Thursday, 9 November, 2006
- 9 Nov 06, 07:09 PM
A new political landscape in the US - can Bush and Pelosi get on? Peter Marshall is in Washington.
Tim Whewell looks at how US policy on Iraq might change after the departure of Donald Rumsfeld.
Plus Stephanie Flanders gives us the low down on today's interest rate rise and what it might mean for the economy.
And Jonathan Charles goes to South Africa's mercenary town.
Join Martha at 2230GMT on 大象传媒 Two and live on the and leave your comments below.
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Newsnight: predictable as usual by ts choice of guest: Tony Benn. Obviously, he was going to use this opportunity to spout his vitriolic and biased views on Israel, not Iraq. No surprise that he used it for his own forum!
Zennia Esterson
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Back to square one, when we talk today about the war in Iraq, we found ourselves pushed to talk about 1967 war between the Arab and Israel. Finally someone puts some sense in your programme in a short statement. Mr. Benn, rightly, confronted the American Professor that the American strategy in Iraq has failed and they have to face this fact. President Bush is rushing to Iran and Syria to help him find a safe exit from Iraq ignoring his description to both countries as 鈥渁xes of evil鈥 and signing sanctions against Syria and threatening Iran with American mighty army.
If America had brokered a peace conference earlier including all countries in the Middle East like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Iran Britain, Russia and even China, the entire situation in the region would have been different. The President wanted to show the American military muscles and frighten all the other countries which may think to oppose his strategies. He forgot that real power is not when we frighten people around us but when we have the humility and the wisdom to talk to them and help them to help themselves. The true wisdom is when we understand the context of the people with whom we engage in any way.
I still believe that even now time is not too late to work for such a conference to bring the Middle East to open a new era of dialogue and reconciliation. It is not too late for people in this suffering region to realise that violence and bloodshed have never won the day. All of them need each other and can never live without each other. This fact alone is enough to bring them to sit and talk to build bridges. The process will be difficult and complicated now but the chance is still in front of everyone to see the value of dialogue and peace. Who will have the courage to take the first step? Who would have the humility and the depth of insight to initiate such an endeavour?
Yes we are back to square one and we must face that. The whole Middle East conflict is back to confront our ignorance and failing arrogance in the west. Unless we embrace reality and look at the problem bravely in the eye, we will never achieve peace and prosperity in the Middle East and subsequently in the whole world. This could be the beginning of victory against terror. We have no other alternative but to unite our efforts to convince the world to put pressure on the Middle East to come to such a conference. I believe firmly that the region is ready but waiting for the first step.
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The Americans have been defeated in Iraq. It's only a matter of time before they withdraw, this could be years like in Vietnam but it is inevitable they will leave Iraq in chaos. They failed to replece Saddam with another pet dictator Chalabi.
They were only interested in oil. They never even bothered to secure the alleged WMD plants. They never secured the Nuclear facilities, Greenpeace had to clean them up. No one knows how much radioactive material has gone missing.
The story about the British starting to patrol the border two weeks ago showed the military leaders are clueless. From a military point of view closing the borders and securing possible WMD sites should have been a priority along with securing the energy plants and water supply. Instead all they did was secure the oil fields, the real reason for the war.
Peace, Love and Equality.
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At least the USA has now the chance to make a difference in the War/Occupation of Iraq & whatever !! we are in Afghanistan for.."Fresh eyes" Bush declared. What happens now this side of the Pond?...has anyone seen Blair since the Elections?, have we had any statements from No 10 about OUR Fresh Eyes! anyone in the Cabinet taken the lead from Rumsfeld & fallen on their sword!... Twixt watching Newsnight & Question Time, one in their audience stated the obvious, so obvious, that it's taken for granted ...When is this Cabinet going to stop being in denial on Iraq & it's before, after, now,ramifications.
Until this purge of their mindset happens,minded that the Middle East now know that TB & GB are reportedly lame ducks ,...it requires the designate PM, Gordon Brown to take the reins...until then nothing will help to accelerate any New believable, workable strategies ...
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Nice try by Neo-Labour to change the subject again by banging the terror drums (head of MI5 briefing). All that scaremongering didn't work for the Republicans in the US and I hope it doesn't work for the Blairites either.
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Basically nothing noteworthy happening right now, but eh. Today was a complete loss. I haven't been up to much recently. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
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I just don't have anything to say right now. I haven't been up to anything recently, but it's not important. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen, but shrug.
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