However, the Palestinian conflict and Iraq continue to take centre stage. For instance, in a unprecedented bipartisan plan for national security offered by the prestigious Rand Think Tank, only the Arab-Israeli conflict and Iraq are listed as vital US strategic concerns in the region. The report states that, should the violence continue, it would be imperative for the US to immediately bring a halt to hostilities. At the diplomatic level, the plan advises the US to thoroughly review alternatives, establish a qualified negotiating team and clarify the US's infallible commitment to defending Israel's security. The report moreover urges Bush to intervene personally on all levels.
Similar advice is dished out regarding Iraq.
Persisting with the policy first launched by former President George Bush, the US strategy is basically to continue bombing Iraq into submission or to encourage the overthrow of Saddam Hussein himself. History tells us a great deal about how to stand up to the Zionist lobby. Senator William Fulbright has told me how in 1975, at the time of a reassessment of Middle Eastern policy, he went to President Ford and asked him to ignore the Zionist lobby in the US and maintain a policy of non-alignment regarding Israel. Fulbright argued that his support for Israel would not guarantee him the Jewish-American vote. I told him that, if he stood his ground, he would win the presidency.