RICE REPEATING POWELL'S AND CLINTON'S ERROR: coddling the PNA in spite of their refusal to fulfill their treaty obligations

YAHOO/AFP (hat tip LGF): Asked in a news conference Tuesday about earlier Israeli threats to disrupt the polls in the West Bank if Hamas stands, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged full cooperation. "We would hope that the elections can go forward and that everyone will cooperate... because elections are fundamental to the continued evolution and development of the Palestinian process," she said. Rice reiterated the US view that there was a "fundamental contradiction" between Hamas's armed activities and its plan to run in January's poll. But she added: "We understand that the Palestinian political system is in transition, that it is in transition toward a democratic system and that has to be a Palestinian process."

I think that Rice and the Bush Administration needs to be MUCH clearer about what is an acceptable election process in Gaza and the West Bank, and that we must put MUCH MORE pressure on Abbas and the PNA to fulfill their obligations under the Roadmap. A lack a clarity only gives the enemy wiggle room, and only makes the likelihood of of failure greater. The enemy needs to know that if they fail to fulfill their obligations that there are serious consequences - to borrow a phrase from UNSC #1441. ALSO: because Israel ON ITS OWN left the Gaza, there should be a SPECIAL BURDEN on the PNA to live up to its obligations under the Roadmap. It is not only bad-policy to coddle terroristys, it is highly hypocritical for the USA to demand restraint from Israel in dealing with terrorists RIGHT ON THEIR BORDER while we wage war against jihadists thousands of miles from our own borders.