Open Democracy, UK
Jan 11 2008

Bush’s mid-east winter holiday

Israelis and Palestinians remain cautious as George W Bush promises
the unlikely. US Democrats once more play politics with Pakistan,
while snow falls on Baghdad. 11 – 01 – 2008

Bush’s mid-east winter holiday

George W Bush wrapped up a three-day trip to Israel and the West Bank
confident that a "signed peace treaty" bringing a Palestinian state
into being would be agreed within the year. The American president
met with top Israeli and Palestinian officials in what amounted to a
follow-up to the Annapolis peace conference in November. Bush
administration officials hope to wring a deal out of Ehud Olmert and
Mahmoud Abbas before the president ends his term in the White House a
year from now. Keep up to date with the latest developments and
sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.

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toD’s view: Though brimming with confidence, Bush leaves in his wake
decidedly jaded and uncertain partners to the Annapolis process. Both
Israeli and Palestinian leaders suggested that it would be difficult
to reach any kind of comprehensive deal within the year. Bush has
been consistently accused of being "disconnected" from the political
realities of the region. How, for instance, can a meaningful
Palestinian state be created without the participation – and
recognition – of Hamas? Cynicism surrounding Bush’s visit was
deepened by glib remarks made by the president about checkpoints, and
by his refusal to take part in a tour of Bethlehem which would have
passed Israeli barriers and military posts. The president seems
intent to hurriedly fashion a positive legacy in the region, but as a
Palestinian surgeon told the New York Times, "He won’t achieve
anything. He is trying to do something in his last year, but where
was he before?"

US Democrats vs Pakistan, round two

Pakistani officials have rejected US Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid’s call for Bush to cut funding to Pakistan if President Pervez
Musharraf does not restore full civil rights and wage the fight
against terrorism more effectively. Reid also cited the murder of
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto as further evidence of Musharraf’s
failures. Since 2001, Islamabad has received nearly $10 billion in
aid to fight the "war on terrorism", much of which was siphoned off
by the military for ulterior purposes. US Democrats, including
presidential candidate Barack Obama, have criticised the
Musharraf-Bush alliance in the past, suggesting that American troops
were required in the restless northwestern border regions of Pakistan
where Taliban and al-Qaida elements hold sway.

toD’s view: Musharraf’s government has much to account for. Under the
general’s rule, many basic democratic freedoms have disappeared,
while Islamist, insurgent and other political violence exacts a grim
toll across the country every day. It is clear that for any measure
of stability to return to Pakistan, the ubiquitous presence of the
military must be curtailed and a program of serious, long-term
developmental and political reform must be ushered in.

That said, the Democrats have done little to help Pakistan, or
enlighten US policy to the beleaguered country. Obama’s suggestion
that US forces move on Waziristan had catastrophe written all over it
– any such invasion would shred what tenuous control Musharraf still
has over the more strident and Islamist factions of the army,
throwing Pakistan into chaos. In the short-term, Washington’s best
option for stabilising Pakistan remains fashioning an alliance
between Musharraf and a moderate opposition leader. Compromising
Musharraf’s position – as much as the president merits criticism –
may prove counterproductive.

Last year, Democratic leaders sought to pass a wholly ill-advised
bill recognising the Armenian genocide, and succeeded only in
embittering Turkey, driving Ankara to its current confrontational
course in northern Iraq. It is a shame that Democrats continue to
play this breed of politics with foreign policy, not simply because
they do it so badly and naively, but because it should be the
opposition’s responsibility to raise America’s standing in the globe,
not further imperil it.

Snow falls in Iraq

For the first time in recent memory, snow fell over the streets of
Baghdad. Residents saw the snow as a sign of hope for their embattled
country. Traffic policeman Murtada Fadhil said, "We hope Iraqis will
purify their hearts and politicians will work for the prosperity of
all Iraqis." Reuters video below.