Posted on 04/04/2002 7:52:27 PM PST by Sabertooth
ON reviewing President Bush's outstanding speech today on the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, I was struck by the following passage...
"I call on the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority, and our friends in the Arab world to join us in delivering a clear message to terrorists. Blowing yourself up does not help the Palestinian cause. To the contrary, suicide bombing missions could well blow up the best and only hope for a Palestinian state."
Let's look at that last line again...
"To the contrary, suicide bombing missions could well blow up the best and only hope for a Palestinian state."
For the first time since the Oslo folly, we see the possibility that there might not necessarily be a second "palestinian" state in the Middle East. Jordan of course, is the first.
This is a very hopeful sign.
Let Israel be Israel.
Before I'm accused of being more upset about dead Jewish than dead Muslim kids, let me say that I take people at their own estimation: in the Palestinian Authority schools, they teach their children about the glories of martyrdom; indeed, the careers guidance counsellor appears to have little information on alternative employment prospects; at social events, the moppets are dressed up as junior jihadi, with toy detonators and play bombs.
I find it very pragmatic. We are just using the tools that are normally used against us. By doing so we make it appear that we are doing something, all the while giving the Israelis more time to finish their mission. Dont for a minute think we are giving up our soverignty by going to the UN. It's a PR move to affect world opinion.
As for going to the UN, Israel was created by the UN, get over it and look for your NWO conspiracy under some other rock. This is not some betrayal of Biblical proportions.
Hate to burst your ignorance but Bethlehem has been under Palestinian control since the mid nineties when the Israelis traded land for peace (sic). Additionally, more than half of Jerusalem was under Palestinian control from 1948 until the 1967 war when Israel was able to capture the city.
You worry too much. The Palestinians are aware of the value of those sites. They bring in hard currency. Other than terrorism, the West bank has little economic activity except tourism based on the pilgramage of Christians.
Our rushing in there, and dropping bombs on them would unite them against us.... I like this current policy- it smacks of "divide and conquor" the ME.
Don't get me wrong; I'd love to make a parking lot out of several of those countries- I think it'd be a big improvement, but our military is still recovering from 8 yrs of Bubba.
I agree completely. It all strikes me as such obvious theater that the Arabs are probably the only ones that get it. Bush is the father between the "good boy" Powell and the "bad boy" Rumsfeld. All we have heard during the Israeli cleanup is that Bush is doing nothing. "Nothing" is a policy when the Europeans are demanding that the Israelis withdraw.
If they're wild, add three aces and ya got a full house. AAAHHHHhahahahahah
I disagree.
I'm an American who doesn't believe that our interests are all that divergent from Israel's.
I don't believe that "Palestinians" are a genuine people, and I don't believe that Israel should ultimately put up with them. Jordan was created to be a "Palestinian Homeland" in 1922, on more than 70% of the former Transjordan. One "Palestine" should be enough.
"You are far more optimistic than I, my friend. One little bud in a sea of weeds doesn't have much chance in taking over the field.
As for the prevailing theory that we must give in to the muslims to get their help in defeating Saddam, Bush is dreaming. They have no more intention of helping us there than Arafat has of making a real peace with Israel.
27 posted on 4/4/02 9:13 PM Pacific by Lion's Cub
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Ah, yes - the most often quoted Bible verse. Except that it isn't in there, and it's contrary to the whole point of the Bible, which is that God helps those who admit that they CANNOT help themselves :)
Unfortunately, it appears to be the goal of What's Left of the United States to have as many of our soldiers in as many countries as possible. That way, when we need UN help to defend our "homeland," the sheep will be amenable to the idea, since all of our soldiers are occupied elsewhere.
I feel sorry for the first guy I see on *my* street wearing a blue helmet. They make such good targets.
What all of this adds up to, in my view, is that he's giving his "doves" in the Administration one last opportunity to prove their correct to trust Arafat. He's giving Arafat one last opportunity to deal sincerely with Israel and work for a final peace. And he's giving the Arab nations one last opportunity to exert their influence on Arafat and the outlaw groups like Hamas and Hezbullah to cease and desist from violence, to recognize and normalize relations with Israel, and to usher in peace. The old paradigm is being given one last opportunity to produce a real peace.
I suspect that Bush realizes that, in all likelihood, this effort will fail. But then he can tell the world that it failed after every effort was made by the US to broker a lasting peace between the pertanent parties, but the pertanent parties don't want peace. And when the effort fails, Powell will have to abandon Arafat; the US can stop playing the game that the Arab world is a sincere partner for peace; we can stop pretending that Arafat is a partner for peace; we can condemn the Palestinians as murderous thugs; we can get 100% behind Israel, who is really our only friend in the region; we can move on to eliminate Saddam, and perhaps have Israel assist us openly in our war on terror. In short, Bush is giving the old way of doing things one last major chance. When that effort fails, we can stop being accommodating to Arab disingenuiousness, and we can get real in our war on terror.
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