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| Home Front: Politix | ||
| Weak American Battery | ||
| 2013-05-28 | ||
US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you knowKerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat,conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... 's visited the region for the fourth time since he took office in February as part of the effort to jumpstart the negotiations between Israel and the Paleostinians. But the American battery is weak, and the starter doesn't work. Kerry's efforts cannot be detached from the US' status in the region and its failed policies with regards to burning issues such as the war in Syria. Obama's hesitant conduct in the face of the use of chemical weapons and the supply of advanced Russian missiles to Syria exposed further deterioration of Washington's position in the Middle East and the world. Putin's Russia, which seeks to reclaim its superpower status by incessantly challenging Washington's positions, senses the continued American weakness and is taking full advantage of it.
As far as Israel is concerned, the revolutions across the Arab world have created uncertainty that does not foster a permanent peace agreement with the Paleostinians. If the continued reign of incumbent Arab leaders is uncertain, and if a new leader such as Egypt's Morsi declares his intention to amend the peace treaty with Israel, then what value does an agreement with a leader such as Abbas have? Hamas is not weaker, and as for the new Israeli government, the Americans would be wise to read Lapid's recent interview with the New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... . Moreover, the Americans assumed that Obama's visit to Israel, the alleged reconciliation between Israel and Turkey and the softened Arab peace initiative would increase motivation on both sides to resume negotiations, but these developments have yet to produce the expected results. Kerry threatens that in case the sides do not resume talks he would introduce a new American peace plan. All previous American peace initiatives have failed. Examples include the Johnson plan of 1967; Rogers in 1969; Carter in 1977; Reagan in 1982 and 1988 and Clinton in 2000. The reason for these failures was simple: The Americans presented balanced plans that demanded concessions from both sides, but each side focused on the concessions it was asked to make and ignored the benefits it would reap. The only processes that yield any results emanated from the region itself - such as the peace treaty with Egypt and the Oslo Accords. In the past American threats carried weight, because the peace plans were accompanied by a threat that those who reject or undermine the initiatives would bear the responsibility and be penalized. Today the B.O. regime is perceived as being weak, so the threat is not treated with the same seriousness. Obama wasn't even able to convince Abbas to withdraw his demand for a settlement construction freeze before negotiations with Israel are resumed, and he also failed to persuade Turkish PM Erdogan to cancel his plan to visit Hamas-ruled Gazoo. It seems the alternative that would help advance the peace talks consists of a significant interim agreement that would remain in effect for a period of five years. But in order to implement such a deal, the battery must be recharged and the starter must be replaced. | ||
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #8 Drat, NOTHING about "Batteries", only Politicks. (As usual) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-05-28 15:54 |
| #7 The Israel-Palestinian peace talk process has been the LaBrea Tar Pit of diplomats and Presidents for generations now. Those that are smart will give it a wide berth. Those that are dumb will wallow in it and sink. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2013-05-28 13:13 |
| #6 P2K, IMO you being unfair to the chattering class: they'd be perfectly happy with something similar---provided the right people had the right end of the stick. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-05-28 10:09 |
| #5 They found a solution for an irreconcilable situation in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately for the chatter class, it didn't come out as they had wanted it. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-05-28 08:12 |
| #4 The failure of Israeli-Paleostinian peace talks has nothing to do with US status. Peace talks won't succeed until both sides want peace. |
| Posted by: Spot 2013-05-28 08:02 |
| #3 Failure to jumpstart Israeli-Paleostinian peace talks another sign of diminished US status in region Given how "peace process" went so far---a very good thing. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-05-28 04:25 |
| #2 See also TOPIX > [Jeruslaem Post] OBAMA: AMERICA AT "CROSSROADS" OF TERROR FIGHT. To paraph the Movie, "for the US-Allies, Assad, as well as the Jihadis, it will be THE LONGEST DAY"??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-05-28 00:38 |
| #1 "Perceived as being weak" > Which is indir also N-O-T a good sign vee China oer in NE Asia = East Asia in general. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-05-28 00:33 |