Bush's Last-Chance Trip To The Middle East

State Dept. Reporter Charles Wolfson: In Israel, President Bush Needs To Make A Deal

(CBS)  Background and analysis by CBS News State Department Charles Wolfson.

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Why not go to the Middle East now? Will there be a better time in the coming year? Perhaps, but probably not. And certainly not if President George W. Bush doesn’t show some progress on this trip. So, now very well may be the best time to go to the region which has every indication of dominating Mr. Bush’s last year in office.

Keeping the forward movement gained last November at Annapolis between Israelis and Palestinians will dominate the first few days of the president's 8-day trip. The parties have been meeting feverishly in recent days so they can have something positive to show when the president has his meetings in Israel and the West Bank. It’s typical of the diplomacy between the two sides that if they are able to agree on next steps it will likely happen only at the last minute, just before Air Force One lands.

Ken Pollack of the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution says what Mr. Bush is doing is really “not that laudable” but since he travels so infrequently -- this is his first trip to Israel as president -- this trip will take on a diplomatic importance greater than it deserves. According to Pollack “…the reality is that the president does need to be more involved and the president does need to be involved in day-to-day diplomacy.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may have visited the region eight times last year, but with only a year left in office Mr. Bush now must show the parties and their neighbors that he indeed is serious about getting a deal done before he leaves office.

“President Bush is no longer trying to transform the Middle East from afar; he’s trying to manage it in incremental ways by arm-twisting and jawboning leaders in intimate, private sessions,” says Jon Alterman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Those private sessions will become even more important as Air Force One makes its way from one Arab capital to another. The leaders he meets with will not only want to see a seriousness of purpose on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, they’ll want to see it on Iran, on Iraq, even on Pakistan.

“I think the president will face a tough act convincing the Arabs and the Palestinians that this administration is serious about getting heavily involved in the Israeli-Palestinian process and has an answer to the problems of either Hamas or Iran,” says Bruce Riedel of the Saban Center, a former senior official at the NSC and CIA. Riedel also notes Arab leaders will be interested in how Mr. Bush plans to deal with Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf, who, like many of them, fears the uncertainties which increased democratic moves can bring.

The trip was always designed to deal with the threat posed by Iran to its regional neighbors and this week’s incident between Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast boats and U S Navy warships in the Strait of Hormuz only serves to highlight the importance of Tehran’s ability to cause regional instability, not to mention its nuclear ambitions. America’s Gulf allies still have their reservations about the administration’s recent public release of its national intelligence estimate on Iran and Mr. Bush will have his work cut out for him persuading Gulf leaders that Iran is still the threat the U.S. and Israel claim it to be.

National security advisor Stephen Hadley says the emphasis will be on quiet conversation: “I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about how we do intelligence here … And I think the president is going to want to go and talk privately and quietly to indicate that we understand the challenge that Iran represents to the region … that … our friends and allies in the region can count on our commitment to the region and our continued presence in the region.”

Even though Mr. Bush is expected to raise his freedom and democracy agenda during a speech in the UAE, Hadley told reporters “We’re not looking for headline announcements. What the president is looking for is for better understanding of the challenges we face, and a commitment to dealing with that challenge.”

Hadley’s approach has the benefit of lowering expectations and at the same time relying on private and personal diplomacy which most in the region favor. On the other hand, this administration does have a penchant for surprise -- perhaps in the form of a three-way meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders or even an unannounced side trip to Iraq to visit with American troops and Iraqi political leaders. After the trip America’s allies in the region will have to determine for themselves whether they want to embrace Mr. Bush and his efforts for another year or stay on the sidelines and await the outcome the elections in the U.S. and take their chances on the policies of this administration’s successor.

[logicanada]

Once that big fence is built around Israel, will it hold water?
Lots of water?

[jerr11]

After killing 4000 Americans for a needless war (1000 more than Osama) and bankrupting the country (2.5 BILLION A WEEK TO KEEP THIS WAR GOING),

THIS PRESIDENT IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS LEGACY?!!

Yep, and I hear OJ is worried about his image too!

LOL

[knyghtwolf]

It staggers the mind to think that an ENTIRE planet actually HATES bush and its regime as much as it does. Any place on the planet where there is either internet or television, HATES this doppalganger of a human being and its compadres. How is it going to LIVE at all when its out of office? Is it planning on just living on its Crawford Estate and be a recluse like Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, Beany & Cecil? The WHOLE world is waiting.....waiting like a hair trigger bear trap with razor edges to just snap close. Spookin'', eh?

[quatrops]

Hey, razzl! Some of us have had success with LOOKING AT THE MONITER SCREEN to see if our post has been listed BEFORE we enter it again for the second, third, forth, etc. time. If you''re naive enough to think repetitive posts are CBS errors rather than ego-driven intentions 99% of the time, make me an offer on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Chengh82''s repetitions were entered at 3:58, 4:02, and 4:05 . . . just enough time in between for him to look at the screen, read over what he had entered, admit to himself how wonderfully articulate he was, and say to himself, "What a clever fellow I am! I''ll just enter this a few more times so other readers will be sure to notice me!"

Considering that some repeaters do so 8-10 times, chengh82 has demonstrated a tremendous amount of reserve with only 3 ? ? ?

