Aftermath of the Bombings: The Challenge to America

Yesterday's twin bombings in Jerusalem and Baghdad are obviously a major challenge to the United States. Most of the press is understandably focused primarily on the events in Baghdad, but that should not lead us to underestimate the significance of the Jerusalem suicide bombing for several reasons.

1. This event was a major test for the fledgling Abu Mazen government, a direct challenge to the Palestinian Prime Minister in the light of his presence at negotiations in Gaza with Islamic terrorist groups at the very moment of the attack. Therefore, the PA must react immediately by challenging Hamas and Islamic Jihad, arresting their operatives, closing offices, and moving to end their role in Palestinian political life as we know it today.

2. It is a major blow to Israel.  Coming at a time when the Israeli government was trying to demonstrate flexibility and withdraw from additional towns, in the hope of giving Mohammed Dahlan more latitude in handling terrorists, it threatens the credibility of the Aqaba process.  Because Israelis will be more likely to challenge support for the roadmap, the pressure is even greater on the Palestinian Authority -- and on the US.

3. The US is under attack in Iraq, but its credibility is being challenged just as much on the Israeli-Palestinian front.  The administration has backed the Abu Mazen government as the centerpiece of its roadmap policy.  If that government fails, it will be a failure for the Palestinians, and a victory for Arafat and Islamic fundamentalists.  But it will also be a major blow to the US, a blow which will affect American credibility adversely --  just as progress on the peace process will enhance the US image throughout the Mideast.  This major terrorist attack--coming as it did in the midst of a ceasefire, amidst negotiations among Palestinians and between Israelis and Palestinians -- challenges every element of the current US approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian issue. 

If the US cannot control terrorism in a small area (the Mediterranean to the Jordan), when we know who the terrorists are and where they are located (and they even help by happily identifying themselves), how are we going to control terrorism in Iraq when we don't even know who the perpetrators are?  Or in the US homeland itself, where the power blackout demonstrates how vulnerable we remain?

We need a clear victory over terrorism, and ironically the Israeli-Palestinian arena is the ripest for US success.  This means encouraging and helping the PA to end the external financing of terrorists, especially from the Arab Gulf, from Iran, and from Europe.   And this means stopping support for charities which are associated with terrorist groups, because despite the arguments of Saudis, Kuwaitis, and others, these contributions cannot be separated.

But if the PA proves unable to control terrorist groups at this point, even as it is willing to do so, then, because the US cannot afford to let them fail, bolder action will be in order.   The roadmap will never succeed as long as Hamas and company can break ceasefires and renew attacks at will.  They must be broken.  Otherwise the roadmap will fail, the war on terrorism will be jeopardized, and our role in Iraq will be harmed.  But Israel cannot destroy these groups without impinging on its ability to participate in the diplomatic process at the same time.

If the PA cannot do it alone, then America must lead an international effort to end the role of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.    What does an international effort consist of?  The US should organize and lead a force consisting of contributing countries, of which Israel approves, which will help the PA execute the security measures proscribed in the roadmap.  What is at stake here is US leadership, not necessarily American troops.  In any case, by comparison to Iraq and even Afghanistan, the numbers are very small.  

If Hamas and Islamic Jihad are destroyed, then the PA can emerge as the strongest power in Palestinian society, offsetting the role of Arafat and allowing the roadmap to move forward. But the US must also lead the effort to allow the PA, under the supervision of its new highly respected finance minister, Salaam Fayyad, to replace Hamas as the main provider of social services and welfare, something the Palestinians now receive only from Islamic fundamentalists.  Such an effort would be a major victory in the President's efforts to thwart those who support international terrorism.  More significantly, such an effort would demonstrate to the region and to the international community that the US is fully capable of effectively combining military, political, and economic activity in its war on terrorism.  We dare not fail; we must move forward immediately.