Thx for comprehensive historical rundown on Israel in world affairs.

Submitted by robert alexander (United States), Sep 3, 2003 at 12:09

From the beginning of GWB's Middle East initiative I have believed that its ultimate strategic goal was to establish Israel in the family of nations as the West's pied-a-terre in the region.

That was not the same as colonialism, which operated in a completely different era. Our era is one of internationalism and alliances.

That initiative has failed spectacularly and we find ourselves at sea without a compass.

A purely military solution a la Vietnam would be not only retrogressive but likely to end in failure in the same way that it did in Southeast Asia.

More mud on our face, and Israel more threatened than it was before.

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