Powell Meeting with Arafat CANCELLED - State Department, Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel - no URL

[MississippiMan]

Bush has turned US foreign policy around with respect to the Middle East--no more coddling Arafat.

And you base this on exactly what? The fact that a meeting was not to be then was to be then was postponed then cancelled but may still be rescheduled, all while our administration continues to urge Israel to stop fighting their war on terror while we supposedly fight ours?

Sorry, I'd love to be cheering alongside you but I see no reason to do so.

MM

[ThePythonicCow]

I see no reason to do so

Rather than the placating tone of Clinton, trying to please Arafat into peace, Bush is telling Arafat what he has to do: denounce terrorism or you're a terrorist. Arafat is too stubborn to go along, and Bush is leaving enough ambiguity to let Arafat delude himself into thinking that he can continue to play his hand.

This is Bush's variant of "speak softly and carry a big stick." Bush doesn't go into any great length as to what exactly he will do to you if he decides you are unredeemable evil. And unlike Clinton, he doesn't say "pretty please with sugar on top...". He just says "you're over the line ... step back".

I don't think that Arafat will step back. And I am confident he will soon no longer rule the PLO as a result. Likely Israel will get the credit. Bush doesn't have a big ego over just how justice gets delivered. He'll just do what he can to see that it does.

The big question, on other threads, is how much of the rest of the Middle East (such as Syria) will step too far over the line, to demand their own justice. This could get ugly.

[OldFriend]

Just heard on the 5a.m. news, WABC radio, that Powell's staff says the meeting may take place on Monday or Tuesday. Guess Arafat's demand that rather than he condemn the homicide bombings WE should condemn Israel's incursion met Powell's demands just fine! That ought to please certain Freepers no end. After all, the Europeans will be thrilled and so will the 'allies' in the region.

[MeekOneGOP]

Otherwise captioned "I am IRrelevant!".......

[OldFriend]

5 a.m.news on WABC radio........meeting now scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Anyone surprised? After all, slick willie's peace partner has become George Bush's peace partner. Pretty damned sad!

[happygrl]

It always seems that those who understand geopolitics the least complain the most, and end up looking silly after the fact...

No, we understand.

We just like to whine (grin).

[MississippiMan]

Thanks for coherently explaining your position. I think you're reading far too much sophistication into Bush's strategy on this. I'll subscribe to Occam's Razor on this one.

MM

[oldvike]

We all saw this coming, didn't we? It just boggles the mind that the United States is giving ANY credibility to Arafat by even considering a meeting. I'm so embarrassed for our President and his advisors. What a clusterf**k.

[OldFriend]

Seems like Dubya and slick willie are one and the same when it comes to 'peace partners'. Breaks my heart!

[ThePythonicCow]

Well that didn't take long ... within hours of my predicting that Arafat wouldn't denouce the bombings in Arabic, he did just that.

What was that Occam's Razor thing again, MississippiMan <grin> ?

[RamsNo1]

What method do you call this method NOW that we are meeting with the PA terrorists?

[Angelique]

Great--thanks for the news.

[Angelique]

FYI

[MississippiMan]

... within hours of my predicting that Arafat wouldn't denouce the bombings in Arabic, he did just that.

There's no surprise whatsoever there, Cow. The problem is that nothing Arafat or any other terrorist says means anything. It's what they do that counts. Occam's Razor is intact. There's no brilliant strategy at work here on the part of the Bush administration, merely bumbling incompetence and weakness. Dubya's father listened to Colin Powell whispering dovish nothings in his ear and left Saddam in place. Now his son is making the same mistake. For us to be meeting with Arafat right now is an affront to decency and the epitome of hypocrisy. Anything else is spin, my friend.

MM

[hinckley buzzard]

Uh...er...I dunno. But let's wait and see what actually happens. If my faith in GW turns out to be misplaced I will readily concede; but I think we're still in the opening stages of this game.

[hinckley buzzard]

Thanks. I try to keep it interesting.

[DJ88]

Hm..this is interesting: Mrs. Arafat said yesterday that the "suicide bombings" are a good thing. Idiot.