Bush's policies pay off

Things are moving fast in the middle east.

America's success in Afghanistan and Iraq convinced Libya to give up it's weapons of mass destruction without firing a shot. There is no sign of that happening in Syria or Iran, yet. With the changing face of the middle east they may want to look in the mirror.

I recently posted about "Egypt "dropping the negative attitude towards Israel"

The Weekly Standard reports on more changes.

ACCORDING TO ISRAEL'S leading newspaper of record, Yediot Ahronot, fascinating developments are underway in the Arab world. They appear to be stimulated by a possible breakthrough between Israel and the Palestinian leadership, against the backdrop of America's toppling of the dictatorship in Iraq.

On December 6, Yediot reporters Itamar Eichner, Haim Shibi, and Gad Lior wrote that the Libyan regime of Muammar Qaddafi has invited Moshe Kahlon, the deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament, to Tripoli. The purported topic of conversations there: Jewish properties in Libya.

By all logic, such a discussion could only involve restitution to Jewish owners, either of the properties themselves or of payment for them. Qaddafi expropriated Jewish assets in Libya after he took power in 1969. [...]

And

If so, he may not be alone. Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom has predicted that "ten Arab countries will soon open diplomatic relations in Israel. A good period awaits us with the Arab world."

The Israeli foreign ministry similarly suggests that the elections for the Palestinian Authority on January 9--shaping up to be the first truly contested Palestinian balloting--could lead, in the near term, to revived and improved diplomatic relations with four Arab countries: Morocco, which already has a private policy of civility with Israel, Jordan, Tunisia, and Oman. Before the second Palestinian "intifada," or uprising, began in 2000, Tunisia and Oman had opened mutual liaison or trade offices with Israel, and Jordan had promised to send an ambassador to Israel. While that ambassador was never sent, Jordanian-Israeli economic cooperation continued; as a result of Israeli investment, Jordanian exports to the United States have risen to $1 billion. [...]

And

Reports are also circulating that Israel has developed secret links with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. And finally, Egyptian relations with Israel have warmed to the point where Israeli foreign ministry director general Ron Prosor said, on December 5, that Cairo will also reestablish its embassy-level relations with the Jewish state after the Palestinian elections. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak may visit Ariel Sharon in Israel.

America's influence, and elections like the one coming up in Iraq, may prove beneficially contagious in the Middle East--notwithstanding the contempt for the idea of encouraging the spread of democracy expressed by the chattering classes in the West.

Now if we could just fix the UN we might see some real progress.
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