Why the US won't Act
First off, this isn't a condemnation diary of the I/P/L situation per se. There have been plenty of diaries in which to comment on this situation from all sorts of perspectives. About the only thing i have to add on this account is that i think that religious zealots on all sides are enabling this nightmare to continue unchecked, and that as long as liberal/moderates give cover by way of 'religious tolerance', these situations are going to continue to get worse.
But that isn't what i am here to talk about.
The US/BushCo Foreign policy manifesto has charged headlong into Iraq based on totally spurious claims of 'self-defense'.
Has anyone heard the "Israel has a right to defend itself" -- more accurately, has anyone NOT heard everyone lineup and spout this same line, as if it has any meaning. The truly frightening thing here is that seemingly everyone from around the globe seems to stand up and declare this line. To me, stating the 'obvious' is stating nothing at all. "Israel has a right to defend itself" should inevitably be followed by "On sunny days, the sky is blue"
But that isn't the Issue with the issuance of this statement.
US defending itself in Iraq
Everytime You hear the 'self-defence' argument, it should echo the argument made by the US regarding the stance towards Iraq. It doesn't matter whether there is a direct correlation or a totally different situation (depending on which side of the I/P/L issue You fall -- i am sure this is all important, but the phraeseology is all that matters for the BushCo administration)
US moral Mandate
Rooting Out "terrorism" is a fair justification for All policy actions by the US or its 'client states'. Arguing whether Israel is a 'client state' of the US is a non-starter. I am not going to argue it. Either You accept it as stated or You don't -- it doesn't too strongly effect my broader point.
I/P/L mirrors US "War On Terror"
Holding up the I/P/L situation to its own "War on Terror" is exactly what the BushCo administration is doing. However, looking too closely into that mirror will only reflect their own failures, so they simply won't.
The US is impotent to act in the current I/P/L situation simply because it is the reflection of its own Iraq/GWOT policy. Admitting any sense of failure within Israel's policy in this situation (or any call for Israel to 'moderate' its own actions) will directly illuminate their own failures.
What the US WILL do
BushCo administration policy on this has already been written manyfold times over. They will wait it out. The US media has an incredibly short attention span. It will soon turn to some missing white women, gay marriage debate, flag burning debate, US 2006 elections, or heaven forbid, back to Iraq! But US media attention will turn away, and, for the BushCo administration, none too soon. And the public, by and large will chase after it like a dog chasing a bone.
BushCo administration has no interest in solving the I/P/L nor can it
If You are waiting for the US to step up and stop the bloodshed in the I/P/L conflict, You are going to be sadly disappointed. What is happenning in the I/P/L is only the sad reflection of the US approach in Iraq. No good will come of the I/P/L just as no good will come of either the GWOT or Iraq.