U.S., Israel Role in Mideast
Kirkpatrick’s article is brilliant. It is clear, simple, easy to understand, and a realistic appraisal of our current Middle East policy. It reflects her usual unique capability to explain foreign affairs for their true meaning. It is indeed unfortunate that the Reagan Administration has been unable or unwilling to replace her with someone equal in experience, stature and wisdom. One hopes President Reagan, et al., will now pay attention to her advice, let alone read the article.
In 1981, President Reagan sent a written pledge to the Congress saying that future deliveries to Saudi Arabia of AWACS planes and other advanced American arms would take place only if “initiatives towards the peaceful resolution of disputes in the region have either been successfully completed or that significant progress towards that goal has been accomplished with the substantial assistance of Saudi Arabia.” So what’s new?
The new race between Great Britain and the United States to furnish still more arms to heretofore unproven allies in the Middle East, once again appears to be a victory for “arms merchants” over sensible foreign policy.
Kirkpatrick concludes her article with an important admonition, “While we hope for peace, we are not parties to the conflict.” I would go on to add “ . . . and let us also stop naive gestures vis-a-vis the Middle East, which serve only to further fuel the flames of another potential conflagration in that volatile area of our small world.”
SANDY ELSTER
Venice
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