March 17, 2003

Noonan, Bush, And Palestine:

Peggy Noonan posts this today at OpinionJournal (no registration required). The article discusses the Bush administration's announcement last Friday that the US will soon broach a new Palestinian/Israeli peach initiative. The article is typical Noonan, eloquent, direct, conservative ... and also a bit surprising, especially for her foresight in this analysis:

Mr. Bush's move seems to acknowledge and bow to the vague desires of the world regarding a broad new peace plan, without doing anything to blunt his arguments for removal of Saddam Hussein. Calling for an end to Israeli settlement activity, and announcing increased international support for new Palestinian representatives, is probably meant in some degree as a palliative to Europeans, who feel the United States is harsh toward Palestinians and blindly loyal to Israel. And Mr. Bush's remarks implicitly acknowledged that Iraq is not the only piece in the Mideast puzzle, that the administration has no illusions that once Iraq is settled peace will break out. All the parties in the Mideast have their claims, and the United States does itself no harm in reminding the world it is aware of this.

Maybe most important at the moment, references to future Mideast peace moves helps people--not only the major players in the area but others--think about the future. Because it reminds them there is a future. In a world in which half the people of half the countries on the planet seem to have constant upset stomachs from war tensions, the announcement of future plans for future moves for a future peace seems a relief. So is the fact that Mr. Bush in his remarks seemed to be reminding the world that no, his administration is not actually the Washington wing of the Likud Party.

And she's right. Tomorrow we may be at war, and there is some comfort in knowing the administration is thinking about addressing problems closer to the root of the issues ... even if that thinking is coming along later rather than sooner.

Posted by Avocare at March 17, 2003 08:53 AM
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