Is the Annapolis Peace Conference Stalled Out?

[GoNavy2011]

<p>From today’s “Washington Post”:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801448.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801448.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

A few days after Thanksgiving, President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plan to open a meeting in Annapolis to launch the first round of substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks during Bush’s presidency.</p>

<p>But no conference date has been set. No invitations have been issued. And no one really agrees on what the participants will actually talk about once they arrive at the Naval Academy for the meeting, which is intended to relaunch Bush’s stillborn “road map” plan to create a Palestinian state.

</p>

<p>Doesn’t sound like it’s a “go”, does it?</p>

[USNAMom]

<p>Kind of hoping for the Midshipmen that it doesn’t happen in Annapolis. Very little information out there but there has been talk of sequestering the Brigade in Bancroft for two days while the conference takes place. One would certainly think that they could find another location where it does not interfere with classes right before finals------not to mention Army week. One can only image what kind of mischief will take place with that kind of plan.</p>

[MOM2LOLA2011]

<p>FYI… I was watching BBC America 7:00pm News (love their version of American News… so un-biased) and their lead story was the Peace Conference at USNA Annapolis! (I thought they said it would be this weekend… which would make sense with the mids away and they could close the Yard to the public) How exciting… But I did ask my mid and she said they had not gotten any word on it.</p>

<p>Then I turned to ABC (I have a crush on Charlie Gibson I must say) and nothing… no mention.</p>

<p>We shall see what they say on Good Morning America tomorrow morning.</p>

[GoNavy2011]

<p>From today’s “Wall Street Journal” opinion page:</p>

<p>[OpinionJournal</a> - Global View](<a href=“http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bstephens/?id=110010885]OpinionJournal”>http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bstephens/?id=110010885)</p>

<p>THE ANNAPOLIS FIASCO:
Condoleeza Rice’s Pointless Middle East Peace Conference</p>

<p>

No wonder, then, that as skepticism about Annapolis grows its perceived significance shrinks. What was originally billed as a conference is now being described by the State Department as a “meeting.” What was originally envisaged as a three-day event has become a one-day event. There is, as of this writing, no firm list of participants. And there are whispers the date of the meeting may be pushed back, perhaps to December…</p>

<p>As for the agenda, there isn’t one. Substantive discussions have been ruled out. There was some hope that Israelis and Palestinians would agree to a joint “declaration of principles,” but they could not come up with a common text. Now there’s talk of issuing separate declarations, or doing without declarations altogether.

</p>

[gentrysdad]

<p>It appears that it is likely be a one day meeting on Nov 27th, though there are no “official” confirmations.</p>

<p>[Annapolis</a> peace conference Nov. 27 - Top Stories - (HometownAnnapolis.com)](<a href=“Real Estate – Capital Gazette”>Real Estate – Capital Gazette)</p>

[JackTraveler]

<p>Wow. Putting it during Army week… Brilliant idea…</p>

[gentrysdad]

<p>It is “official” - hopefully the mids will be able to carry on with Army week after Wednesday.</p>

<p>[Locals</a> eager to play hosts – baltimoresun.com](<a href=“http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.preparations21nov21,0,6281512.story?page=1]Locals”>http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.preparations21nov21,0,6281512.story?page=1)</p>

[MOM2LOLA2011]

<p>The yard closed to visitors Nov 26 and 27th</p>

[atrmom]

<p>But everything back to normal on Wednesday, November 28…just in time for the Beat Army Pep Rally!</p>

[Profmom2]

<p>Abridged class schedule as well - Mid did not know about Monday but Tuesday class schedule is like today’s.</p>

[mid]

<p>

Wow. Putting it during Army week… Brilliant idea…

</p>

<p>I think that peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict outweighs a few pranks. Just my thoughts though.</p>

[GoNavy2011]

<p>Mid, </p>

<p>I’d agree with you, but I think this shoddy, poorly-organized conference has as much chance as helping bring about “peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” as the Wednesday night Army Week pep rally does.</p>

<p>From the Wall Street Journal (hardly a liberal rag) article I quoted a few days ago:</p>

<p>[OpinionJournal</a> - Global View](<a href=“http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bstephens/?id=110010885]OpinionJournal”>http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bstephens/?id=110010885)</p>

<p>

Then there are the Israelis…Yossi Beilin, architect of the 1993 Oslo Accords and a political dove, predicts not only that Annapolis will fail, but that its failure will “weaken the Palestinian camp, strengthen Hamas and cause violence.” His political opposite, Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, calls Annapolis “dangerous” and warns that Israel risks giving away everything for nothing in return. Few Israelis take seriously the view that the creation of a Palestinian state offers a solution to their concerns about Iran. On the contrary, they fear that such a state would become yet another finger of the Islamic Revolution, just as Hezbollahstan is to their north in Lebanon, and Hamastan is to their south in Gaza.

</p>

<p>Basically, this conference is poorly organized and is likely to make matters worse, not better, in the I/P conflict. I wish it weren’t going to happen; it has the potential to cause more harm than good.</p>