Bush: a tepid welcome

Coaxing Israelis and Palestinians to reach a final settlement by the end of the year is not the only challenge facing US President George Bush on his current Middle East tour. 

Once he has finished pushing forward the peace process this week, he has to confront a prickly Egypt, angered by Israeli lobbying of Congress to condition some of Egypt's annual military aid on improved efforts to stop Hamas smuggling arms and fighters into Gaza. It is another example of the fine line US presidents have to tread between their support for Israel and other regional objectives.   

His hosts in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the Gulf leg of the trip this week are also treading a fine line between support for their US security guarantor as they confront the real threat they face from Iran on the one hand, and seeking to avoid antagonising Tehran -- and thus to 'contain' Washington as well -- on the other.  Given their geographical location, these states would bear the brunt of the fallout from a US-Iran crisis -- and they will still be on the frontline long after Bush has left office. 

There will also be a 'surprise' visit to Iraq to congratulate US commanders on the gains made by the troop surge and to chide recalcitrant Iraqi politicians for squandering the opportunity this has presented.