On the eve of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's arrival in Washington, the Americans were hearing a new tune from the Fatah leadership in Ramallah. 'He's changed,' a close associate of the chairman said. 'He has a determination that I haven't seen before,' explained another. State Department officials chose to believe them, mainly because they had no choice.
A U.S. official admitted in a brief conversation that 'the Hamas takeover of Gaza was not a positive development.' His statement was an exception to the rule, however. Most of the time the Israelis and the Americans implied that this was the best of all possible worlds, using terms like 'an opportunity' and 'a better future.' There was a certain degree of pretending, but their words also reflected a genuine mood. The new situation has simply introduced a degree of clarity into an unclear situation. 'It has given us something to do, something to work with,' the official said. It's easier when the world is divided into good guys and bad guys.
That thought seems to have occurred previously to the Bush Administration, with less than ideal results.
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