Middle Eastern Intergrity

I think this pretty much tell you everything you need to know about politics in the middle east.

Palestinian businessmen have made millions of pounds supplying cement for Israel's "security barrier" in the full knowledge of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader and one of the wall's most vocal critics.

A damning report by Palestinian legislators, which has been seen by the Telegraph, concludes that Mr Arafat did nothing to stop the deals although he publicly condemned the structure as a "crime against humanity".

The report claims that the cement was sold with the knowledge of senior officials at the Palestinian ministry of national economy, and close advisers to Mr Arafat. It concludes that officials were bribed to issue import licences for the cement to importers and businessmen working for Israelis.

Yep. In evaluating our successes and failures in the middle east, forget everything the politicians and liberal media want you to believe. Its all hogwash. In the middle east, the I (which includes the family unit, not necessarily the individual) is far far more important than the we (national, regional, or religious identity).

For more on the subject, every American ought to read the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. (Here is a free online copy. Its long. Buying the book is probably cheaper than printing it out yourself.)