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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (5502)	4/20/2003 9:47:41 AM
From: lorne	Respond to of 15987

Abu Mazen threatens to quit after row with Arafat Khaled Abu Toameh Apr. 19, 2003 A drama was underway in Ramallah Saturday night after Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) stormed out of a meeting of Fatah's central council to announce that he was quitting. The meeting, chaired by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, was held to discuss the composition of the new Palestinian cabinet. This is the second time in the past week that Abbas and Arafat have clashed over the new cabinet. Palestinian sources said the latest row erupted when Arafat announced that he planned to retain control over the Palestinian security forces. According to senior Palestinian officials, Arafat told Abbas that he remains opposed to giving the security portfolio in the new cabinet to former security chief Mohammed Dahlan. At the stormy meeting, some Fatah officials also accused Abbas of seeking to marginalize the organization's role in the new cabinet. "There's a very serious crisis," said one official. "Abbas has said that he isn't interested in the job of prime minister." It was unclear if Abbas's decision is final. Several Palestinian officials were trying Saturday night to talk Abbas into meeting with Arafat to solve the crisis. A source close to Abbas told The Jerusalem Post: "Arafat is placing too many obstacles that make it impossible to form an independent cabinet. He wants to remain in charge of everything. That's why Abbas doesn't feel that he can accomplish his job successfully." jpost.com

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (5502)	4/23/2003 3:03:09 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 15987

I know this may be a frightening, and to some, bordering on disloyalty, but I'm beginning to side with the French with regard to suspending, rather than totally lifting sanctions against Iraq. The recent Shiite demonstrations, quite likely spurred and financed by the hardliners in Tehran, have me a bit worried that the US might be losing its leverage in that particular part of the country. It strikes me that the US goal was to rid the region of a totalitarian state, not replace it with a equally oppressive and backward theocratic regime possessing no desire to create democratcy in Iraq. Thus, the only leverage the US, and the rest of the world possesses are those sanctions. To only lift them should we see a democratic society formed in Iraq. To only support those elements in Iraqi society sharing the US desire for democratic reforms to be implemented. So the Bush administration may be doing itself a disservice by giving up its leverage too quickly, without obtaining some guarantees from the Shiite clergy. We're going to rebuild Iraq and there's little chance that Iran can fund such an endeavor for the Shiite population in the south. Thus, using the carrot of financial support to encourage cooperation is more effective if the sanctions remain in place, or are revised based upon the condition of democracy being formed in Iraq. What do you all think?? Hawk