Bush seeks backing for 'greater Mideast' plan

[Tinoire]

Bush seeks backing for 'greater Mideast' plan
By Roula Khalaf in London and Guy Dinmore in Washington
Published: February 5 2004 4:00 | Last Updated: February 5 2004 4:00


The Bush administration is trying to enlist European support for a grand plan to reform the Arab and Islamic world and integrate it within a western security umbrella.


American and European Union officials held a meeting in Washington last week on the so-called "greater Middle East" initiative, an evolving project that could involve countries from Morocco to as far east as Pakistan and is being billed as a priority for US foreign policy this year.

Details of the proposals have yet to be worked out and it remained unclear whether the US was willing to dedicate new funds to the project.

<snip>

A package of political, security and economic proposals is expected to be unveiled this summer at a series of Nato, Group of Eight and EU-US summits in June.

<snip>

Some Arab governments have been approached about the idea informally but, according to one US-based diplomat, the initial reaction from Egypt and Jordan was less than enthusiastic.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1073281565973&p=1012571727172

[aquart]

1. Gang up, steal the oil, share the spoils. That the plan?

Forty million dead and it's all ours, right?

Pakistan is about to learn the joys of allying with BushCo, I see.

[Tinoire]

2. In a nut-shell.

Ouch. 40 million. Ouch.

[daleo]

3. The Greater Mid-East Co-Prosperity Sphere

Has a catchy ring. I hope there are no historical copywrites to haggle over.

[rockymountaindem]

4. What a joke!

Democracy has to come from within. Name one country where democracy was erected and inforced by a foreign power.

[PsychoDad]

11. Japan ?

Germany?

[bpilgrim]

12. parliamentary government was formed in 1889 in japan

albiet at the business end of a cannon...

maybe that is what the neoCONs have in mind :shrug:

peace

[Bonobo]

21. Do you live in Japan? If so, where?

You seem to be in the know about Japan...

[rockymountaindem]

20. No. These countries were democratic before the war.

In Japan during the 1920's there were three major parties and elections were held every two years. There was real competition. Even during the war, Japan continued to have elections and even a new cabinet was selected.

And let me reimind you that Hitler was elected to the chancellorship. When Hindenburg retired, Hitler merged the offices of Chancelor and President, making himself the ruler of Germany. He was elected, however. Prior to that, there was democracy in the Weimar Republic and also during the days of the house of Holenzollern (Kaiser's Wilhelm I and II).

[Blitz]

24. Italy

Panama
Granada

All by the U.S.

[Endangered Specie]

5. More Bombs...

"Shells Shells, We need more Shells, faster faster faster" - ? can you guess from which WWII cartoon that is from?

[cprise]

6. "Give us the oil, and we'll protect you"

Sounds like Mafiosos operating on a vast scale.

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. Hitler had a grand plan too

I've never compared Bush to Hitler before. But more and more...the lies...the media blitzes...use of symbolic words (crusade, evil)...all of it is just *shudder* right out of Hitler's playbook. Why can't we stop this??? I truly pray we can and will before it's too late.

[Zhade]

9. Wait until November. It's going to get insane in America.

The election is the key event this year.

What will we do, if yet another election is stolen? Will we rise to the crisis and do what must be done, or will we allow the Fourth Reich to be born?

[Norquist Nemesis]

16. That's what scares me

Who know what the future holds if they get a second term. My kids are in their late teens and I've been on my son's case to just GET REGISTERED to vote. I keep telling him this is too important!

Frankly, it's going to take another generation to heal this divide we're experiencing.

[Eloriel]

26. Quit talking and take them the hell over there yourself

Or get the registration forms and make them fill them out before they ever eat again. Mail them yourself. Whatever works.

Look -- the draft is coming by June 2005. Period. Lots of threads on it right here at DU. Or google the subject. Put the fear of the Lord in 'em and do it NOW. Then get them to start talking to their friends.

[JasonDeter]

8. I don't want the M.E. nations under a Western security blanket

I don't want their oil. I want to stop doing business with them. I want to keep Israel under our protection. The rest can eventually eat their "I hate America speeches".

[Zhade]

10. Have you ever asked yourself why there are such speeches?

The answers might surprise you.

[JasonDeter]

15. You tell me your version.

[bpilgrim]

13. do'n business with them is MUCH cheaper than what hailiburton and crew

got set up now, when you add it all up.

besides, 'OUR WAY OF LIFE' would disappear if we didn't consume their oil, though the media for somereason doesn't like to discuss that dilema.

we could use what we save would from buying our oil instead of waring and invest MASSIVELY in alternative energy, so we might be ready intime before the INEVITABLE crash and sure there would still be plenty of $$$ for the lab monkeys to keep trying to come up with a bullet that can hit another bullet but sheesh... let's not spend any implimentation money till they got at least 90-95% percent confidence in they lab prototype, at least.

but there ain't nothing wrong with bush's calculator when you consider the inverse he and his crew have with our deficit and their PROFITS.

nice racket they got set up though ya gotta admit.

and so it goes...


peace

[JasonDeter]

14. As long as America is a oil consumer it has no vision and

is destined to be ruled by fools like bush*. Come on we can do better than this!! We don't need their stinking blood staind oil.

[grilled onions]

17. ...details not worked out

Has this misadministration EVER worked out details of ANY disaster they have created yet? They bareky have a sketch of a plan beyond what THEY want,never thinking ahead,never planning out the what if's. Like an impulsive five year old who wants the entire jar of candy,not thinking of the reprecussions at all.

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. But they're great at making up great sounding titles

More proof Bu$hler is all hat, no cattle.

[matcom]

19. PNAC anyone?

it amazes me how we here at DU have been FUCKING SCREAMING this since day one.

and you tell me that the term "sheeple" is offensive?

:eyes:

[Fovea]

22. And the paradise that is now Iraq and Afghanistan

should be a big deal closer, fer shure.

[w4rma]

23. They are totally nuts. He FUBARs in Iraq, and he wants to expand. (n/t)

[Jacobin]

25. As in "Greater New York" area?

Nice code word for expanding Israel.