What was Achieved?
TOGA PARTY?
(From Little Green Footballs)
"I can hear the ocean! Oooooh!"
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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Analysis: What was achieved in Mecca? |
| 2007-02-09 |
| The BBC's take on What it all means... The Mecca agreement, reached after two days of intensive negotiations in the Saudi city of Mecca between the Palestinian factions, raises two sets of questions. 1.Will it end the weeks of fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah fighters? Over/under: 2 weeks. 2.Will it persuade the United States, the Europeans and other international players to resume much-needed economic aid to the Palestinian Authority? Over/under: No. Only if both things happen can the deal be regarded as a breakthrough. Hence the caution with which news of the Mecca accord has been greeted. The most immediate test is for the two factions to rein in their fighters while the politicians finalise the creation of a power-sharing government. Take the guns...and the cannolli. SCORECARD HEAH! The new government, like the present one, will be headed by Ismail Haniya, who belongs to Hamas. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has given him five weeks to form a new cabinet. Hamas will get nine posts, Fatah six and other factions four. Some sensitive posts will go to independents. Youse got five weeks, Izzy. I suggest youse get movin... Reports from Mecca suggest Salam Fayyad, a respected technocrat, will become finance minister - a job he has held before. I'm finance minister in a place with no economy! Yippee!! An independent MP, Ziad Abu Amr, is expected to become foreign minister. I get to beg for money! Trickiest of all is the interior ministry. Palestinian press reports indicate the job may go to Major Hamouda Jerwan, who is also an independent. I'm da Boss of all Bosses. Or at least I'm in charge of da guns... Given the violence of recent weeks, and the depth of mistrust between the two sides, further wrangling over the details cannot be ruled out. Oooops. "Wrangling". That can't be good. Keep those weapons cleaned... Equally, a fresh flare-up of violence might jeopardise the whole process. Nah. They'll just go to Trucefire™XI. Mecca symbolism The symbolism of meeting in Mecca, within sight of Islam's holiest place, does seem to have had some effect. See! The Allah thing! I knew it! The promise of a billion dollars in Saudi aid was no doubt an additional incentive. See! The billion dollar thing! I knew it! But, for the long-suffering Palestinians, the real prize is the resumption of international aid. And that is not assured. Izzy, Mahmoud...it's bad for business. Blood costs money. Much of the wrangling in Mecca was over the word "respect". Rather than agree to "commit itself" to existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements, Hamas insisted it would merely "respect" them. What is this, a rap convention in Vegas? The international community has demanded much more: the Islamist movement must recognise Israel, renounce violence and formally accept existing peace agreements. How about we give you...none of the three? And you give us lots of money. The Mecca accord is embodied in a letter from Mr Abbas to Mr Haniya. It states: "I call upon you to respect international resolutions and the agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation." But what does that actually mean? Ummmmmmm...let's kill Jews instead of each other? That's just a guess... So far, the world's response has been "let's wait and see". Nevertheless there is already speculation of a possible split between the Americans and the European Union. Some Europeans may argue the situation is so bad in the Middle East that it makes sense to lift, or ease, the embargo - and do business with the new government once it is up and running. Sure. Let's give them lots of money. They deserve it. The Bush administration will be reluctant to take that course. There's another bet I wouldn't take... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #4 The Saudis promised a billion dollars? A billion promises would be more apt. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-02-09 21:42 |
| #3 Quartet members to meet on Fatah-Hamas agreement |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-02-09 21:14 |
| #2 What was Achieved? TOGA PARTY? (From Little Green Footballs) "I can hear the ocean! Oooooh!" |
| Posted by: Tell D Truth 2007-02-09 19:00 |
| #1 Actually, the gun sex has rather smoothly shifted right over to the Temple Mount ... and now the head cheeses have lots of bling in their diplomatic pouches... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-02-09 15:58 |