An Indirect Approach?--Peace in the Middle East will not be won on the West Bank-Victor Davis Hanson

National Review ^ | 6-13-03 | Victor Davis Hanson

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Peach]

Great read.

[KantianBurke]

exactly. Puts the liberal belief about "root causes" to the irrelevence its surely deserves. Terrorists don't blow buses up since they're "misguided" but rather because there's an infraustructure that supports them. Destroy the infraustructure which the US is doing and those punks will turn into two bit hoods and thugs.

[Publius6961]

Thank you Mr. Hanson.

I appreciate the fact that you resisted the temptation to sink into humor and mention the United Nations...

[DoctorMichael]

Maybe its the time of the morning and the absence of coffee in my veins, but somehow I'm not as sanguine as the author right now. This then is the scenario that was probably laid out by Wolfowitz, Rummy, Cheney, Pearle et al. to Bush.

On the other hand, this may also be our hole card: A Sherman's March through the Middle East; because talking, negotiation and other aspects of civilized discourse mean nothing to these believers in a religion founded by a schizophrenic pedophile.

At some point they must be made to realize that if its a matter of our life and their life, we are not THAT altruistic.

[aBootes]

Can someone get the Admin Moderator to put a "VDH" on the headline? That way, this excellent article will get more readers. Thanks

[alloysteel]

Hamas will never agree to end the guerrilla warfare and the suicide homicide attacks. One reason being, that Hamas does not respond to the Palestinian Authority, but is taking commands from a loose federation of other non-Palestinian Arabs, including the Saudis, Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, Libyians, Tunisians, and some elements of Iraqis that still have access to cash reserves. Hamas are the shock troops in an infiltration meant to dislodge the Israelis, and drive them into the sea.

The intent by the Bush Administration is to offer the PA an opportunity to recant, and if the PA cannot or will not, reason enough to take action to remove such leadership as Arafat represents. This is why Israel is being restrained at the moment. When Arafat and Hamas have done something so egregious, so irreversible, the US shall have to call upon the world, as they did in Iraq, to condemn the actions of PA and Hamas, then the might of the US shall be applied.

Lord knows, that America, and particularly the Bush Administration, never meant to make warfare the foremost foreign policy. The Islamofascists did, and for that, they must be punished and made to respect the US.

Israel shall continue to be tortured, communities uprooted, people murdered because "Palestinians" (read Hamas) can't be expected to accept the plan. We can apply a little muscle, or turn our backs once again.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

This is an excellent post. I wish I had written something similar.

Along these line, John Keegan in "The Mask of Command" writes about General U. S. Grant: "... he was writing that the war must achieve "the total subjugation of the south" and that the army's duty was "therefore to use every means to weaken the enemy" by destroying not only their armies in the field but their economy at home". Grant's title as "first of the moderns" among generals derives from that gospel of frightfulness. Christian though he was, he persuaded himself that the Just War doctrine of proportionality - restraint of violence within the bounds necessary to make an enemy desist from it - did not apply in a war of principle."

The conflict between Israel and the forces which attack it may be such a "war of principle".

[LarryM]

The Bush Administration has gone soft, making this whole article pointless. Instead of behaving like victors, the only people pushed around by Bush are the Jews, while the Arab terrorists laugh in our face.

[Valin]

Puts the liberal belief about "root causes" to the irrelevence its surely deserves.

I wonder if they have ever considered the real "root cause"?
A little thing called Original sin.

[Valin]

And don't think we apprecate it! :-)

[sitetest]

Dear SJackson,

Thanks for you efforts on behalf of this list. The pieces you post are very informative. I appreciate that you added me to your list.


sitetest

[SJackson]

Hamas will never agree to end the guerrilla warfare and the suicide homicide attacks One reason being, that Hamas does not respond to the Palestinian Authority, but is taking commands from a loose federation of other non-Palestinian Arabs, including the Saudis, Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, Libyians, Tunisians, and some elements of Iraqis that still have access to cash reserves. ……

Your “loose federation” concept is correct, except that the PA is a part and they’re all “palestinians”, or all middle eastern Arab, pick your term but the distinction doesn’t exist. When you read about our troops facing guerilla (terrorist?) attacks in Iraq, those non Iraqi “other Arabs” talked about are one in the same.

For this indirect approach (and I’m not convinced this is what’s happening) Hamas will have to be destroyed, at least their leadership, which has the potential to force a confrontation with Syria. IMO, Hamas leadership destroyed, the operatives morph in members of the Al Asqua Martyrs, just as the martyrs will morph into Fatah (and as Mazen is morphing terrorists into his “security service”). They share a common objective.

Not only will Hamas have to be destroyed, but Islamic Jihad and Fatah as well. Whether Abu Mazen survives action of that magnitude, I don’t know, Yasser will be enjoying his retirement in Paris, or in his grave. Hizbollah as well, which will bring a direct confrontation with Syria, and perhaps Iran.

[Pukin Dog]

The intent by the Bush Administration is to offer the PA an opportunity to recant, and if the PA cannot or will not, reason enough to take action to remove such leadership as Arafat represents. This is why Israel is being restrained at the moment. When Arafat and Hamas have done something so egregious, so irreversible, the US shall have to call upon the world, as they did in Iraq, to condemn the actions of PA and Hamas, then the might of the US shall be applied.

100% correct.

I suspect that the egregious action will be either the murder of Abbas by Arafat and Hamas, or Hamas survives an assasination attempt and asks the US for assistance in putting down the terrorists. One way or another, it is going to be American JDAM's that bring the peace, after the Palestinian situation breaks down into civil war.

[Pukin Dog]

Hamas Abbas survives an assasination attempt......

[GoLightly]

For this indirect approach (and I’m not convinced this is what’s happening)

Those deploying the indirect approach are the terrorists. The object is to beat the indirect approach, which begins by undermining the infrastructure that supports it. Rummy "shoots off his mouth", putting fear into the hearts of the leaders of the countries making up the loose federation. They can end up like the leadership in Iraq... Powell calmly tells them how to avoid that from happening. They are told they must go after the infrustructure supporting terrorism within their own borders.

The war(s) to end it all will be -within- the federation countries. If the victors are the moderates, Israel's battles against it's neighbors will be over. OTOH, if the victors are the radicals, WWIII is just beginning.

[Pukin Dog]

I agree with you, but there really is no way for the radicals to win. Their primary funding sources are either dried up, or are being monitored by the US.

Iraq is no longer able to support them, and Iran is not able to do anything without giving the US reasons to drop a few bombs on them as well. Syria? They already have a few cruise missiles pointed at them.

[GoLightly]

Syria & Iran have more to fear than US missiles. Our most powerful weapon is *hope*, an awakened hope of being free from tyranny. Iran & Syria have to fear our success in setting up a representitive democracy in Iraq. If they do not moderate their own governments, they will be overthrown. Even if Iran finishes developing nukes it won't save them, because direct military action against them isn't in the plan. The radicals can only win if they are able to smash down & crush hope.

[Pukin Dog]

I agree completely.