I should have know the outcome. I didn't want to go to bed last night because of reports saying the international conference in Rome was only hours away Read about it here. But, I forced myself to go to bed anyway. The funny thing is, by morning I had completely forgot about the conference. Have you heard of the goose -- the one that wakes in a new world?

Remembering the conference, I dashed for my computer. When the screen finally came up I was met with the news that the conference had been a failure Read about it here. And, I did what I always do when receiving this kind of news. I scratched my head.

My dad once told me there were two types of people in the world, those who think fast and those who think slow. People who think slow come to understand things better. We were the type who think slow. It took me years to figure out what my dad really meant. He was telling me that I was slow.

That's when it finally dawned on me what happened at the conference -- and, I should have known. The host, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, had placed three items on the agenda for the conference. One, Prodi's primary concern, was for the international community to call for an immediate cease fire in the escalating Middle East crisis. Of course, Prodi's idea was already dead in the water before the conference opened its doors. The second item on Prodi's agenda I can't even remember. As my mother used to say, it must have been a lie. I do, however, remember the third item -- an agreement for some kind of international force to be sent into the region. And, bingo! That's what they did. I should have know.

If you've been following the news, you may recall that Israel had requested NATO send forces. However, NATO was already over committed elsewhere. In the meantime, the EU's Javier Solana was up early in the crisis putting together a package that only needed somebody's approval. And at this conference in Rome, he got his approval Read about it here  I  And here.

I should have known.