Posted on 04/19/2002 6:18:02 PM PDT by vance
Valley Muslims plan protest at VP’s visit
04/19/02
By LAVINIA DeCASTRO
The Express-Times
ALLENTOWN - Members of the Lehigh Valley’s Muslim community plan to greet Vice President Dick Cheney today with a protest over the U.S. role in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"We want an end to the Israeli invasion of the West Bank," said Mohamed Bugaighis, president of the Islamic Center of the Lehigh Valley in Whitehall Township.
It is a point Bugaighis and others hope to drive home to Cheney with a protest outside The Clarion Hotel in Allentown where the vice president will be speaking. Cheney is making the stop to support the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey R-Lehigh Valley.
President Bush’s administration could speed up the withdrawal by threatening to withhold the roughly $3 billion in aid the U.S. forwards to Israel every year, Bugaighis said.
"The administration can do a great deal. Whether they are willing to do it, that’s another question," Bugaighis said.
The U.S. also could stop selling arms to Israel, he added.
Lehigh University international relations professor Henri Barkey said that would be unwise.
"We went to war after 9-11 on Afghanistan. What Israel did was the same thing. They went to war after a series of suicide bombings," Barkey said.
Forcing Israel to withdraw by withholding funds and arms could give the rest of the world the impression the United States is the only country allowed to chase terrorists, Barkey said.
The U.S. also can’t pressure Israeli leaders to withdraw troops without equally pressuring Palestinian leaders to stop terror attacks, Barkey added.
But the Sept. 11 attacks claimed more lives than the suicide bombings in Israel, and Israeli soldiers have killed more Palestinians than suicide bombers have killed Israelis, Barkey said. He said that gives the United States a reason to ask Israel to withdraw from the West Bank.
"And the U.S. also wants the terrorist infrastructure to be destroyed as much as possible, and Israel is doing that," Barkey said.
What divides the two sides is the way Israel is going about its efforts against the Palestinians.
Bugaighis’ group is echoing the international community’s cry for a United Nations investigation of atrocities the Israeli army allegedly committed at the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin.
Palestinian officials accused Israel of carrying out summary executions and removing corpses in refrigerated trucks. They claim 500 people were killed.
Israeli officials said 70 Palestinian fighters died at the refugee camp, but with the Israeli army blocking full access to Jenin, human rights organizations say it is impossible to determine the actual body count.
"There were people buried alive in the rubble. They were crying for help, but the Israelis wouldn’t let anybody help them," Bugaighis said. "I’m very disappointed that our own government has done nothing about it."
Israel announced yesterday that it would complete its pullout from Jenin overnight, but U.N. officials expressed concern over the suffering caused by the Israeli offensive.
Israel has said its actions have been prompted by the continued threat of suicide bombings from Palestinians.
While Bugaighis believes Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat does not have the power to stop all suicide bombings, Barkey thinks Arafat might order them to provoke Israel into attacking. That would be done in hopes of gaining international support for the Palestinian cause, Barkey said.
"Chairman Arafat, I don’t think is in total control of the situation," Bugaighis said.
The woman who blew herself up at a bus stop in Jerusalem last week, killing six people and wounding 50, was a member of a group that calls itself the Al-aqsa martyrs. The group was founded by Arafat, Barkey said.
Israeli officials claimed the occupation revealed evidence that proves Arafat’s direct involvement in several suicide bombings in Israel.
"I don’t understand (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon’s political game in this. I understand his military strategy," Barkey said.
Bugaighis and Barkey agree on one thing - Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent visit was not a complete failure.
"At least he met the leaders and got acquainted with the problem. You have to know the people you are dealing with," Bugaighis said.
Bugaighis suspects Powell accomplished a lot behind the scenes.
Sharon announced Tuesday that Israel will pull out of two out of four West Bank cities it occupies within two weeks. Barkey suspects Powell’s influence had something to do with Israel’s decision.
"They didn’t want it to look like they’re obeying Powell by pulling out right away, so they’re waiting a couple of weeks," Barkey said.
An eyewitness report from Allentown, PA, no less!!
Bugaighis and Barkey agree on one thing - Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent visit was not a complete failure."At least he met the leaders and got acquainted with the problem. You have to know the people you are dealing with," Bugaighis said.
Bugaighis suspects Powell accomplished a lot behind the scenes.
Um, so how come this Muslim who will be flamed has more sense than our media?
And I'm sure the Israelis would love an end to the homicide bombers....
Thanks for the ping, Tonk. Cheney is the best.
About that infrastructure...
Here's a happy thought from Middle East expert Daniel Pipes:
Islamists constitute a small but significant minority of Muslims, perhaps 10 to 15 per cent of the population. Many of them are peaceable in apearance, but they all must be considered potential killers.
How does 400,000 to 800,000 -- in our country -- potential killers sound?
America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)
There were people buried alive at the WTC, the Pentagon, the Israeli pizza shop, and the dining room at Netanyu. The US and Israel watched palis cheer, over these homicide attacks and bombings, while our people were "buried alive in the rubble."
So to you I say: "What goes around, comes around." "Turnaround is fairplay." "You reap what you sow."
The insanity of the arab-musli-pali minds is staggering.
Round up these jackals and ship them to Guantanamo!
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