Submitted by Richard Conway(United Kingdom), Jun 26, 2002 at 09:05
There are many things that were left unsaid by the Bush speech. I think you've highlighted a great many of them Mr. Pipes, bar the one important issue- what next?
From the way I see it there are no moderate voices in the territories - even the favourite of the Israeli government, Sari Nusseibeh, has done an about turn. Is there anybody in the territories who has enough strength and conviction to carry the Palestinian arabs away from the support of terrorism?
I don't feel that the Bush administration really has a long term game plan here. I think it needs to realise that this battle is all about changing popular attitudes in the Middle East regarding Israel not singly about Arafat (even though - without doubt - he's a Saddam wannabe). I agree with everything you said in your article though and some real truth in Bush's speech wouldn't go amiss - I think enough Israelis have died to exact a truthful statement with no pleasing political correctness.
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