The notion that the focus of the Middle-East conference is to reach an agreement in principle between Israel and the Palestinians, and so other conflicting parties, such as Syria, are marginal to the deliberation, is fundamentally flawed. The Bush administration must quickly reassess its position regarding Syria if it wishes to achieve even a modicum of success at the conference..

It appears that the Bush administration's proposed Mid-East peace conference may not be held before November 2007 — a relatively long time from now considering the volatility of the region, especially the ever deteriorating situation in Iraq and the deepening Fatah-Hamas conflict. Holding such a conference during the current turmoil would seem to jeopardize any prospects..

As Congress debates when and how to withdraw American troops from Iraq, the most critical question for every single member to answer is: What sort of Iraq will the United States leave behind?Having torn the country to pieces, destroyed its social order and brought millions of Iraqis to the point of utter despair through the Bush administration's tragic misadventure..

With security conditions throughout the Middle East region deteriorating daily, especially in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq, Damascus can play a significant role in stemming the tide of violence. This is why it is sadly ironic that the Bush administration, which is battling to stabilize the situation especially in Iraq, remains blind to the fact that a change of strategy toward Syria is critical…

Thanks to Fatah's ineptitude and corruption, Israel's shortsightedness, and the Bush administration's misguided policies, Hamas is now in control of the Gaza strip, setting the stage for potentially ominous developments…

Perhaps more than anything else, the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Six Days War has shown a spotlight on the present crisis of leadership in the Middle East. Israel is now being led by a government paralyzed by self-inflicted wounds, a government that lost its compass in the wake of the war with Hezbollah along with the courage to risk seizing the initiative and taking real steps toward peace…

Israel's momentous withdrawal from Gaza and the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, while substantially reducing the level of violence in the past eight months, have not produced the hoped-for momentum to propel the peace process forward.

The recent conference on Iraq, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, and attended by more than 50 countries representing half of the world's population, seems at first glance to underscore the "great interest so many countries have displayed" over the future of that torn country. But, perhaps we should lay it on the line and ask, "Who really cares about Iraq itself?"

However damning Judge Eliyaho Winograd's report may be regarding the Prime Minister's conduct of the second war in Lebanon, it would be far more damning and destructive for Israel if the political leaders seeking to replace Mr. Olmert lose sight of Israel's ultimate national interests. They must seek a national consensus not only in order to deal with present dangers but to seize the opportunity that the Arab Initiative presents for achieving a comprehensive peace…