The days of American foreign policy in the Middle East being based on the absurd idea that we should be a “honest broker” between the Israelis and Arab terrorists intent on destroying them are over, the Bush Administration is clearly taking sides in the Israeli-Hezbollah War:
WASHINGTON, July 21 ? The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday.
The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said. Its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others because of the appearance that the United States is actively aiding the Israeli bombing campaign in a way that could be compared to Iran?s efforts to arm and resupply Hezbollah.
Leave it to the New York Times to come up with yet another example of craven moral equivalence. The Iranians are supplying a terrorist group which is launching rockets into the residential neighborhoods of cities such as Haifa. The United States is supplying weapons to a nation trying to defend itself from a terrorist army on its northern border. One side is right, and the other is wrong, and unless you work for the Old Grey Lady, its pretty easy to figure out which is which.
The Times is also upset that Condoleeza Rice will not be visiting any Arab countries when she goes to the region tomorrow. Instead, she will meet with Arab diplomats in Europe.
The decision to stay away from Arab countries for now is a markedly different strategy from the shuttle diplomacy that previous administrations used to mediate in the Middle East. ?I have no interest in diplomacy for the sake of returning Lebanon and Israel to the status quo ante,? Ms. Rice said Friday. ?I could have gotten on a plane and rushed over and started shuttling around, and it wouldn?t have been clear what I was shuttling to do.?
Well, considering the fact that its the diplomacy that has gotten us to the place we are now, perhaps its a good thing that Condi is trying something different, like letting Israel defend herself.
Others blogging on this story: Captain’s Quarters, Don Surber, Taylor Marsh, Left I on the News, Brilliant at Breakfast, Outside The Beltway, Marc Cooper, The Real Ugly American.com, Silflay Hraka, The News Blog, Hyscience, The Democratic Daily, Blue Crab Boulevard and Just a Bump in the Beltway.
July 22nd, 2006 at 4:23 pm
It must be pretty lonely below the beltway.
Hizbullah is a terrorist organization, I agree. But so is Israel.
Israeli supporters love to use the line “defending itself” as an explanation for everything Israel does.
Is targeting the lebanese army barracks, over 50 bridges, radio and T.V. towers, the christian areas of beirut, well diggers etc as well as killing over 300 civilians in excessive and disproportionate use of force, as well as holding the whole country hostage considered self-defense??????
you are so blatantly and absurdly pro-israeli, that you will excuse anything and everything it does.