Arab Leaders Seek to Counter U.S. Plan for Mideast Overhaul

[Dover]

Arab Leaders Seek to Counter U.S. Plan for Mideast Overhaul

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

March 4, 2004


CAIRO, March 3 — Arab governments, suspicious that the Bush administration plans to give priority to changing how the region is ruled rather than solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, began thrashing over a joint position on Wednesday to counter any such American initiative.

In the absence of any formal plan yet from Washington, the Arab League foreign ministers meeting here were less than unified in how to deal with an American strategy known basically through leaks or policy speeches. But the level of concern among the 22 ministers, who were in Cairo to create the agenda for a meeting of Arab leaders later this month in Tunisia, seemed to ensure that the issue would be a priority.

"The idea is to come up with a homegrown process in order that others not impose something from the outside," said Marwan Muasher, the Jordanian foreign minister, noting that Arab governments especially want to keep the focus on ending the Arab-Israeli conflict...cont'd >

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/04/international/middleeast/04ARAB.html

[Dover]

1. Bush is quite a uniter. The Caribbean nations huddling around Haiti,

The South American Countries linking arms around Venezuela, much of Europe united around...well... any number of issues but particularly as regards their common hatred of the Bush regime and now the Arab nations finally pulling together for a common cause,....etc. Bush's unspoken but collective message, 'Unite or Die', is heard round the world.......sigh....it just makes my heart glad.

Group hug...:grouphug: