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Bush Administration blunders in the Middle East

Robert Kuttner, writing in the Boston Globe, says:

"The latest violence in the Middle East demonstrates the bankruptcy of the Bush administration's grand design for the region. The Iraq war was going to display American power, promote democracy, strengthen moderates, and secure Israel. Instead, the quagmire has demonstrated the humiliating limits of US military power, fomented anarchy, recruited Islamist extremists, and strengthened a more radicalized Iran.

Palestinian moderates have been marginalized, leaving nobody for Israeli moderates to negotiate with. Hamas and Hezbollah have more support among Arabs than ever. Israel finds itself more vulnerable militarily, prone to excess, and dangerously isolated from world opinion. As for democracy, our few allies in the region are dictators and kings. Democratic Lebanon is a shambles. The democratically elected government in Iraq has just denounced Israel, and a democratic Palestinian election empowered Hamas."

One can only scratch one's head and wonder what sort of people in the US State Department have any idea of what is happening in the Middle East - let alone a "handle", of any sort, of the dynamics in the Middle East. Read Kuttner's piece here. It is hard to see how Condi Rice will have any "impact" during her visit to the Middle East.

As noted above the new Iraqi Government has condemned Israel's actions - contrary to the position adopted by George Bush. Read the NY Times report of the call by Iraq to stop Israeli aggression.

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