Thormir
03-03-2008, 02:00 PM
Miscalculations and consequences (http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804) in Palestine. The article is quite large but worth a read. For those lacking the time, I've excerpted some essential bits and pieces:After failing to anticipate Hamas’s victory over Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian election, the White House cooked up yet another scandalously covert and self-defeating Middle East debacle: part Iran-contra, part Bay of Pigs. With confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials, David Rose reveals how President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy National-Security Adviser Elliott Abrams backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.
...
The botched plan has rendered the dream of Middle East peace more remote than ever, but what really galls neocons such as [former Cheney Middle East advisor David] Wurmser is the hypocrisy it exposed. “There is a stunning disconnect between the president’s call for Middle East democracy and this policy,” he says. “It directly contradicts it.”
After Hamas won elections, the US dropped the idea of Palestinian democracy and made an "offer":
The memo left no doubt as to what kind of action the U.S. was seeking: “Hamas should be given a clear choice, with a clear deadline: … they either accept a new government that meets the Quartet principles, or they reject it The consequences of Hamas’ decision should also be clear: If Hamas does not agree within the prescribed time, you should make clear your intention to declare a state of emergency and form an emergency government explicitly committed to that platform.”
Walles and Abbas both knew what to expect from Hamas if these instructions were followed: rebellion and bloodshed. For that reason, the memo states, the U.S. was already working to strengthen Fatah’s security forces. “If you act along these lines, we will support you both materially and politically,” the script said. “We will be there to support you.”
The US' support was in the form of arranging arms shipments to Fatah from other Arab states. In February, Fatah and Hamas exchanged attacks, but with Hamas having the upper hand Abbas blinked. The Saudis arranged a deal.
Under its terms, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas would remain prime minister while allowing Fatah members to occupy several important posts. When the news hit the streets that the Saudis had promised to pay the Palestinian Authority’s salary bills, Fatah and Hamas members in Gaza celebrated together by firing their Kalashnikovs into the air.
Once again, the Bush administration had been taken by surprise. According to a State Department official, “Condi was apoplectic.” A remarkable documentary record, revealed here for the first time, shows that the U.S. responded by redoubling the pressure on its Palestinian allies.The US wanted Abbas to collapse the government if Hamas refused to recognize Quartet principles and recognition of Israel.
Like the Walles ultimatum of late 2006, Plan B called for Abbas to “collapse the government” if Hamas refused to alter its attitude toward Israel. From there, Abbas could call early elections or impose an emergency government. It is unclear whether, as president, Abbas had the constitutional authority to dissolve an elected government led by a rival party, but the Americans swept that concern aside.
We arranged for training and equipping of Fatah forces in Egypt and Jordan. When word of this leaked, Hamas went on the attack -- this is around May 2007. Hamas, convinced that the US would aid Fatah in overturning the elected government, decided to end the standoff in June. Fatah was thoroughly driven back, and Hamas won more than territory.
Israel, meanwhile, is no safer. The emergency pro-peace government called for in the secret Action Plan is now in office—but only in the West Bank. In Gaza, the exact thing both Israel and the U.S. Congress warned against came to pass when Hamas captured most of Fatah’s arms and ammunition—including the new Egyptian guns supplied under the covert U.S.-Arab aid program.
Hamas blew the wall open to Egypt, resulting in the movement from Gaza that akipt posted about previously. Bush and company have said they'd not negotiate with Hamas, but if they intend to pursue a real peace process, they may have to. The article may be best summed up with this:“You know,” [Khalid Jaberi, a commander with Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades] says, “since the takeover, we’ve been trying to enter the brains of Bush and Rice, to figure out their mentality. We can only conclude that having Hamas in control serves their overall strategy, because their policy was so crazy otherwise.”
...
The botched plan has rendered the dream of Middle East peace more remote than ever, but what really galls neocons such as [former Cheney Middle East advisor David] Wurmser is the hypocrisy it exposed. “There is a stunning disconnect between the president’s call for Middle East democracy and this policy,” he says. “It directly contradicts it.”
After Hamas won elections, the US dropped the idea of Palestinian democracy and made an "offer":
The memo left no doubt as to what kind of action the U.S. was seeking: “Hamas should be given a clear choice, with a clear deadline: … they either accept a new government that meets the Quartet principles, or they reject it The consequences of Hamas’ decision should also be clear: If Hamas does not agree within the prescribed time, you should make clear your intention to declare a state of emergency and form an emergency government explicitly committed to that platform.”
Walles and Abbas both knew what to expect from Hamas if these instructions were followed: rebellion and bloodshed. For that reason, the memo states, the U.S. was already working to strengthen Fatah’s security forces. “If you act along these lines, we will support you both materially and politically,” the script said. “We will be there to support you.”
The US' support was in the form of arranging arms shipments to Fatah from other Arab states. In February, Fatah and Hamas exchanged attacks, but with Hamas having the upper hand Abbas blinked. The Saudis arranged a deal.
Under its terms, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas would remain prime minister while allowing Fatah members to occupy several important posts. When the news hit the streets that the Saudis had promised to pay the Palestinian Authority’s salary bills, Fatah and Hamas members in Gaza celebrated together by firing their Kalashnikovs into the air.
Once again, the Bush administration had been taken by surprise. According to a State Department official, “Condi was apoplectic.” A remarkable documentary record, revealed here for the first time, shows that the U.S. responded by redoubling the pressure on its Palestinian allies.The US wanted Abbas to collapse the government if Hamas refused to recognize Quartet principles and recognition of Israel.
Like the Walles ultimatum of late 2006, Plan B called for Abbas to “collapse the government” if Hamas refused to alter its attitude toward Israel. From there, Abbas could call early elections or impose an emergency government. It is unclear whether, as president, Abbas had the constitutional authority to dissolve an elected government led by a rival party, but the Americans swept that concern aside.
We arranged for training and equipping of Fatah forces in Egypt and Jordan. When word of this leaked, Hamas went on the attack -- this is around May 2007. Hamas, convinced that the US would aid Fatah in overturning the elected government, decided to end the standoff in June. Fatah was thoroughly driven back, and Hamas won more than territory.
Israel, meanwhile, is no safer. The emergency pro-peace government called for in the secret Action Plan is now in office—but only in the West Bank. In Gaza, the exact thing both Israel and the U.S. Congress warned against came to pass when Hamas captured most of Fatah’s arms and ammunition—including the new Egyptian guns supplied under the covert U.S.-Arab aid program.
Hamas blew the wall open to Egypt, resulting in the movement from Gaza that akipt posted about previously. Bush and company have said they'd not negotiate with Hamas, but if they intend to pursue a real peace process, they may have to. The article may be best summed up with this:“You know,” [Khalid Jaberi, a commander with Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades] says, “since the takeover, we’ve been trying to enter the brains of Bush and Rice, to figure out their mentality. We can only conclude that having Hamas in control serves their overall strategy, because their policy was so crazy otherwise.”