Hillary begins this chapter by verifying an incident we had all seen
reported that was never confirmed. It took place on the road between
Ramallah and Jerusalem in 2012 and concerned many of us.
She was traveling in the Holy Land just before Thanksgiving.
November 20, 2012 by
still4hill
President
Obama asked me to come to Israel with a very clear message: America’s
commitment to Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering. That is
why we believe it is essential to de-escalate the situation in Gaza.
The
rocket attacks from terrorist organizations inside Gaza on Israeli
cities and towns must end and a broader calm restored. The goal must be a
durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the
security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The
incident on the Ramallah road involved a rocket that might have been
launched, according to Hillary, and not the attempted ground attack we
had read of here.
As she mentioned in chapter 14, the Obama
administration came into office on the heels of a cease-fire in the
region that more-or-less held through the next two years and began a
creeping deterioration through 2011 into 2012. Events of the Arab
Spring influenced Hamas activity in Gaza as related by Hillary and Sinai
began to descend into lawlessness as Bedouin tribes, excluded by the
Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, became restless.
On this first trip
to post-revolutionary Egypt, she raised the issue of Sinai to then
President Morsi to no avail. He perceived no problem. After all, there
was an Islamist government now. She found his perception naive at
best.
July 14, 2012 by
still4hill
July 15, 2012 by
still4hill
Came August - Henry Kissinger had once warned her as secretary of state never to plan a vacation in August - this.
August 23, 2012 by
still4hill
With
regard to the Secretary’s call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr, they
obviously talked about the situation in Sinai and the ongoing Egyptian
security operations. They talked about the visit of the IMF to Cairo and
under the – with Christine Lagarde there as well, and the United
States’ ongoing interest in support Egypt’s recovery as well.
In
October the Emir of Qatar made an official visit to Gaza. It was a big
deal for Hamas and precipitated a thorny regional situation for all
involved at a volatile time. The Emir, Sheikh Hammad bin Khalifa
al-Thani, assisted by his cousin, Sheikh Hammad bin Jassim al-Thani,
sought to seize the moment to peddle Qatari influence and consolidate
power in the region.
The power-play was short-lived. With the
overthrow of Morsi and Islamist influence diluted, the two Sheikhs
stepped aside in 2013. In 2014 Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE
recalled their ambassadors to Qatar.
Hillary was in Australia with
Leon Panetta and Martin Dempsey when a call came through from Ehud
Barak that in response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel was about to
begin an air campaign.
November 14, 2012 by
still4hill
Hillary
was bound for Singapore and then Thailand to meet up with President
Obama. They were to make an historic joint visit to Burma and Cambodia
where she had
originally been scheduled to attend ASEAN with President Obama. It was a critical summit addressing issues about the South China Sea.
But in the Middle East there was a chance of a ground invasion of Gaza.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Tour Wat Pho Royal Monastery in Bangkok
November 18, 2012 by
still4hill
By the 20th all the plans had changed.
November 20, 2012 by
still4hill
The
decision had been made that it was most important that she travel to
the Middle East to seek a cease-fire. Hillary and her traveling party
headed for Israel.
November 20, 2012 by
still4hill
She
met with Netanyahu immediately upon landing, but was told she would not
be given much time. If she did not effect an agreement quickly, the
plans for a ground invasion would be implemented.
November 20, 2012 by
still4hill
November 20, 2012 by
still4hill
November 21, 2012 by still4hill
November 21, 2012 by
still4hill
The
visit to Abbas was largely a formality to keep him relevant in a
situation where he had no real control or muscle to exert since the
threat was coming from Hamas. Hillary wanted to be sure he was kept in
the loop. He appreciated that.
Missing element: trust. Mubarak
was gone and the Israeli's did not trust the Muslim Brotherhood
government in Egypt that was negotiating for Hamas. An Iraeli official
told Hillary that this was the hardest choice Bibi had faced as Prime
Minister.
She left for Cairo with an Israeli-approved strategy. This is what her day looked like.
Public Schedule for November 21, 2012
Public Schedule
Washington, DC
November 21, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
PUBLIC SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2012
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Secretary Clinton is on foreign travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Cairo. Please click here for more information.
8:15 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in Jerusalem.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah.
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING MEETING)
11:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem.
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING MEETING)
2:40 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, in Cairo.
(CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING MEETING)
4:10 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr deliver joint press statements, in Cairo. Please click here for a transcript of the remarks.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
Note: Secretary Clinton has no public schedule through Sunday, November 25th.
Morsi
was educated in the U.S. and read carefully. He questioned the
translation, and objected to a portion until Hillary pointed out that
his it was folks who had proposed that element at which point he let it
slide. He and the Muslim Brotherhood were new to leadership despite
having something of a history, and Hillary had to remind them of their
position of leadership in the region. The moment of the announcement
would represent the apex of their authority.
November 21, 2012 by
still4hill
November 25, 2012 by
still4hill
In
the end a senior Israeli official told Hillary that they had been
forty-eight hours from launching a ground offensive and that her
intervention was the only thing standing in the way.
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