Whatever is happening in the Middle East must come back to the domestic politics in the West, particularly the US and Britain. Blair is still fighting for his political life, as are Bush’s Republicans. Bush is on his end run anyway and is hardly likely to rewrite the parlous history of his incumbency before he packs his bags.
So back to the press:
Blair suggested that a plan agreed with President Bush after 90 minutes of talks to reach an international deal could halt the fighting as early as next week. But it seemed unlikely that this would placate a growing feeling in Labour ranks that Blair has stuck too closely to the aggressive American and Israeli positions throughout the conflict.
Even Blair’s own Cabinet ministers have been privately critical of his handling of the crisis, with one saying that it “could be the end of him”. London Times
During the talks Bush also apologised for America’s use of Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport to ferry laser-guided bombs to Israel without following proper procedures. “The President said sorry there was a problem. It was a gracious thing to do,” Blair’s official spokesman said.
An apology abrupty followed up with:
As to the all important meeting between the pair:
…they set out a vague plan for bringing a cessation of violence in the Israel-Lebanon conflict at a joint press conference in the White House, they repeatedly referred to the threat posed by Iran and Syria, and their links with Hizbullah.
Voters in Britain want an end to this madness, as do many in Blair’s own cabinet. But Blair is unable to let go of his ties to Washington’s agenda, and continues to be seen as Bush’s poodle.
Bush, of course, is up to his ears in bad news; both militarily and domestically. Some of the headlines:
US economy sees growth rate halved
Audit Finds U.S. Hid Actual Cost of Iraq Projects
Partisan Divide on Iraq Exceeds Split on Vietnam
Americans Pessimistic About Mideast
Housing Slows, Taking Big Toll on the Economy
Hikes Wages, Cuts Taxes, Looks Like a Dud
In the midst of all of this the administration is floundering. The much heralded control of congress is pretty much in tatters on all fronts as Republican candidates look to save their own arses.
The grand plan for the Middle East has fallen in a heap and lack of foresight means there is no effective Plan B.
Giving Israel the nod to bomb the shit out of Lebanon might have been seen as a cheap and effective diversion, instead that has blown up in Bush’s face. Instead of solving anything it has simply spawned greater fears for security.
As others here have pointed out, Bush’s planners have simply not understood the dynamics of the Islamic world. The Shiites and Sunnis are effectively at war with each other, a dynamic unleashed by the Bush ‘Democratization of Iraq Strategy’.
How many monumental failures, domestically and internationally, can leaderships sustain? The frightening part is that every move they take now to claw back domestic support simply makes matters worse; and worse in spades.
This is self serving politics out of control. It will not be solved until Bush and Blair are replaced by leaders who are able to think clearly and into the future, Short term political ambitions are at the heart of this whole mess.
My objective here was to try and determine exactly what the Bush/Blair strategy was. That the idea was overtaken by a completely different story probably suggests they don't really have one.
2 comments:
Yes, I understand that. Governments and military routinely run their own agenda.
It becomes politically dangerous when it come public knowledge in a largely negative political environment.
Including that gem was merely an illustration of how the political ramifications are working against incumbants who have lost the plot.
Blair suggested that a plan agreed with President Bush after 90 minutes of talks to reach an international deal could halt the fighting as early as next week.
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at that meeting. During the press conference, the disagreements that they must have had behind closed doors were almost palpable.
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