We're still waiting for the IRA to turn over it's weapons.
Posted on 10/11/2001 7:08:53 PM PDT by gohabsgo
The US is to make a determined effort to force Israel to enter into peace negotiations with the Palestinians, fearing that the west is in danger of losing the propaganda war with Osama bin Laden.
In an attempt to address one of the main Muslim grievances, President, George Bush will use all the financial and political muscle at his disposal to push the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table.
Mr Bush, whose patience with the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has finally snapped, is drawing up a detailed plan to be published in the next few weeks in the hope of finally resolving 53 years of conflict.
But Mr Sharon, whose camp has been unnerved by the development, will not be moved easily, and the scene is set for a gigantic battle of wills. Tony Blair, who returned to London last night from a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt, highlighted a gnawing anxiety in the US and Britain.
Only five days after the bombing of Afghanistan began, Mr Blair made the extraordinary admission that the west was in danger of losing the propaganda war in Muslim states. He said: "One thing becoming increasingly clear to me is the need to upgrade our media and public opinion operations in the Arab and Muslim world. There is a need for us to communicate effectively."
Bin Laden electrified parts of the Muslim world within hours of the first bombs landing on Afghanistan by releasing a video in which he tried to polarise the conflict between the west and Islam, focusing especially on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. A senior aide to Mr Blair conceded that the broadcast had found a receptive audience in the Middle East.
The west's biggest worry is the dangerous schism between Arab leaders, who basically support the west and are appalled by Bin Laden, and sections of their people to whom he has become a potent symbol of defiance.
Acknowledging this, Mr Blair said: "All moderate, sensible parts of Arab opinion know that it is right that we are acting in Afghanistan and support that. But they do point out to us that they have a general problem with their own people, that we have lost interest in the peace process. It is a perception we need to counter."
In a series of interviews in the region and a signed article offered to Arab newspapers - all part of Downing Street's new battle for public opinion - Mr Blair stressed the urgent need to "convince people that we are sincere in our desire" to get the Middle East peace process back on track. Central to that is the new US thinking, which Saudi Arabia and Egypt are enthusiastically backing. It is based on proposals on the table when the Israelis and Palestinians met in January at Taba in Egypt, the closest they have ever come to agreement. It envisages Jerusalem as the shared capital of Jewish and Palestinian states.
The ideas, which were to be announced in a speech by the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, that was postponed because of the September 11 attack, are expected be revealed formally later this month.
Leaks in the American and Israeli press are causing tremors of nervousness around Mr Sharon, even though US diplomats say the proposals could change before they are publicly aired. "This government is not going to divide Jerusalem. Period," Mr Sharon's spokesman Raanan Gissin said. "Jerusalem will remain the capital of the Jewish people."
Mr Sharon will visit Washington next month to press his case, Israel Radio reported yesterday. He is known to be angry that Mr Powell consulted Saudi Arabia and Egypt but not Israel when he drafted his speech.
Palestinian officials lauded the idea of a "viable homeland" - seen as an improvement on Mr Bush's call for a Palestinian state.
Revealing the nervousness of Arab governments, it emerged yesterday that a tentative plan to include Saudi Arabia on Mr Blair's Middle East itinerary was scrapped at the last minute.
The Saudi government is fearful of Islamic fundamentalist opinion in the kingdom. The London paper Asharq al-Awsat quoted "informed sources" in London as saying the kingdom told Mr Blair that it could not receive him because the leadership was sensitive about its role and position in the Islamic world.
Downing Street played it down, insisting that the visit was not logistically possible.
Man, are you a winner. Do us all a favor and crawl back over to one of the religious threads. Didn't you know we have an agreement? We don't bother you;you don't bother us. See how that works?
Yes, one must wonder. As is par for this region, some Arabs are causing lots of problems, but other Arabs are needed to fight them, so Israel gets the blame.
To gain some leverage in the PR war, Israel should re-propose the basics of Barak's plan, but add some conditions: full recognition and exchange of embassies with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Morocco, & Algeria. It should also add removal of all discriminatory UN motions, and insist on participation in the revolving seats of the Security Council (Israel is the only nation that is not allowed to serve on the Security Council). It should also insist that the PA become a Constitutional Democracy. It will be hard for the west to argue in favor keeping Palestine a dictatorship, and it will force the west to confront our biggest demon -- which has been siding with monarchies, dictators and oppressive rulers to gain economic and political expediency. Human rights such as universal sufferage, freedom of worship, freedom of speech and assembly are ideals we cherish, and the lack of them in the Arab world is Israel's biggest problem of all. Israel has a lot of leverage, IMHO, if she makes this demand in exchange for land/peace.
Barak's plan included soveriegnty over Jerusalem for Israel, with Palestinian administrative control over east Jerusalem. They could make a case to remove this from the proposal given the risks to security as seen from all the suicide bombers over the year, but imho there is no alternative to a Palestinian state. It's now just a question of what kind of state... and in this Israel has a lot of leverage.
You could be right but I'm seeing it differently. I think fate has dropped into his lap the kind of opportunity it gave Lincoln. It will depend on how big a man he is whether he comes out on top as one of our great presidents or as a failed presidency. Time will tell but I am very encouraged at the moment. He is growing daily--you can see it. And he is tough. He's keeping his administration in line under TREMENDOUS pressure, keeping his coalition together and keeping Congress on a short leash. That's quite an act.
We're still waiting for the IRA to turn over it's weapons.
I've been reading for quite a while now. Your improbable scenario was that Israel was telling us to fall into line or they would use their nukes. (They did that once you know. It's called the Samson option). By the time things came to that pass it's quite possible that Israel would not be an ally and some of those other countries might be. I could see us use our nukes to take out the silos. But the scenario is a bit silly so the speculation is too.
I think it is important to realize that it is not ordained by God that the US will protect Israel. That relationship is showing much wear and tear. We might be told to fall into line once too often by that pipsqueak piece of desert.
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