Home pagePress CenterIn the Media Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Tempers Upbeat Optimism About Mideast Peace."
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Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Tempers Upbeat Optimism About Mideast Peace."
WASHINGTON—When President Bush began his first energized pursuit of an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord just over five months ago, confidence was his constant companion. "I'm optimistic," he said over and over about the prospects for ending one of the world's longest-running disputes within little more than a year.
The approach is classic Bush, for whom a favorite story is how the choice of an Oval Office rug with a sunburst pattern says "optimistic person comes to work" to visitors. Truth be told, it's not so uncommon for most politicians and diplomats, said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
"The president is optimistic because he thinks his job is to be optimistic," he said.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions; accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in these publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.
