Wolfowitz Backs Mideast Petition Drive

[bemildred]

Heh heh heh, reality is better than anything you could
just think up.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon's No. 2 official
voiced support Thursday for an unofficial drive for a
two-state solution to conflict in the Middle East, showing
the administration's frustration with hard-line leaders on
both sides.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz praised the
petition drive by a prominent Palestinian moderate and the
former head of Israel's secret service. Wolfowitz said he
met last week with Israeli Adm. Ami Ayalon and
Palestinian professor Sari Nusseibeh, who say they have
collected 100,000 Israeli and 60,000 Palestinian
signatures on their petition in just three months.

Their petition calls for Israel to withdraw to the borders it
had before the 1967 war in which it captured the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. The document calls for a
demilitarized Palestinian state in those territories.

In a lecture at Georgetown University, Wolfowitz said the
petition's principles ``look very much like'' the Bush
administration's ``road map'' to a peaceful, two-state
solution by 2005.

Guardian

[Richardo]

1. Heard the Israeli half of this bilateral team on NPR the other day

Sending them "positive waves"

[SOS]

2. Very ineresting article

These quotes jumped out:

"Wolfowitz said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a huge obstacle in the United States' efforts to cultivate better relations with the moderate Muslims who are the best defense against terrorism. "

"Wolfowitz did not mention Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat or Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by name. Instead, he praised past ``great leaders..."

What's going on? Bush said he was puzzled by the hatred expressed towards the US on his recent trip to SE Asia.
Could this be a trial ballon for a move away from Sharon?
These comments are so sensible, it's hard to believe they came from Wolfowitz.

[bemildred]

3. I have been waiting for some time now for some reaction

from Shrub and his minions to Mr. Sharon's flouting of
the "road map", perhaps the degenerating situation in Iraq
has finally got their attention. Some voices are now being
raised in Israel too, so perhaps that has emboldened Mr. Wolfowitz.

If the intent is to recover the situation in Iraq, I expect it
is too late, nothing is going to fix Iraq except leaving at this
point; and I expect even then it will take a while for things to
settle down in whatever new configuration comes to pass.

[ex_jew]

4. Perhaps almost getting killed has given Wolfowitz some realism

about what Israel can realistically hope to obtain (remote-control bulldozers notwithstanding).

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Very interesting

Let's hope Mr. Wolfowitz can be helpful for a change. We need all the help we can get.