Sharon and road map to peace!

One can detect such a whim in George Bush -- king of the jungle of men, popularly and commonly known as "civilized" animals. He destroys a state when he likes and makes a "Road Map" for creating another. The helpless world grudgingly goes along. The justification given is -- good and bad make the world. Why bother so much? 'What is done is done'. The interests are not only common; they overlap and hence the accommodation.

In an unusual Summit in Aqaba, Jordan on Wednesday, June 4 President Bush met Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel and Mahmood Abbas, Prime Minister of the Palestinian people. Jordan's King Abdullah-II was the host. The King received Sharon, the butcher of Lebanon's Sabra and Shatilla, on the same soil of Lebanon as the latter said he wanted to make peace with the Palestinians. Some days ago, for the first time he acknowledged that Israel was the "occupier" of the Palestinian land and the "moment has arrived to divide his tract of land between us and the Palestinians". By endorsing the "Road Map", designed by the Quartet -- the US, EU, Russia and the UN -- though with 14 reservations, the Israeli government for the first time officially accepted the Palestinian claim for a Palestinian state. However, in a separate resolution, Israeli Cabinet rejected the provision in the Road Map of the right of the Palestinians to return to their homes in Israel.

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President Bush, however, said very clearly during Summit in Sharm-al-Sheikh with some Arab leaders -- Syria and Lebanon were not invited, -- that "Palestinians must have continuous land that Palestinians can call home. The holy land must be shared by both Palestinians and Israelis". He also said the "US is committed and I am committed to the two-state solution -- Palestinian state living side by side with Israelis in peace and security". President Bush also asked Secretary Powell and Condoleezza Rice to take this task as the highest priority.

President Bush's commitment to the creation of the Palestinian state in 2005 is certainly a major shift in the US's foreign policy. This appears to be a calculated step with a view to calming down the enraged Arabs as a result of Iraq occupation. One has to see whether President Bush can keep up to his promise as his election year is approaching fast. He has also to take care of the blind Israeli supporters in the Capitol Hill, somewhat reluctant supporter, Colin Powell's State Department and hawkish American and also pro-Israeli Rumsfeld's Pentagon. He has also the looming tussle between Pentagon and the CIA on the issue of "doctoring" the intelligence report to support the Iraqi invasion. As we said before, the Democrats gave him support for the Iraq war just to catch him afterwards on it with a view to going for a regime change in Washington. Iraq War-I brought down only one -- Senior Bush -- but Iraq War-II is likely to bring down at least four -- Bush, Blair, Aznar and Howard.

As it seems, Aqaba Summit on the 'Road Map' would not be able to take the peace forward. Caught in the whirlwind of internal tussles and external oppositions, Bush made a confusing start and short-circuited the peace process. Though he poses to be the "protector" of democracy he totally discarded President Arafat, democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people and brought in Mahmood Abbas also known as Abu Mazzen, relatively less known Palestinian negotiator who is alleged to be the one 'made to order' as per American specifications.

In the Summit press briefing, Prime Minister Abbas spoke of his efforts to stop Palestinian violence. Indeed, he promised to end intefada -- armed Palestinian uprising -- and to permit only the law enforcement officers to carry arms and not others. But he did not ask Sharon to stop Israeli violence -- open assassinations of so-called terrorists, destruction of Palestinian homes, road blocks, searches and other forms of humiliation to people. He also did not raise the issues of Israeli rejection of Palestinians' right to return to their homes in Israel nor did he touch on the most important Palestinian claim of East Jerusalem, which is set to be the capital of the Palestinian State.

President Arafat remarked that Sharon did not offer anything "tangible" in the Summit. Sharon's offer of removing some very temporary unauthorised settlements in the form of trailer homes was practically nothing as these trailer homes could be parked in another Palestinian hill top. Sharon did not commit anything in terms of dismantling settlements. He, however, said he would withdraw troops from some areas of Gaza; remove some road blocks and ease the movement of Palestinian workers to Israel. These are undoubtedly some positive steps and immediate implementation could ease the poisonous environment somewhat but for a major movement towards peace, troops now occupying Palestinian cities and towns must go back to a "safe" distance so that the Palestinians at least may start feeling that the occupation would end one day. How soon? That's something one can look forward to but the hopes must be kept up and alive. Only such a situation where Palestinian families and children, just on opening their doors and windows in the morning, would not see the faces of the Israeli troops targeting the so called Palestinian "terrorists" and ready to kill some Palestinians or demolish their homes. Some sort of serious confidence building measures could ultimately induce ordinary Palestinians to stop supporting violence.

But the situation on the ground has unfortunately reached a dangerous stage. Prime Minister Abbas assured that Hamas and other armed groups would, in two to three weeks' time, agree to a cease-fire, but the latest reports show Hamas has not only discarded any idea of cease-fire, it went into joint action with other radical groups and already carried out two suicide bombings -- one in Erez Crossing killing four Israeli soldiers and the other in Hebron killing one Israeli. Sharon has started facing serious challenges from the settlers. After these suicide bombings, Sharon said he would make no concession to the Palestinians. Bush Administration, however, said the gunmen cannot derail the Road Map for peace. This should be right approach and Sharon must start withdrawing forces from Palestinian cities and towns and this might help Abbas to advance his talks with Hamas and others.

Bush Administration's policy of going by Sharon's whims cannot take the Road Map forward. Arafat may be "irrelevant" to Sharon but for honestly pursuing the peace process through the Road Map, Bush Administration needs to be practical. Arafat is an elected leader and has been the Palestinian Leader for decades. The US cannot equate him with Saddam and discard him. The whole world recognises him. Therefore, it is simply nonsense to expect peace in the area without the participation of Arafat in the peace process. To satisfy Israel, the US could have avoided talking to Arafat directly as it decided to deal with Abbas who is not that popular with the Palestinians and was also not elected directly by the Palestinian people. The US should not have openly discarded Arafat who is a democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people. This vitiated the peace environment ab initio. Under the present situation, without any visible and substantial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian cities and towns and dismantling of major settlements, the peace drive through Road Map will only meet with repeated road blocks -- peace will remain ever illusive.

Muslehuddin Ahmad is a former Secretary and Ambassador and founder president of North South University.