Updates: Ports and Israel
First a brief note about linking to New York Times articles. The NY Times online requires (free) registration in order to view articles, which can be a hassle since we often link to articles there. To make things easier, I've created a general Optimates account for their website to spare us the tedium of having to create our own personal accounts if we want to read a linked article. The user name and password are both "optimate". If you tell your browser to remember the login, you shouldn't have to worry about it again. Moving on...
Looks like DP World has caved to US Xenophobia and political grandstanding and offered to transfer control of the US ports it would acquire to a US owned company. I find it incredibly frustrating that one of the few times that Congress manages to work up the spine to oppose Bush in a material fashion, it is on one of the few issues that Bush is being prudent about. I still maintain that the top level owner of the port operations has almost no bearing on our security. If we are concerned with security, then we should be demanding better protocols at the ports by way of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security, the ones actually responsible for security.
In other news, acting prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert has announced that he will seek to finalize Israel's borders by 2010 unless the Hamas controlled PA renounces violence and recognizes Israel. Looks like he intends to pull out most of the deep settlements unilaterally, but keep most of the larger ones near Jerusalem, behind the security wall. I am hoping fervently that Hamas begins to prioritize the welfare of its own people over its hate of Israel and takes the opportunity to revise some of its stances. I would not blame Israel for trying to draw borders unilaterally, but at the same time, if they do it with map they intend to, it will lead to a lot of animosity. Israel should admit the odiousness of its past settlement policy and find a way to dismantle ALL settlements in the West Bank. If Hamas is then still unwilling to accept a final map based on 1968 borders, then Israel might have little choice but to separate unilaterally and leave the PA to govern as it can. Better for both parties, however, if the process can be mutual.
Looks like DP World has caved to US Xenophobia and political grandstanding and offered to transfer control of the US ports it would acquire to a US owned company. I find it incredibly frustrating that one of the few times that Congress manages to work up the spine to oppose Bush in a material fashion, it is on one of the few issues that Bush is being prudent about. I still maintain that the top level owner of the port operations has almost no bearing on our security. If we are concerned with security, then we should be demanding better protocols at the ports by way of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security, the ones actually responsible for security.
In other news, acting prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert has announced that he will seek to finalize Israel's borders by 2010 unless the Hamas controlled PA renounces violence and recognizes Israel. Looks like he intends to pull out most of the deep settlements unilaterally, but keep most of the larger ones near Jerusalem, behind the security wall. I am hoping fervently that Hamas begins to prioritize the welfare of its own people over its hate of Israel and takes the opportunity to revise some of its stances. I would not blame Israel for trying to draw borders unilaterally, but at the same time, if they do it with map they intend to, it will lead to a lot of animosity. Israel should admit the odiousness of its past settlement policy and find a way to dismantle ALL settlements in the West Bank. If Hamas is then still unwilling to accept a final map based on 1968 borders, then Israel might have little choice but to separate unilaterally and leave the PA to govern as it can. Better for both parties, however, if the process can be mutual.
posted by Chris @ 5:05 PM
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