Posted on 07/13/2006 6:04:47 AM PDT by Sabramerican
Bush says Israel has right to defend itself but urges restraint
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday that Israel had a right to defend itself against terrorist acts but it should not weaken the Beirut government.
"Israel has the right to defend herself," Bush told a news conference after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the...government in Lebanon."
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The president's comment came in response to the escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon, on Thursday after IAF warplanes carried out strikes in Lebanon in retalliation to Hezbollah's abduction of two soldiers a day earlier.
On Thursday, a U.S. administration official gave a response on condition of anonymity regarding the crisis.
"We are urging restraint on both sides, recognizing Israel's right to defend itself," the Uofficial said.
The European Union on Thursday called on all sides to halt the renewed violence in the Middle East and take care to avoid more civilian casualties.
"I've always felt that Israel has a right to ensure its security but I've also said that disproportionate attacks are not useful," EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel told reporters.
"I regret the fact that the reaction was disproportionate."
EU spokeswoman Emma Udwin said EU foreign ministers could discuss on Monday whether the IDF attacks on Lebanon were compatible with the bloc's trade and cooperation agreement with Israel, which is conditional on respect for international law.
She stressed, however, that the EU recognized "Israel's right to defend itself." Israel's military action came after a cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerillas in which two Israeli soldiers were captured and several others were killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
"You mean like wipe out Saddam but leave Iraq alone? Or wipe out Al Quida but leave Afghanistan alone. "
Which is exactly what we did.
Because Israel is our ally and they have been attacked.
Israel is at war.
Friends and allies don't ask a friend at war, while it's cities are being bombed, to show restraint.
And certainly not while miles away fighting a similar enemy.
If any Nation dared say that to the US we would consider them hostile to us. Certainly not a friend.
In other words, we should scrap the war on terror in order to make unrestrained and wholly unnecessary verbal statements, just so we can prove our already-proven loyalty to Israel?
Unfortunately, even that did not stop the Japanese fanatics. It took the Emperor, aghast at the power of America in these bombs, to call an end of the fighting, and even so, we had to state the Emperor would not be harmed.
Who is the Muslim emperor that has such power over the Islamofascists today? None have this role, I'm afraid. It might come down to having to kill every fanatic they can produce.
It's diplo-talk and fairly mild at that. I don't believe we want the Lebanese govt thrown out and that's what the real message was.
If you want to be mad at somebody be mad at the P-Eww EU. They're the ones moaning that Israel has already responded too harshly.
Morons.
The word "propotionately" is a subjective word. To Israel this is "proportionate" behavior. I tend to agree. Some liberals might not and think it is over the top. Oh well, when you live in a world where there aren't many absolutes left, there's bound to be a "difference" of opinion.
Well, that does it for our enemy, Canada!!!
Unleash Israel
Yup, it's an interesting problem. They have diversified fascism run by semi-independent mullahs. We may have to try and seperate the good mullahs from the bad mullahs as we have tried to do in Iraq (Sistani, Mookie, etc.). I see Mookie is making trouble again. He's been given too many chances to play nice. Hopefully he will be taken out soon.
That's exactly what the US heard from friends and allies after 9/11. "Show restraint!" There were also a number of snide comments about gunslingers, dumb cowboys, and shooting from the hip, but who's counting.
Hear, hear!
Smile-n-Win urges a take-no-prisoners approach.
And how do we think of those "friends"
Freedom fries anyone?
Hizballah and Assad must be taken out.
This is the War on Terror, and it has been fought in our Ally's backyard years before 911. We foolishly appeased the terrorists and pushed the (gay sounding), Roadmap to Peace while Israel bled. Now the terrorist have invaded Israel and kidnapped its' citizens and you call for restraint -- AGAIN? I say to Israel, screw restraint, the UN, and anyone who asks you to sit quietly while you are being killed. Israel, tell President Bush that you'll show the same restraint he showed after 911.
Bush needs to shove all this "restraint" talk where the sun don't shine. And i'll go one step further, Hizbullah, Assad and Tehran need to be taken out. Let's end this here
Also this is more then a general call for restraint- which would be bad enough.
This is implied support for a Government (in Beirut) which is composed of terrorists with which Israel (and presumably the US- the threat to bomb the tunnels in NYC last week had Hizbolla connections) are at war.
It's hypocricy and idiocy.
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