Tony's making his first appearance before the United Nations in his full capacity as Envoy to the Middle East..
Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the UN, is underlining the role UN troops will take in this Palistinian problem, and the war in Iraq..
Now there is seemingly a consensus, among those in the West, that the 'roadmap' and the 'Arab Peace Initiative' has made some forward steps.. one of which is an agreement to meet with the members of the Arab League itself. However, there would appear to be some doubt, that Saudi Arabia, and Syria, will not attend for reasons yet undisclosed..
It might be considered, that Saudi involvement in such talks, would be seen as tantamount to 'betrayal' of the cause which they undoubtably support.. that being the success of the extremists and the establishment of the Caliphate. That extremists forces might abhor any real progress aided by the Saudi's..
If the Israeli/Palistinian conflict should be resolved, it would undermine decades of subversive work.. ruin painstakenly make plans to effect the destruction of the State of Israel.. demonstrate that Islam and Judaism can coexist..
Diplomatic progress is anathema to zealots, if the Saudi's show any real sign of an equitable agreement.. they will, in the words of Osama himself in his last video, be 'infidel'..
This will soon be a turning point within the Arab League itself.. the commitment to the general cause of 'Islam'..
And while Saudi Arabia appears to be a stable country at the moment, what would it take to inflame the people to the point at which they see themselves as 'Western Arabs'.. How long before radical Imams convince enough of the population to embrace the 'cause'..
How many Saudi's in high places, already have committed resources to the terrorist cause, to maintain what must be an exceedingly fragile status quo..?
Osama himself, is a Saudi Prince.. and while the thought of Saudi Arabia wholeheartedly throwing it's financial weight behind this Jihad is terrifying, the possibility of such an eventuality cannot be ignored.
One would think the pressure on the Saudi's to abandon their 'favoured status' with the West would of necessity, be enormous.. but this is the Levant we're dealing with here, and in all truth, while some Arab countries have not fared well in dealings with the West.. others have prospered beyond all possible belief. Historically, the eastern Middle East has been a constant surprise to those Westerners who've come in contact with them..
Their ethics.. sociological divisions.. double-edged diplomacy.. have baffled us, and to a great extent, still do..
One has to wonder if such an understanding will ever truely be reached within the time left, for this societal model we all enjoy, to survive.
The Middle East.. China.. India.. Indonesia..
It had to be expected that, as this world became a smaller and smaller place through technological advances and economic interdependencies, that Societies would clash..
It's a true pity that simple human nature will not allow it to be a peaceable transition.. a melding of that which might be the best, through common agreement..
Yup.