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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Gaza, a ceasefire, and "the Decider"

As you read that Israel has rejected the idea of a 48-hour ceasefire, be aware that the LATimes reports that this solution is being partly pressed by the US.

But, there's a very interesting little bit in there....
U.S. officials were talking intensively Tuesday to Arab and European powers about the possibility of a two- or three-day cease-fire, diplomats said. U.S. diplomacy is complicated by differences between the White House and the State Department, these sources said.

So, diplomats tasked with negotiating a ceasefire say they are being "complicated" by the White House? What does that mean?

Does that mean the president has sent them on an empty errand? Does that mean they went with Bush's support, but Cheney, et al. are working against them? Is this trying to say Condi Rice has "gone rogue?"

Why should these last three weeks be any different than the rest of the presidency with the continual fights between the Cheney faction and the State Department?

This is not the way to run a foreign policy. It's supposed to be one voice.

Later: The NYTimes seems to present the US ceasefire effort as coming from the President down.

6 Comments:

  • Looks like they have a problem defining a 'durable' cease fire.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:33 AM  

  • I would guess that language was used later to explain the thing not happening.

    The French/EU/everybody else proposal was originally for a 48 hour stopgap ceasefire. It appears that's what US diplomats were pushing around.

    "Enduring" only seems to have appeared after the ceasefire didn't happened. (was torpedoed.)

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:51 AM  

  • A 'durable' cease-fire sounds like a 'lasting' peace or a 'permanent' solution. They are aiming too high.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:24 AM  

  • Exactly, and that's the point of the rhetoric, to recast what had been achievable, a brief ceasefire, into something unreachable.

    There are those in this White House who want this siege to continue.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 11:26 AM  

  • The same people who want Hamas to agree to something but won't recognize Hamas as a legitimate government.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:59 PM  

  • The same people who want Hamas to agree to something but won't recognize Hamas as a legitimate government.

    Very insightful point.

    By Blogger Todd Dugdale , at 5:07 PM  

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