By Ted Belman
July 24, 2005
 |
| The Secretary of State enjoy a light moment with Mahmoud Abbas as Arafat looks on. (AP) |
| |
The United States is pressuring Israel to relinquish control over access to Gaza. This includes abandoning the Philadelphi Corridor [separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip], allowing a free port in Gaza and overland transit to the West Bank.
How absurd. It is one thing to attempt to do so as part of transforming the Middle East, it is another to do so when the US has failed miserably in this endeavor.
The US has failed to stabilize Iraq where the death toll of civilians, politicians and diplomats is increasing. Furthermore the constitutional process is not going well. The Sunni representatives have resigned. There is lack of agreement on the exclusion of Sharia law, on Iraq not being an Arab country and on the division of resources. But there is agreement on preventing Israelis from becoming citizens.
All this seems to suggest a breakup of Iraq into three countries which is the total opposite of what the US wants. Finally it was hoped that Iraq would be a friend of the West, yet we saw last week that it has gotten into bed militarily and economically with the Iranians.
I have always been a staunch supporter of the invasion of Iraq but have to admit that from a global perspective the invasion has done more harm then good. At least Sadaam Hussein was contained with few resources.
Although the US got the Syrian military out of Lebanon, it failed to get its intelligence out. Also it has failed to get Syria to stop the influx of terrorists and arms into Iraq.
The US and the UN demanded that Hezbollah disarm. There is no progress in that field whatsoever.
The US has failed miserably to get Iran to stop acquiring the bomb and to stop supporting terrorism in Israel or Iraq.
Ben Laden is still at large and Al Qaeda is growing. It has launched a new round of bombings including in Iraq, the UK, Lebanon and Egypt with more promised on the way in Italy, Poland and Israel to name a few.
Even Saudi Arabia, America's "ally", continues to support the advancement of Wahabbism throughout the world. It also supports the insurgency in Iraq. Yet Bush continues to be a defender of Islam and still calls it a religion of peace.
Finally the Roadmap is an abject failure. It remains stillborn, yet the US is not willing to issue a death certificate.
The PA and Abbas have accomplished nothing except to invite Hamas into the government. Palestinian terror is increasing despite the "ceasefire." The Roadmap was intended to result in the disarming of the terrorist groups in its first stage but instead has resulted in the acceleration of their armament. The US has been powerless to prevent it or to prevent the rocket attacks against Israel
The Palestinians are waging a war of annihilation against Israel and the US is pretending there is a peace process. General Ward, the US appointee to organize the Palestinian security forces, is to be withdrawn after disengagement with no successor having been appointed.
And what is America's response? Israel should stop controlling access to Gaza thereby enabling Hamas to take over and enlarge its weapons factories and import more terrorists and weaponry. Unbelievable.
I urge you to read Debka's report "US, Britain, Egypt and Israel Are Lost for Answers to Mounting al Qaeda Offensive":
Al Qaeda makes no secret of its plans. It is looking forward to the free ride to its first Mediterranean base afforded by the Israeli prime minister's much-praised evacuation-disengagement plan, which goes into effect from mid-August. The terrorist group will also win a springboard to Israel and Europe across the water.
Yet the only controversy in Israel over the pros and cons of the pull-back operation is confined to the domestic, political plane, the dispute between so-called "right" and "left". Even the arguments put forward by its most avid opponents lack strategic depth.
Washington and London, aside from certain anti-terror experts, are blind to the fact that by exiting from Gaza, Israel will open the Mediterranean basin to al Qaeda's spreading campaign of terror. They are pushing Israel and the Palestinians as hard as they can to make sure that Gaza's handover takes place. Rice arrived post-haste to make sure the revival of Hamas suicide attacks would not delay the operation and that the Israeli government stays squarely on course for the home run.
American foreign policy is in shambles. The US is losing the war on terror on all fronts. Rather than acknowledge this and regroup, it continues to pursue failed policies, including the Roadmap which only serves to make the situation worse.
Finally on the home front, there is serious concern that Al Qaeda has smuggled into the US several atomic bombs, They have the intention of blowing them up in a number of American cities causing millions of casualties.
What is needed is for the US to mobilize a half a million troops and to impose its will on Syria, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The half measures currently employed have proven insufficient for the task.
Last, but not least, it should stop weakening Israel and strengthening the "Palestinians". The more hope it gives the Palestinians through concessions and through whitewashing reality, the more aggressive the Palestinians become. The opposite policy is required. Stop pandering to them and dash their hopes.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
