Bush Middle East plan starts (??) to unravel

[babylonsister]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2128730,00.html

Bush Middle East plan starts to unravel

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Wednesday July 18, 2007
The Guardian

George Bush yesterday encountered the weakest of welcomes for his call for an international peace conference on the Middle East.

snip//

Israel had put Washington on notice earlier yesterday that it was not prepared to discuss such issues as borders at the conference.

"We have been very clear that we are not willing to discuss at this stage the three core issue of borders, refugees and Jerusalem," Miri Eisen, a spokeswoman for the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, told reporters.

In Damascus, Syria's president, Bashar Assad, initially dismissed the idea of a conference as rhetoric.

snip//

But with just 18 months left in his presidency, he is seen as desperate to leave a positive legacy in the Middle East. The appointment of Tony Blair as envoy to the quartet of Middle East peacemakers may also have forced Mr Bush's hand. Mr Blair makes his first visit to the region next week.

Even so, it remains unclear how deeply Mr Bush will commit to peacemaking. He has left the details of preparing for the conference to the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

Ms Rice will also chair the summit, which state department officials say could be held in the United States.

"It's not a very clear road map for what this conference is supposed to accomplish," said Ed Walker, a former US ambassador to Egypt and Israel.

"There is a deep reluctance to get into the weeds. You have got to have follow-up of a very serious kind, where the presidency is engaged."

State department officials said they were still reaching out to Arab governments to attend the conference.

more...

[anakie]

1. when was it ever ravelled?

and not inviting the elected government of Palestine - whether you agree with them or not - immediately dooms the affair. Plus the Israeli govt not wanting to discuss those three issues. The Middle East will continue on it's not so merry way whilst Bushs' folly continues.


Peace

[lyonn]

2. Sorry george, it is way too late to try to make nice now

Now that he has totally dissed the ME. This is a joke and they know it - it is bush trying to save some face. We all know that now, he is one huge blunder.