Sharon, Trusting Bush

The New York Times ^ | 05/27/03 | William Safire

[Mr.Clark]

For the alarmists out there.

[joesnuffy]

Guess it all depends on which side of the fence your on and if its your kids getting murdered daily

[McGavin999]

Bush will not ask him to sacrifice security. Arik knows this and he trusts him. As long as Bush has been in office his strongest point is that he does exactly what he says.

[McGavin999]

The difference is who is now standing behind it. That's something the Israelis have never had, a strong US president who will keep his word.

What difference does it make what the roadmap says, what matters is the vehicle you use to make the drive.

[Mr.Clark]

Right. Arik doesn't have to worry about a US President who is pushing this in order to get a photo op and a Nobel Peace Prize. Both Bush and Arik are serious, level headed people that aren't going to "sacrifice" Israel's security, even if the Euro's and the Arabs don't like it.

[spyone]

Good point.

[Filibuster_60]

Wasn't here last year, but as far as outlook goes the "Road Map" is probably quite similar to the Saudi initiative of 2002.

The key difference now is that there are fewer obstacles to our enforcement of a settlement. Saddam's gone, Syria's scared stiff, Iran's under increasing pressure to reform, and Israel's strategic position is a lot more secure than it was only a year ago. This is one of those rare moments when the extremists on either side of the Mideast conflict might well be outflanked, and Bush has decided to seize the opportunity.

[Pukin Dog]

Good answer.

[mickie]

Geez, I wonder if Sharon's change of heart has anything to do with Bush's freeze of $10Billion in loan guarantees?

[travelnurse]

The difference is who is now standing behind it. That's something the Israelis have never had, a strong US president who will keep his word.

---

Don't kid yourself.. If PM Sharon wants the additional $10/B in loan guarantees promised to him in foreign aid from the United States, WHICH WAS FROZEN BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, he has to comply and bend for GWB, and convince his government to do so also.

[sakic]

Iran's under increasing pressure to reform

From who and to reform into what?

[travelnurse]

Geez, I wonder if Sharon's change of heart has anything to do with Bush's freeze of $10Billion in loan guarantees?

---

Exactly... See my post #12!

[Courier]

It begins a process that will be referred to in International organizations from this point forward.

Neither Bush nor Sharon will under any circumstance still be in office in just over 5.5 years.

It doesn't matter who trusts who today. It the road taken and no one knows who will be in what driver seat further down this road. This road leads to horrors which will not leave Americans immune.

The status quo, no matter how uncomfortable to Israelis and Palestinians, can not lead to the tragic destination where this road is headed.

[Mr.Clark]

Bull. If Sharon wanted to, he could pull another "We won't be another Czechoslovakia" speech, and the evangelicals would go nuts. I was angry at W the first time we went through all this, I thought he was too harsh on Israel, but I think he's learned his lesson. And, like a previous poster said, the world has changed a lot since then. We are now the real power in the region, Syrian and Iran will be a lot more cautious concerning their actions.

[Courier]

Bush did no such thing.

On the contrary. As Safire explains, Bush has been so friendly to Israel, that Sharon felt he had no choice but to repay the friendship.

But both Bush and Sharon are human. And even with good intentions, it paves a road to Hell.

[Mr.Clark]

Don't leave us hanging, where's it going to lead?

[mickie]

I saw your post #12.....we posted a second apart.....but you expressed yourself better.

Dittos! (trust my eyeballs)

[Filibuster_60]

From who and to reform into what?

From our victory in Iraq and their own people, naturally. We may not see the end of the Islamic Republic, but if things go well Iran has a chance of becoming a "normal" state again, one that severs its ties with Hezbollah and prompts Syria to do the same.