Middle East

Analysis: Bush’s Middle East Tour

The following article, written on the 8 th January/30th Dhul Hijjah, has been translated from Arabic and is an analysis of the reasons for President George W Bush's Middle East tour.

Bush's visit comes in the US election year when the president has the least authority to take decisions on international issues. This is why during the 1950's and 60's when Britain was the US's direct rival in the international arena, it used be very active during the election year when the US presidents and their parties would be preoccupied in electoral activities and as soon as the new president succeeded, the British would lie low.
This visit comes at a time when the Zionist State is rather dissatisfied with the US's somewhat lukewarm response towards the Iranian nuclear dispute especially in the aftermath of the American intelligence reports that have 'acquitted' Iran on charges of its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. This is a critical issue that the Zionist State is preoccupied with. Hence they have prepared a special dossier on the subject for President Bush after secret confabulations between the security agencies on one hand and the Israeli body politic that were held on 6th January, 2008. This was reported by newspaper Ye'diot Aharonot.

The Israeli State carried out a massive campaign to heat up the Iranian nuclear issue internationally and particularly in the United States, while the US is disinclined to rake up the issue militarily. Americans consider it important to engage the Iranians politically since the Iranians have been positive on the Afghan issue as well as to safeguard the repetitive negotiations over Iraq.

The Israelis realized that the US has found in the recent intelligence reports, a convenient excuse to refrain from heating up the atmosphere for a military action against Iran, and this has disappointed them. The reaction of the Jewish lobby in Washington was evident and yet Bush's statement did nothing to assuage them. He asserted that despite the reports, the people of the region must be aware that all options against Iran are still open, thus indicating a military option. But he added "We believe a diplomatic solution is possible".

The visit comes amidst an intense campaign by the Democratic Party attacking Bush and his Republican Party for the failure in their international policies. The Democrats have stressed that America has become a most hated country in the Middle East region which is the main source of their petroleum requirement. The Democrats further charged the Bush administration of having exposed the lives of US soldiers in Iraq and being unconcerned about them.

It is in such a period that this visit to the occupied Palestine, Gulf and Egypt has come about. Bush seeks to assuage the Zionists frustration resulting from the recent intelligence report and offer promises and guarantees to them to the effect that the US will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. In addition to these promises, Bush also wants to give advanced weaponry and financial assistance to them.

In addition to this, Bush will also bolster their security by preventing Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority to cause any security threat to the Zionist State in the West Bank. After this, he will entrust to Hosni Mubarak the job of calming down Hamas and the issue of the Israeli prisoner Galid Shalit.[captured in 2006]

This is how Bush will try to allay the fears of the Israeli State with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue and offer them security assurances; on one side by preventing Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority to cause any security disruption to them, and on the other hand from Hamas through talks in Egypt on the subject including the Shalit issue. All this will reflect in the reactions of the American Jewish lobby vis a vis the US elections.

As for his trip to the Arabian Gulf, it is intended to counter the Democrats campaign that the US is regarded as a hated entity. Through this visit, Bush intends to demonstrate to the Americans that his country is well accepted and popular contrary to what the Democrats are presenting. In addition, Bush will pay a visit to the American soldiers in these States and thus demonstrate his concern for their well-being. Though no announcement is expected to be made, he may include it in his itinerary to visit Iraq and get together with the US soldiers.

His visit is designed to be the crowning touch; this will be seen as securing the US interests in the region and will be regarded as Arab approval for them. This will also stone-wall European political influence and curb any resistance to the American influence.

What the Palestinian Authority is projecting is the illusion that the Bush visit will usher in plentiful bounties for the Palestinians and they will be given a State with defined borders and sovereignty. It is like a man trying to reach his hand in a deep well, hoping against hope that the water will reach his mouth, but off course it does not! Bush has come to pacify the Zionists and offer them security assurances, not to promise a sovereign State to Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority. Even the widely publicised issue of vacating the settlements which are in any way nomadic mobile structures that are designed for a rough terrain may well be compromised in exchange of a humiliating back down from the Palestinian Authority to accept a disjointed housing scheme in certain parts selected by the Israelis.

As for his initiative of carving an independent Palestinian state, Bush is well aware that an election year is not the opportune time to take up such projects, in fact he clarified this before embarking on his trip and said: "Even if the Palestinian and Israeli leaders do not reach an agreement before the end of the year, I an hopeful that we can lay the general broad line for a Palestinian state". Certainly it is known that these broad lines mean a continuation of the humiliating negotiations with the Zionist entity resulting in giving away concession after concession.

Certainly Bush comes to the Palestine in order to offer security assurances to the cowardly Israelis,to calm them, and this means standing side by side with Bush against the so-called Iranian nuclear weapons. He is visiting the Gulf States to counter the Democrats campaign that America is despised and unpopular in the petrol-rich region. While his visit to Egypt, the largest Arab State in the region, is aimed at demonstrating his strength versus the Democrats.

In fact Bush has embarked upon an election campaign for his Republican Party from our lands: the holy Palestine, the vital and strategic Gulf States and Egypt. Our Islamic lands are not only reduced to being merely a foreign policy issue for the imperialist colonialist countries, but they have also become a matter of their internal politics as well. Such a humiliation would not have been our fate but for the rulers who have sold out not only their world but also have mortgaged others for their sake. Woe to them and their actions!

Palestine is not a crawling insect that these rulers have made it to be for the sake of extending welcomes to Bush, nor is it something to be bargained with the Israelis. What will restore the honour and pride of Palestine is the marching of soldiers from across the borders.

The man who will restore to Palestine its honour will be the sincere ruler who will seek Allah (swt) for one of the two good things: either victory or martyrdom. The man who will restore to Palestine its honour will be the Khaleefah, under whose banner the Muslims fight and behind him they seek protection.

What will restore to Palestine its honour is the rule by what Allah (swt) has revealed, a Khilafah Rashidah on the model of the Prophethood. This is the only way for salvation of Palestine, the entire Palestine.

"Verily, this! This is an absolute Truth with certainty." [TMQ al-Waqi'ah:96]

30th Dhil Hijjah, 1428 A.H
8th January, 2008 C.E

Arabic Source: Website of Sheikh Ata Abu Rashta