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Kerry's dismal effort to salvage the Arab-Israeli talks
Chicago Tribune ^ | April 07, 2014 | Charles Krauthammer

Posted on 04/09/2014 10:20:49 AM PDT by SJackson

WASHINGTON — — When has a secretary of state been involved in so many disastrous, self-initiated negotiations? First, John Kerry convenes — against all advice and holding no cards — Geneva negotiations to resolve the Syria conflict and supposedly remove Bashar Assad from power. The talks collapse in acrimony and confusion.

Kerry's response? A second Geneva conference that — surprise! — breaks up in acrimony and confusion.

Then, even as Russian special forces are taking over Crimea, Kerry goes chasing after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — first to Paris, then Rome, then London — offering a diplomatic "off-ramp." Lavrov shrugs him off. Russia annexes Crimea.

The crowning piece of diplomatic futility, however, is Kerry's frantic effort to salvage the Arab-Israeli negotiations he launched, also against all odds and sentient advice. He's made 12 trips to the region, aiming to produce a final Middle East peace within nine months.

It is month nine. The talks have gone nowhere. But this has been a fool's errand from Day One. There never was any chance of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas concluding a final peace.

Now in the 10th year of a four-year term (there never was a re-election — he just stayed in office), Abbas doesn't have the legitimacy. With half of Palestine (namely Gaza) controlled by his rejectionist mortal enemy Hamas, he doesn't have the authority.

And he doesn't have the intention. Abbas openly refuses to (a) recognize Israel as a Jewish state, (b) yield the so-called right of return (that would flood Israel with millions of Palestinians, destroying the state demographically) and (c) ever sign any agreement that ends the conflict once and for all.

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Israel; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: crimea; israel; johnkerry; kerry; lurch; russia; samanthapower; sergeylavrov; valeriejarrett; waronterror
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1 posted on 04/09/2014 10:20:49 AM PDT by SJackson
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

2 posted on 04/09/2014 10:21:38 AM PDT by SJackson (the Democrats take back control, we donÂ’t make (this) kind of naked power grab, J Biden)
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To: SJackson

Wasn’t Kerry’s father an ambassador or something? Is it like father like son or was father compete?


3 posted on 04/09/2014 10:24:04 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: SJackson

” Kerry’s dismal effort to salvage the Arab-Israeli talks”

“Savage” may be more apt.


4 posted on 04/09/2014 10:24:46 AM PDT by rightwingcrazy
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To: SJackson
you mean the Magic eight ball has failed me again?


5 posted on 04/09/2014 10:25:49 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( "Never, never, never give up". Winston Churchill)
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To: SJackson

the talks are long dead, because
1. Abbas wants to keep killing the Joos, and
2. so do Kerry/Obama
and
3. the Joos have FINALLY shown signs of waking up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


6 posted on 04/09/2014 10:26:11 AM PDT by faithhopecharity ((Brilliant, Profound Tag Line Goes Here, just as soon as I can think of one..))
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To: SJackson

The muzzies are dealing with a marshmallow.

There’s only one thing that can be done with a marshmallow.

And they know it.


7 posted on 04/09/2014 10:30:23 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: SJackson

Kerry makes Hillary look good!


8 posted on 04/09/2014 10:31:00 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: mountainlion

Kerry is a stooge. Just a bloviating blowhard.

How this guy ever had a career at all is mystifying (even in Massachusetts).


9 posted on 04/09/2014 10:36:33 AM PDT by DarrellZero
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To: SJackson


10 posted on 04/09/2014 10:38:39 AM PDT by Iron Munro (The future ain't what it use to be -- Yogi Berra)
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To: SJackson

Why doesn’t Kerry just say what he really thinks? “Those stupid Joos are screwing up all my brilliant negotiating!”


11 posted on 04/09/2014 10:41:54 AM PDT by servo1969
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To: SJackson

The presumption is that ther were talks.

There were no talks except in the mind of Lurch and his propaganda organs


12 posted on 04/09/2014 10:43:23 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... History is a process, not an event)
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To: SJackson

We should have never allowed a catroon character become the secretary of state


13 posted on 04/09/2014 10:45:40 AM PDT by PATRIOT1876
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To: SJackson

U.S. presidents and Secretaries of State have been trying to salvage Arab-Israeli talks for going on 50 years now. Maybe it’s time to realize there is nothing to salvage?


14 posted on 04/09/2014 10:51:37 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: SJackson

In the real world of diplomacy conferences are not convened until plenty of groundwork virtually ensures success. Kerry is apparently clueless.


15 posted on 04/09/2014 10:52:49 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks SJackson, sidebar: John Kerry Defends His Diplomatic Efforts: ‘I May Fail – I Don’t Care’.
16 posted on 04/09/2014 11:10:25 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Iron Munro
Given their career paths, I can see the problem.

Naftali Bennet served as an officer in the Sayeret Matkal (field intelligence, counter terror, hostage rescue) and Sayeret Maglan (special ops) and never talks about it. We all know about Kerry's brilliant military career, he was in Vietnam after all. Like upwards of 3 million of his fellow Americans.

Private sector, Bennet founded a network security company which was sold for around $140 million. Later CEO of a cloud computing company sold for about $150 million. Kerry married well, twice, and has a nice sailboat.

Not sure Kerry or his boss are in much of a position to put them down. Netanyahu either. But putting others down is what he and his boss are about, his political party too.

17 posted on 04/09/2014 11:13:02 AM PDT by SJackson (the Democrats take back control, we donÂ’t make (this) kind of naked power grab, J Biden)
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To: PATRIOT1876

If you can have one for President, you can have one for SOS.


18 posted on 04/09/2014 11:13:47 AM PDT by SJackson (the Democrats take back control, we donÂ’t make (this) kind of naked power grab, J Biden)
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To: bert
There were no talks except in the mind of Lurch and his propaganda organs

Basicly. There haven't been any talks at all since November.

19 posted on 04/09/2014 11:16:09 AM PDT by SJackson (the Democrats take back control, we donÂ’t make (this) kind of naked power grab, J Biden)
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To: Gen.Blather

Yes, that’s the way things worked pre-Obama. Don’t risk high level failures. Kerry/Obama/Clinton have amassed a collection of high level failures. Of course despite being confident of success, both Clinton and GWB learned the palestinians are quite capable of rejecting the entire process at the last moment.


20 posted on 04/09/2014 11:19:14 AM PDT by SJackson (the Democrats take back control, we donÂ’t make (this) kind of naked power grab, J Biden)
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