BEAST IN THE MIDDLE EAST

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Barack Obama could not have picked anyone worse than Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State.  In her first official trip to the Middle East, Bill's wife showed her true colors when speaking about Gaza and Hamas. Like her boss, she continued to spew Bush-era talking points without shame. She spoke to reporters Monday after a Gaza "reconstruction" conference in Sharm El Sheikh. Her demeanor was unpleasant as usual. Here is some of what she had to say: 

"Hamas is not a country. It is an entity that has to understand what the principles for any engagement are, not just from the United States. The Quartet – which consists of the United Nations, Russia, the European Union, and the United States – as well as the Arab League are in agreement that there are certain principles that Hamas would have to adopt in order for any of us to engage with Hamas: recognize Israel, renounce violence, and agree to abide by the prior PLO agreements. Now that is not the United States talking. That is the Quartet and the Arab League. Everyone knows what Hamas must do, and it is up to Hamas."

By putting the onus for political participation squarely on Hamas, Secretary Clinton is making it clear that the US will continue to support Israel blindly, no matter what the consequences. Hamas is ready to negotiate - they have been for years. The problem is that Israeli leaders have no desire to place themselves in any position where a viable peace would be in reach, thus the pre-conditions we keep hearing about.

Hillary Clinton has long been a 'friend' of Israel so nobody should be expecting any surprises from her. If Obama plans to make things better (he doesn't) he'll fire her (he won't). Sadly, there is little hope for improvement with Hill-dog in charge of diplomacy. She will make every effort to stifle any meaningful negotiations by ensuring Israeli interests are never compromised. 

While Obama at least pretends to be reaching out to Iran, his Secretary of State is already signaling that such efforts will be in vain. Surprisingly, she managed to shake hands with Syrian FM Walid Muallem... it's too bad he didn't twist her arm.