Posted on 06/12/2003 9:27:57 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
White House Backs Latest Israeli Attacks
Focus Shifts to Arab Leaders' Commitment to End Support for Militant Groups
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 13, 2003; Page A22
The Bush administration signaled strong support for Israel's crackdown on militant groups yesterday, effectively abandoning its earlier criticism of the government of
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that had sparked an outcry from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and pro-Israel lobbying groups.
In coordinated statements, White House and State Department officials tried to shift the diplomatic focus from Israeli actions to the commitment made by Arab
leaders at a summit last week in Egypt to cut off funding and support for terrorist attacks against Israelis. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell made that point in a
round of phone calls to Arab foreign ministers, officials said.
Truncated as per our agreement with the Post.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Not only can you not understand the finner workings of the dynamics in the middle east, you can't even understand that your comments damning Arial Sharon all week for responding to terrorist attacks, has now been exhonerated by the man who's plan you have been defending by doing so.
I understand whats going on in the ME perfectly. I also understand that your backtracking bigtime because you stuck both your feet in your big mouth.
At the beginning of the week Bush was still talking down to Israel because they defended themselves. What I have been saying all along was that Israel had every right to defend themselves. You objected to that. Well now Bush agrees. The Post and several other papers are now reporting that Bush supports a crackdown on Hamas right now during the peace process. All week you have been arguing that Sharon should not have joined the peace proces if he didn't mean to comply. Now you tell me who has changed their spots?
The comments damning PM Sharon have not been retracted by PresBush and will not be retracted. Therefore PresBush hasn't exonerated Sharon, one iota. Bush doesn't talk out both sides of his mouth, like you do. Remember that. I hope this has taught you a good lesson.
Good Lord, go to the Breaking News column and you'll find two or three articles there that state that Bush is now advocating a crack-down on Hamas. That's what Sharon is doing. As I said, and you ridiculed me for saying, "you cannot understand the finer workings of the dynamics in the middle east."
Nobody accused Bush of speaking out of both sides of his mouth, until you raised the issue here. And yes this has taught me more of the same lesson, you're clueless.
Not only this, I didn't have a problem with Bush's Road Map per se, I did have a problem if he was going to persue that Road Map over Israel's dead body. Well, guess what, he's not going to do that. This must be a great blow to you.
You're a first class liar.
Oh I don't want to take call your glory. You deserve that comment more than I do.
Its no blow to me, I've supported the Bush peace plan all along and still do.
My emphasis has not been the Road Map per se. Instead for the last 24 hours you and I have been discussing Sharon's crackdown on Hamas. For that period of time you have demanded that Sharon cease his efforts to take out Hamas leaders. I stated that Sharon has a right to defend his nation. You said that Sharon should not have signed on to the peace plan if he didn't plan to follow through.
I highly criticized your comments on this point. I mentioned that Sharon had started illegal settlement removal, had eased travel restrictions and had provided millions of dollars to the Palestinian authority to help them re-establish their police force in order to crack down on terrorists. What I failed to mention was that Israel also released over 100 prisoners. I did however ask you to please mention one tangible thing Abu Mazen had done. You failed to respond. Then I pointed out that you always damned Sharon even though he complied fair more than Abu Mazen. I also pointed out that the terrorist organizations didn't make any promises at all, and you didn't even damn them, other than to make a few glib comments.
Now Bush is calling for a crackdown on Hamas, which is exactly what you and I have been addressing for 24 hours. But instead of conceding that I was right to advocate the same thing, you are playing dumb. Well I should not make such a bold statement, perhaps you're not really playing at it.
I didn't get my emotions all twisted like you did, rush to judgement and jump to all sorts of conclusions. That's what you did and you're not man enough to admit it. Pathetic.
Well I'd have to agree that one of us is certainly bordering on the pathetic. What do you mean by, "jumping to conclusions"?
White House Backs Latest Israeli Attacks
U.S. Dispatches Diplomat, Backs Hamas Crackdown
Powell's call to fight Hamas
These are three titles that can easily be found in Breaking News right now. They back up the premise I made on this thread. Bush policy has shifted.
The peace plan is still being driven, but military action has now become a component, as it should have years ago.
It is crystal clear that your charge that I jumped to conclusions is not sustainable.
What escapes you also, is that this is EXACTLY WHAT I ADVOCATED.
More lies. Try again.
I advocated a crackdown on the terrorists. You stated that Sharon should refrain from all military action because he was throwing away the chance for peace.
One of us is lying alright.
As for egg fella, have a nice breakfast. I hear it goes good with crow.
I wouldn't know, bucko. You're the one jumping on the Bush bandwagon. But I'll say it again, welcome onborad. Better late then never! LOL
Not to put too fine a point on this, but perhaps Bush read my responses to you in the last 24 hours. I agree with his new policy, which I advocated on this forum for everyone to read.
I do agree with you on one point though. Better late than never.
53 posted on 06/12/2003 10:55 PM PDT by Reagan Man
Now stop right there; what you thought Bush was thinking was just your opinion of what Bush was doing.
Some of us don't believe he's changed anything.
I wont because my flame proof "Nomex" jammies are at the dry cleaners after my last encounter with them :-)
It's because: I was shot in the leg, not in the head :-)
Well now Bush agrees.
Now stop right there; what you thought Bush was thinking was just your opinion of what Bush was doing.
Some of us don't believe he's changed anything.
62 posted on 06/12/2003 11:26 PM PDT by Howlin
Howlin, please read the post. Just read the post. Do you see those three titles toward the end in red. Please tell me you can.
White House Backs Latest Israeli Attacks
U.S. Dispatches Diplomat, Backs Hamas Crackdown
Powell's call to fight Hamas
Do you honestly not see any change in policy here? Seriously?
Name one time since Bush became President when he backed Israeli military actions against Hamas and called for a crackdown on them.
This is a night and day issue as far as I am concerned.
His appointment was the thinnest tissue of fiction that arafat isn't still in charge. Any thinner, and perhaps the Bush admin would not have thought it sufficient 'regime change' to 'unveil' the Road Map.
What do I think needs to be done?
1) - arrest, if not kill, arafat immediately. We & Israel both have enough terrorist goods on the guy to put him away. Prolly best that he dies before trial, tho. ;)
2) - Israel needs to stock up on guns / ammo / spare parts immediately, and get ready for the big one. It's time that they start doing what's right for Israel. The gradualism that even the bad a$$e$ like Bibi and Sharon have indulged in doesn't cut it. I don't think that the US has been holding Israel back - if that is the case, then Israeli admin upon admin has failed their country miserably. It's time for Israel to show that they have what it takes to protect themselves.
3) - Israel can take out a lot of the terrorists themselves, but it'll take the US to get them in areas outside of Israel / West Bank / Gaza. It'll also take the US to get the arab states to stop funding the terrorists (id indeed we can).
4) - If there's anyone left in the West Bank / Gaza after arafat & Hamas, et al are gone, we'll see if any of them have the guts to make peace & declare statehood. It's going to take some convincing before I think that there is a meaningful 'moderate' pali population.
He's at least changed the stated policy of 'do as I say, not as I do'. May well have been telling Sharon to do what he needs to do all along, but the public statements detailed in this article are certainly a change.
BTW, anyone notice the student protests in Iran? Mmmmmm, who was it again who was financing hizbollah?
The plan being to change the tune of how the admin publicly addresses Israeli actions against terrorist?
The fact of the matter is this...... We are winning this war on terrorism and with the elimination of Saddam's money being sent to the families of homicide bombers, Israel is better off
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