Foreign Policy

I just read the following headline and rolled my eyes:

Bush wants UN resolution on Lebanon conflict fast

We are almost a month into this conflict and now Bush wants a resolution "fast". What about our veto at the U.N. last month or our constant screwing around with the resolution so it says what the U.S. and Israel wants it to say? This resolution is sugar coated to appeal to Israel, yet not give anything to Lebanon.

President George W. Bush resisted a demand by Lebanon on Monday that Israeli troops immediately withdraw from southern Lebanon, saying it could create a vacuum and allow Hizbollah guerrillas to rearm.

Bush told reporters he wanted a U.N. Security Council resolution as quickly as possible calling for a cessation to hostilities in the nearly month-long conflict between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.

But he did not welcome a Lebanese demand that Israeli forces withdraw immediately from southern Lebanon.

"Whatever happens in the U.N., we must not create a vacuum into which Hizbollah and its sponsors are able to move more weapons," Bush said.

At a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at his ranch, Bush also said he believed an international force to be created by a second U.N. resolution should patrol the Syrian border and stop the re-arming of Hizbollah.

Washington wants this resolution in days, not weeks.

Get that? We want it in "days, not weeks". We wait until weeks to try that. We are being lead by the worst foreign policy in our nation's history and it is no wonder why our country is less safe today then it was 6 years ago.

If we are tritely facing "world war 3", then this should indicate the battle lines that are being drawn. All of this has occurred over the last week.

1. Putin plan to shut out US oil giants

President Vladimir Putin is set to keep US oil companies out of a lucrative gas field in the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between Moscow and Washington.

The Russian leader is expected to favour Norwegian companies and reject bids by America's Chevron and ConocoPhillips after failing to secure backing from the United States for his country's attempt to join the World Trade Organisation.

The tit-for-tat snub will be a blow to US companies scrambling for access to Russia's huge gas reserves at a time of high energy prices. It comes after Putin failed to resolve differences with US President George Bush over trade and human rights at the G8 conference in St Petersburg last week.

2. Russia defies U.S. with Venezuela arms deal

Russia said Thursday it had sold 24 aircraft and 53 helicopters to Venezuela, defying the United States, which has urged Moscow to halt arms sales to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Russia's arms export chief, speaking as Chavez met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, said the aircraft deal was part of a long-term package of arms contracts with Venezuela that was worth more than $3 billion.

Chavez is a vocal critic of what he calls U.S. imperialism. Washington considers him a dangerous radical and had urged Russia to rethink the weapons sale. It bans its own producers from selling weapons to Venezuela.

3. Chavez invites Iranian investment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged Iran to increase investment in his country's oil and gas assets. Visiting Tehran as part of a foreign tour, Mr Chavez also pledged Venezuela would "stand by Iran at any time and under any condition".

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described Mr Chavez as a "brother and trench mate".

Venezuela and Iran are close allies, both members of the Opec oil-producing cartel and fierce critics of the US.

This Morning, Karen Hughes was on CNN saying that the whole world agrees on a cease fire for Israel/Lebanon. This afternoon, Tony Snow echoed that statement in his press conference. It seems this may not actually be the case:

U.S., European and Arab officials holding crisis talks on Lebanon failed to agree Wednesday on an immediate plan to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Although officials called for an end to the violence, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there cannot be a return to a "status quo" of political uncertainty and instability in Lebanon. She said any cease-fire must be "sustainable."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the solution to the Mideast crisis should involve Iran and Syria. He also called for the formation of a multinational force to help Lebanon assert its authority and implement U.N. resolutions that would disarm Hezbollah.

After listening to a dramatic appeal from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora for them to stop the killing, the officials said they had agreed on the need to deploy an international force under the aegis of the United Nations in southern Lebanon.

"An international force in Lebanon should urgently be authorized under a U.N. mandate to support the Lebanese armed forces in providing a secure environment," Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said — but there was no mention of who would take part or any other details.

"Participants expressed their determination to work immediately to reach, with utmost urgency, a cease-fire that puts an end to the current violence and hostilities. The cease-fire must be lasting, permanent and sustainable," D'Alema said.

While everyone does want a "cease fire", the U.S. is the one that is fighting an immediate cease fire. Actually, we seem to be more out on our own with this issue. Interesting enough, Israel did not attend this meeting. They have said they support a multi-national force, but the question remains at what conditions?

This is just another in a long line of examples of how the Bush administration wants to hold control in every decision involving the world. It is Bush's way or no way. This is in no way diplomatic and no way to run a country with power such as ours.

Yesterday North Korea called Condi Rice a 'imbecile'. Today, the ultra-conservative Insight Magazine is calling her incompetent and calling on Bush to replace her:

Conservative national security allies of President Bush are in revolt against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying that she is incompetent and has reversed the administration’s national security and foreign policy agenda.

The conservatives, who include Newt Gingrich, Richard Perle and leading current and former members of the Pentagon and National Security Council, have urged the president to transfer Miss Rice out of the State Department and to an advisory role. They said Miss Rice, stemming from her lack of understanding of the Middle East, has misled the president on Iran and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"The president has yet to understand that people make policy and not the other way around," a senior national security policy analyst said. "Unlike [former Secretary of State Colin] Powell, Condi is loyal to the president. She is just incompetent on most foreign policy issues."

So we have numerous that have called for Rumsfeld to be fired and now they are calling for Condi to be fired. When will these people wake up and realize it isn't just the team that needs to be fire, but rather the team and coach?

Bush doesn't care about the job Condi does. As long as she is "loyal", she can do anything. That is the only resume requirement Bush has, loyality, and that is what has been the biggest downfall of Bush. Loyalty means telling someone they are wrong when you know they are wrong, not kissing their ass 24/7. Of course Bush is to much of an idiot to even recognize that.

North Korea has test fired a seventh missile and the Security Council is now getting ready for an emergency session regarding the tensions:

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session Wednesday morning to discuss at Japan's request North Korea's missile tests, officials said.

Outraged over the pre-dawn test-firing of six missiles by its isolated, communist neighbor, Japan has urged the UN Security Council to take up the matter and has also warned that it might impose economic sanctions of its own.

The Security Council is expected to meet at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) to take up the matter, according to a spokesman for the French mission to the United Nations.

Japan is expected to present a resolution protesting North Korea's missile tests, according to another UN diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity.

What exactly happens in the Security Council today is dependent upon China. If China feels embarassed about North Korea's actions then a threat of sanctions could come out of it, however if they don't then we might be limited to a somewhat mild statement of disagreement.