History will record that Barack Obama's first act of diplomacy as
America's president-elect took place two days after his election
victory,
when he dispatched his senior foreign-policy adviser, Robert Malley, to
meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad-to outline for them the forthcoming administration's Mideast
policy vis-à-vis those nations. An aide to Malley reports, "The tenor of
the messages was that the Obama administration would take into greater
account Egyptian and Syrian interests" than has President Bush. The Bush
administration, it should be noted, has rightly recognized Syria to be
not
only a chief supporter of the al Qaeda insurgency in Iraq, but also the
headquarters of the terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad and
the longtime sponsor of Hamas-the terrorist army whose founding charter
is
irrevocably committed to the annihilation of Israel. Yet unlike
President
Bush, Obama and Malley have called for Israel to engage in peace
negotiations with Syria.

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Surprised????


Of course not. What did you expect him to do? You think he would keep trying
the same policies that Bush has done for the last eight years? I guess you
do. But since in eight years Bush and Condi have gotten nowhere with anyone
in the Middle East only a fool would keep doing what they have proven
doesn't achieve anything. There is going to be a big difference in this
president. When he sees something is a failure he will try a new tact.
Unlike Bush, who keeps doing the same thing even when it doesn't work. Big
difference there. Clearly, Bush's way is inferior.

Hawke