Bush Freezes “Road Map” Until Iraq Crisis Ends

Arutz Sheva ^ | 3-9-03

[SJackson]

According to a report published in today’s “New York Times”, U.S. president George Bush has decided to freeze implementation of his mid-east peace plan calling for the creation of a Palestinian state, until the end of the crisis with Iraq.

Administration officials say that it makes no sense to publish the peace plan, known as a ‘road map’ and push the effort now with a war on the horizon, with anxiety in Israel deepening over being attacked during a war with Iraq and a multibillion-dollar Israeli request for American military aid on the table, explained the Times.

The Times reports that U.S. officials also say that publishing a document calling for the removal of [PLO terrorist chief Yasir] Arafat may upset recent progress among the Palestinians in choosing a prime minister as a step toward having him cede power. They say that more work also needs to be done to accommodate Israeli objections to the plan.

The Times adds that many administration officials charge that Mr. Bush, on the eve of a possible war, does not want to do anything to anger Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Among other reasons, they say that the United States does not want Sharon to intervene in the war even if Israel is attacked by Iraqi missiles, lest this direct Arab countries' anger at Israel.

"Let's face it, the road map is dead," a senior European diplomat said. "This administration will never do anything opposed by Sharon.

The decision to put off consideration of the plan is widely seen as a rebuff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, who has backed the Europeans and urged Mr. Bush to intensify the American commitment to Middle East peace efforts, to placate both Arab countries and European allies being courted over Iraq, according to the Times.

Mr. Powell is described by aides as believing with the Europeans that the stalemate over the peace plan has hampered the American ability to get approval of a resolution on Iraq at the Security Council.

State Department officials say that management of Middle East policies has increasingly been taken over by the White House, where Elliott Abrams, a passionate advocate of Israel, has recently taken over the Middle East portfolio on the National Security Council staff, according to the Times. Three aides under him who were identified with the pro-peace-plan position have recently resigned leading to speculation in the administration that their departure had cemented Mr. Bush's basic pro-Israel position.

[Phil V.]

Now who 's the next arabist we can toss out?

President Bush?

[E Rocc]

Now who 's the next arabist we can toss out? President Bush?

Paul Wolfowitz and Elliot Abrams have been working not on the Iraq crisis, but on the "road map", specifically at the direction of President Bush. Both are Jews and highly committed to the security of Israel. They are not, however, friendly toward the squatter movement.

"What do they [the Israelis] want with these settlements?"

-Elliot Abrams.

In an interview in the Washington Post on Friday, Wolfowitz said, "Our stake in pushing for a Palestinian state will grow" after the war, and he noted that he preferred "concrete steps, like dealing with the settlements" over the advancing of diplomatic issues as part of a "process."

-Ha'aretz, 1/19/03

-Eric

[Phil V.]

President Bush?

I trust that you understand my question to Yehuda and SJackson is dripping in sarcasm. When it is time to focus more directly on the road map I fear that this forum will savage my President.

It is one thing to serve up Iraq as the "main course" to Israel. It will be quite another to serve up the "vegetables" to the children of Israel.

[E Rocc]

I trust that you understand my question to Yehuda and SJackson is dripping in sarcasm. When it is time to focus more directly on the road map I fear that this forum will savage my President.

There's no doubt that Bush's position will become a rude awakening for some when they can no longer pretend it is anything other than strongly anti-squatter.

It shouldn't be a suprise though as every Administration since Nixon's has held that view. Under Bush the Elder, an aid package was even held up until the Israeli government provided solid assurances that the money would not be used to fund squatter camps. Of course, when the IDF is forced to keep a fifth of a city of 100,000 under martial law to protect 400 zealots who willfully incite and even attack their neighbors on a regular basis, some of that money inevitably ends up being spent on squatters.

-Eric