President Bush and Prime Minister Blair spoke of the suffering Palestinian people who are poorer than a church mouse, can't move freely, and fear rockets coming through their roofs. Yet in 2004 the same pair spoke of the promise of democracy, yet to be delivered.
We'll mobilise the international community to help revive the Palestinian economy, to build up the Palestinian security institutions to fight terror, to help the Palestinian government fight corruption, and to reform the Palestinian political system and build democratic institutions. We'll also work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to complete the disengagement plan from Gaza and part of the West Bank. George W. Bush November 12, 2004
After speaking those words the Palestinian people voted for change, for an end to corruption. They punched the ticket for the group that delivered on health clinics and public infrastructure improvements. They voted against the party that promised much but repeatedly failed to deliver. The Bush team was surprised by the Hamas election win and promptly cut off funds for the long suffering Palestinian people.
The United States did its best over the next few years to create the conditions for civil war in the Palestinian Territories. Just months ago the President bragged of $65 million in security aid for President Abbas. Then a regional group intervened to broker Palestinian peace, something Sec. Rice and Pres. Bush wouldn't do. Saudi leaders brokered a unity government in Palestine that the U.S. summarily rejected. Israel withdrew its promise of releasing tax funds and turned a cold shoulder to rapidly warming peace talks.
Despite the Saudi's best intervention, the Palestinian Territories are again aflame with internal strife. Only this time Israel is fighting Hamas at the same time as Palestinian Fatah. The unity government brokered by King Faisal appears to have disintegrated.
Add the deteriorating situation in Lebanon and the looming move from War of the Words with Iran to the real deal, and the world appears to be rather uncivil. Of course the cursing, buttered roll chewing Bush has nothing to do with it. We aren't to worry that the President mobilized a dozen or so conservative religious leaders to talk about the dire threat of Iran with its modern day "Hitler". Nevermind the factual inaccuracies of the "threat" highlighted by Dr. James Dobson who attended the meeting. Fear must be generated for the dogs of war to be unleashed. The modern day Hitler must be stopped!
But for a different analogy, who's tanks are rolling in lands not their own? And who is oppressing who?
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