-Caveat Lector-
>From http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,683678,00.html
}}}>Begin
Analysis
Next time Bush must not be first to blink
Julian Borger in Washington
Saturday April 13, 2002
The Guardian
Even before Colin Powell plunged into his long-shot attempt to achieve a Middle East
ceasefire yesterday, the US secretary of state's negotiating power had been
undermined by the White House, which unceremoniously backed down from a
confrontation with Ariel Sharon.
Having insisted on Sunday that the Israeli prime minister withdraw his troops from
the West Bank "now, without delay, not tomorrow" - in the words of the national
security adviser, Condoleezza Rice - by the end of the week the White House had
dropped all expressions of urgency.
When Mr Powell met Mr Sharon yesterday, both would have been keenly aware of
the vacillation back in Washington, and it showed in their remarks. The secretary of
state of the world's sole superpower was reduced to expressing hope that an
agreement could be reached on a withdrawal timetable, while the Israeli leader
simply restated his position. His troops would leave when they were good and ready.
At the White House, the president's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, lauded Mr Sharon as
"a man of peace", and stressed that the decision to meet with Yasser Arafat had
been Mr Powell's alone.
President Bush went eyeball to eyeball with Mr Sharon and blinked, in an inverted
replay of his father's clash a decade ago with another Israeli rightwinger, Yitzhak
Shamir. Mr Shamir clashed with Bush senior and lost his job in part because he had
lost US confidence. The incident contributed to the conventional wisdom that no
Israeli leader could afford to alienate the Americans. That may still hold in the long-
term, but not under present circumstances.
Unlike his father, the current President Bush has yet to fight his war with Iraq, and
has no Arab coalition alongside him. Furthermore, the Israeli Labour party has been
crippled and the only real alternative to Mr Sharon is Binyamin Netanyahu who is
calling for Mr Arafat's deportation from the occupied territories - something Mr
Sharon would do if not constrained by his coalition partnership with Labour. Just in
case, he has reinforced the right wing of his government to give himself the option of
dropping Labour, if circumstances demand.
In Washington, there is minimal congressional backing for a tough stance towards
Israel. Mr Netanyahu was feted this week in Congress where Democrats and
Republicans vied to outdo each other to pledge backing for Israel. Meanwhile, Mr
Arafat has lost all sympathy by his failure to restrain terrorism. Support is building
in
the Senate for a draft to brand the Palestinian Liberation Organisation a terrorist
group and shut down its Washington office.
But while the White House has made a dash for political safety, the logic of the
worsening situation in the Middle East is likely to drag it back into dangerous waters.
There is an imminent danger of a wider war. Washington is currently relying on
Moscow's good offices to persuade Syria and Iran to restrain Hizbullah in southern
Lebanon. Mr Powell has also been given a direct reminder by America's most
important Arab allies - Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt - that their own stability is in
danger.
President Bush's immediate task is to prevent havoc spreading across the Middle
East. He will need his Arab allies to prod Mr Arafat towards a ceasefire, but their
support is contingent on Mr Sharon being bullied into a total withdrawal and the
immediate start of political negotiations aimed at the creation of the Palestinian
state.
Sooner or later, Mr Bush will have to take Mr Sharon on once more, this time without
blinking.
Guardian Unlimited � Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002
End<{{{
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forwarded as information only; no automatic endorsement
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not
believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men.
Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all.
Then accept it and live up to it."
The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutta
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
teach you to keep your mouth shut."
--- Ernest Hemingway
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
