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Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380715981&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel Bound to Feel the Heat Ahead of Annapolis
[Jerusalem Post] Herb Keinon - While the Annapolis meeting is, on the surface, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and President Bush's efforts in his last year in office to put his two-state vision on track, it is not solely - or even primarily - about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is also about American needs, and American interests in the Middle East. With the U.S. experiment in Middle East democracy-building not exactly a resounding success, its eyes now are set on creating an arc of moderate Arab regimes, from the Persian Gulf to North Africa, to act as a bulwark, when it withdraws from Iraq, against Iran and marching Shi'ite extremism. The two major issues concerning the U.S. in the region right now are Iraq and Iran - not necessarily in that order - and then Israel. If the Saudis do show up at Annapolis, and if the Syrians decide to come as well, Israel will be expected to pay the price for getting them there. And that price will be paid to a Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who represents - at best - only half the Palestinians.