According to the Jerusalem Post, the Bush Administration and a number of members of Congress were upset at the Iraqi government sending an official representative to this week's meeting of the Arab League's Israel Boycott Office in Damascus, Syria.
Representatives from 14 Arab countries met there this week to discuss ways of ramping up the Arab embargo against Israel. Among those taking part were delegates from several so-called US allies, such as the UAE, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
The boycott goes on in spite of strict US laws prohibiting American companies from dealing withnations that participate in the economic boycott of a US ally..or provisions of the WTO treaty that Saudi Arabia signed to become a member, with the Bush administrations heavy backing.
Tom Casey, a spokesman for the US State Department, told the Post that Washington was unhappy with Iraq's participation.
"We are disappointed by the decision of the Iraqi government to attend this meeting, and will be noting our concerns with Iraqi officials," he said. "We have raised this issue with Iraqi officials in the past and expect to raise it with them again."
"The US position on the Arab League boycott is well known," Casey noted, adding that "perpetuation of the Arab League boycott does greatest harm to those who participate in it by hampering their efforts to develop their economies."
Perhaps we in the US should help the Iraqis and others do the right thing by making our aid and/or our arms sales conditional on withdrawing from the illegal boycott.
Don't hold your breath.
Several members of Congress were also not too pleased at the Iraqi decision, but probably not to the extent of demanding that the administration do anything concrete about it. Hey, if the Bush Administration was willing to let the UAE manage our ports even though they rigidly adhere to the anti-Israel boycott, why should anyone expect any real pressure on the Iraqis from them?
As a side note, many of the troops I've spoken to who have been in Iraq have related that some Iraqis, especially in Baghdad, refer to the Americans routinely as `the Jews', as in "You can't go down that road right now...the `Jews' set up a roadblock there."
Just lovely. Bush may end up completing his nation-building project in Iraq..but we may not get much out of it besides `thanks for your time and your money..now get the hell out and let us bond with our ummah buddies.'
-Sigh-. JP, I appreciate the insights I get from your posts, as I can't get them anywhere else. But quite frankly they are a little depressing. I'm tired of America forking over so much in resources only to take it in the ass.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know..I try to keep it as light as I can.
ReplyDeleteYou should know this, however. I am 100% optomistic of America and the West's ultimate victory over these scum. It's merely sad that it maytake more dead Americans to wake up up and get us riled again..thanks to Dubbya's ties to the Arabs, his insistence on `Arab democracy' and his failure to communicate with the Americanpeople on whom our enemy is and how urgent this war is.
But as I say, I remain 100% optimistic.
Read up on some of the absolute STUPIDITY that went on in the West vis a vis facism in the 1930's. Even the King of England was a Nazi symphatizer.
Don't despair. We will have the victory in the end.
I agree with Rosey and 100% with you as well.
ReplyDeleteIMO, I honestly think that GW Bush just very well may go down as one of the best President's ever. He is literally changing the Middle East in front of the world's eye's. He takes an incredible amount of flak, thank God he is a man with high integrity and moral strength. We cannot let our guard down, we will stay strong and fight, we will win and freedom will reign!
Ola, Senor Gringo!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't agree with you about Bush(and I actually worked on his campaign here in Southern California.Talk about masochism!)...but I think we have some new leadership coming.The USA always seems to have that happen at moments of crisis.
I agree that Bush made an effort, if an ill-conceived one to change the Middle East. Unfortunately, he never `got it' that Islam trumps everything with these folks. And Islam and democracy don't mix.
Bush was re-elected to fight the war and defend the country, INCLUDING OUR BORDERS. He hasn't. He's simply too close to certain Arab regimes and cetain corporate interests to do so. Pity.
BTW, I nominated your Chavez post for the Watcher's Council spotlight this week..great post!
US allies, such as the UAE, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
ReplyDeleteDo you need enemies with friends like this?
Some `allies' eh Links?
ReplyDeleteBush is too besotted with the Arabs to see it, perhaps, but real alliances come from shared values...not convenience or commercial transactions.
I hear you, and believe what you're saying, I must be blinded by my own hope!
ReplyDeleteHey, thank you for the nomination, I have to tell, I push your blog to all my friends...keep it up!
I hear you, and believe what you're saying, I must be blinded by my own hope!
ReplyDeleteHey, thank you for the nomination, I have to tell, I push your blog to all my friends...keep it up!
I never knew the King of England was sympathetic to the Nazis but it does not surprise me. I'm also optimistic that we will out in the end.
ReplyDelete