Editorial de “The New York Times” del 20.05.2003
This is not what the White House wanted as President Bush starts pointing toward next year's election campaign. Iraq is in a state of near anarchy. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is escalating again, and Islamic terrorists are on the attack in the Middle East. Just at the moment when Mr. Bush would like the nation to think of him as a statesman, everything seems to be going the wrong way in one of the world's most combustible regions. Mr. Bush has himself to blame in part.
Iraq is a mess because the Bush administration failed to plan adequately for the postwar period. The Pentagon has proved itself great at fighting wars but not very good at dealing with their aftermath. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his aides seemed to think that Iraq would emerge from the war as a functioning country that could then be led toward democracy by American officials. Now, more than a month after the fighting subsided, Iraq remains a lawless land without basic services like electricity, fresh water and decent medical care. Instead of serving as a model for enlightened American rule, Iraq is turning into a symbol of American maladministration. It is not too late to turn Iraq around, but Mr. Bush will have to be prepared to throw far more resources into the situation, for a much longer time than he originally intended.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its own destructive dynamic, which Washington is belatedly trying to break. If Mr. Bush had not neglected the Middle East crisis in his first year in office, he might not be facing such a seemingly intractable deadlock today. Suspending the cycle of violence may be impossible at this point, but the best chance depends on strong, sustained pressure from Washington.
Yesterday's suicide bombing at a shopping mall in northern Israel was the fifth Palestinian attack in less than 48 hours. All have been claimed by extremist Islamic groups, which are aiming not only at Israel but also at the new government of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister. Mr. Abbas says he wants to confront such groups but cannot do so as long as Israel continues its tough military policies. Israelis say they are being blown up, so do not talk of easing conditions. Only a concerted American effort, led by Mr. Bush himself, can bring Mr. Abbas and Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, to take the steps that are needed to quell the violence and rekindle peace talks.
Most disturbing to many Americans may be the recent terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, which have demonstrated that the war against terrorism is far from over. Much of Al Qaeda's leadership may by arrested or dead, as President Bush has asserted, but the organization and its affiliates are far from finished off.
The United States must pursue the international teamwork against terrorism that President Bush initiated after Sept. 11. Unfortunately, the American decision to go to war in Iraq decreased the desire of other nations to cooperate. Those damaged relations now urgently need to be rebuilt. Saluting cheering troops and campaigning for tax cuts may be good politics for Mr. Bush as he runs for a second term, but the president has a lot of work ahead in the Middle East before he can lay claim to the title of statesman.