US under fire in Mideast over Iraq plan (AFP)

[Eugene]

US under fire in Mideast over Iraq plan

Sun Jan 14, 5:26 PM ET

DUBAI (AFP) - US President George W. Bush's planned new strategy for Iraq came
under fire anew in Arab states of the Gulf, among Washington's staunchest regional
allies.

Newspapers in the region also voiced scepticism and even derision over US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice's Middle East tour aimed at reviving the Israel-Palestinian
peace process and rallying support for Bush's Iraq plan.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani chastised Washington
for failing to consult the Gulf Cooperation Council of which it is a member over its
"harmful" Iraq policy.

-snip-

"The American administration has no right to ask Iraqis and other countries of the region
to follow its strategy... when the administration itself is incapable of convincing even
Americans of this policy," wrote the Saudi newspaper Okaz.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070114/wl_mideast_afp/usmideastiraqrice_070114221027

[Tom Joad]

1. Israel supports Bush policies, so that's what counts.

[babylonsister]

2. WOW. Read this from the article above:

"The American administration has no right to ask Iraqis and other countries of the region
to follow its strategy... when the administration itself is incapable of convincing even
Americans of this policy," wrote the Saudi newspaper Okaz.

[54anickel]

3. Interesting comments regarding Condi

snip>

In the United Arab Emirates, the headline on the Al-Khaleej mocked: "Rice comes... as a tourist."

"If Rice has come only to listen, it's a mixture of sarcasm and provocation. Rice knows only too well the positions of the countries she is visiting and doesn't need to listen further."

snip>

Rice is not expected to be successful in promoting Bush's strategy. When the secretary of state asks moderate Arab countries to support the Maliki government, she is in fact asking them to support Iran's influence in Iraq."