Powell opposes attack on Hamas training camp

Jerusalem Post ^ | Sep. 7, 2004 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

Secretary of State Colin Powell disapproved on Tuesday of an Israeli helicopter attack on a Hamas training camp in Gaza. "Retaliation is not a solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said.

Powell said the way out of the conflict is to implement a road map for peacemaking proposed jointly by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

Unfortunately, Powell said at a news conference, Palestinian leaders have not taken control of all Palestinian security groups to crack down on violence.

Powell has called in the past for uprooting Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that has claimed responsibility for bombings in Israel, including two attacks on buses last week in Beersheba that killed 16 and wounded over 100.

But his remarks Tuesday suggested he looked to the Palestinian Authority rather than Israel to put the group out of business.

Asked about Israel's raid on the Hamas training camp in Gaza that killed at least 15 and wounded 30 others, Powell said, "I don't think they (retaliatory raids) are very helpful. The situation is very tragic."

He again praised an offer by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remove all 7,500 Jews who live there and the troops that protect them from Gaza as well a handful of Jewish settlements on the West Bank as an opportunity to get started on peacemaking.

Powell called on Palestinian leaders to respond with measures designed to improve security.

Israeli retaliation "is not a solution to the problems we face in the region," he said.

[texasbluebell]

Yoni, I had a wake-up call today, when googling for these terms:

Arabists State Department

You won't believe what the US has to deal with, in our own State Dept.

Article after article detailing the problems.

[Elsie]

"Retaliation is not a solution"

"ELIMINation is a solution; however"

[yonif]

Lots of angry responses from Israelis on the Maariv website:

Here a few translated:

"This isn't revenge, this is preventing the next terror attack"

"Get out of Iraq then, idiot"

"should we just sit back and let them murder us?"

"Remind me, Americans, who were the ones to get rid of the ugly faces in Iraq and Afghanistan?"

"Powell, who are you to teach us about morality?"

[goldstategop]

COLON BOWELL, YOU SHUT THE HELL UP. YOU DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT TERRORISM. ITS TIME YOU SEEK ANOTHER JOB IN JANUARY!!!

[El Gato]

"Retaliation is not a solution

It wasn't retaliation, it was a pre-emptive attack to prevent more attacks on Israeies. Sort of like the US taking out Saddam before he could try to take us out via support to OBL and other Islamic terrorists. Even the Palies admit that those killed were "fighters". The field attacked was a soccer field by day and a training camp for "fighers" at night. The Israelies attacked at night, whereas Hamas would be more likely to go after the youth soccer players.

Powell needs to put a sock in it.

[Little Ray]

The State Department needs massive purging. Apparently that includes Colin Powell.

He's right about one thing, retaliation is not the solution: extermination is the solution.

[Digger]

....and GW has had the time to DO something about this dept & like may other things, done nothing but keep the status-quo in place. I know many will say he has a war to fight. Then let's elect someone who can do both foreign & domestic. The enemy is within!

[Alouette]

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel ping list.

WARNING: This is a high volume ping list

[datura]

And your big suggestion for exactly who this candidate is??? Who, Kerry?? Get a grip.

Let's just get the president reelected so he can clean Foggy Bottom out. For starters, I'd replace Powell with Oliver North - and assign him the mission of completely purging State of the leftists.. (The screams of horror would be sweet music.) Either that or place State under the DoD's control - and call the combined organization the War Department.

[longtermmemmory]

Powell=Carter

[Revolting cat!]

Let's all hope for a Colon Bowell movement after the election!

[yonif]

Let's just get the president reelected so he can clean Foggy Bottom out

Bush is the better choice over Kerry, of course. But this kind of policy will remain even with Bush being re-elected.

[Iscool]

"I don't think they (retaliatory raids) are very helpful

Now there's a good one for John Kerry to repeat with Afghanistan and Iraq in mind...How did Colon ever get beyond 2nd Lieutenant???

[dmanLA]

Can we just get rid of the State Department? or at least suspend it until we are done destroying terrorists?

I wish....

[Faraday]

I disagree with most of the posts on this thread. The policy which Powell is spouting is consistent with the Bush policy, i.e. support a Palestinian state and the organs necessary to achieve it, BUT condition it on a rejection of terror. This has the benefit of appearing even handed, but still allows Israel to conduct strong defensive action. Powell didn't say Israel can't defend herself; he's just tut-tutting for international consumption. Since the EU, Russia, and the UN have signed off on the "road map," they have to call for an end to Palestinian terrorism. This has been a big tactical victory for Israel, because it puts the burden on Arafart and the Palestinians to improve relations (unlike Oslo).

Beyond that, however, I agree that a major housecleaning at Foggy Bottom is in order, and that Newt would be just the guy to do it.

[broadsword]

Just because somebody was once a soldier doesn't mean they cannot become a craven useful idiot pacifist that serves the cause of the enemy.

[Faraday]

What is Powell quoted as saying? "Retaliation is not a solution" and "I don't think they (retaliatory raids) are very helpful. The situation is very tragic." This is not very negative. In diplo speak this looks like a green light. Beyond this, he is reported to have criticized the PA for not attacking terror groups.

[dinok]

Powel is an embarasment to me as an American. Our nation is at war with terrorists and we do not negotiate with them. Yet our state department head is asking Israel to accept Palestinian Terrorism with out responding to it?

I'm disgusted.