See this page for links to articles on OpEdNEws that articulate both sides on the issues in the middle east. It is the goal of OpEdNews to air opinions from both sides to stretch the envelope of discussion and communication. Hate statements are not accepted. Discussions of issues and new ideas for solutions are encouraged. .To say that the situation in the Middle East is a disaster is an understatement at the very best. We have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who are in great danger and with the volatility of the ongoing situation between Israel and Hezbollah with Lebanon stuck in the middle doesn't bode well for anyone.
The Bush response or non-response is difficult to fathom and I have to wonder if they have really considered all the ramifications of their refusal to call for an immediate cease-fire.
The Arab countries that are considered "allies" are those with Sunni-led governments -- Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, most notably. Iran (granted not an Arab nation, but a key player), Syria, and now Iraq have Shia-led governments. Most alarming, however, is the fact that a year ago, Iraq (which had a Sunni-led government under Hussein) and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement, and more recently, Syria and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement.
The "Unity" government of Iraq has now gone on the record saying that Iraq as an "American political experiment" is over, Maliki has asked us to leave and now a Sunni member of Iraq's governing body has asked us to leave and let them take care of their own problems.
As Scott Ritter said in December 2005 during a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California, this administration knew BEFORE hand that Iraq never had WMD -- as they claimed -- and it was never about WMD -- it was about regime change.
The Middle East doesn't hate Americans per se, they hate the constant interference of our government in its business -- whether covertly or overtly. We need to mind our own business -- we have enough problems here to fix -- without trying to fix everyone elses.
