ENGLISH FOR SENATE POSITION PAPER ON:

Middle East Policy

Two aspects of Bush Administration foreign policy in the Middle East have destroyed all credibility of the United States to influence events and achieve resolution of the serious and dangerous Middle East problems that threaten world-wide peace and economic stability.  The pronounced pro-Zionist Bush foreign policy shift has adversely affected Palestine. It is the direct consequence from the appointment of neocon ideologues to high level Administration positions during the first Bush term and has seriously and possibly permanently alienated the world's one billlion Moslems.  The subsequent unilateral invasion of Iraq under false pretenses without the support of the United Nations and also the approval of neighboring countries has further greatly undermined the ability of the United States has to act as an honest mediator in resolving the various disputes in the region.  In short, no one in the Middle East trusts the U. S. any longer and it has been forced to rely on the good offices of our European allies, Russia, and China, to attempt to influence events in the region.

Serious policy mistakes and human rights abuses which occurred after the capture of Baghdad have eroded whatever temporary support the United States may have gained from Iraqis after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.  With almost three-fourths of the Iraqis now wanting the U. S. to withdraw immediately, there is no point in maintaining the occupation and  further endangering our troops. The continuing presence of U.S. forces in Iraq only serves to exacerbate the deepening sectarian hostilities.  During the worst recent outbreaks of sectarian violence, U. S. troops avoided the fighting lest they got caught in the crossfire.  Our European allies remaining in the area are slowly withdrawing their troops in response to increasing domestic protests about their continued involvement in the war.

At this point, the only hope to prevent increasing chaos and bloodshed in Iraq is to seek the formation of an all Moslem peacekeeping force drawn exclusively from Moslem countries at the far ends of the Moslem domain. The United States must guarantee to remain uninvolved as the Iraqis establish their own form of governance with the assistance of the United Nations under the protection of the Moslem-only  peacekeeping force.  The peacekeeping should remain only until Iraqis are able to ensure their own security.  The United States should fully reimbuse all direct and indirect costs incurred by the Moslem peacekeeping force and establish a generous long-term reconstruction and development aid fund for Iraq managed by the United Nations without U.S. interference.  If a Moslem peacekeeping force cannot be organized to assume security dutues as the U. S. forces are withdrawn, then the U. S. should privately tell the Iraqi politicians that we will stop all offensive military operations at once and gradually withdraw all of our forces during the next six months.

With respect to the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian dispute, the U. S. must recognize that its unwavering and unquestioning support of Israel has enabled pro-Zioinist extremists to dominate and control Israeli (and U. S.) policy toward Palestine.  The assassination of Itzak Rabin by a Zionist fanatic and the deliberate provocation and the subsequent violent reaction of Palestinians resulting from Ariel Sharon's profaning the Dome of the Rock mosque have muted the influence of Israel's moderates. The doubling of the the number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank in the decade since the signing of the Camp David accords has further alienated the Palestinians and contributed to the recent  election success of Hamas.  Years ago, David Ben Gurion said: "If I were an Arab leader, I would never come to terms with Israel.  That is natural: we have taken their country. We came from Israel a long time ago, but what is that to them?  Anti-Semitism - was that their fault?  They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country.  Why should they accept that?" A former Israeli Foreign Minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami has said that the international community must impose a solution since the Arabs and Israelis are incapable of reaching one (Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: the Israeli-Arab Tragedy, Oxford University, 354 pp, $30)

If the U. S. is truly serious about resolving the Palestine crisis, it should privately tell Israel that it will immediately suspend all further foreign and military aid unless Israel begins a quiet and unilateral withdrawal from all occupied  Palestinian land beyond  the pre-1967 war boundaries.  The customs revenues currently being withheld from Hamas should be restored immediately with no questions asked.  After the Israeli withdrawal begins and becomes evident, then quiet diplomatic overtures to the Hamas leadership and Fatah should begin using the good offices of a neutral country such as Switzerland.  Eventially, a Geneva conference hosted by that country with United Nations sponsorship should work out the terms of a permanent peace settlement between Israel and Palestine.   The United States should officially remain on the sideline but publicly state that it is fully supportive of the peace making efforts in Geneva.  In time, perhaps, with strong international cooperation and support, a successful settlement of the Palestine dispute will enable the United States to gradually regain its lost prestige, esteem and good standing with the rest of the world.

Finally, with respect to the incipient crisis brewing over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the U. S. and it allies must realize the insecurity present in Iran over the Bush Administration's name calling (member of the Axis of Evil) and hostile talk about "all options remain open"..  Not mentioned is the near certainty that Israel has nuclear weapons, which the U.S. and its alllies conveniently ignore although the Iranians are certainly aware of their likely  existence.  North Korea is treated with great deference, a fact that is quite obvious to the Iranians.  The present dangerous situation could have profound adverse impact on the entire region and elsewhere if an uncontrollable regional conflict erupts.  The consequences of probable major oil export interruptions from the Middle East would be catastrophic for the entire world economy.  An immediate Congressional review focused upon Middle Eastern policy should be initiated to reverse and correct the perilous and potentially disastrous course that the Bush Administration is now pursuing.   The ongoing fiasco in Iraq would then become only a minor sideshow in the far greater regional conflagration that could result.

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