Don�t you love Bush�s timing? What better time to tear up the road map for peace he promised Blair he�d deliver as part of the �war on terror�. What a suitable reward to Sharon for the assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Yassin. What a clear sign to the Iraqi people that the occupation is no crusade against Muslims. What a lovely welcome mat for Tony Blair�s latest summit with Bush. Ever get the feeling Bush, Sharon and their neo-con Dr Strangeloves can�t wait to bring on Armageddon?

 

For more on Bush�s unilateral blessing to Israel to take more territory for keeps, Scott Burchill recommends Move Could Help Bush Among Jewish Voters. “Note 2nd and 3rd paragraphs. Tweedledee follows tweedledum”:

President Bush’s embrace yesterday of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to unilaterally disengage from the Palestinians carries potential political benefits for Bush but also potential risk for his foreign policy.

In declaring that Israel should be able to keep some of the occupied territories and block Palestinian refugees from settling in Israel, Bush followed a familiar pattern of finding common cause with Jews and increasingly pro-Israel Christian conservatives. That Bush’s move was good politics was evidenced by Democratic rival John F. Kerry’s quick move not to let Bush outflank him among pro-Israel voters.

“I think that could be a positive step,” the Massachusetts senator said, approving of the Bush-Sharon action regarding both refugees and Israel’s borders. “What’s important obviously is the security of the state of Israel, and that’s what the prime minister and the president, I think, are trying to address.”

Scott also recommends How Sharon won US backing for Gaza strategy.

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Matthew Daley

I’d like to vent a little on the latest tragedy of the evolving middle east disaster, namely Bush’s public tearing up of the ‘road map’ that probably never even existed.

There was a time when it was suggested that the removal of Saddam and/or the destruction of his weapons of destruction was in fact the first step on the road to peace in Israel/Palestine. The duplicity of right wing politicians never ceases to amaze me, though I suppose by now it should have.

Looking back it seems that the only WMDs that had to be taken out were those that could be delivered on Tel Aviv/Jerusalem, and that their elimination was a prerequisite to the hard-line Sharon and Bush are now taking regarding the settlements – the REAL �road map’.

But what can the consequences be of Bush’s remarks on the necessity of taking into account ‘the facts on the ground’?

Palestinians in particular and the Arab world in general can hardly see this as anything but a challenge to alter the ‘facts on the ground’.

And as I watch yet again Lehrer�s’ News hour listing the names of eighteen and nineteen year old Americans who were alive a day ago but are no longer, it seems to me America is now in the business of spending blood as well as treasure in defence of the Israeli settlements.

For how long will Idaho and Vermont – let alone Florida – find it acceptable for their teenagers to be sacrificed in defence of illegal settlements on the West Bank?

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I’ve got so many emails on Iraq, Bush and the whole damn thing I’m suffering information overload. Sorry if I haven’t published your stuff. I’ve just got a brilliant essay from Christopher Selth, who long-time readers will remember for some wonderful essays just after Septmber 11. He’s pulled together some of the disatisfactions of Webdiarists on how public, and Webdiary, debate is working – or not – and explores what we’re really pining for. I’ll publish it overnight. Save it for when you’ve got some time to sit back and enjoy.