"Death to America" Rally in Iraq
Live over 30 years and life in the Middle East becomes a rerun of historical events. The Shiite rally in Baghdad had all the flavor of Iran in the 1970's. "Death to Israel" was also included, of course.
This is the result of Bush turning over Middle East policy to the Ariel Sharon when he first came into office. There is a substantial group of people in this country who believe that the U.S. interests are exactly the same as Israel's, President Bush included.
This is never the case in world affairs. It is not in our best interest to let Israel conclude its Lebanese military operation in any way it sees fit. This is serving only to ruin our reputation as an 'honest broker' in the Middle East. It is allowing our adversaries to argue that we always take Israel's side.
Who better to explain that to our ever-amateurish president than his own father and his secretary of state, James Baker. In an excellent article in the New York Times on August 2, Sheryl Gay Stolberg elucidates the differences in how they each handled the Middle East.
Needless to say, the experienced father handled the Israelis much more in our best interest. George the Elder was vilified for his even-handedness by those who want us to see Israel's strategic interests as the same as the U.S.
They are not, and the demonstrations in Baghdad prove it.
This is the result of Bush turning over Middle East policy to the Ariel Sharon when he first came into office. There is a substantial group of people in this country who believe that the U.S. interests are exactly the same as Israel's, President Bush included.
This is never the case in world affairs. It is not in our best interest to let Israel conclude its Lebanese military operation in any way it sees fit. This is serving only to ruin our reputation as an 'honest broker' in the Middle East. It is allowing our adversaries to argue that we always take Israel's side.
Who better to explain that to our ever-amateurish president than his own father and his secretary of state, James Baker. In an excellent article in the New York Times on August 2, Sheryl Gay Stolberg elucidates the differences in how they each handled the Middle East.
Needless to say, the experienced father handled the Israelis much more in our best interest. George the Elder was vilified for his even-handedness by those who want us to see Israel's strategic interests as the same as the U.S.
They are not, and the demonstrations in Baghdad prove it.
posted by Marshall Darts at
12:48 PM
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