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Ah, I see, the US did join in that piece of crap. bad news, very stupid. We really do suck up to terrorists too much. the only folks who suck up more than we are the French and the Israeli left wing.

Syria is the one which abstained.

For some real fun, look who is going to be president of this council... each month they get a new one. It might lend some insights into when the US will make its moves with Iraq and so forth. This month it is Norway, next month the Russian Fed. After that... a US ally Singapore, but not a country with enough common sense to figure out how to vote here. Then Syria, LOL. what a joke. After that, in July and August, it is the UK and the US.

HMMMMMM. July and August.

link here

The discussions prior to the Security Council vote were described as "marathon". Syria apparently abstained because the language wasn't tough enough. In hindsight, the US position was forseeable because Zinni was kept in the region, so the US is, in principle, committed to moving the discussions forward -- whatever that means.

A few sops were thrown to the Israelis placing the blame on "both sides". This was probably about all the US could get the other Security Council members to agree on.

Sharon is now in an impossible position. If he backs down, he will be a broken reed. If he presses on, the Saudi Peace Process, together with all the deals that are tied up with it, including possible cooperation on the Iraq attack, are out the window. It is hard to see this as anything other than a victory for Arafat in his fight against Sharon. But it isn't necessarily a victory for Arafat. If Sharon falls, then Bibi may come aboard, with a stronger majority behind him.

I guess the US decided it couldn't back Sharon, possibly because Sharon wasn't willing to go the whole 9 yards. This is politics at it's most cynical.

Being President of the council realy does not mean much. The Council itself does bot mean much without US and British Commomwealth troops. Russia or China will not send troops. Where the UN will be in twenty tears, now that's a good question.