[Guardian Unlimited, U.K.]

Novosti, Russia

U.S. Gives Wink and

Nod to Gaza Invasion

"Sixty four percent of Israelis consider it necessary to hold a dialogue with Hamas to obtain a truce. But this is hardly in the interests of the United States. Nor is a truce likely to lead to peace. … Thus, just one option remains - the destruction of Hamas power in Gaza."

By Maria Appakova, Novosti Political Commentator

Translated By Igor Medvedev

March 5, 2008

Russia - Novosti - Original Article (Russian)

MOSCOW: U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have simultaneously announced that they continue to believe in the possibility of establishing peace in the Middle East by the end of 2008.

These statements were made the day after Israel concluded ground operations in the Gaza Strip which resulted in the deaths of over 120 Palestinians. What price will Palestinians and Israelis have to pay before Washington realizes that its hopes have been dashed?

Bush's words of hope, expressed during a press conference in Washington on the results of talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan, could perhaps have been dismissed as diplomatic politesse. But Rice was at that very moment visiting the Middle East and could see for herself what was going on in the region WATCH . In parallel with her meetings in Israel, rockets continued to fall; and the Israelis continued surgical strikes in Gaza on the eve of withdrawing its troops.

So what is the source of such faith that peace can be established in the next 10 months - and at a time when it seems that all international efforts to return the two sides to the negotiating table, especially those of the United States, have failed?

Yes, of course Israeli and Palestinian leaders maintain that peace remains their strategic objective, but statements on the resumption of talks have been sluggish. On the contrary, Israel is actively discussing new full-scale operations in the Gaza strip. For his part, President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced on the eve of Rice's visit on Sunday that he was freezing negotiations with Israel, which were launched late last year in Annapolis under the patronage of the United States.

Recall that meetings between Israeli and Palestinian delegations resumed over the past few months, including those headed by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the parameters of a Palestinian-Israeli settlement. Before that, there had been no talks on a peace agreement since the fall of 2000. They were at best not about peace, but about a truce and a ceasefire. Now the situation has returned to what it was over seven years ago.

But U.S. policymakers haven't despaired. According to Bush, he remains just as optimistic about achieving peace between Palestinians and Israelis as he was several months ago in Annapolis, when he stressed that achieving a settlement, "is a complicated process, which is two steps forward and one step back." Rice echoed his comments by saying, "This isn’t going to be easy, but I believe it's achievable."

For the U.S. administration, a Middle East peace treaty is a matter of principle. To be precise - it has become part of its global fight against terrorism, launched in the wake of September 11, 2001. This is a question of principle on par with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Bush simply cannot leave office without drawing a line under one of the main projects of his entire presidency.

It's no accident that during her visit to the Middle East, Rice said that the United States would not allow opponents of peace to win. Her words were a clear allusion to Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007 and is part of the Iran-led "global terrorist coalition." Washington insistently repeats that it is Iran that stands behind the actions of Hamas in Palestine and Hezbullah in Lebanon.

Don't doubt that if Israel decides to launch an operation to oust Hamas in Gaza, Washington will approve the move, because in the opinion of the U.S., this would remove an obstacle to peace.

Rice said during her visit to the Middle East, "The power of Hamas in Gaza is at the root of all that's happening now," in essence giving Israel carte blanche in advance to conduct this operation.

Regarding the inevitable civilian casualties, this will be addressed with the same words we are hearing now, even as the victims of Israel's latest operation are counted. Namely: Israel must make every effort to avoid the deaths of innocents. But how?

Experience in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that even for the United States, this is no easy task. No country in the world knows how to avoid civilian casualties on the battlefield. And the fact is that in the current situation, armed clashes will be very difficult to avoid. In fact, Hamas is asking for trouble, and is planning to shield itself behind portraits of mothers mourning their infants.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

But what option is there for the Islamists other than provocation (i.e.: rockets launched against Israeli territory)? Hamas is isolated and has been deprived of the chance to manage Palestinian affairs, that is, as a political movement that has legally won parliamentary elections. Israel and the United States deprived Hamas of the opportunity to be a fully-fledged participant in the peace process as soon as its 2006 election victory was announced. This cornered the Islamists and forced them to take extreme measures - seize Gaza and cancel the truce with Israel.  

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

Now a truce is back on the agenda. According to the latest public opinion polls published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week, 64 percent of Israelis consider it necessary to hold a dialogue with Hamas to obtain a truce. But this is hardly in the interests of the United States. Nor is a truce likely to lead to peace.

Thus, just one option remains - the destruction of Hamas power in Gaza. Perhaps that's what Washington is counting on. The question is, what price will Israelis and Palestinians have to pay? And won’t this lead to a further deterioration of conditions in the region?

SEE ALSO:

Le Quotidien d'Oran, Algeria

Palestinians Abandoned By

Arabs, America and World

http://worldmeets.us/lequotidiandoran000001.shtml

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[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US March 6, 3:46am]