Clean Cups or New Glasses
The US has engaged in a flurry of non-military diplomacy the last few weeks. The President is touring Latin America to improve relations with the various countries in that continent and to offset the gains in popularity of such leftist leaders as Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. The Secretary of State made a recent trip to the Middle East to kick-start talks between Israel and the Palestinians. US diplomats are attending a regional conference (which includes Iran and Syria) to find a way to quell some of the violence in Iraq. State Department negotiators are meeting with North Korea in New York to begin normalization of relations in furtherance of the recent agreement by North Korea to abandon further nuclear weapon production. These efforts, all of which should have occurred years ago, seem to indicate a shift in the cowboy diplomacy of the Bush Administration.
Or do they?
An editorial in Tunisia's Tunis Hebdo would suggest otherwise. Behind the scenes of the heavily publicised diplomatic efforts, the US continues its heavy-handed bullying.
American cynicism has no equal. Last summer, Washington pushed Tel-Aviv to destroy as much Lebanese infrastructure as possible, which caused an exodus of almost a million middle class and poor citizens from the country. Moreover, the majority of these people lost their residences, reduced to dust by Israel's terrifying bombing.
The war is over and the Lebanese people have gone to work rebuilding their country. Corporate sponsors and other patrons have volunteered to help rebuild this martyred country. And just as everything seems to be going smoothly and construction sites are springing up like mushrooms, the new neo-con idiots are intervening to stop these generous donors by putting such companies on the black list, with the goal of freezing their assets.
They started by putting the Jihad Al-Bina Foundation on the list.
[Editor's Note: Jihad Al-Bina or Struggle for Rebuilding, is Hezbullah's construction arm.] ...
"Jihad al-Bina," the Federation of Popular Leagues and Committees added, "performs humane and noble social work that deserves to be encouraged and not threatened." [Emphasis added]
The focal point of this administration's foreign policy of terror 24/7 has resulted in ratcheting up the pressure on those international groups the US has deemed terrorist in nature and aim. While Hezbullah and Hamas are two groups which have repeatedly attacked Israel and roiled the pot in the Middle East, both also have wings that engage in relief and educational efforts among their constituency. Such efforts have paid off for both groups, increasing their popularity and membership. While it may be argued that those peaceful activities are cynical attempts to gain power to further the terrorist aims of both groups, the fact is those same activities have also improved the lots of the people they serve.
Instead of 'blacklisting' Hezbullah as it tries to assist in the rebuilding effort after the devastating war in Lebanon, the US ought to find a way to reward Hezbullah for these kinds of efforts even while it condemns the 'terrorist' efforts. Instead of stopping all aid to the Palestinian government, the US should attempt to assist in financing the peaceful civilian efforts of Hamas.
Such an approach would probably involve some very complicated bookkeeping and tracing, but surely it could be done, and the result might very well be that both Hezbullah and Hamas would shift their emphases dramatically.
Of course, such an approach might be too nuanced and too concrete for this administration. Bombs and bullets are ever so much easier.
Or do they?
An editorial in Tunisia's Tunis Hebdo would suggest otherwise. Behind the scenes of the heavily publicised diplomatic efforts, the US continues its heavy-handed bullying.
American cynicism has no equal. Last summer, Washington pushed Tel-Aviv to destroy as much Lebanese infrastructure as possible, which caused an exodus of almost a million middle class and poor citizens from the country. Moreover, the majority of these people lost their residences, reduced to dust by Israel's terrifying bombing.
The war is over and the Lebanese people have gone to work rebuilding their country. Corporate sponsors and other patrons have volunteered to help rebuild this martyred country. And just as everything seems to be going smoothly and construction sites are springing up like mushrooms, the new neo-con idiots are intervening to stop these generous donors by putting such companies on the black list, with the goal of freezing their assets.
They started by putting the Jihad Al-Bina Foundation on the list.
[Editor's Note: Jihad Al-Bina or Struggle for Rebuilding, is Hezbullah's construction arm.] ...
"Jihad al-Bina," the Federation of Popular Leagues and Committees added, "performs humane and noble social work that deserves to be encouraged and not threatened." [Emphasis added]
The focal point of this administration's foreign policy of terror 24/7 has resulted in ratcheting up the pressure on those international groups the US has deemed terrorist in nature and aim. While Hezbullah and Hamas are two groups which have repeatedly attacked Israel and roiled the pot in the Middle East, both also have wings that engage in relief and educational efforts among their constituency. Such efforts have paid off for both groups, increasing their popularity and membership. While it may be argued that those peaceful activities are cynical attempts to gain power to further the terrorist aims of both groups, the fact is those same activities have also improved the lots of the people they serve.
Instead of 'blacklisting' Hezbullah as it tries to assist in the rebuilding effort after the devastating war in Lebanon, the US ought to find a way to reward Hezbullah for these kinds of efforts even while it condemns the 'terrorist' efforts. Instead of stopping all aid to the Palestinian government, the US should attempt to assist in financing the peaceful civilian efforts of Hamas.
Such an approach would probably involve some very complicated bookkeeping and tracing, but surely it could be done, and the result might very well be that both Hezbullah and Hamas would shift their emphases dramatically.
Of course, such an approach might be too nuanced and too concrete for this administration. Bombs and bullets are ever so much easier.
Labels: Foreign Policy
posted by Diane at 9:29 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home