Thursday, October 11, 2007

Face-Saving Turn-Abouts

Odd, isn't it, the high priority given to face-saving among human beings? Most particularly certain areas of the world where saving face is deemed as having the highest priority. Honour, a conception of honour is inextricably bound into this passion for saving face.

Reality may present as a complete rout, the result of finding oneself in a very hard place, but all is not lost if through a peculiar mechanism of twisted words one can attest to complicity in the rescuing action resulting in face-saving. A transparent, but workable game of self-defense.

In the Palestinian Authority's geography of the West Bank and Gaza Strip a violent confrontation ensued when two disparate, competing entities who despise one another came to blows. Which, putting it mildly, is a euphemism for each faction doing its fanatical best to murder as many of the opposite camp as possible.

Using any and all means; foul in methodology and bitter in intent. So that successful Hamas, having vanquished the weaker Fatah from Gaza, found itself with the proverbial rhinoceros on its puzzled hands.

Ismail Haniyeh had managed to cut off his nose to spite his face, and found himself encircled, internationally denounced, cut off from any kind of UN- and EU-sponsored aid for the population he now purported to represent as sole and rightful administrator. Not to mention having to watch his back because of the Fatah-affiliated tribal chiefs who really owed allegiance to none but their own interests.

And he had to play the heavy with remaining Fatah outposts, treating the population to a vision of stark reality they had little comprehended before. Their liberator become their oppressor. Jubilant celebration did not last long in the aftermath of energy shortages, potable water, sufficient food.

Ah, all is not lost. Demagogues denounce and always find a way out of the predicaments they have themselves engineered. Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas, only slightly less criminal in intent and practise than his rival, regrets the division of the territories, for he would have them all, and more.

Good will gestures include the release of Hamas militia responsible for the grisly murders of Fatah militia members.

And look here: Hamas now declares itself ready for reconciliation, foxily averring its preparedness to submit control of Gaza. "There is a serious movement in the realm of Palestinian dialogue, and we have agreed to hold a dialogue with Fatah in one of the Arab capitals", grandly asserted Ismail Haniyeh.

Fooled you, we were just kidding about wresting control of Gaza from you! Can't you take a joke? All that murder and mayhem was just to lend an air of legitimacy to the theatrical playlist.

"Our administration in Gaza is temporary." Crocodile #1 preparing to dialogue with Crocodile #2. And all is well.

Move over, hopes for a peaceful geographic settlement. Combined terrorist vision resurgent.

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