Israeli settlements will fill Palestinian land by 2009, a Syrian Cabinet member wrote in a Sunday commentary condemning US President George W. Bush for pushing back his estimate of when a Palestinian state could emerge. Buthaina Shaaban, Syria's minister of immigrant affairs attributed Bush's retreat from the idea of Palestinian statehood by next year to "blurred vision" in her article for the Lebanese daily Al Mustaqbal.
| The Paleostinian state by next year idea was contingent on adherence to the road map, which Hamas used for toilet paper. Cause and effect, lady. |
During a Washington press conference Saturday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush suggested it was up to the Palestinians alone to revive the stalled Middle East peace process following the death of their leader, Yasser Arafat.
| They're the ones who blew up the buses, aren't they? |
| Boomed a pizza parlor or three also. |
He also said it was "possible" a Palestinian state could be established in four years, referring to the length of his second term. "Bush declared that the responsibility falls on the Palestinians, that he desires to build democracy and that the Israelis wish to help out in this respect," Shaaban wrote, but added: "He even failed to show enthusiasm for Blair's proposal to convene an international conference to settle the Middle East conflict."
| They had one. Remember the Quartet? That's where the road map came from... |
Shaaban, who often acts as a spokeswoman for the Syrian government, was referring to Britain's offer to host a December meeting of the Quartet — the United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union — trying to broker Mideast peace.
| Been there, done that. Wipe the poop stains off the road map and get to work. |
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