Muslim nations in emergency talks

[True_Blue]

Foreign ministers and officials from around the Islamic world are gathering in Malaysia to discuss the security situation in Iraq and the Middle East.

The hosts say they hope the meeting will take a stand against US policy across the region.

The summit was brought forward amid concerns at recent developments.

It is expected that at least 20 members of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conferences will be represented at the talks in Putrajaya.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3648475.stm

[aquart]

1. No, no! They were supposed to be cowed and obedient!

We were supposed to impress them with our might and greatness and then graciously permit them to bathe in our light.

[BostonTeaParty04]

2. wow, they moved it up a month -- per Arafat's request

and after Bush did the deal with Sharon.

On iraq, it says they may discuss bringing in muslim groups to secure iraq..... and a big question is that it be done under a UN mandate....

This fits in with what Sen. Byrd was saying today for a soluton....

I hope a lot of the 57 nations show up (it would BEHOOVE them to do so... it seems):

Thursday's meeting may be judged on how many of the OIC's members turn up. As the world's largest grouping of Islamic countries, if there is a poor showing, it will be far easier for Western nations to ignore it.

*** the journalist doesn't mention WHEN this meeting was scheduled till the last paragraph. Looks like it will be tomorrow.... which, in Malaysis, that is today???? confused....

[Egalitarian]

8. Makes sense for Muslims to do the job

since we basically went into Iraq to eliminate saddam, wmd's and the great threat that they presented to us. Really does make sense at this stage, course we might get dissed on our cut of the oil.

[Fridays Child]

3. Hey, George, how's that democracy/domino theory working out for you?

Jesus!

[NEOBuckeye]

4. "[O]ur children will sing great songs about us years from now."

"This is total war. If we just let our vision of the world go forth... our children will sing great songs about us years from now."
-- Richard Perle

Like Hell they will be! The chapter hasn't yet been written where the Bush junta is thoroughly reviled and cast out by the people. The Arab nations rallying together to reject the U.S. invasion of one of their own would appear to be the prelude, however.

[Old and In the Way]

5. I predict the great song will be

"Slip, Sliding Away"

I wonder how history will treat the "New American Century"? I suspect that it will note it lasted the 4 years George W. Bush inhabited the WH.

[whistle]

9. Well how has History treated the Austrian-Hungarian Empire...

...after WW I? We haven't heard too much about that empire in the last 75 years. They were the biggest, strongest, richest and most arrogant nation that walked the earth right up to 1914 to 1918, then poof, they were no longer significant. Their legacy along with the other old European powers seems to be struggling to get out under BushCo. Could the U.S. go down a similar path this early in the century? How will Wal-Mart and the oil Barons help us accomplish that, I wonder? Do Syria or Jordan have oil of any significance? Iran and Saudi Arabia do, most certainly, but BushCo would have to euthanize the whole middle east and purge the Muslim countries of literally all their inhabitants. Would the rest of the civilized world stand for that. We know there are perhaps 30 million extremist Americans who might very well go along with the President on that. That just might bring the Bolsheviks back with a vengeance.

[whistle]

6. Boy, this sounds like WW III to me...

...I wonder what the Saudi prince did with his copy of the Iraq war plan? Did that plan also have the plan for the peace afterwords? Like, did it show that Halliburton would get all of the juicy big contracts and Iraqis would get hind tit? These guys must be really pissed off and I would not be at all surprised if they tell BushCo to get the fuck out of Iraq and Afghanistan now. Of course, Bush would just dig in his heals and say, "Bring 'em on!". Our troops might have a totally different reply to that this time. They might say, Mr President, ah, we suggest you order the private company security force to the front first and once they are bumped off, you can pay us their daily fees of $1500 per soldier.

[Old and In the Way]

10. Honestly, I think the balkanization of Iraq was the plan all along.

I see a new Kingdom of Halliburtonstan in the making. Maybe Cheney will end up King, yet. I'll bet the new Constitution will not have any extradition treaties with the US, either.

[Muddleoftheroad]

13. If that was the case

Why didn't they do it the first time.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Updated title: "US condemned at Muslim conference" - it's daytime there

.
.
.

From the article:

"Malaysia's prime minister told delegates from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that the situation in the Middle East was "alarming".

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi condemned Israel's plan - endorsed by the US - to keep some settlements in the West Bank.On Iraq, he said the hopes generated by the fall of Saddam Hussein last year had not been met. "

/snip/

Troop contributions?

Turning to Iraq, the Malaysian prime minister said: "The hopes and expectations of the international community which followed the ending of the war against Iraq on 1 May 2003 have not been met."

"Gone are the joy and jubilation of some Iraqis (at) the collapse of the regime of Saddam Hussein," he added.

He said the current violence was "nothing less than the fierce resistance of people against what is increasingly seen as an occupation force".
_____________________________________________________________

I would expect a lot of updates on THIS issue!

[leftchick]

11. AP Report: Islamic Leader: U.N. Iraq Role Must Grow

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040422/ap_on_re_as/islamic_meeting&cid=516&ncid=1480

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Islamic countries on Thursday urged the United Nations (news - web sites) to return to Iraq (news - web sites) and take "a central role" in restoring peace and security, citing concerns about heavy civilian casualties and alleged abuses by the U.S.-led occupying forces.
Delegates to a special session of the 57-members Organization of the Islamic Conference urged the U.N. Security Council to pass a new resolution giving the world body the "necessary mandate" to restore peace in Iraq.

They did not give a timetable for such a resolution, saying only that it should come "in due course." Elsewhere, however, the meeting urged the current U.S.-backed administrators to stick to their June 30 deadline to hand power back to Iraqis.

"We recognize and stress the importance of the United Nations in playing a central role to establish peace, security and stability in Iraq," a draft statement by delegates to the meeting says.

A Security Council resolution should empower the United Nations "with the necessary mandate and authority to ensure the achievement of this goal," says the draft, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The statement is expected to be formally adopted later Thursday.

In a separate statement, delegates condemned Israel's plan to withdraw from Gaza but keep some settlements in Palestinian territory, and criticized the U.S. government for supporting it, according to a draft obtained by AP.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. There will be military alliances formed from this meeting. I would expect

if the U.S. decides to invade Syria (as long as we're "in the neighborhood,"), there will be a united response from a myriad of Arab countries. Think Bismarck, Serbia-Russia and Austria/Hungary-Germany after the assassination of Archduke Franz Josef.