Anyone want to discuss the timing and importance of these meetings? Why is our administration focussing on it at this time and not six years earlier? What about the role of Hamas which was elected as the Palestinian Authority? But not invited to the talks. Or is the US only going to promote Fatah and it's corruption and violence? And what about the timing of Musharraf stepping down at the same time? It all seems to orchestrated to me.
Why? so the Idiot everyone voted for their president can give the illusion he was a good guy, and not the pro-Isreali -Saudi royal family-oil- slut that he is.
I think that the timing is due to the fact that the big three (abbas, bush, and olmert) have such castastrophically low poll numbers that they have nothing to lose by trying. Bush is also desperate to be known for anything other than the war in Iraq.
I'm just glad that its happening. Six years ago Jihad seemed the prefered option. President Clinton tried very hard to get some traction in Mideast peace seven years ago, we were suffering from the hangover of Clinton being burned by the colapse of the Oslo accords. Now that the Wall is built, the Jihad option is seen as less efffective. Still, the hardliners have turned a territorial despute into a blood fued its a peace conference of low expectations. and on Hammas, I'm sure that if they wanted to be there, they would; but they are flush with Iranian money and can afford to play outsiders.
Hamas was not invited. I would think if the west was serious in seeking peace for the area they should have been.
Hamas organised a demonstration of tens of thousands to protest against the peace talks (conveniently divided into men only and female only demonstrations). From http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1575498.html: This is the Hamas whose FOUNDING CHARTER called (and still calls) for the destruction of Israel and the creation of a fundamentalist Islamic state in its place. It even refers to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as if it were a real document. And it quotes Allah as saying "the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, as saying: They also march around giving Nazi salutes and support the suicide bombing of civilians. Now lets see. They oppose the peace talks. They oppose the existence of Israel. They hate jews. The support the deliberate taretting of civilians. They indoctrinate children to think these things with hate filled anti semetic propaganda. So why aren't they invited to the peace talks? I guess its because Bush is bad and everything is Bush's fault!
Not inviting them is like inviting Gore in 2000 to peace talks but not Bush. The only thing the US is seeking to accomplish with these peace talks is to get some arab nations on board with a move towards violence with Iran. And they are stacking the deck, ignoring elected governments in order to accomplish their goal. Lebanon now has no elected president, because we stood back and let them be bombed by the Israelis into a state that would be more useful for our aims.
How can you invite someone who is demonstrating AGAINST peace talks and calling for the destruction of Israel to a peace conference? Are you completely dense?
If you are truly interested in peace in the area you involve all duly elected governments of that area.
They weren't invited to the party. Wouldn't your nose be out of joint if you had been elected to a position of power over an area that is involved in peace talks, but not invited? I would protest.
If I called for the destruction of Israel and said that anyone who participated in peace talks is a traitor, I wouldn't expect to get invited, no. They weren't protesting because the didn't get invited, they were protesting AGAINST PEACE TALKS BEING HELD. Are you really incapable of understanding this? Is this fact so inconvenient that you are going to seal off your brain rather than let it sink in?
Here it is several weeks later, any changes in anything?Are they still fighting?Just one word "BULLSHIT" thats all it was.
