Bush's "Road Map"
Reader comment on item: Throwing out the [Arab-Israeli] Rulebook

Submitted by Elizabeth Coote (United States), Jun 18, 2003 at 19:35

I'm afraid that just stating that George W. Bush has abandoned the 'rule book' in pursuit of the 'Road Map' is not going to make it work.

Yes, he has indeed abandoned the rules, but he has so far not had any more success in imposing the 'Road Map' through abandoning the rules than if he had followed the rules. As it happens, the reason the Road Map is not working is that George W. Bush is not the only one who has abandoned the 'rule book'.

The Palestinians, specifically, their 'militant' or 'terrorist' groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and others have also abandoned the 'rule book'. Ergo, the Road Map is not working.

Yet George W. Bush refuses to acknowledge that his strategy is not working because one crucial element of the 'Road Map' tango is not dancing. Instead, George W. Bush has chosen to penalize the other side, the Israeli side, which is the only side which is making valiant efforts to keep dancing as fast as they can.

When instead of joining in the dance, the Palestinians have chosen instead to continue their attacks on unwitting riders on a bus, Israel was forced to stop dancing for a while and retaliate in an effort to force the Palestinians to submit to the 'rules of the Road Map'.

The Palestinians, through their surrogates Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (with Hezbollah in the wings waiting to join in) have proclaimed their defiance of obeying any rules or making any effort in the direction the Road Map.

Despite the best efforts of their own Prime Minister Abu Mazen and the Egyptians, the CIA and legions of other Arabic minions sent to persuade the leaders of Hamas, these militant groups who employ terror as their weapon have remained resolute in their defiance and desire to not only not participate in a two-state solution, the 'Road Map', or any version of it, but resolute in their avowed aim of not sharing any part of the lands between the West Bank and the sea with the Israelis.

In other words, Hamas on behalf of the other militants and terror masters, has declared their aim of being the sole occupants of those lands now occupied by Israel. They are very open in their aim to have Israel gone and the Israelis either dead or disappeared.

In the face of this George W. Bush is still cautioning Ariel Sharon to only target those who are fighters and guilty of terror acts, notwithstanding that his own troops in Iraq regularly incur 'collateral damage' in a struggle far less deadly to his well-equipped forces and for which his troops are trained and from which they can, at any time when the going gets too tough, retreat and get on a plane to return to the USA should the need arise.

Israelis cannot do this. Civilians are being attacked by Hamas fighters; little girls of 5 are losing their lives merely by riding in a car, shot by sharpshooters from Hamas. These are not well-equipped troops who are being attacked but little girls out for a drive with their fathers. Their families cannot just pack up and leave to parts unknown--this is their home which the Palestinian terrorists are seeking to drive them from. They have nowhere else to go.

Yet George W. Bush seems to want his legacy to be that he succeeded where other men, including his father, failed and he'll do it on the backs of dead 5-year-old Israeli girls rather than admit it won't work.

If President Bush continues on this path, he may not be around to see the end of the 'Road Map', rules or no rules. He will be looking for another job if he doesn't start supporting Israel soon against this unfair assault. Mr. Bush should have a good long talk with his God about his ego, then leave it at home and tell Ariel Sharon to do whatever he has to do to make life safe for little five-year-old girls out for a drive with their fathers...

I say scrap the Road Map; transfer the Palestinians to Jordan and let King Abdullah deal with his people, as he should have done in the first place!

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