to withdraw from territories captured in the 1967 war. They said Israel would not be invited to the conference.
“As Baker sees this, the conference would provide a unique opportunity for the United States to strike a deal without Jewish pressure,” an official said. “This has become the most hottest proposal examined by the foreign policy people over the last month.”
Officials said Mr. Baker's proposal, reflected in the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, has been supported by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte. The most controversial element in the proposal, they said, was Mr. Baker's recommendation for the United States to woo Iran and Syria.
“Here is Syria, which is clearly putting pressure on the Lebanese democracy, is a supporter of terror, is both provisioning and supporting Hezbollah and facilitating Iran in its efforts to support Hezbollah, is supporting the activities of Hamas," National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told a briefing last week. "This is not a Syria that is on an agenda to bring peace and stability to the region."
Officials said the Baker proposal to exclude Israel from a Middle East peace conference garnered support in the wake of Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 25. They said Mr. Cheney spent most of his meetings listening to Saudi warnings that Israel, rather than Iran, is the leading cause of instability in the Middle East.
“He [Cheney] didn't even get the opportunity to seriously discuss the purpose of his visit—that the Saudis help the Iraqi government and persuade the Sunnis to stop their attacks,” another official familiar with Mr. Cheney’s visit said. “Instead, the Saudis kept saying that they wanted a U.S. initiative to stop the Israelis’ attack in Gaza and Cheney just agreed.”
Under the Baker proposal, the Bush administration would arrange a Middle East conference that would discuss the future of Iraq and other Middle East issues. Officials said the conference would seek to win Arab support on Iraq in exchange for a U.S. pledge to renew efforts to press Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Golan Heights.
“Baker sees his plan as containing something for everybody, except perhaps the Israelis,” the official said. “The Syrians would get back the Golan, the Iranians would get U.S. recognition and the Saudis would regain their influence, particularly with the Palestinians.”
Officials said Mr. Baker's influence within the administration and the Republican Party’s leadership stems from support by the president's father as well as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Throughout the current Bush administration, such senior officials as Mr. Hadley and Ms. Rice were said to have been consulting with Brent Scowcroft, the former president's national security advisor, regarded as close to Mr. Baker.
“Everybody has fallen in line,” the official said. “Bush is not in the daily loop. He is shocked by the elections and he's hoping for a miracle on Iraq.”
For his part, Mr. Bush has expressed unease in negotiating with Iran. At a Nov. 30 news conference in Amman, Jordan, the president cited Iran's interference in the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
“We respect their heritage, we respect their history, we respect their traditions,” Mr. Bush said. “I just have a problem with a government that is isolating its people, denying its people benefits that could be had from engagement with the world.”
Mr. Baker's recommendation to woo Iran and Syria has also received support from some in the conservative wing of the GOP. Over the last week, former and current Republican leaders in Congress—convinced of the need for a U.S. withdrawal before the 2008 presidential elections—have called for Iranian and Syrian participation in an effort to stabilize Iraq.
“I would look at an entirely new strategy,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. “We have clearly failed in the last three years to achieve the kind of outcome we want.”
In contrast, Defense Department officials have warned against granting a role to Iran and Syria at Israel's expense. They said such a strategy would also end up undermining Arab allies of the United States such as Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.
“The regional strategy is a euphemism for throwing Free Iraq to the wolves in its neighborhood: Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia,” said the Center for Security Policy, regarded as being close to the Pentagon. “If the Baker regional strategy is adopted, we will prove to all the world that it is better to be America's enemy than its friend. Jim Baker's hostility towards the Jews is a matter of record and has endeared him to Israel's foes in the region.”
But Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates, a former colleague of Mr. Baker on the Iraq Study Group, has expressed support for U.S. negotiations with Iran and Syria. In response to questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, which begins confirmation hearings this week, Mr. Gates compared the two U.S. adversaries to the Soviet Union.
“Even in the worst days of the Cold War, the U.S. maintained a dialogue with the Soviet Union and China, and I believe those channels of communication helped us manage many potentially difficult situations,” Mr. Gates said. “Our engagement with Syria need not be unilateral. It could, for instance, take the form of Syrian participation in a regional conference.”
