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The Bush Strategy for the Middle East

Yes, he has one.

Apr 15, 2002, Vol. 7, No. 30 • By FRED BARNES
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PRESIDENT BUSH only looks like he's operating by the seat of his pants in Middle East policy. Actually he has a three-pronged strategy. Prong one is to give the Israelis as much time as possible for their military drive to uproot the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure. Number two is to keep some distance between the United States and Israel so as not to end up tied to everything Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon does. And the third is to keep other important American interests in mind, including the desire for allies when military action is taken against Iraq, probably later this year. What happened last week, when the president called on Israel to pull back its troops and dispatched Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Middle East, was that part three, America's other interests, became more urgent than number one, giving Sharon a long leash.

The fundamental idea behind the strategy is to give aid and comfort to Israel, but without Bush ever saying so explicitly. Instead, the president couched his favoritism toward Israel in an endorsement of Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist assaults. Bush also reiterated that he's "a committed friend of Israel." But the strategy isn't to side with Israel at all costs. And if the costs get too great in the view of the White House, the president will have to change course and yank Israel back. Within five days of Israeli tanks' entering the West Bank in pursuit of terrorists, Bush decided the costs had gotten out of hand. His speech in the Rose Garden announcing a new course was delivered two days later.

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