Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Bush's Timing is Terrible
The Bush Administration is perhaps the most incompetent administration in modern US history. However, what they did today really takes the cake. With the cease fire in North breaking down, and the situation in the Southern Iraq precarious, what does Bush do? He throws his weight behind an Israeli plan to strengthen several major Israeli settlements in the West back and repudiates the notion that Palestinians (and their families) ethnically cleansed from what is Israel in 1948 have the right to return to Israel.
Now, whatever one thinks about the Israeli occupation (I think it is high time the Americans force the Israelis to leave the Occupied Territories) and the idiotic notion of the “right of return”, the simple fact of the matter is that support Israel and tacit support of the Israeli occupation is one of the major gripes the Arab world has with the US and as such the Bushies timing could not be worse. As Juan Cole pointed out, the pretext, although I do not think the motivation, for the attack on the 4 private soldiers in Fallujah was the Israeli killing of Yassin. Many, Arabs, wrongly, believe that America and the “Zionists” are one and the same and to strike the Americans is to strike at the Israelis.
Not to be out done, Kerry announced his approval.
Once again, both parties place politics before policy. Only this time such pathetic politicking will likely mean the death of a few more GIs. To rub salt in the wound, there is still little chance the Bushies will be able to swing Jewish voters his way. Ethnic Jews will, as always, vote overwhelmingly Democrat.
The Bush Administration is perhaps the most incompetent administration in modern US history. However, what they did today really takes the cake. With the cease fire in North breaking down, and the situation in the Southern Iraq precarious, what does Bush do? He throws his weight behind an Israeli plan to strengthen several major Israeli settlements in the West back and repudiates the notion that Palestinians (and their families) ethnically cleansed from what is Israel in 1948 have the right to return to Israel.
Now, whatever one thinks about the Israeli occupation (I think it is high time the Americans force the Israelis to leave the Occupied Territories) and the idiotic notion of the “right of return”, the simple fact of the matter is that support Israel and tacit support of the Israeli occupation is one of the major gripes the Arab world has with the US and as such the Bushies timing could not be worse. As Juan Cole pointed out, the pretext, although I do not think the motivation, for the attack on the 4 private soldiers in Fallujah was the Israeli killing of Yassin. Many, Arabs, wrongly, believe that America and the “Zionists” are one and the same and to strike the Americans is to strike at the Israelis.
Not to be out done, Kerry announced his approval.
Once again, both parties place politics before policy. Only this time such pathetic politicking will likely mean the death of a few more GIs. To rub salt in the wound, there is still little chance the Bushies will be able to swing Jewish voters his way. Ethnic Jews will, as always, vote overwhelmingly Democrat.
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