Palestinian Peace Killer

Why does Great Satan want to settle the dispute between Little Satan and her two Palestinian client states?

Well, seems like Great Satan is engaged in this effort because she's concerned that the continuing inability to find peace is a source of regional anger toward America.

As best understood, Arab world is outraged that Great Satan supports Little Satan. America wants to support Little Satan but is sensitive to this outrage and so she tries to square a circle by bringing the standoff between rowdy democratic Little Satan and the rocket rich rejectionist Palestinians to a close.

At least a decade it's been obvious that such a twaddle straddle is untenable. Neither party is prepped to take the steps necessary to forge a final status agreement.

So where does that leave Great Satan?

As Karen DeYoung reports, 44's admin believes it's sufficient that they make it look as if Great Satan is trying really hard: "Clinton's objective on this trip seemed less to achieve any real breakthrough than to give the impression of continued effort."

Wouldn't it be better to drop the pretense that a peace settlement is actually important? America has made clear that her support for Little Satan is unconditional - Willie P or no Willie P, blockades or no blockades, Palestine or no Palestine, peace or no peace.

It's also made clear Great Satan is unable to force the parties by dint of persuasion to set aside their differences.


Why not be honest with ourselves and the world and declare that we will not seek peace (but would, of course, welcome any steps the parties choose to make in that direction)?

Whatever anger that may arouse in the Arab world (Wheee! So what?) is almost certainly compounded by the impression that America not only doesn't care about a settlement but is also feckless.

Let George Mitchell enjoy his retirement and get Great Satan's foreign policy establishment to focus on real problems - like Afghanistan and Pakistan - that actually impact American security, instead of trying to negotiate to ultimately grant something that force of arms, canny negotiations or terrorism cannot deliver.

Pic "Liberty Bombs"