Monday January 16, 2006

I'm Predicting:

Vice President Cheney is on a trip to visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The United States is putting its own interests ahead of regional issues.
The vice president's trip is doomed to fail.

Here's why:
The United States wants-
Moderates to be elected in the upcoming Palestinian elections --- NO chance
More pressure on Syria to cooperate in the Harriri assassination ---NO chance
Lower cost oil and higher daily output from Saudi Arabia --- NO chance
More pressure on Iran in order to curtail nuclear development --- NO chance
Liberalizing regional governments and improving human rights --- NO chance

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have already been enormously cooperative on the issue of terror intelligence and information and they have already pressured Syria.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia will not stick their neck out on these other issues until they get more of what they want from the United States.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia want the United States to stop pushing liberalization.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia will argue that almost everything is out of their hands and not in their control.

Good luck.