The seventh century Islamic conquest of Mediterranean North Africa by those zealous horsemen of the sword from Mecca was the start of mass conversion to Islam or beheading. Twenty-first century Islamic Fundamentalism is no less determined to obliterate all democratic principles and ideologies, and replace them with its extremist brand of Islam. Absent modern weaponry, they're the same tough patient people with the same medieval blood lust for slaughtering their adversaries.
Diplomacy First
In the 18th century our first Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, in his high-minded consciousness, saw the bigger picture when he wrote a letter to Thomas Paine: "Go on doing with your pen what in other times was done with the sword." And so we find ourselves searching for the 66th American Secretary of State and her well-intentioned policy of peaceful negotiation.
Israel and the Palestinian Tragedy
Adding to the agony of the Palestinians, the Hamas rout of Fatah in Gaza is the final nail in the coffin of a Palestinian state; and possibly one giant step closer to civil war. While the Americans and Europeans are lifting the embargo that has cost thousands of Palestinians hunger and misery, Israeli Minister Ehud Olmert remains as ineffectual as during last summer's debacle with Hezbollah on the Lebanon border. Where was American Diplomacy? With Hamas celebrating victory in Gaza, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will try to secure the West Bank with the help of American dollars. But do his Fatah forces have the will? It is not encouraging that the U.S. invested millions of dollars to train Fatah security forces in Gaza. When push came to shove, they cut and ran from the surprise Hamas onslaught, which should never have been a surprise. Where was Israeli Intelligence?
Even as President Abbas moves to form his new Fatah Cabinet, Gaza is an Islamic State waiting to cut the throat of the State of Israel. Now a prickly thorn in Israel's side, could Gaza become a safe haven for every Islamic militant organization, including Iran's Hezbollah, whose reason for being is to see Israel vanquished?
To prevent the West Bank from falling into extremist hands, leaving Israel even more vulnerable, Israel needs leaders who can lead and a Defense Ministry that knows what to do with its Generals. Yet Minister Olmert, whose umbilical cord reaches all the way to the White House, remains in a worse state of paralysis than Ariel Sharon who is in a coma. Olmert's overwhelming unpopularity at home begs the question: Why is he still in office? That same question might be asked of the Americans.
Outside the Inner Circle
In a recent interview with Newsweek regarding Israel and the Palestinians, Condoleeza Rice defended her efforts by stating that "establishing the idea of a two-state solution" was one of her proudest achievements as a "conceptual breakthrough." Considering Rice replaced Colin Powell in January of 2005, I suppose there's something to be said for ideas and concepts in a period of two and a half years.
Dr. Condoleezza Rice became the 66th Secretary of State on January 26, 2005. Granted she has done a lot of shuttling around the world, but to what ends? Could it be that her policy of peaceful negotiation does not resonate with President Bush, or that she and Vice President Cheney do not see eye to eye? Is it possible that no one says no to her face? They simply ignore her?
Rice specialized in Russian and East European studies. She is a Russian expert who speaks Russian, among other languages. Might she not have been useful to Mr. Bush in his meeting with Vladimir Putin at the recent G8 Conference, which was a disaster? Noticeable by her absence, where was she? Is she invited to join Bush and Putin at the family Kennebunkport home in July?
Remember Détente?
Rather than use the talent within State to defuse a bubbling volcano, the hawks headed by Vice President Cheney, favor the shoot first ask questions later policy-attack Iran! Doesn't make sense, but there you have it-American foreign policy in the hands of the gang that can't talk straight. In over six years the Administration has learned nothing about the middle-eastern mindset. Its abrasive style and outright clumsiness in dealing with all foreign governments is as embarrassing as it has been fruitless.
Yes, Iran is smuggling arms into Iraq and apparently Afghanistan as well. Yes, Syria is a player. Nancy Pelosi attempted to break the ice with the Syrian President and his diplomats. The White House pilloried her. What's wrong with a period of détente? I cannot find that word in the Bush-Cheney dictionary.
Condoleezza Rice was set up to fail. Without the support of backstabbing pals like Deputy National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams who refuses to sit down with Syria and others he doesn't like or agree with, Rice's attempts at negotiation have been severely undermined. Unwilling or unable to play Washington hardball, Rice's peace initiative was a dead herring from the start, with the hardliners playing their own foreign policy game, which stinks even more than the herring. What a mockery of diplomacy. As of this writing Rice has requested to meet privately with Bush on the volatile Iran issue. Hopefully she has found her own voice. Colin Powell was destroyed by his undying loyalty.
