Posted on 06/19/2004 5:20:49 AM PDT by Jeff Gordon
"This act is to heal the hearts of believers in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula," Johnson's captors said in a statement posted on the internet late on Friday.
Since US-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, already waning international attention on resolving the raging Palestinian-Israeli conflict has diminished significantly.
With almost daily reports of ferocious Israeli invasions, Palestinians being crushed to death as their homes were demolished over their heads and Iraq increasingly spiralling out of control, it is not surprising that the Arab street is frustrated with the United States.
While Arabs were horrified by the nature of Johnson's death, they said such incidents were bound to occur as long as Israel continued its brutal occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with virtually no intervention from the international community, along with the occupation of Iraq.
Bloodbath
Dr Bahaa Ghalayani, an obstetrician/gynecologist at the Aawda Hospital in the northern occupied Gaza Strip, said Johnson's killing was "horrible and unacceptable. This person has nothing to do with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."
"Since Americans were sent to Iraq it's become a bloodbath...Please ask the Europeans and Americans what they expect the reaction to be"
Dr Bahaa Ghalayani, Palestinian
However, Ghalayani said that "the events in this area (Middle East) are crazy. We have foreign troops everywhere.
"What are they doing in Iraq? Why are they depriving natives from their most basic rights?" he asked.
Ghalayani, who hails from Gaza City and faces the daily struggles of an occupation, said foreign troops are killing Palestinians and Iraqis in cold-blood.
"Since Americans were sent to Iraq it's become a bloodbath," he said. "Please ask the Europeans and Americans what they expect the reaction to be…They are expected in these circumstances," he said.
Johnson, however, had nothing to do with his government's foreign policy, said the physician. He expressed frustration at what he said is increasing Western interference in the Middle East's internal politics.
"We can rule our own nations," he said.
"I wouldn't say those who killed him are mad - the mad are the Americans and Europeans who came to this region and interfere in everything."
Internal battle
Umm Khalid Ashur, a housewife living in the occupied Gaza Strip town of Tal al-Hawa, said: "Our cause is between us and Israelis within our nation… (Johnson) wasn't fighting us. Our struggle should be face to face with Israelis."
More Arab funerals fuel greater Arab anger in the region
She expressed concern that the international community will take a hostile stance towards the Palestinians if their fight spread.
Iraqi television news director Salam al-Amir agreed, saying that there will probably be a backlash in occupied Iraq where foreign troops will be harsher with civilians.
"Innocent people are being sacrificed for the sake of politics," he said. "What will happen next? How are we going to benefit from this?"
Jordanian journalist Nur al-Din Shahadi said Washington will seize the latest incident to justify any future violence it will inflict in the Middle East under the guise of a war on terror.
"The United States is the only one to benefit from this incident," he said.
Another Jordanian, Kawkab Hanafna, said such killings were being carried out under the banner of Islam but they were prohibited in the religion.
Sanna Qandil, a Palestinian-Jordanian secretary working in Amman, said the Johnson's killing was not out of the ordinary taking into consideration the violence across the Arab world.
"Let Americans know what it feels like to be a Palestinian, to lose a mother, child or father," she said.
Basic Rights in Iraq under So-damned Insane
You have the right to be arrested at anytime for any reason
You have the right to rot in prison
You have the right to see your family tortured, raped, maimed, killed
You have the right to be tortured, raped, maimed, killed
Great minds think alike.
>>Ask the citizens of Dresden, Hamburg, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
That was almost 60 years ago.
Much has changed. Though I know your last statement is true, the real question is not can, but *will*.
>>Ask the citizens of Dresden, Hamburg, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
That was almost 60 years ago.
Much has changed. Though I know your last statement is true, the real question is not can, but *will*.
We were willing to incinerate the Soviets less then 15 years ago, and believe me under the right circumstances we would have. During Desert Storm we let it be known that any WMD attack would be met with a nuclear responce, and we meant it. Those fools in the Middle East are teasing a dragon. There are more and more Americans who would not be concerned if a real demonstration of our anger were to occur. I think it will take one more major attack on a US city and the demand will be for the gloves to come off.
So I guess the best way to end all this mess is to destroy the Pali's.
Then there will be peace, right?
'Sanna Qandil, a Palestinian-Jordanian secretary working in Amman, said the Johnson's killing was not out of the ordinary taking into consideration the violence across the Arab world.
"Let Americans know what it feels like to be a Palestinian, to lose a mother, child or father," she said'
I don't equate terrorists kidnapping and beheading Americans and SKoreans in SA or Iraq on a par with Palis getting killed in targeted strikes against bomb factories or tunnel houses or bomb factories. "It's all about them" refers to them copping an excuse for disgraceful behaviors and suggesting that their situations are similar. They are not similar; the palis could end their strife rather quickly with some personnel changes and civilized compromise.
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