Bush to consult Rice on Mideast cease-fire

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060731/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_mideast

MIAMI - President Bush insisted anew Monday that any Mideast cease-fire be accompanied by a wider agreement. "We want there to be a long-lasting peace, one that is sustainable," he said as Israel cut short a halt in bombing and launched new strikes in southern Lebanon.

Bush said he planned to meet later Monday in Washington with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who cut short her diplomatic mission and was returning from the Middle East.

"I'll speak to Condi Rice when she gets back tonight, talk about what she saw, what she heard in the Middle East. And, of course, there'll be a way forward in the Security Council later this week," Bush said, speaking after a meeting with Cuban-American business leaders in a Miami restaurant.

"I assured the people here that we will work toward a plan at the United Nations Security Council that addresses the root causes of the problem, so that whatever comes out of the Security Council will be able to last and that the people of Lebanon and Israel will be able to remain in peace," Bush said. "That's what we want."

[partylessinOhio]

1. People in hell want ice water too.

[Benhurst]

2. Yeah, as if Rice knows shit from Shinola.

[truthisfreedom]

14. bush to consult privately with own anus?

[saigon68]

18. She does know UGLY however

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. It's news that the President will consult with the Secretary of State

over a matter with grave foreign policy consequences?

Is this really what we've come to?

"President Stops Playing Wiffle Ball, Attends to Matters of State."

[fordnut]

9. i think Bush

is putting on a front to act like he cares about what happens
in the middle east put secretly he is making money hand over
fist.and hoping this drags on until the November elections.so
he can be the heroe that stops it all.just my opinion who
agrees?

[KoKo]

13. Word is that Karen Hughes is traveling with Rice and I'll bet it's

Big Foot Hughes that Bush listens to. She's now officially an "Undersecretary of State" (with no experience) for the position. Her real job is probably to serve as Condi's fashion consultant and "go-fer."

Hughes will then explain to Chimp in simple language what's going on. She's a former Sunday School teacher so she knows how to do it. :-(

[dennis4868]

16. What is this?

He cannot pick up the phone and speak with Condi? They have to meet in order to speak?

[Doctor_J]

4. Does Smirk ever work?

I mean he seems to spend every day, all day, at fundraisers, campaign stops, and shmooze events. Does he ever have meetings with Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld? You'd think with two wars going on, the Middle East on fire, droughts covering 1/3 of this country, he would spend lots of time with SecDef, SecStat, and SecInt. But he never does.

[thethinker]

5. The reporters should have just skipped him . . .

and asked Cheney if they had questions.

[driver8]

7. His "presidency" is all about politics -- that, and filling the bank

accounts of all his buddies.

A person who actually cared about what was happening on "his watch" would probably spend much more time dealing with problems." However, since junior doesn't give a flying f*ck about anyone, he is doing what he does best -- absolutely nothing.

However, clearin' brush is hard work. Evidently he is good at that.

[moffitar]

6. Could Powell have done a better job?

So Condi Rice is doing her first real work since she bounced into the Secretary of State position, and it looks like she's not having much fun. Her clumsily-arranged ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has already been voided; Israel is now meeting to discuss plans to expand operations. Great job, Condi!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2293221,00.html

"Amir Peretz, the Israeli Defence Minister, made it clear in Parliament this morning that this is not a ceasefire, that Israel is not interested in a ceasefire now, and indeed that its security cabinet is meeting at 9pm (7pm BST) to discuss expanding military operations in southern Lebanon.

"To understand what has happened, one needs to look at the fact that the cessation in air strikes was announced, not by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, but by an official from Ms Rice's State Department - a highly significant fact that has not gone unnoticed in Israel among some commentators who are extremely critical.

"They point out that Ms Rice has an unhappy record in Middle East diplomacy. Her last achievement, to broker the safe passage of aid into Gaza last November, was hailed as a US triumph but fell apart within days if not hours.

