I don't really see how Obama's visit undermines the "Peace Process" more than it has already been undermined. Years of failure, mutual recrimination, violence, killings and most of all the continued Israeli seizure of the land supposedly being negotiated over has done a pretty good job of undermining it whether or no Obama sets foot with 10000km of the place. The fact that he is showing up without even pretending to try does pretty well highlight that failure though.
In the first paragraph you say they killed 8 Iraqis, in the last 6. Not that it makes much difference in the political implications, but I thought I'd point it out.
I live in Michigan and a lot of the Arab Christians I talk to (not all, particularly those Lebanese with LF leanings) are passionately against the opposition. Shia tend to be more so, occasionally hysterically when they have family there. Don't know any Alawaites. Correctly or not, a lot of them think that a rebel victory will mean their communities will be destroyed and their relatives killed or driven into exile, its very personal. This is why I don't think the conflict will be over quickly or easily. If they are like some of the people I have met, they think they are fighting for their lives and societies, and so they will fight to the last bullet and shell. I don't think they reckon they have a choice.
And yes, I also know pro FSA people, mostly Sunni. They are also quite passionate, which is why there is a war.
If the two sides trusted each other even marginally and if the nuclear issue were the only thing in play, I suspect this would be a non-issue. But I really can't see the US (read, Israel) ever being satisfied that there isn't some secret site somewhere or at least pretending to think so as long as Israel's main security threats, Hamas and Hizballah are mainly outfitted by Iran.
Not quite sure why the loss of a 'land bridge' to Lebanon would mean the end of Iran's influence there. They never had one before since Saddam wasn't exactly friendly and I imagine they have enough pull with the Lebanese government to be able to fly weapons there directly. Hezbollah is not exactly a proscribed organization in Lebanon.
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I don't really see how Obama's visit undermines the "Peace Process" more than it has already been undermined. Years of failure, mutual recrimination, violence, killings and most of all the continued Israeli seizure of the land supposedly being negotiated over has done a pretty good job of undermining it whether or no Obama sets foot with 10000km of the place. The fact that he is showing up without even pretending to try does pretty well highlight that failure though.
In the first paragraph you say they killed 8 Iraqis, in the last 6. Not that it makes much difference in the political implications, but I thought I'd point it out.
I live in Michigan and a lot of the Arab Christians I talk to (not all, particularly those Lebanese with LF leanings) are passionately against the opposition. Shia tend to be more so, occasionally hysterically when they have family there. Don't know any Alawaites. Correctly or not, a lot of them think that a rebel victory will mean their communities will be destroyed and their relatives killed or driven into exile, its very personal. This is why I don't think the conflict will be over quickly or easily. If they are like some of the people I have met, they think they are fighting for their lives and societies, and so they will fight to the last bullet and shell. I don't think they reckon they have a choice.
And yes, I also know pro FSA people, mostly Sunni. They are also quite passionate, which is why there is a war.
If the two sides trusted each other even marginally and if the nuclear issue were the only thing in play, I suspect this would be a non-issue. But I really can't see the US (read, Israel) ever being satisfied that there isn't some secret site somewhere or at least pretending to think so as long as Israel's main security threats, Hamas and Hizballah are mainly outfitted by Iran.
Not quite sure why the loss of a 'land bridge' to Lebanon would mean the end of Iran's influence there. They never had one before since Saddam wasn't exactly friendly and I imagine they have enough pull with the Lebanese government to be able to fly weapons there directly. Hezbollah is not exactly a proscribed organization in Lebanon.