I don't know about Syria, but as I said on another thread about Imaninnyjad, how do you talk to someone who wants to wipe out an entire country AND whose choo-choo has clearly gone chugging round the bend?
They sure did..
We would never be trusted again
goodbye Taiwan
goodbye Taiwan
It pains me to say it, but, I'm afraid you're correct.
We can't say that the President wasn't aware of this since Baker's proposal has the support of Rice, Burns and Negroponte, and Rice and Hadley have been consulting with Scowcroft. So this proposal isn't just Baker's. Having Baker working on this proposal plus the appointment of Robert Gates gives strong indications of placating the liberal anger as opposed to looking for the best interest of Iraq, and more importantly looking for the best interest of Israel, despite the Defense Department warning against granting a role to Iran and Syria at Israel's expense. That would also undermine Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco – our allies.
This is quite a downer. Maybe we don't know all that there is to know... and maybe things aren't as bad as they appear, but looking from where I sit... it ain't look good.
I agree that there doesn't seem to be much gold in those hills. Keep an eye on it and wait and see. But you are correct - the Fabulous Baker Boy isn't giving us much to look forward to. :(
Sad to say.
This stinks out loud.'
You bet it does and the very suggestion of not involving Israel is a huge snub of Israel and a declaration that the U.S. is willing to negotiate Israel's very existence in exchange for nothing guaranteed from the Arabs.
What in the world is going on here. I just can't believe this.
is Israel so weak now that she will allow herself to walk the plank.
Doubt it. Governments can and do change quickly in Israel and when backed up against the wall of survival one thing is certain. "NEVER AGAIN" There is no way Israel will commit suicide without taking hundreds of millions with them. "NEVER AGAIN"
Baker speaks for the Saudis (he pipes, they pay).
Gates and Brzezinski in their 2004 CFR Report called for negotiations with Iran.
Suddenly it's 1938 and the fresh breeze of appeasement blows across a somnambulandscape.
Jimbo, not today, not tomorrow, not ever, you sorry sack of dung.
Kill the terrorists be they in some Baghdad slum or Tehrani marbled palace--or even in Riyadh.
Mr. President, brush aside this cup of poison.
If you go hat in hand to the enemy camp, you go alone.
The US still maintains diplomatic relations with Syria. Although we pulled our Amb after the assassination in Lebanon, the US still has a functioning embassy in Damascus and the Syrians have an Embassy in Washington DC. We have been engaged with the Syrians for a long time.
And the Israelis would be FOOLS to trust us.
Just making the report public is reason for complete loss of trust. If this report gets support the U.S. can forget about being leader of the free world. Any nation would be foolish to trust us. Goodbye Taiwan, goodbye Iraq & goodbye Israel. Africa is gone already. China will have Asia and Russia is up to mischief again determined to undermine the west, especially eastern Europe. South America will fall one by one to Venezuela as they become bolder and bolder in lieu of U.S. weakness. We'll see more military takeovers and Europe will be gone in a decade and no doubt U.S. leadership role in NATO will be totally worthless. Europe will be like Iraq. Their governments won't be willing to face any challenge, they'll expect the U.S. to bail them out and there will a Baker like study group advising against any involvement in order not to upset the European Muslim majority.
You need to change that to the Iraq Surrender Group, Phil.
If Baker can do a few favors for the Saudis, a palestinian state for example, so much the better.
Given the multiple generations who have born into hate, taught hate from birth, lived hate, breathed hate in every fiber of their being I doubt if we will ever see a Palestinian state in our lifetime. They simply don't have the capacity to live in a civil society. Their leaders have guaranteed conflict for generations to come.
I don't know why you feel a need to find the evils of Bush Sr. They don't exist. Now, many of his supporting cast don't have his intestinal fortitude on their own - Powell, Baker, etc. But under his leadership they were exceptional.
Excellent post!
My sentiments...exactly!
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.