"No one really comes out looking particularly good in this book, but it is a good cautionary tale of why Western powers should not attempt to impose their government systems and way of life upon people who are not interested in having them. Let each country decide for itself the type of rulers it would like to have. Once in a while they will be people that the West doesn't like, but that's what self-determination is all about."


President Clinton had a good offer on the table prior to leaving office. The Palestinians should have accepted and honored it fully. The death of Yassir Arafat complicated the situation because he barely maintained control or had much suasion over Hamas. Hamas got to power in an environment of economic difficulty. They've done far worse even though they got power. Israel has been responding to the rocket attacks with military attacks of its own, as well as knocking off the top lieutenants in Hamas. Eventually, Hamas will fold or be significantly diminished. When that happens, Abbas will be in a better position to take total control over the Palestinians in the same way that Arafat did so. Then, there might be a window of opportunity for peace. Up until now, Hamas has been virtually impossible to deal with for any long term solution.