| A US working paper for June's G8 summit of the leading industrial powers in Georgia sets out President Bush's "Greater Middle East (GME) Initiative", which sees the overthrow of Saddam Hussein as a springboard for launching change throughout the region. It is being seen in some European and Arab capitals, however, as another attempt by the US to impose its will on the Middle East. |
Yet another. And don't think we're going to stop at the Middle East. We have plans to reshape the world. Anybody got any objections - talk to our guns.
| The document, published by an Arabic-language paper in London, calls on the G8 countries - the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, the UK and Russia - to "forge a long-term partnership with reform leaders in the GME . . . to promote political, economic and social reform in the region".
The scheme has, however, been floated without consultation with Arab leaders. It provides no extra financial help beyond the meagre $120m (£64m) already provided in the existing Middle East Partnership Initiative. Above all, it threatens to reopen old wounds over Iraq between the US and its allies that both sides have been trying to heal, as exemplified by yesterday's White House meeting between Mr Bush and Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor and a unrelenting opponent of the Iraq war. ...But, judging by the reaction in the Middle East, that is exactly the view being taken. The Bush administration was behaving "as if the region and its states do not exist, as if they had no sovereignty over their land", President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, one of Washington's Arab allies, said this week. ...[The U.S. plan] proposes stronger backing for non-government groups working for freer elections, and for education initiatives targeted at women. It also urges freedom of the press and an end to restrictions and harassment of those working to promote human rights and civil society. |
Maybe if the plan fails for the Middle East we could try to use it for ourselves.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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