Condi's cynical junket to the Middle East

The Bush Administration has not, in 6 years in office, evinced any real or meaningful intention to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - even if wise-heads have been saying for years that this issue must be addressed if some sort of peace is to be achieved in the Middle East and anti-Western militants to at least be curbed.

Information Clearing House publishes this piece which points up that Condi's visit to the Middle East was essentially a misdirected junket. The writer certainly suggests there there was no real aim to come to grips with the Palestinian issue, despite what she has been saying:

"Condoleezza Rice has used her trip through the Middle East to announce her intention to “accelerate the road map and move to the establishment of a Palestinian state”. (NY Times) She plans to convene a summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert so that “informal talks” can be held on the main issues related to a permanent settlement.

Why? Why this sudden interest on Rice’s part in Palestinian statehood?

As Rice said on Monday, “Before we say this is going to end in frustration, let’s be glad that after 6 years that the parties want to engage in an informal set of discussions about the future between them.”

“Be glad”?!?"

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