(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - The Obama administration cast its first veto in the UN on Feb. 18, killing a Security Council resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlement activity. The Palestinian Authority began to talk about this resolution months ago. The U.S. could then have adopted a clear position: put it forward and it will be vetoed. That very clear stand might have persuaded the Palestinian leaders and their Arab supporters to drop the effort early on, when it could have been abandoned with no loss of face. Instead the administration refused to make its position clear until the final day. The administration's desire to avoid vetoes only served to reduce its bargaining power
2011-02-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive