BEHIND THE TIMES, BUT AHEAD OF THE TIMES:

A Bush-Sharon doctrine? (Arnaud de Borchgrave, February 14, 2003, Washington Times)

The strategic objectives of the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East have gradually merged into a now cohesive Bush-Sharon Doctrine. But this gets lost in the deafening cacophony of talking heads playing armchair generals in the coming war to change regimes in Baghdad.

On Feb. 9, The Washington Post's Bob Kaiser finally broke through the sound barrier to document what has long been reported in encrypted diplomatic e-mails from foreign embassies to dozens of foreign governments: Washington's "Likudniks" - Ariel Sharon's powerful backers in the Bush administration - have been in charge of U.S. policy in the Middle East since President Bush was sworn into office.

In alliance with Evangelical Christians, these policy-makers include some of the most powerful players in the Bush administration. The course they plotted for Mr. Bush began with benign neglect of the Mideast peace process as Intifada II escalated. September 11 provided the impulse for a military campaign to consign Saddam Hussein to the dustbin of history.

Mr. Sharon provided the geopolitical ammo by convincing Mr. Bush that the war on Palestinian terrorism was identical to the global war on terror. Next came a campaign to convince U.S. public opinion that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were allies in their war against America. [...]

But the Saddam-bin Laden nexus was barely Step One in the Bush-Sharon Doctrine. The strategic objective is the antithesis of Middle Eastern stability. The destabilization of "despotic regimes" comes next. In the Arab bowling alley, one ball aimed at Saddam is designed to achieve a 10-strike that would discombobulate authoritarian and/or despotic regimes in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Emirates and sheikhdoms.

The ultimate phase would see Israel surrounded by democratic regimes that would provide 5 million Israelis - soon to be surrounded by 300 million Arabs - with peace and security for at least a generation. A meritorious plan if it achieves all its objectives.

Close U.S. allies Jordan and Turkey were to form an axis along with Israel to weaken and "roll back" Syria.

Boy, you can''t sneak anything by old Arnaud... Hasn't this been explicit U.S. policy since at least early last year, after President Bush's "axis of evil" and Palestinian reform speeches? Posted by Orrin Judd at February 15, 2003 11:37 AM