This is John Batchelor, conversation with colleague Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution

about the day after the Gaza fight stops, the day after, what is to be done.

Rebuilding is obvious, but security and the future and working

with the Gazans, how is that to be shaped?

Peter introduces this topic on the basis of a foreign affairs piece

by David Petraeus and others. Richard Fontaine, my colleague at this, CISI as, entertaining the possibility that the

U.S. avoid the mistakes that Israel avoid the mistakes that the U.S. made in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What kind of mistakes?

Thinking this was about killing terrorists.

It's not.

It's about establishing security. There's Peter Berkowitz to describe the one thing that is absolutely necessary in the Middle East and that is a cooperative and supportive United States of America.

Peter Berkowitz, the Hoover Institution, on the day after the Gaza fighting, stops.

More of this tonight. Well yes they certainly will and we need to

understand that shrewd Israelis both those in the government, those in the opposition, really do recognize

that it's hard for anything major to succeed in the Middle East unless the United States is involved in it in in a

positive way. Is Israelis understand this well so we need a forum policy that on one hand is not

overbearing and intrusive and but on the other hand is supportive of our

supportive of our friends, takes their side, gives them their backing,

gives them the weapons they need to fight and helps them, in this case helps Israel and friendly Arab states come together for the reconstruction of Gaza.