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Written by Mohammad Nouri
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
Gaza is facing a new wave of crisis with the Israeli army again intensifying
its blockade. This time in addition to military strikes, the Zionist regime has
cut energy, fuel and power supplies to the Gazans. The aim of the Zionist regime
is apparently aimed at destroying a million lives on the strip. The Hamas
government is now in a dilemma: to accept truce with Israel or to be witness to
the gradual annihilation of the people of Gaza.
Therefore the main question remains: Were the Arab countries aware of Israel’s
plan to strike Gaza?
Some regional pundits believe that the plan to strike Gaza was finalized when US
President George Bush gave the green light to the Zionist regime during his
eight-day visit to the region last month. The reality is that Bush held secret
meetings in Tel Aviv and some Arab capitals to seek support for the Israeli
strike. It seems revolutionary forces in Palestine and Lebanon had prior
information about the aftermath of Bush’s vicious trip to the Middle East.
It has also been proved that Ehud Barak, Israeli defense minister, who was the
mastermind of strikes on Gaza and the weakening of the Hamas government,
finalized the conspiracy after meeting Bush.
However, we should not ignore the role of some Arab states in facilitating
strikes on Gaza. Although no report has been published on meetings between Bush
and Arab leaders, media and diplomatic sources say the warmonger president was
aiming to invite Arab leaders to a joint politico-security plan in the region.
Bush’s proposal can only be guessed. However before answering this question, it
seems necessary to mention that White House spokespersons have described Bush’s
proposal as ’a long-term strategy for the Middle East’. They use such a phrase
to remind the Arabs that Bush’s Middle East visit is a part of the Greater
Middle East Initiative and the road map puzzles--the brainchild of high-ranking
US politicians including former secretary of state Colin Powell.
The reality however is that Bush was seeking to gain support for the destruction
of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Bush will be out of office in 48 weeks, so it is hardly logical for him to
devise a ’long-term strategy for the region’. So, Bush’s visit to the Middle
East is not a long-term strategy but a tactical policy which will expire in less
than a year.
As the neo-cons in the White House believe, at a time when Bush’s administration
has failed in three important foreign policy fronts (Iraq war, Iran’s nuclear
issue and two-state solution in occupied Palestinian territories), an agreement,
or better to say, a collusion with old-age allies can save their foreign policy
from further failures.
Evidence has it that Bush’s Middle East trip was more than anything else aimed
at reaching a deal over two territories: Lebanon and Palestine.
During his visit, Bush spoke about isolating two Islamic resistance movements,
Palestine’s Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as weakening them in
political and military terms. The manner in which Bush is going to achieve his
objectives is that the Israeli war machine should do its best to suppress Hamas’
social and popular bases. On the other hand, by directing a series of terrorist
operations in Lebanon and assassination of key figures in the Lebanese army as
witnessed in recent terrorist acts in Lebanon, US plans to weaken Hezbollah and
its domestic and foreign allies.
However, will a tactical cooperation or a new deal between Arabs and the US
materialize?
Irrespective of experiences gained from agreements between the US and its allies
throughout the Middle East history, new agreements reached between the US and
Arab states has made the region face new realities as follows:
Arab states have been grappling with a new wave of radicalism.
In fact, the political scene in the Arab world has undergone a revolution since
September 11, 2001. According to estimates by American research centers, public
opinion in the Arab world is currently at the peak of pessimism towards Bush
administration. Each step taken by conservative Arab governments to compromise
with the White House can irk their domestic dissidents as they reacted to Bush’s
recent Middle East tour.
Recent unrest in Gaza Strip and the support shown by the revolutionary circles
of Arab states, particularly Egyptians is a clear evidence of this.
Hence, some political analysts have said that if Arab states sign a compromise
deal with the US on Palestine or they had accepted US demands on Iran’s nuclear
case, they will be considered traitors. The Arab states, particularly in the
course of seven years since September 11, 2001 have realized that the anti-US
movements have been set up by those whose ideal is to end the humiliation of the
Arabs.
Source: Iran Daily
Comments posted are the sole opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of AIM. |
