Ceasefire?

Condoleeza Rice remains optimistic about progress in Mideast diplomacy-

AP: Rice signals possible Lebanon compromise

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed support Thursday for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon as the first phase in ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. It was the most concrete signal yet that the U.S. may be willing to compromise on the stalemate over how to end the fighting.

Moving closer to the position that France and other European countries are taking, Rice predicted that a U.N. Security Council resolution would be approved within days that would include a cease-fire and describe principles for a lasting peace...

Me? I'll believe it when I see it.

[UPDATE: An agreement is being finalized today in the U.N. Security Council.

UPDATE #2: Not that it matters at all... the violence rages on unabated.]

Meanwhile, there's an excellent piece in Salon by Sidney Blumenthal entitled 'The neocons' next war', which asserts that the usual hawkish forces in the Bush administration are setting Condi up to fail in her erratic, and often one-sided, diplomacy efforts in hopes of allowing the conflict to widen. Of course, the less-than-secret fact that the U.S. is providing Israel with both weapons and NSA intelligence undermines anything that Ms. Rice does or says in that region and makes a peaceful compromise less likely. The article sums up how the neocons are viewing this crisis as the last chance to implement their grand vision by noting that "the neocon scenario extends far beyond that objective [of removing Hezbollah from Lebanon] to pushing Israel into a 'cleansing war' with Syria and Iran... which somehow will redeem Bush's beleaguered policy in the entire region." Blumenthal's conclusions are shared by many.

Ignore that this failed neoconservative arrogance has helped radicalize the region further. Or that what was to be the democratic template for the Middle East is fast turning out to be another problem for Israel. These warmongers inside the administration won't hesitate to use Israel's fight (and Israel may be quite happy to be used) to achieve their long-held goals. They'll get that square peg to fit into that round hole just yet, you'll see.

Sadly, Hezbollah is an entrenched part of these countries, not a rogue militia. Dislodging them or marginalizing their power isn't simply a matter of dropping the right amount of bombs. It's a question of reaching out to the Arab people living in these countries, recognizing they have legitimate concerns, allowing for some level of compromise with them, and encouraging them then to take back their countries from the radical elements that control the region and lock them in circular violence. Easier said than done, but that seems to me the right direction to move toward. That does not mean turning our back on Israel, our ally, but rather a recognition that having embraced a one-sided approach has been disastrous. Current policy will only continue to fail.





[PS- Some thought-provoking blog entries from Ted at State of the Day and from Nonie Darwish at Huffington Post on Israel's goals and the responsibility of Muslim leaders, respectively.

See also previous entry: Holy Crap, There's A War Going On!]