Meanwhile more than 20 former U.S. diplomats have signed a letter to President Bush condemning his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. The diplomats write “Your unqualified support of Sharon’s extra judicial assassinations, Israel’s Berlin Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied territories and now your endorsement of Sharon’s unilateral plan are cost our country its credibility, prestige and friends.” The diplomats include former US ambassadors to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The diplomats began their letter praising the 52 former British ambassadors who recently took the unprecedented move of publicly criticizing Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Middle East policies. While the letter by the British diplomats received widespread news attention on both sides of the Atlantic, the U.S. press has all but ignored the letter written by the American counterparts. The British-run Financial Times is alone as the only major paper to cover the letter critical of President Bush. [ Read the full letter]