"She had already been snubbed by the Lebanese yesterday, who refused to let her visit Beirut again. Faced with the embarrassing prospect of going home empty-handed, with nothing to show for days of negotiations, she wanted to pull a rabbit out of the hat - and this announcement was it.

"The Israelis have appeared to go along with it, but it has actually made no difference on the ground this morning."

It gives one pause to wonder if Colin Powell would have fared better, if he had chosen to remain. It occurs to me that maybe the reason Rice is faring so poorly is that her hands have been tied by the Bush Administration, who want the violence to escalate so they can invade Syria and Iran. Oops! Did I say that out loud??

[Virginia Dare]

11. Abolutely not...

you're spot on. Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[Olney Blue]

24. I wish Powell would say what he really thinks about this cabal.

Welcome to DU, moffitar! :hi:

[KKKarl is an idiot]

8. Why consult with Condi

Why does Bush have to consult with Condi. He should get his cristal ball out & determine what to do. Or better yet maybe God can tell him to go to war with Sweden over the conflict in the Middle East.

[Virginia Dare]

10. He will get right on the Middle East problem...

as soon as the Cuban-Americans finish greasing his palms and he stuffs a few more rolls into his piehole. What an arrogant buffoon he is. Anybody who believes a word he says his beyond stupid.

[Frank Cannon]

12. Has this idiot ever heard of a "telephone"?

You know, that quaint 19th-century instrument used to talk to people over long distances? The one that currently gives you access to just about anyone around the world 24 hours a day?

Bush could have ended this horror days ago. He's purposely choosing not to, because he and his buddies are making WAY too much money off of this chaos.

[PRETZEL]

15. Anybody know where Pickles is tonite????????????......n/t

[yorkiemommie1]

17. he misses her

and she misses her 'husband'.

she's going to play the piano for him while he accompanies her on his air guitar.

pickles will be off in another room sewing more draperies into dresses for the upcoming holiday season.

:sarcasm:

[VegasWolf]

19. Bush to tell Pickels that he will be probing Condi tonight. Don't wait up.

[creeksneakers2]

20. I think she realized she was on a fools errand in Israel

Rice stayed locked up in negotiations with the Israelis for eight hours and nobody told her about all those people in the apartment building being killed. When Rice found out, it must have dawned on her that if anybody there was taking her seriously at all, they would have told Condi what was going on. Reports said Condi was furious. I think she realized she was just sent there to make it look like Bush wanted peace. A fools errand. She was the last one to figure it out. I think that's why Condi cut the trip short. She realized she was being made a fool of.

Condi made announcements that there would be a cease fire effort about midweek. Bush said today that there would be no cease fire until Iran and Syria stopped supporting terrorism. In other words, no cease fire ever. Bush is having dinner with Condi tonight but I don't think the scene will be pretty. The Neocons wanted Condi out, Cheney probably did too, and she's out. There is no room for diplomacy, even Condi's brand of inept diplomacy, in the Bush White House.

[colorado_ufo]

23. Spot on.

I can't believe it, but for the first time, I had two minutes of sympathy for the woman.

She actually believed everything that * has told her, and it must be dawning on her that she has been played for a fool, with * manipulating her via her emotions, pride, and - for want of a better expression - her naivete. She was perfect for them: black, smart, educated, and had credentials to make her a plausible pick for a number of jobs.

When "they" decided that she needed to go, Secretary of State was the perfect solution: It rewarded her loyalty, kept her visible to the public as a symbol of racial and gender "equality," and also kept her away from * and the White House (perhaps too many snickering comments about her "husband" remark). It also kept her too busy to even think about running for the White House herself.

The truth must be crushing to her. And having Hughes travel with her pours salt in the wounds.

[0007]

21. 'Tis the old Professional Wrestling gimmick

....the sheeple love it, and can't wait to hear the results.

[PaDem]

22. Why doesn't Bush just stop pretending to be President............

and head back to Texas. Turn this over to an adult.