January 08, 2008

Bush Sets Off On First Major Swing Through Middle East

President Bush embarks today on a lengthy Mideast trip, making first-time visits to all the countries on his planned list -- including Israel but excluding Egypt -- as U.S. president. In the waning days of his term and in the wake of November's Annapolis summit, several questions have arisen: Why now, and what are Bush's goals? And what is it about the Middle East that makes presidents think about the L-word?

It's Iran (not "legacy") that's purportedly on Bush's mind as he heads to the region today. With stops in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, he is trying to reaffirm the support of Iran's Arab neighbors for the U.S. campaign against the country.

Jerusalem is Bush's first stop. He will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres; on Thursday, he is scheduled to travel to the West Bank to sit down with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Although doubts about the strength of the brokering partners on all three sides continue to hang over the process, Bush promised in his Saturday radio address that he "will make clear that America is deeply committed to helping both parties realize the historic vision" of a two-state solution.

One editorial board characterizes Bush's visit as an "effort to bring about enormous changes at the last minute" -- hinting at his chance of success in an area where many others have failed. Another board, the Miami Herald's, goes a step further and calls it a "dangerous time for a Middle East visit" because of the escalating violence in the region, adding that it "is not clear what [Bush] hopes to accomplish, but... there is little reason to be hopeful about improving the chances for peace."

Posted at 9:35 AM
Posted to: Iran, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, President Bush
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