Wow, Powell said this!?
Well, despite the fact that Powell said it, it is correct. Israel taking aid from us entitles us to a certain amount of influence, but they are not our slaves or our colony, which must always defer to us. The fact that they took many Scud hits in 1991 without responding, due to our request, conclusively demonstrates to me that we do have lots of influence. The fact that Israel always pulls its punches with the terrorists when Zinni or someone else comes from our country to arrange a cease fire or to talk peace - this also demonstrates that we have a lot of influence or control over their policy. By the way, compare Israel's actions to those of the terrorists - they step up terrorism when a negotiator arrives.
The key point is that Bush's obligation is to do what is best for the US; Sharon's responsibility is to his nation. Though we are close allies, though we give Israel lots of aid, though Israel shares valuable and sometimes vital intelligence with us, depite any other ties we may have - these are 2 independent nations. Each must, if it is to retain its independence, continue to do what it perceives to be in its own best interest. Much more often than not, our interests coincide, and there is total cooperation.
Sharon is only pursuing a war on terrorism in his nation, as we have done, are doing and will do ourselves. Bush himself said that we will go anywhere to protect ourselves - why shouldn't Sharon do the same? And, by the way, Sharon isn't going 8,000 miles away - he's doing it in his own country. What would we do if there were daily suicide bombings here by a known enemy - would we kowtow to any other nation, no matter how closely allied, and not respond in the way we thought was best? I think not, and to expect Israel and Sharon to just stop, especially when the PLO and the other terrorists still haven't even verbally committed to stop the suicide bombings, is moronic and arrogant. In fact, this is why I believe that Sharon and Bush are playing "Good cop, bad cop" with the terrorists and their supporters throughout the Arab world. Though I am somewhat taken aback by the hypocracy in some of our recent statements about Israeli withdrawal, I think that it is part of something larger and (so far) hidden.
Why is Israel the only one expected to march to our orders?