From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Monte Davis wrote:
> Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">
> wrote:
>
>> Both Syria & Iran "got on
>> board" following 9-11 but apparently you didn't need em as friendly so
>> you told em "thanks for your help & now sod off coz we
want to invade Iraq".
>
> In the current scram^h^h^h^h re-calibration of Iraq policy, I've been
> hearing pundits of both parties talking about the need to get Iran and
> Syria "constructively engaged."
>
> I can see some alignment of interests in that they wouldn't want Iraq
> totally chaotic, with uncontrollable refugee spillover etc.
>
> I can see very little alignment of their interest with our previously
> stated goal of a "strong, stable" Iraq.
>
> I can see zero (or negative) alignment with our growing need for "fig
> leaf" arrangement to get out with as little additional embarrassment
> as possible ...
>

It's difficult to see how they can reverse to the point of being
attractive. e.g. WRT Syria they could only do this in a meaningfull way
would be to do with the Golan & that means being nice to the Syrians by
being nasty to the Israelis & that's about as likely as finding an
elephant on Mars.

Wrt Iran, they're being very helpfull to Iran as it is & have been ever
since invading Iraq & all the threats etc aimed at them go down great
with their target audience in the dispossessed muslim masses so....

The biggest problemo the US has right now is in not losing friends. The
Gulf arabs are doing their best even following the dubai ports, lebanon
etc.etc to keep on smiling but the teeth are fairly clenched at the moment.
E.g. Qatar bent over backwards to produce a resolution wrt the recent
sraeli actions in Gaza which would be even handed etc.etc. just to find
that all that was yet more bullsh*t & guess what...if it's aimed at
Israel no matter what Israel's done then it'll be veto'ed.

Sad but true.

e.g.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1A32EA5C-7462-4EA0-B642-9363F23A9E79.htm

"The Arab League has criticised the United States for blocking a UN
Security Council resolution that sought to condemn Israeli actions in the
Gaza Strip.

The US used its veto to halt the draft resolution, sponsored by the Gulf
state of Qatar, that criticised the Israeli tank shelling of a home in Beit
Hanoun on Wednesday in which seven children and four women were killed as
they slept.

Amr Musa, the Arab League secretary general, said he was "surprised
and disappointed" by the US move and said: "This veto will only
increase anger.

"It is inexplicable that a veto can be used to protect Israeli actions
against civilians."

He said the Arab world would not accept peace with Israel unless it was
"just and balanced".""

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6140758.stm

"An Israeli government spokesman described the veto as "very
satisfactory".

"The draft resolution did not stipulate that what happened at Beit
Hanoun was a tragic error," Avi Pazner told AFP news agency.

But Palestinian cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad of Hamas told Reuters the
veto was "a signal that the US had given legitimacy to the massacres
and a green light to [Israel] to ... carry out more massacres"

Arab League secretary-general, Amr Moussa, said the veto would "only
increase the anger" towards Israel.

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, accused the Security Council
of "turning a blind eye to Israeli acts in Gaza."

Qatar's ambassador said the credibility of the Security Council had been
called into question by the vote and the cycle of violence in the Middle
East would continue."


You just can not seem to stop crapping on your friends.

Most bizarre.

Adam

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