What the Shmulster fails to note is that Saudi Arabia IS the dang "moderate' camp. Who's not in the moderate camp? Oh, I dunno. Maybe.....Israel.

Ever heard of the Saudi Peace Initiative? These Israeli bastards will pretend they never did. All the better to justify their continued occupation of Palestinian land and slo' mo' genocide of the Palestinian people.

What is the Saudi Peace Initiative? Here's wikipedia's summary (not perfect, but succint):

Considered a progressive proposal that would end the Arab-Israeli conflict, it offered full normalization of relations with Israel, in exchange for the withdrawal of its forces from all the Occupied Territories, including the Golan Heights, to recognize "an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as a "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees.

<sarcasm>Pretty radical, huh? </sarcasm> But according to the Shmulberg, now Saudi moderation is defined by their willingness to support our criminally insane venture in Iraq. You know, the ones the neocon supporters of Israel helped get us into and which resulted in the greatest boon to Shiaville since the battle of Karbala.

Typically Israeli, this. "You Saudis are responsible for this mess because you won't help us get out of it."

Uh huh.

Look, we sell munitions to Saudi Arabia not to make them moderate. That's what all that freaking oil revenue is for. We sell them arms because that's the only goddamn thing we have left to sell that anyone wants (besides financial services and Disney crap) and we need to offset the petro dollar hemorrage somehow. The freaking Israelis sure aren't sucking up US exports, that's for dang sure. Those weapons also don't hurt when it comes to managing all those brown froggy guest workers who might pose a bit of a security problem if they get organized and out of hand.

Besides, if you really wanted the ascendency of the moderates throughout the Gulf and even among the other Arab states, there is one sure way to accomplish it:

FREE PALESTINE.

Now what person who loves America could deny this?

Take $25 worth of technology, turn it into a huge profit by selling it for a few hundred bucks as a gun or ammo or what ever is on the shopping list. Got to boost that trade deficit somehow... Got to look good on paper when the bottom line is filled in.

Have to agree that the Palestinian issue needs to be the linch-pin to any settlement however, how will the Palestinians handle all that land even if the Israelis would agree?

The capital in East Jerusalem would be difficult but negotiable if the UN could set up a Vatican City like solution.

Dood even if this was agreed to, the arabs would FIU! Hamas would not want Israel anywhere in Jerusalem, the right of return would be the arab position as soon as the capital was set up and Hamas would lob rockets into West Jerusalem within 48 hours.

I have a jaundiced view of the ability and/or willingness of any muslim to keep peace with Israel.

I know an Egyptian in Montreal who has the key to the family house in West Jerusalem wich he got from his Mom who died 20 years ago and Sam would be on the first plane.

Stupid as a bag of hammers!

Gerry