(Reason)Michael Young - The Palestinians' misfortune has rendered the Middle East virtually impotent in the past half-century, as it has been used as justification for just about any effort to protect the ambient stalemate and perpetuate the rule of autocratic regimes. There is little doubt that resolving the Palestinians' foul plight would generate greater confidence in the U.S., but that still doesn't explain why regional reform must be made hostage to a conflict a majority of Arabs have no control over. Nor does it explain why the Arabs must accept being set upon by their own oppressive regimes. The unfortunate reality, however, is that this unreasonable approach holds sway in the region. The writer is opinion editor at the Beirut Daily Star.
2004-12-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive