Tuesday, May 17, 2005

The "Day After Peace"

Rand Corp is thinking way ahead with a plan to connect the West Bank with a train system:
His high-speed railway would run for 110 kilometers, or 70 miles, along the West Bank ridges, linking Jenin in the north with Hebron in the south. The railway would then slip like a fishhook through the Negev desert to attach the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, running 210 kilometers in all and establishing the connection between the two territories that development officials consider essential to a Palestinian economy.

Actually, I had a similar thought a while ago: If Israel wanted to keep the Pals out of the Negev, but the Palestinians needed 'contiguity' to keep their territories together, they could have a non-stop service from the West Bank through the dessert to Gaza. I guess the problem would be ensuring that a train of militants doesn't suddenly stop in after clearing the security wall.

But that would be the first and last voyage of a very expensive train.

And just for fun, here's a bad edit...or at least a humourous one:
The people from Rand are a little cynical about how cynical some of those steeped in the conflict are.

"Psshh! I have a hard time believing you are so skeptical."

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