[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Mavdog

So NOT dealing with the (regrettably) actual Head of State is doing something? no, it's doing nothing...

No, it's very much about doing something DIFFERENT. Refusing to deal with arafat will in the end (unless our european friends continue to support the terrorist) continue to erode his support and marginalize him. That is very different than dealing with him as an equai. It is also a very tough political move. You could think of it as refusing to deal with a crooked car repair guy. It does have an impact.

What? nothing has changed with the palestinians, they still remain in refugee camps, are unable to find work, and their future is no brighter today than it was before. The status quo remains unchanged with no change on the horizon...Again, it's doing nothing

So what has the years of negotiating with arafat done? Sooner or later the palestinians will have to realise that their policy of driving israel into the sea is getting them nothing. This has accellerated that.

and this removal has stopped the suicide bombings from happening? NO, they continue...again, no change, and in effect doing nothing to stop the suicide bombings.

Of course it hasn't "stopped" it. That's just too simplistic. Very few things in life is this black and white. The only thing that wiil "stop" it will be the palestinians realising that they are victimizing themselves with this policy. But support for terrorist bombers have been decreased, this will have again a strategic long-term effect. I also would proposes that the suicide bombings HAVE subsided quite a bit in the last year so again this is a changed and doing something.

??? it seems (although not a very clear point) that you agree that he has been "doing nothing" in this case too...

Again you are being way to tactical in your thinking. Bush is not thinking short-term in the middle-east at all. It's a long-term strategy to really make a difference in terrorists and terrorism.

If you believe that the security fence solves anything you are very, very wrong. However, the issue is what Bush has done to "change the equation" and in that he isn't involved in the fence this point is also about...doing nothing. In fact, he has turned a blind eye to the fence and its incursion into areas that are Palestinian in make up. Here's an issue that he SHOULD have become more involved with perhaps to pressure the Israelis to NOT place the fence into palestinian districts.

Sorry... Look at gaza. That fence has been very,very effective. When the security fence is open the balance of power will shift dramatically. They can lob morters but they can't walk into restaurants, busses etcetera and blow up women and children. Lobbed mortars Israel can deal with easier, they are very inefficient. The palestinians on the other hand will see their plight become even worse unless they undergo reforms. Again the responsibility for this is theirs.

As he clearly "does" nothing on this issue, it must be accurate then to say that there must not be any "greatness".

I'm sorry that your thinking is so shallow on this subject and does not have the capacity to grasp the broader strategic impact of bush's middle east policy. We should hook up in about 5-10 years from now and we will see what he has wrought. A monumental shift in a very desperate and diseased region of the world.