On the tree is written: "The Fall Peace conference."

The Arabs are watering this tree which, when fully

grown, will be used to hang them from.

Teshreen, Syria

American Conference to

'Cheat' the Palestinians

Is the U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace conference next month really geared to cheating the Palestinians rather than finding an equitable solution to the region's woes? According to this op-ed article from Syria's state-run Teshreen newspaper, beyond cheating the Palestinians, the conference is intended to absorb some of the global resentment that has intensified toward President Bush and American foreign policy.

By Gaazi Aldada

Translated By James Jacobson

October 16, 2007

Syria - Teshreen - Home Page (Arabic)

In one of her previous visits to the region, American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice declared frankly, "I have come to the region with an empty suitcase.”

Perhaps her current visit will be in keeping with the obscurity of her past visits - without apparent clear-cut objectives or stated goals. But this doesn’t mean this is simply a courtesy call. She has arrived with real objectives, although the real goals can only be seen but under the table between Rice and the Israelis.

This obscurity that surrounds Rice, her President and all of her colleagues in the American administration isn't the result of a lack of clarity in their outlook or thinking. The reverse is true, since the Americans know precisely what they are doing, what they're thinking and what their plans are for the region. This is deliberate obscurity, the primary goal of which is to keep the door partly open so as to wash their hands of any specific commitments, ideas or proposals that American officials have made before.

It's easy to see that at the very moment they decided to convene their “Peace Conference,” the American discourse maintained the usual level of obscurity, since the event is sometimes called a “conference” and sometimes it's called a "meeting," with the intent of reducing the level of expectation. Even its stated timing, goals and invitations are unclear, nor is Rice using her current visit to alleviate any of this lack of clarity, which is in keeping with her usual rule.

It's no leap of faith to believe that the real objectives of this conference will be to cheat the Palestinians of the rights that have been denied them, in fact reducing them to the lowest possible level. In addition, the conference will be used as a kind of sponge to absorb some of the resentment that has intensified toward American foreign policy around the world and to show that President George Bush is not just a man of war who has done nothing for peace.

If the Americans really wanted to do something to influence the peace process, the way to so is as clear as can be. The only logical course is to compel Israel to stop its crimes against the Palestinians and completely restore Arabic rights, which would lead to a comprehensive solution to the problems in the region, none of which can be separated from their singular cause, which is Israel. The unfortunate reality is that everything coming from the Americans and Israelis indicates that we can expect just the opposite.

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