On listening to Sharons words today.
Trying to read between the lines, is Sharon going to withdraw, an issue now of extreme importance to Bush as it has left the the area of "request" to an "out right order".
I frankly see , as yet zero indication he will start a meaningful withdrawal now, and his words give no hint of such an action.
This bit from JPost indicates to me the withdrawal from the two cities in question is merely leaving the cities to form a closure around them, as i refer to this item.<< IDF begins pullout after 2 soldiers killed
By Arieh O'Sullivan and Herb Keinon
JERUSALEM (April 9) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, after meeting with US envoy Anthony Zinni last night, ordered the IDF to begin pulling out of Kalkilya and Tulkarm, a source in the Prime Minister's Office said. The redeployment was due to begin immediately, following pressure from the US.
"The defense minister, in coordination with the prime minister, has ordered the army to start redeploying out of Kalkilya and Tulkarm tonight and enforce the closure around them," the Defense Ministry said.>> jpost.com
Of note, King Abdullah of Jordan, for whom i respect his opinions, and is King Husseins son, said in brutal candidness that the isolation of Arafat is, amongst Arab people, elevating him , in their minds, into a saint.(o wow that is really constructive-NOT!)
And that the moderate factions of the arab world are getting more hard line every day.
These are the hard realities. I view all with a cold eye here, what is the value of my expressing a view, it changes nothing, as these are forces at work that have been building for decades of charges and counter charges that have now boiled over into chaos.
At this moment however, i do feel, Sharon will not 'withdraw without delay' unless Bush actually threatens to cut-off aid to Israel, and that happening seems to me to be zero, that i consider as unthinkable.Max
P.S. Colin powell was "greeted ' by King Mohammed of Morocco with "What are you doing here?", making clear it is no secret Powell is stalling his seeing Sharon as long as he can so Sharon gets the message that Bush means what he says, and don't make him say 'or else'. But what can his 'or else' be? Sharon i suspect will call the bluff and see just what the 'or else' part really is, if anything at all.
What if the U.S. just stood back and did nothing? Isn't that a whole other kettle of fish? i think we have discovered a rock and and hard place. |
