From: "Gary Bauer" Subject: End of Day 3-30-07 Date: 30 Mar 2007 17:54:27 -0400 Friday, March 30, 2007 To: Friends & Supporters From: Gary Bauer Middle East Inching Toward War? This has been anything but a “quiet week” on the foreign policy scene. Shaken by Iran’s seizure of British sailors and taken back by the unusually harsh rhetoric coming out of Saudi Arabia, western diplomats are scurrying to parse the statements, hoping to read between the lines what is very likely not there. First, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah lashed out at America by saying Iraq was “under an illegitimate foreign occupation...” Now, the Saudis are reportedly threatening Israel with war. Recently, Secretary of State Rice said, “The Arab states should begin reaching out to Israel -- to reassure Israel that its place in the region will be more, not less secure, by ...the establishment of a Palestinian state.” In other words, for the peace process to move forward, Arab states need to step up and recognize Israel. The Saudi response was delivered by its foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, who told British media yesterday, “It has never been proven that reaching out to Israel achieves anything.” So, what exactly do the Saudis want? They are insisting -- as a precondition to negotiations – that Israel accept the terms of the “Arab Plan,” which includes a return to the pre-1967 borders, a surrender of East Jerusalem to Arab control, and the right of return for all Arab descendants who left Israel in the 1948 war. That, according to Prince Saud, is a mere “opening position” for negotiations. But, my friends, those are the key issues – beyond which there is virtually nothing left to negotiate! The Saudi position is essentially for Israel to surrender first; then the kingdom will talk. But the prince warns, “If Israel refuses, that means it doesn’t want peace... They will be putting their future not in the hands of the peacemakers, but in the hands of lords of war.” To gain a better understanding of the Saudi mindset, just consider this stunning observation from Dennis Ross, Bill Clinton’s top Middle East negotiator, about the recent Mecca agreement ironed out by the Saudis between Fatah and Hamas: “If you read the Mecca agreement, Israel appears only as an adjective, not as a noun. Israel only appears in the agreement modifying words like ‘aggression’ and ‘occupation,’ but never appears as a noun -- much less as a state to be recognized.” Meanwhile, Iran is making a mockery out of Great Britain, forcing its captives to “apologize” on Iranian state television. The message to the Iranian people and the Muslim masses in the Middle East is clear: Tehran rules the waves! This Judge “Gets It” We’ve had some disappointments with the Bush Administration over the past six years, but when the president does something right, I believe he deserves the credit. Case in point: Janice Rogers Brown, a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The liberal media typically refer to Judge Brown as “controversial.” Earlier this week, during a speech at Harding University, she showed why she drives the liberal media nuts! Here are a few excerpts. “…Christianity at its best is the foundation of reason and liberty. …The true American religious tradition, the one that disciplines power, subjugating it to reason, truth and, ultimately, an all-powerful God, is not a threat to liberty but its best defender.” Brown said those who attack people of faith “essentially argue (that) the true American religion demands acceptance of, indeed submission to, a common political vision — their vision.” Brown noted that in the 20th century, secular humanism crept into Western governments, promising tolerance, but, “What we got was narrow positivism, moral relativism and the totalitarian reign of the radical multi-culturalist. …It promised peace. What we got was a process of permanent revolution, tumult, strife and a ceaseless assault upon the foundations of faith, family and civil society. It promised if not the pursuit of truth, at least rationality and acknowledgment of objective reality. What we got was postmodernism.” In other words, we didn’t get “tolerance,” but a culture war where values once cherished and accepted are mocked and denigrated. Brown also made this astute observation: “Contrary to the prevailing secularist dogma ... a society cannot exist without a fighting faith. Where society has nothing to die for, it has nothing to live for and cannot long survive.” That’s exactly what we are witnessing in Europe today, where the post-modern cultural elites are too weak and unwilling to defend themselves from radical Islam. As the saying goes, you can’t beat something with nothing. * * * * * If you are interested in receiving Mr. Bauer's daily report by e-mail, please call 703-671-9700, visit SIGN UP FOR GARY BAUER'S "END OF DAY REPORT" or simply send a reply e-mail titled "Subscribe" and include your name and address. To be removed from Gary Bauer's End of Day distribution list, please reply to this message with "Remove" in the subject line. 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