|
|
| U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns stands in front of a picture of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov. 21. |
Posted on 11/26/2004 1:27:37 AM PST by datura
| MIDDLE EAST REPORT |
Nightmare at Foggy Bottom: Arabists panicked
at prospect of Rice's appointments
|
|
| U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns stands in front of a picture of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov. 21. |
Colin Powell has long operated on the principle, "Don't rock the boat."
It was his credo at the State Department where he usually sidestepped appointments and diplomacy.
But Powell is gone, to be replaced by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Foggy Bottom is scared. Nowhere is the fear more palpable than in the department's Near East Bureau. There, the fear is that Rice will bring in her own Middle East team and sideline the naysayers who opposed the war in Iraq, a vigorous campaign against Iranian nuclear weapons and the boycott of the late Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Powell spent much of his time protecting the Near East Bureau, particularly Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, from the rest of the administration. But Rice wants a new policy based on a bold approach to peace and democracy. She doesn't want any more winks to the Saudis or Syrians. When Bush talks about a new Middle East, Rice wants both U.S. allies and adversaries to know that he means it.
|
|
| Daniella Pletka AEI |
Rice has been considering appointing Daniella Pletka, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, to be the new assistant secretary of state.
Pletka is different from Burns as night is to day. A scholar on the Middle East and former congressional aide, Pletka does not share Foggy Bottom's approach of holding U.S. foreign policy captive to pleasing Saudi Arabia and its allies. Indeed, Pletka believes that the Arab kingdom is desperate for U.S. help and is even willing, if pressed, to make meaningful democratic reforms.
The prospect of Burns being replaced by a conservative scholar as Near East bureau chief is a nightmare for many career diplomats. Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed. Some have been urging their Arab counterparts to express concern over Pletka's candidacy. Yes, Pletka makes no secret of being pro-Israel.
Rice has been urged to choose a compromise candidate, such as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt David Welch. The argument is that Welch is highly regarded by the rank-and-file and would win the respect of Arab diplomats.
A bigger fear to Foggy Bottom is Rice's intention to recommend Undersecretary of State John Bolton to become deputy secretary of state. Bolton, the administration's point man on nonproliferation, is the bane of every career diplomat: he speaks plainly and speaks his mind. Stay tuned.
The more of those 'Rat-diplos that are P*ssed of and quit the better...
Wonder if she's married?
These people need to worry..
L
Mass resignation is just what the doctor ordered. Having the Arab states (read Islamofascist regimes) respect US is not nearly as important as having them fear US.
Mutual accomodation is not in their lexicon. Perhaps we can teach them about enlightened self-interest.
This article has State Dept sources all over it. They even leaked who they want appointed instead of Ms. Pletka.
Mass resignation? Go ahead.
There is no way these comfortable GS-15's are giving up their cushy jobs.
They are bluffing, and even if they resign, no one will mourn them.
Hopefully they will quit...save Condi from having to clean house. State has been a problem for decades, and she's just the gal to straighten it out.
Whoop de Doo!!! Condi Rice is the real goods!
I don't know, but based on the following sentence, I think I love her.
Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed.
More about her: http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.50,filter.all/scholar.asp
I saw that while looking for a phone #. :)
They'll probably stay in town and work at places like Brookings, etc.
I don't know if a chainsaw will do it - a stump grinder maybe.
bumpo
Daniella Pletka is amazing. I have yet to see anyone beat her in a debate. I hope she gets the job.
You're probably right about that. Hey brother, what are you doing up so early? Getting ready for the commute back into DC this morning--or just can't sleep?
How I am noticing the influence of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) over the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
I know the CFR has WAY more clout, but it is strange to see nonetheless.
The resignations will have the same effect or impact as the hole you leave behind when you pull your hand out of water.
They would be all over CNN and MSNBC to cry in their Chablis and denounce Dr. Rice. The liberal media will give them tons of airplay.
There are probably some others who will be offered jobs at liberal think tanks (as leadpenny alluded to) because the stakes are so high, the think tanks will pay it.
I expect this fight to be as ugly as the one for the next Supreme Court Justice.
No, I'm off today but turned in early last night. We'll have beautiful cold weather today for some leaf raking after four or five days of rain. If it get warm enough, maybe a Harley ride later. Also, I just love early mornings. Why are you up?
Hip, Hip, Hooray! Clean the nest of vipers.
I watch The President with the higest satisfaction. That man truly know what he is doing.
Mass resignation at State? We should be so lucky. Every last one resigns? Joy.
Doctor Rice has a mind as sharp as a razor. Bunch of heavy duty bureaucrats are going to lose their pensions. Ah, bliss.
That one we'll need to get an extra supply of popcorn for.
