Spiegel Interview With Richard Haass:
The old Middle East -- an era which I believe has only recently ended -- was one in which the United States enjoyed tremendous dominance and freedom of maneuver. Oil was available at fairly low prices, the region was largely at peace. I believe largely because of the American decision to go to war in Iraq and how it has been carried out, as well as the emphasis on promoting democracy and a lack of any serious energy policy, the Middle East has considerably grown worse. It's one of history's ironies that the first war in Iraq, a war of necessity, marked the beginning of the American era in the Middle East and the second Iraq war, a war of choice, has precipitated its end.
reports Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert came to Washington and said this to Bush about Iraq:
We in the Middle East have followed the American policy in Iraq for a long time, and we are very much impressed and encouraged by the stability which the great operation of America in Iraq brought to the Middle East. We pray and hope that this policy will be fully successful so that this stability which was created for all the moderate countries in the Middle East will continue.
2 comments:
The Haaretz report on Olmert and what he uttered is, strangely, both sad and truly funny. He followed Dubya in the approval ratings and even managed to beat him on the way down. The man has earned his place in the hall of fame of idiot savant leader's of the world, right next to Dubya.
Yes, Pekka, the whole troika - Bush, Blair & Olmert - leading their peoples toward the edge of the cliff. We live in 'interesting times'.
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