[mcv57]

''''Gulf incident clip fabricated'''' (video)
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teheran, Iran

Iran on Wednesday called video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian Revolutionary Guards boats confronting US warships in the Strait of Hormuz "fabricated," an English-language state-run television station reported.

"fabricated."

The Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the US ships, including horn blasts and radio transmissions, according to the video, which was shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper.

Intend no harm."

The audio and video recordings were made separately but were pulled together by the Navy. Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a 20-minute or so clash.

That is something normal that takes place every now and then for each party," he told the state news agency IRNA.

"The identification of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian Navy units is a natural occurrence," the official IRNA news agency quoted Najjar. "Islamic Republic of Iran Navy units always put questions to passing vessels and warships at the Strait of Hormuz and they need to identify themselves. This is in accordance with the normal procedures."

Najjar called Western news reports that the boats threatened to blow up the US warships as "mischief."

[mcv57]

The bushwacker is not in the middle east. He is too much of a coward. Believe me, if he really trusted his republican guard to protect him, the Iraqians would aleast try to kill him, if not take a few Jews with them in the attempt. No way, probably using satillite communication and Wag the Dog software. The little cockroach don''t have no balls.

[clestes-2009]

More legacy BS. He has less than a year left and nothing to show domestically and what little progress in the middle east is disintigrating.

Anyone notice how Afghanistan isn''t mentioned? Gates is talking about sending more troops because the Taliban has resurged and is taking Afganistan back over. You won''t see Bush there.

Also, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle Eastern Affairs Mark Kimmitt has said that far from being a success the surge has, at best, a 50/50 chance of succeeding. No political progress, of course.

http://thinkprogress.org/?tag=Iraq

It seems that the truth is finally coming out of the Bush admin for a change.

[bm6005]

This guy''s an IQ91 MORON!!!

[afmca]

Everyone recognizes this for the joke it is. Emperor Bush wakes up after doing nothing except inflame the protagonists for 7 years now wants everyone to make nice. He will rattle his war saber at Iran and prove how safe Iraq is by taking a quick, super secret trip to visit the troops. Once again all style; no substance. This is the legacy of Bush after 7 years. Next he will go to China and put a toy Barbie in his mouth to prove that the toys are safe once again.

[afmca]

Everyone recognizes this for the joke it is. Emperor Bush wakes up after doing nothing except inflame the protagonists for 7 years now wants everyone to make nice. He will rattle his war saber at Iran and prove how safe Iraq is by taking a quick, super secret trip to visit the troops. Once again all style; no substance. This is the legacy of Bush after 7 years. Next he will go to China and put a toy Barbie in his mouth to prove that the toys are safe once again.

[inventagod]

Lame Duck Traveling.....

[jerr11]

4000 dead Americans.

Countless dead Iraqis.

1.9 trillion taxpayers dollars down the tube in Iraq.

The country in hock to the Chinese.

Over a phony war to profit his buddies in Halliburton and Cheney.

And this guy is trying to rescue his legacy?

ROFLMAO!

[rbburnerjr]

Is Bush so stupid that he doesn''t see that the leaders of other countries just smile, pat him on the head and send him on his way. They see him for the idiot he is.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush is glad that his trip to the Middle East is turning into such a great photo op for him. It presents an emperor who is interested in "peaceful" means to settle differences among Isreal and the rest of the Arab countries.

Of course, The Great Emperor has also been watching and been impressed by the strategy that Adolph Hitler used in the 1930''s annexing Austria, Chechoslavakia, and Hungary into the 3rd Reich without firing a shot! The Great Emperor reasons that what worked for Adolph Hitler must work for HIM!!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[Razzl]

By now every country, every leader, every politician in the world knows that the Bush administration is a manic-depressive operation that will never follow through on any commitment. Deals and promises by the Bushies are made for the show of the moment and forgotten by next week. None of these bright people are going to put any credence in any deal made with Bush and they all even talk to him just to keep up appearances. If the Israelis and Palestinians are talking with Bush mediation it''s because it serves their mutual interests to do so, not because they believe in Bush as a credible mediator...

[Razzl]

"1. Why do some communications-challenged twits out there (chenga82 today) think that multiple repetitive posts lend credence to their opinions? Or, is it that they just get off seeing their pen names on the screen? Please people, it''''s irritating and just makes you look stupid"

Listen, twit, when you post long enough on CBS you''ll find out that their flukey software sometimes blocks your post without explaining whether your comments were queued or whether you have to come back and repost. We''ve all been the victim of it, so move on and get over it...

[quatrops]

Some questions:

1. Why do some communications-challenged twits out there (chenga82 today) think that multiple repetitive posts lend credence to their opinions? Or, is it that they just get off seeing their pen names on the screen? Please people, it''s irritating and just makes you look stupid.

2. Does anyone else distrust the US version of the Iranian speedboat confrontation? Considering the lies and "intelligence" misinformation Cheney/Bush and Co. used to justify our invasion of Iraq in 2003, one wonders if this is another example of misinformation being used to set Bush up for some distractive "action" during his middle-east visit.

Incompetence and deception run rampant in the land ! !

[mimi611]

I hope he is protected well. He sure doesn''t deserve to be a martyr.

[ioweign]

Why do I feel like George is going to do something extremely stupid in the Middle East?


Posted by harp1963 at 02:08 AM : Jan 09, 2008


Could it be his past performance here in the USA !!

[jjp735i]

Let him stay there.