Diplomacy: W. Again Eclipsed

03 April 2007 |permalink | email article

A tower of jelly may be the best way to describe the Bush administration’s obtuse foreign policy in the Middle East.

The meltdown began with the president’s invasion of Iraq, which unlike the victorious Gulf War led by his father, lacked international support.

New developments suggest dramatic movement to address the region’s explosive problems despite the intransigence of the White House.

First was the stinging remark by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at an Arab League summit condemning the U.S. intervention in Iraq as “an illegal foreign occupation”

His point was clear. Unless Arab governments settle their differences, foreign powers like the U.S., its longtime ally, will dictate the region’s politics.

Given the long relationship between Bush 41 and Bush 43 with The House of Saud, Abdullah’s comment signals that his government will be less an American toady and intends to play a major role on Middle East issues. Bush 43 informed Prince Bandar bin Sultan of his decision to invade Iraq ahead of Secretary of State Colin Powell. So close were they that the president affectionately called the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. “Bandar Bush.”

Then came the surprising invitation by Israeli Prime Minister on Sunday to Arab leaders, in response the Saudi peace initiative, to meet with him in Jerusalem to exchange ideas for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 
On Wednesday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Syria despite White House criticism that it is a “really bad idea” even though she was briefed by he State Department.

The U.S. has accused Syria of meddling in Iraq and Lebanon and sponsoring terrorists, rejecting a bipartisan proposal by the Iraq Study Group last year to launch a new diplomatic initiative with Syria and Iran.

Pelosi’s meeting with Syrian leaders is a new effort to revive U.S. relations with Damascus and change its behavior. While excoriating her, the White House said nothing about the Sunday meeting of three Republican congressmen with Syrian President Bashar Assad.   

A stubborn Bush, preoccupied with winning in Iraq, refuses to understand that the only hope of preventing a major war in the Middle East is through diplomacy. Regional summits are the new, new hope.

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