Like they're listening to Bush
Just one more little example of George Bush on foreign policy.
(Because the Israelis don't care about their security....)
U.S. President George Bush believes that Israel is offering Syria the Golan Heights without getting anything in exchange, according to sources briefed on his White House meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week.
After Olmert updated Bush on Israel's indirect talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the U.S. president demanded, "Why do you want to give Assad the Golan for nothing?" the sources said.
(Because the Israelis don't care about their security....)
posted by mikevotes at
7:37 AM
9 Comments:
It's a fair question. I'm sure a lot of people in Israel are asking it. Of course Olmert is a lame duck himself.
It will be interesting to see if it fits in with Obama's vision for the Middle East. If he has one.
By
Anonymous, at 9:20 AM
I think Obama does. The personnel he's been putting in tells me he's going to take a serious run at middle east piece.
Also, what does it say about Bush's position/ this administration's influence that the President is on the outside asking questions?
By
mikevotes, at 10:28 AM
Depends on how you see US foreign policy. My impression is that Bush always did what his advisors suggested.
By
Anonymous, at 11:16 AM
Oh, agreed, allowing the indulgence that Bush claimed they were his decisions.
But, even with that, for the Bush administration to be so far outside the Israeli process that they're dumbfounded by actions is pretty telling, considering how tight they were several years ago.
By
mikevotes, at 1:19 PM
Hard to know what the Israelis expect to get from Syria. Maybe they've given up on the US bombing Iran so they just want to drive a wedge between Syria and Iran. They obviously don't see Bush as an important part of the equation.
By
Anonymous, at 2:32 PM
Yeah, that's exactly where they're working, because Syria is probably the primary conduit to Hamas.
Iran really supplies the stuff, but a huge chunk of it flows through Syria, Hezbullah, and Egypt, and if they can make gains there, they can trim back Iranian influence.
By
mikevotes, at 3:11 PM
Mike,
The answer to Bush's question is that Israel is sucking up to Russia through Syria.
Israelis have done the regional power calculus, and they're preparing to make Russia their oil partner.
Plus there's the two military disasters the US got them into over the past 3 years, not counting Iraq.
By
MarcLord, at 4:56 PM
I'd certainly buy that.
By
mikevotes, at 5:59 PM
"Plus there's the two military disasters the US got them into over the past 3 years, not counting Iraq."
Meaning Lebanon and Georgia? I thought Israel was a willing participant. They were certainly in favour of invading Iraq.
By
Anonymous, at 6:33 PM
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