It has been customary for U.S presidents to go ‘globe-trotting’ as a ‘farewell trip’ before leaving their position at the White House. There was no exception with the outgoing George W. Bush, who kicked off a January 8 visit to Israel and the Palestinian administrative region, in a bid to boost Middle East peace talks reinitiated at November’s international conference in Annapolis, the United States.
Bush told mass media in Washington recently that one reason for his trip to the Middle East is to warn countries in the region that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a danger to the Middle East region. It is universally acknowledged that nuclear proliferation and terrorism have been twin specters hovering over the Bush administration for years. The Middle East is a place where his worries set in; and he hopes, quite naturally, that the worries would also end there. At least for the time being, the Middle East is the frontline for fighting terrorism, and the most threatening source of nuclear proliferation.
A busy man in a hurry – as is often used to describe a person holding a high office – what President Bush is eager to do now is to put his finishing touches on the worrisome region and enhance his image before he steps down. And if permitted: leave behind some “diplomatic legacy.”
The manifestation of facts, by contrast, smashed his Middle East dream: Iraqi stability is like a fruit – low-hanging yet far beyond his grasp; Iranian Nukes – an exciting case that will leave us in suspense for some time; and Syrian and Lebanese issues have been running counter to his will, leaving him at his wit’s end.
Faced with insurmountable problems in the region, the Bush administration has to make tactical adjustments to its hard-line Middle East policy for the sake of its own interests in the war against terror.
Ultimately, President Bush shifted his focus onto the internationally-favored issue of pushing forward the Israeli and Palestinian peace process, considering that only by achieving Palestinian statehood and ensuring Israeli national security can terrorism in the region be eradicated and the US interests be enhanced. Eventually, the US government hopes it will be possible to approach Iraqi and Iranian issues in a roundabout way.
The Middle East region, however, is not unanimously ready to carry favor with the president of the number one power in the world.
Palestinian groups are divided over his upcoming trip to the Palestinian territories. Bush’s visit especially faces protest from the opposition groups and Islamic movements, mainly the Gaza ruler Hamas and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War). Al-Qaeda recently warned that Bush will not be greeted by roses and applause, but with bombs and booby traps. The president’s safety will be a top priority during this visit and a major challenge for his Middle East allies.
During his 9-day visit to the Middle East, Bush will also travel to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Whether or not it bears any fruit, the president’s “farewell trip” has been a mixed blessing thus far.
By People's Daily Online
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