Israel warns: free soldier or PM dies

The Australian ^ | July 1, 2006 | Martin Chulov

[Sprite518]

It's about time. It's not like this PM could not undo the entire situation. So that looks like a fair trade off. I love it!

[Sprite518]

Yes were told they hate us no matter what. So it does not matter what we do because they will not have a change of position.

[libstripper]

[T]hey might easily find themselves in a war where they lose and the peace will be dictated by the victors (which would be Israel).

This is what ought to happen. Indeed, it's the only real hope for some kind of genuine Mideast peace.

[Grut]

It's been done: "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead."

[Canedawg]

Works for me.

:-)

[Alouette]

Hamas's Gaza-based political leaders, including Mr Haniyeh, had already gone into hiding.

You mean they don't want to become "martyrs" and get their 72 Hanan Ashwari's and Helen Thomas's?

[TalonDJ]

The guy gets kidnapped in what is legally defined as a terrorist operation and the PA Government offers a prisoner swap for him... So the basically proved from their own statements they are a terrorist organization. The round up was legally arresting members of a (now) proven terrorist organization. As I understand it the soldier is secondary as the means by which the Hamas government proved itself complicit and supporting of terrorist actions. There by making themselves fair game.

[Dark Skies]

It's my understanding that Israel does not have the Hamas PM in custody. They are not threatening to kill a prisoner, but assassinate the sitting head of an enemy government.

I think that is the case, though not known yet by all on this thread.

[blam]

"Residents complain that sonic booms caused by Israeli jets traumatise children and that shelling confines families to their homes. "

let me see, suicide bombing of children on school busses and in pizza parlors is okay though. Die you bastards!

[Socratic]

"Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead."

You sent me scrambling to Metacrawler with that one! (I don't Google).

[nikos1121]

I disagree. I think Bush is the first president who reconginzes as Israel has for many years now, that the fanaticals in these Arab states are for the most part cowards and they will crumble like a house of cards when force is applied.

We're beating them on the battle ground we chose. They can only resort to mines, beheading innocents and killing their own kind. Ben Laden is irrelevant.

Whatever Bush says in the media is a posturing, behind the scenes he fully supports Israel and recognizes its importance to us.

[Cinnamon]

"Hamas's Gaza-based political leaders, including Mr Haniyeh, had already gone into hiding."

who do they think they're hiding from? Israelis are masters at targeting scurrying cochroaches LOL

[blam]

"Egypt and the neighbouring Arab states of Jordan and Lebanon fear a war between Israel and the Palestinians could lead to uprisings within their own borders, which house many Palestinian refugees."

Shoot the rioting SOB's then.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I don't know that it's a great idea to threaten to kill their head of state. But I'm plenty impressed that they managed to round up and cart away close to a third of the Palestinian cabinet ministers and members of parliament. I think they should continue along that path. How could the average Palestinian retain an ounce of respect for a government which is almost entirely in the custody of the enemy?

[processing please hold]

The American left is gonna go nutz over this.

Let 'em put some ice on it.

[Ancesthntr]

"Egypt and the neighbouring Arab states of Jordan and Lebanon fear a war between Israel and the Palestinians could lead to uprisings within their own borders, which house many Palestinian refugees."

" Other nations want the foreign focus to stay on Israel."

If the Pallies revolt in either of these countries, watch for the reaction of those governments to be incredibly swift and far harsher than Israel's has ever been - and further watch for very little criticism of those governments, because Israel will be blamed.

[95 Bravo]

Start at the top and work your way to the bottom, Israel!

[Ancesthntr]

...actually, why not a forced circumcision by a blind mohel using a rusty table knife, broadcast live of course, with a star of david flag in the background and yarmulka-wearing Israelis firing their UZIs into the air?

I was thinking that in the interest of inclusiveness, the mohel should also have Parkinson's and, so as not to exclude any of our sponsors, he should have imbibed at least a 6-pack of Bud-wei-ser and a fifth of Bacardi.

[pointsal]

Collateral damage...so sorry