I completely disagree with you about Israel.

America refused to assist Egypt with the building of the Aswan High Dam in 1956, because Egypt had seized the Suez from Britain and the U.S. were Britain's allies. This began a honeymoon between the Communists and the Middle East. Anwar al Sadat renewed friendship with the U.S. and took the consequences. The U.S. has been the supporter of the monarchical regimes in the Arab world, which pitted them against all the anti-monarchical regimes, especially in Baghdad and Iran. The only reason Turkey has been "friendly" with the U.S. is because no matter what side Russians are on, the Turks are on the other --this goes back to the Byzantine Empire. But of course, Turkey is not Arab. The reason why the U.S. supports Israel is because Israel can hold the whole Arab world at bay since it is a Spartan government. On the other hand, Americans have not been loved by the rest of the world since the Twentieth Century. Americans are usually thought of in other countries as boorish, cocky, money-mad and nouveau-riche. Then why do peoples from everywhere in the world want to come to the U.S.? When Britain was the most powerful country in the world, everyone else hated the British. When the French were the most powerful in the world, the rest hated the French. When the Spanish were the most powerful in the world, everyone else hated the Spanish. Shall I go on? The Romans, the Greeks, the Persians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians. WE cannot go back any further for lack of written history. But if you think that Europe EVER got along with the Arabs, get a history book.

Bob.

August 21, 1998