Posted on 02/25/2005 9:45:20 PM PST by quidnunc
In the world of the American neocons, salsa is not a sexy dance. It is in-group jargon based on the initial letters of a congressional bill which George Bush signed into law just over a year ago.
At the time, European chancelleries barely noticed the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act. If spotted at all, it was written off as ideological froth with little practical relevance. Even now, in spite of the international interest caused by Washington's accusations of Syrian involvement in last week's murder of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, salsa has not got many European policy-makers jumping.
More's the pity, since the act increasingly looks like a key marker in setting the tone for Bush's second term. Don't be fooled by the president's visit to Europe this week. With its grand talk of a new era in transatlantic relations, the trip was designed to sound a note of reconciliation, like the earlier foray by the new secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.
Washington understands European concerns about the need for multilateral consultation and more use of diplomacy, we were told. Even on Iran, where Europe clearly diverges from Washington, Bush put the soap on softly.
Welcome though these assurances on Iran are, they do not go to the heart of the matter, which remains the neocons' agenda for the Arab world and their support for the most hardline elements in Israel. Europe needs to be highly wary. What Bush does in the Middle East is more important than what he says in Europe.
Ariel Sharon and his Likud party have long seen their Syrian neighbour as a more direct menace than distant Iran, and the evidence suggests the Bush administration shares this view and has started to take action accordingly. Removing Saddam Hussein was the primary foreign policy goal in Bush's first term. The No 1 focus for regime change under Bush Two is Damascus, not Tehran.
-snip-
Whichever domino falls next...
LOL
The loser-whackos still don't get it. It's one job at a time. Soon enough, the "president" of Syria will be kissing the earth at the bottom of his own personal mole hole. The Leftist media will be moaning still, until their end comes too.
The Guardian seems to think it's either/or. I wouldn't want to be in Syria or Iran right now. We still have plenty of Shock & Awe to go around.
You mean democracy? The horror, the horror.
".......and their support for the most hardline elements in Israel."
Iow, the "elements" within Israel who'd like their nation to survive.
During Pres. Bush European Tour, I'm sure he had some "ideas & suggestions" for a few select allies. A window of opportunity may have just opened !
Perhaps something like ..........
"how about joining us, the USA, in a "peace keeping" mission in Lebanon, establish another presence in the Middle East, escort the Syrians back to Syria, (have a look-see around ??? maybe look for some Iraqi WMD's ???), make the Palestinians real nervous (and less demanding), give IRAN so much to worry about, It will have to comply with the "give up the Nuclear Weapons program you have", AND ....... maybe "draw" some insurgent terrorism away from Iraq, to help it get on track faster ???"
Neo-conservative pressure IS needed for regime change, IMHO.
Next !!!
It's funny that people express shock at this.
I recall the specific words said by President Bush, and Secretary Powell, Secretary Rumsfeld, and Dr. Rice over and over again in the Fall and Winter of 2001.
There were two specific phrases:
(1) We are at war with all terrorist organizations of global reach, and the states that support them, and
(2) We will take them out "One stone at a time".
That was Rumsfeld's slogan "One stone at a time".
Given that we have been very consistently pursuing PRECISELY the strategy that Bush and his whole cabinet laid out in 2001 over and over again, why is ANYONE surprised that the Syrian regime is next up?
One stone at a time meant...one stone at a time, of course.
Can I say "Amen"...!!!!!
They are interested in power, and in the fact that we have it. This bothers them. They therefore insist that at least we never use it, as the next best thing to taking it away.
They try to bring this about by editorial blather, elections, and by giving as much cover as possible to determined enemies of the US. If that means terrorist nutjobs with nukes, fine. Their bottom line is the US should not have power and if it has any should not use it and if it uses it must use it only in the manner they direct. And they will say anything and do anything, up to and including helping nuts nuke Chicago, to get their way in the matter.
Commerce has nothing to do with it. Nor civilization. Nor morality. Nor sanity. It is an emotional matter about their existential inadequacy that only a sense of selfrighteousness and power can temporarily allay.
The other thing I'd note is that being statists, the Eurons like to keep things on govmt-to-govmnt terms (economic, cultural, bla bla bla).
No. It's being drowned out by the chants from Lebanon, "Syria, Out! Syria, Out!"
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