Juan Cole: Could a Gaza Land War Lose the Middle East for America?

[eridani]

Love Juan Cole, but does anyone else find the idea that "we" "have" the Middle East to be a little creepy?

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/14614-focus-could-a-gaza-land-war-lose-the-middle-east-for-america

1. The current government of Egypt headed by Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad Morsi has correct relations with the US. But it could be pushed to be more radical by a Gaza land war. He argues that Morsi's hands could be tied by an Israeli ground war, Arna'ut does not say so, but if the Brotherhood looks like it is too close to the US to protest the Gaza action, it could lose out in the next parliamentary elections to even more hard line Salafis, creating an impediment to US diplomacy in the region.

2. Likewise, Jordan's fragile and protested government may be forced to take steps contrary to Washington's desires, just to survive. Arna'ut does not say so, but some of the Jordanian crowds' rage against the monarchy is not just high fuel prices but also the peace treaty with Israel and the government's refusal to revoke it.

3. The US has gone to a lot of trouble, with Qatar, to create a new leadership organization for the Syrian exile community. But an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza would take the focus off Syria and would strengthen the hand of the Baath Party. The new Syrian opposition council risks being seen as ineffectual and beholden to the US and the Israeli Likud Party, and so discredited. US policy of helping gradually take down Bashar al-Assad would be stymied.

[leveymg]

1. Israel in effect treats Gazans as hostages. In a general war, they would be slaughtered en mass.

That seems to be the message of this and Operation Cast Lead.

As for Mr. Cole, while I generally find him to be enlightened and well-informed, I find his enthusiasm for the Sunni war against the Shi'ia in Syria to be an appalling fault and ethical blindspot on his part.