19 May 2008
Bush struck out in Saudi Arabia trying to get more oil produced. I think that he is living in dream land. Due to his reign as president he has almost destroyed the U.S. image in the world. I cringe to think that he has another six months in office and wonder what further damage he can do before he leaves office. Last week in Jerusalem he attended a celebration of Israel’s founding 60 years ago. He seems to have a golden view of what the Middle East will be like by 2068. How long has the U.S. been trying to help achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? Looking way ahead to the 120th celebration he stated that the Middle East will be a place of “integration and tolerance.†That sounds really good but did he offer and way for this to happen? He also predicted that Palestinians will have a homeland and “From Cairo and Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies.†From what I’ve seen in that region during my lifetime I find it hard to believe that his rosy view will ever happen. I know that I won’t be around to see his dream come true.
Bush’s time in the Middle East to supposedly aid faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, seemed to be filled with “feel good” speeches with no real substance. While he was visiting King Abdullah’s lavish ranch in Saudi Arabia the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, was at the ministry in Riyadh, delivering a rebuke to the president. Here I quote a portion of his rebuke “All of us realize the special relationship that exists between the United States and Israel and its political dimensions,†he said. “It is, however, important to confirm the legitimate historical and political rights of the Palestinian people.†This feeling is very strong in Saudi Arabia and our close ties to Israel are not overlooked. Bush, floating in his own La La land predicts a Palestinian state “defined by the end of my presidency.†Oh George, what have you been smoking?
During three days of touring Jerusalem Bush saw all the sights but during an interview, in a museum garden, with a group of young people selected by the American Embassy, he portrayed his total ignorance of the culture and was at one time rebuked by a 16 year old girl, a Palestinian Christian, for his anti-Muslim feelings. If he is going to continue representing the U.S. during his last months in office he darn well better learn more about the culture of the countries that he will visit.
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