From Containment to Destabilization

I was at first dismayed when I saw this headline today:

Rice Alarms Reformist Arabs with Stability Remarks

I was like, "oh no! The State Department has triumphed, and Rice is now singing their old tune of stability!"

But, not to worry.

For the headline means the exact opposite of what one might imagine:

CAIRO (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has alarmed many reformist Arabs with comments suggesting a new U.S. approach that promotes rapid political change without regard for internal stability.

"This a very dangerous scheme. Anarchy will be out of control," said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University and an advocate of gradual change.

A liberal Arab diplomat, who asked not to be named, said: "They seem to be supporting chaos and instability as a pretext for bringing democracy. But people would rather live under undemocratic rule than in the chaotic atmosphere of Iraq, for example, which the Americans tout as a model."

You see, the "Reformist" Arabs are being portrayed as desiring stability uber alles, and d on't want anything like what's going on in Iraq. No, somehow they will "reform" under the same old unchanging system of dictators-for-life.

One wonders what they mean by reform. Oh, here it is, more $$$ from Uncle Sam, and a smackdown of Israel, and "reform" will break out like magic!

Mohamed el-Sayed Said said Rice's approach appeared to have links with a trend in right-wing Israeli thinking that favors destabilising Arab governments and societies.

"We see an emphasis on destruction and we see that Israel is willing to push Arab societies to the abyss without caring for stability. We suspect these ideas came from Israel," he added.
...
Abdel Raouf El Reedy, a former Egyptian ambassador to the United States and chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Relations, said the United States was overlooking its own responsibility to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"If the United States wants to be credible, it has to be serious about ending the military occupation (of Palestinian territories) because this is generating resentment and anger and in this way helping the radical forces in the region," he said.

Shut UP!

Shut Up, Shut UP, SHUT UP!

Ok, here's a solution for you: Israel annexes 1/3rd of the West Bank, including all of Jerusalem, builds a wall, and expels all Palestinians to the other side to be left to their own devices.

Of course, the only "devices" they have are the ones that blow up their own children.

Problem solved. Next?

Rice, asked about the prospect of Islamist victories through reform, said that would not be desirable.

But she added: "It is really as opposed to what at this point? It isn't as if the status quo was stable the way that it was ... The only thing the United States can do is to speak out for the values that have been absent, liberty and freedom there, and it will have to take its own course."

Look, it's win-win for us.

Either reform leads to more freedom and positive change, or the Islamists "take over", which just means they step out from the shadows and all pretext of a "special relationship" (hello? Saudi Arabia?) can vanish, as we seize the oilfields out of vital National interest at that point.

Like I said, win-win.

Nothing here but your typical Reuters attempt to paint our present course as disastrous.