Better Late than Never....

It took roughly seven years for Mr. Bush to become interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

That this conflict was at the root of the reasons the U.S. is resented in the region has been obvious to every serious observer. Coupled with the presence of U.S. troops on Arab/Muslim lands, it has led to what has been called the "war of all wars" by the Bush administration.

Why they would accord bin Laden the "honor" of having triggered the "war of all wars," is a mystery that only Bush-Cheney can explain. After all, he had a relatively small following when he launched the attack on 9/11 while he presently has an enormous following not only in the Middle East but also in many other nations.

Reason: Policies pursued by the Administration that have been highly counterproductive.

So, as they say, better late than never...only by attacking and resolving the ROOT CAUSES that lead to resentment and hatred, can the "war of all wars" be brought to a successful conclusion.

Needless to say, skepticism prevails as the conference presently being held in Annapolis with participation of Israelis, Arabs and others is opened for business.

But, who knows...miracles do happen on occasion and most observers will be happy to give the parties the benefit of the doubt.

Should a positive result emerge after decades of bloody entanglements, the world will surely applaud, and Mr. Bush will have one feather in his cap that is peaceful, as opposed to the other bloody feathers he has rightly been tarred with as the world looked on in horror at his inept leadership.