04 February 2009

Right Idea, Wrong Person

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of GW Bush being appointed US Peace Envoy to the Middle East and setting up an office here alongside Tony Blair who holds that same position representing the EU. I guess that was a bit overly optimistic considering the hatred the American public still feels for Bush, but Mitchell is old and he's sick. Give it a bit of time. After all, he's got half the name (George). And now he's setting up the shop.

Mitchell May 'Settle' in Jerusalem
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(IsraelNN.com) United States Middle East envoy Sen. George C. Mitchell has suggested he wants to set up shop in Jerusalem in his attempt to help Israel and the Palestinian Authority reach an agreement. Eleven predecessors have failed, and The New York Times's Thomas Friedman says he will be the 12th.

Mitchell, whose mother left Lebanon at the age of 18 and whose father was the orphaned son of Irish immigrants, plans to return to the Middle East this month and wants to set up office in Jerusalem so his staff can monitor day-to-day events.