The only time I sat down was when we watched The Terminal.
I'm just amazed that it's beginning at all.
Prayers for Doctor Rice. Hercules had easier problems to deal with in the Augean Stables.
Good article. Bump.
How come we never heard about Clinton being urged to choose someone for a specific post when he was president? I'm sick of these people telling the President and his appointees what to do. Who do they think they are? They didn't win!!!!
Should fire all of those sorry jerks.
Maybe now we can get some people in there that value the safety of the American people first. Instead of pandering to French opinion polls.
REPORTING FROM ISRAEL
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
"These opponents in the SD don't need "sidelining". They need to be..."
Fired, and barred from any government position for life.
BTW I think there are some good quality FSO's out there - if I'm not mistaken, one is a Freeper - but, like conservatives in Hollywood, the cultural tide is against them and is in need of reversing.
Let me know when we get to the bad part!
Sure do home Condi cleans up at State. Living & working in a foreign country as an expat I can say we've seen the best and the worst of State here. Boy, the stories we could tell... Actually, there are some conservatives there, but I must admit that we've known far more conservatives that have resigned from the Foreign Service than are activly in it. Frankly, I think there is a glass ceiling there for them. More power to Condi's choice for the gal to clean up the mess in State in the Middle East. CNN is waiting for the resignations with open arms.
Welcome to FreeRepublic.
Per the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Bildebergers and the Trilateral Commission ordered the Tinfoil Hat of Power be transferred from CFR to AEI in order to further deceive the public as plans for one-world government proceed. UN blue helmets inscribed with "666" will be shipped to all able-bodied citizens shortly as part of the draft John Kerry warned us about. /sarcasm
Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed.
__________________________________________________________
Yeah, right. Never happen. These people are careerists waiting for their pension. They'll just ride it out and try to thrwart Rice every chance they get, imo. Not saying all folks at State are like that, just the morons supposedly talking about mass resignation. PUH-LEEEZE.
More info can be found by clicking here.
Professional Experience
-Senior professional staff member for Near East and South Asia, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 1992-2002
-Staff writer, Insight Magazine, 1987-1992
-Editorial assistant, Los Angeles Times and Reuters, in Jerusalem, 1984-1985
Education
M.A., SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
B.A., Smith College
Articles and Short Publications
Arabs on the Verge of Democracy
Is America Safer?
The Hawks and the Doves Are Aflutter over U.S. Iran Policy
Events
Foreign Policy in the Second Bush Administration
Iraq
A Conversation with Adel Abdul Mahdi, the Iraqi Minister of Finance
Speaking Engagements
Reconstructing Iraq
UN Accountability for the Oil for Food Program
Trends in the Middle East
Foreign policy problems started at least as long ago as the Alger Hiss days. Powell had the "capital" at his disposal to be a giant in the world of international relations, perhaps of General Marshall proportions. Despite his success in Pakistan, nothing else of substance came of it.
Something about Powell has gnawed at me, perhaps since his equivocating at the time of Al Gore's tantrum in 2000. This is only opinion, mind you, but I think Powell has lacked imagination of how things could be made better.
FWIW ... I agree.
Just like the loud mouth left yelps about leaving the USA they, at the State Dept., are bellowing about "mass resignations", while in reality they (the left) are wallowing in deep suicidal depression.
Like Porter Goss & Co. is having to pry the leaches out of the CIA, Dr.Condoleeza Rice will be passing out scalpels to rid US of the cancer in the State Department.
Here's to US and a great four years.
"Department sources said many diplomats are discussing a mass resignation if Pletka is appointed."
Make our day, lib-dem garbage.
wow, Bush, Rice and Goss are really doing their job, now for congress...
Oh, please please please please.... one can only hope!
To hurt the administration as much as possible by hurting the nation.
An adult reaction if I ever saw one.
Can you say "Air Traffic Controllers"?
Heh heh - how undiplomatic of him.
An American not be pro anyplace except pro-United States.
The GREAT thing about GW is he's willing to make the tough calls REGARDLESS of the MSM whining to follow.
Also, I've noticed a trend with GW . . . he's also not afraid to whack the media elitists when necessary.
Example . . . Helen Thomas? The icon of Washington White House Press Corps? The one who was ALWAYS allowed to ask the first question? Banished to journalistic Siberia . . . the last row and never called on to ask questions.
Another example? Am I the only one who has noticed that GW and his LEAD Administration folks usually give Fox News the nod when they want to do extensive interviews?
The above two examples are only a few of the many, many times that GW has proven there's a new sheriff in town and you take unfair potshots at him and his administration at your own peril. He is one Texan who is unafraid of the limp-wristed liberals at the MSM outlets. 
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
