Bush's Mid-east Policy Suffers Serious Frustration

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 09, 2003

Bush's Mid-east Policy Suffers Serious Frustration

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On September 6, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat announced his acceptance of the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of the provisional Palestinian government. The news about Abbas' resignation immediately aroused the attention of US media, various major TV stations promptly reported this important news. People are generally concerned about this: Why should Abbas submit his resignation at this time? What influence will this move exert on the feeble Mid-east peace "Road Map" plan? What course will Bush's Middle East Policy follow?

On the day after Abbas' resignation, US White House spokesman Scott McClellan indicated that the Mid-east peace process is now at the "crucial moment", the United States is closely following the development of the situation in the Middle East region and it will keep in touch with the parties concerned. The United States will continue to seek cooperation with Russia, the EU and the UN among the four parties on Israel, Palestine and other Arab countries, as well as the Middle East issue, so as to promote implementation of the "Road Map" plan for Middle East peace. Washington also urged the parties concerned to seriously consider the consequences of their own actions.

Judged from the development of the Mid-east situation over the past half year, the appointment of Abbas as the Prime Minister of the Provisional Palestinian Government is the result of the fact that the United States and Israel pressed Palestine to carry out political reform, made Arafat a mere figurehead and even attempted to force him out of office, and looked for an "acceptable opponent for negotiation" within Palestine. And Abbas' power and mass base in Palestine is weak, lacking military power and the power to appoint important officials. In the latter half of July this year, Bush invited Abbas to visit the United States for the first time, gave him high-standard reception and made some promises, his aim obviously was to strengthen Abbas' prestige in Palestine. But this move of Bush runs counter to his wishes. Abbas did not therefore fare better after his return home, more and more Palestinians doubt that Abbas is a "spokesman" chosen by the United States and Israel.

US inadequate pressure on and its overt and covert support of Israel have created great difficulty for the Abbas administration. Although Bush has expressed his opposition to Israel's construction of isolation fence between Israel and Palestine, the Sharon administration, however, has hitherto not stopped the construction of isolation walls. Sharon's promises of gradual demolition of small, illegal settlements of the Jews, further release of the Palestinians imprisoned by the Israeli side as well as the withdrawal of troops have not been carried out. All these caused Abbas to find that there was nothing good to report on his "one-hundred-day work" after he became Prime Minister at the Palestinian Legislative Council on September 4. He even openly indicated that he needed greater power to push forward the peace process, otherwise he would resign. The public loyal to Araft launched indignant protesting activities outside the meeting-place.

US support of Israel in boldly attacking Palestine's radical organizations has virtually compelled Abbas to stand opposed to the general public of Palestine. Since the incident of suicide explosion on bus perpetrated by members of Hamas in Jerusalem on August 19, violent conflicts between Palestine and Israel has once again escalated. During the period, Israeli troops have carried out fixed-point elimination of assassination actions six times against members of Hamas and other radical organizations, which also involved many innocent people. On the day before Abbas' resignation, the negotiation between the Palestinian government and various armed factions again ended in failure. Comments say that under the actual circumstance wherein Abass has neither military power nor a mass base, both the Israeli government and Palestinian armed organization do not put the Abbas administration in a "significant" position. Finding it hard to go on with his administration, Abbas has no alternative but to step down.

The United States also pursues a unilateralist policy in the Middle East and sets its mind on dominating the Mid-east peace process, without cooperating closely with Russia, EU and UN of the four parties who jointly drafted the Middle East peace "Road Map", thus rendering the peace process at a standstill. The Palestinian general public do not see hopes of peace and the founding of a Palestine state and lose their confidence in Abbas. This is also one of the reasons for precipitating Abbas' resignation.

Abbas' resignation has inflicted losses on US attempt to push its Mid-east peace "Road Map". Although Washington still persists in its "Road Map", its fate, however, is worrisome. Currently, everybody's eyes are focused on the Palestinian side, in fact, more analysts believe that the key to the continued implementation of the "Road Map" and the future settlement of the Palestine-Israel problem lies in to what an extent can the United States apply pressure on Israel. The commentary entitled "Abbas' Resignation Is Heavy Blow to US Mid-east Peace Plan", published in a Prominent Position on the front page of the New York Times on September 7, said that Abbas' resignation and Israel's open pursuit and killing of leaders of Hamas have put US Mid-east peace plan in a state of disintegration. Nevertheless, US choice can only be the continuation of this peace process. This will require that the Bush administration make necessary adjustment to its policy.

Source: dispatch from Washington and Cairo by People's Daily correspondents Ren Yujun and Xu Ping on September 7, published on page 3 of People's Daily September 8).

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