Powell's road to Jerusalem

摘要

As The secretary of state, Colin Powell, set out on his slow trip to the Middle East last weekend, people in the region thought America's agenda to be rather clear. It was, they said, to leave Israel to pummel the Palestinians into submission under American diplomatic covering fire, with the modest goal of winning an eventual ceasefire. But as Mr Powell lumbered towards Jerusalem through a relentless barrage of Arab hostility, the agenda crumpled as it grew evident that America's legitimacy as a mediator was at stake. Mr Powell's troubles began in Morocco, where half the population of the capital city, Rabat, turned out to protest against the Israeli onslaught, as well as the perceived American backing for it. Discarding niceties, Morocco's King Mohammed scolded Mr Powell in public for failing to go direct to Israel and demand its withdrawal from Palestinian towns.