Monday, August 7, 2006
[1742 - Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War hero, born in Potowomut, Rhode Island]
[1904 - Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize-winner, born in Detroit, Michigan]
[1942 - Marines land on Guadalcanal; first U.S. land offensive of World War II]
[1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress (Good Morning, Vietnam)]
Mideast Truce?
How many of us opened the Sunday paper yesterday, August 6, 2006, to the lead story depicted above? Wow, a Middle East truce! It seemed too good to be true, and it was. The rush of relief that our US policymakers had come to their senses and brought an end to the senseless killing in Israel and Lebanon was short lived. The next instant one read the smaller print, and next the body of the lead story. It was one of those moments when it isn't clear whether laughter or tears is the appropriate response. William laughed out loud.
The image of Secretary of State Condi Rice and her French counterpart agreeing over lunch on a truce plan for the Israeli, Hezbollah, Lebanese War, to be submitted to the United Nations Security Council, was ludicrous enough; that the newspaper should report this as if it were a forged truce plan was absurd. We have been had again by the spin doctors. It is certainly nice that a rapprochement occurred between the United States and its former French ally. It would be even more meaningful if that tete-a-tete had produced something of significance.
The conflict that the two diplomats were attempting to bring to a truce involved the states of Lebanon and Israel, and the Hezbollah guerilla organization. None of those parties were apparently present when the so-called truce plan was hammered out. We may be missing something here, but it seems highly unlikely that a dispute that has escalated into a shooting war can be settled or even stopped when none of the disputants are present. Just a thought, Madam Secretary, but you might want to keep this in mind next time you go to the Mideast and talk only to those who happen to agree with you.
William's Whimsical Words:
Beavis & Butthead solve Mideast crisis
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