[tw]

Originally posted by dhamsaic
Let me clarify:

I didn't mean "what is an appropriate response for the US?" but, rather, "what should Israel do?" It seems to me that they're in a never-ending war, but how does a nation react to this?

The bombings play perfectly in Sharon's playbook - to repeat the obvious. Sharon's history is to advance himself at the expense of others - including almost inciting WWIII.

First, Sharon wants to eliminate the Oslo Accords and make UN 242 irrelevant. The final act will be the annexation of Gaza and West Bank. Making them part of Israel is a long time Likud's (Zionist) objective. The more land they can steal using 'legal' actions (an act of terrorism without outright violence), then the more likely the Palestinians turn extremist; become bombers.

Second, as soon as George Jr announced his war on terrorism, Sharon stepped right up (next to India who wanted Pakistan on that list) to demand that Arafat be listed. Having been denied, Sharon continued actions that would only inspire more terrorist bombs. Those bombs are not from the PLO. Those are Hamas and Islamic Jihad bombs - the enemies of Sharon and Arafat. No problem. Just declare the bombings as plans by Arafat. Declare Arafat's personal security force as terrorist (without reason), to make Arafat appear evil among those who read nothing more advanced than the Daily News or National Inquirer or the words on the Ch 6 Action News set.

With so much emotion in Israel (do you remember your mindset on 12 Sept), Sharon can lie openly about Arafat and no one dares to disagree. Meanwhile Sharon has perfectly discredited all moderate, non-extremist parties. Especially discredited is Peres who has been manipulated as a government minister to look like a buffon. There is no viable moderate leader in Israel - just Likud extremists.

A Saudi Prince donates $10million to the WTC fund, states the obvious about US/Arab relations, and has his check returned only because he told the truth in September - when emotions were so raw. Peres suffers the same problem being a moderate in an extremist government. IOW, in Israel, there are no moderates - another successful part of the Sharon plan. At least in America, moderate opinions still thrive. Not true in Israel even though continued extremist government policy will only result in more suicide bombings.

We need only look at our own history. The king enacted economic terrorism against the colonies - actions that pale compared to what Israel does to Palestinians. In America, the king was confronted by a Declaration of Independence and outright, immoral guerrilla warfare - the terrorism of its time. Of course Israel will only suffer more outright rebellion - suicide bombs. No problem. Sharon is a man who prospers at the expense of others. Who long ago considered civilian causulties as colateral damage and oppurtunities rather than as fatalities. More suicide bombs only play into his hands. That is his history.


Keep pushing Israeli government terrorism against innocent Palestinians just a little more every week. Image of the Day' picture of a tank shell in Ramallah. More escalation. Push tanks into Ramallah and see how George Jr and Europe respond. One year ago, the negative response would have been aggressive. Now attacking Palestinian major cities with tanks using live shells is as acceptable as attacking police stations with Cobra attack helicopters (only because those police try to keep law and order in Palestinian controlled areas). Not mentioned was how those tanks also made every effort to damage those Palestinian streets or how those attacks were so excessive that even reporters and ambulances were kept out for hours while some people bleed to death on the streets. Ahh, but since that part was not photographed, the violence occurred without world criticism. Violence slowly escalated so the world will accept more violence. Another well executed part of Sharon's plan.

Tony Blair has provided so much support for America recently. He got nothing in return for his military that has been all but denied active roles in Afghanistan. Two weekends ago, Colin Powell was to give a benchmark speech on the Middle East. Tony Blair represented opinion of almost every EU nation. Maybe Blair's constant criticism of a myopic George Jr middle east policy was finally understood? Maybe the US would finally reengage a policy of seeking a peaceful settlement? The international diplomatic community held its breath for Powell's speech.

It did not happen. Instead Powell gave the traditional 'ignore the reasons for Middle East violence' speech. So Deja Vu that the breathlessly awaited speech was hardly reported in the news. But confirmation of America's hands off attitude was taken by Sharon as permission to start his last phase. All Sharon needed was an incident.

Hamas plays into Sharon's hand. IOW extremists, even though adversaries, actually support each other in the destruction of moderates. Arafat is the moderate caught between condemnation by his remaining supporters, condemnation for suicide bombers he is powerless to stop, condemnation by Palestinian extremists, condemnation by Sharon as a terrorist (which is an outright lie), and condemnation by George Jr. who does not have the intelligence to see the problem he is creating. George Jr has the stupidity to not see Sharon as an anti-humanity extremist - probably because George is also as extremist right wing as his Attorney-general.

Another part of Sharon's plan calls for the assassination of PLO leadership. Assassination is not to be taken lightly. First, attack and kill low level politicians while calling them extremists or active terrorists. Slowly work up the political ladder until even an attack on Arafat will not result in world wide condemnation. That has just occurred. Arafat, in a desparate position, wildly rounded up anyone who might have had knowledge of the recent suicide bombings - justice be damned. In less than 24 hours, Israel personally attacked Arafat anyway. Why? Now that Arafat is imprisoning innocent people, then attacks on his person will not rally Palestinian support. In the meantime, we have become more tolerant even of the worse kind of Israeli violence - assassination of moderate PLO leadership.

Arafat did not encourage or plan those suicide bombs. Arafat has even less power today than previously to stop such bombings. But you would never know it from the right wing extremist Israeli rhetoric. Arafat is on the ropes. Now it is safe to assassinate him. Even the US President endorses, by not condemning, those actions. The White House nor its current representatives in Isreal will take an Arafat call. The last of the moderates in the Middle East are about to be removed.

One year ago, it was acceptable to attack honest Palestinian policemen even with attack helicopters and missiles. It makes Palestinian law and order that much more difficult. It makes it that much easier for Hamas terrorists to operate. How convenient for Sharon.

With the removal of Arafat, a Palestinian homeland, UN 242, the Oslo Accords - all Likud objectives are accomplished. Figure this accomplished before the end of 2002 based upon current progress.

George Jr does not understand how this all plays in the Arab world. Recruiting lines for Arab extremist organizations must be quite long these days. The 'man on an Arab street' does not see Israel attacking moderate Arabs. It sees American weapons attacking Palestinians while the American President endorses such actions by blaming Arafat for suicide bombings. Israel is effectively destroying the only moderate Palestinians. Moderate Palestinians are therefore encouraged to become the new bin Ladens. We will only reap the extremist violence that George Jr has sown years from now.

Both NPR and two consecutive episode of Nightline last week made that obvious. Koppel's concerns in tough questioning of Barak made that obvious. But then Barak is only operating in an ambassador function. His answers only deflect criticism rather than answer the questions.

One must remember that Sharon has prospered and advanced using massacres, instability, outright lies, and insubordination. We may eventually add assassination to his long list of 'reasons for promotion'. His actions today may result in a future WTC disaster in America because George Jr now endorses Israeli terrorism against even honest, innocent West Bank Palestinians. George Jr stopped calling for restraint in the Middle East. Sharon has been all but told, do as you wish. God save the innocent both in the Middle East and later throughout the world who will die because of extremist, anti-humanity Zionism at the expense of UN 242 and the Oslo Accords.

The appropriate response is a direct compliance with UN 242 and the Oslo Accords. But that cannot happen since 242 and Oslo are exactly the opposite of Likud's clear objectives. Things will only get worse because there is no alternative to Sharon and Likud - since both successfully engineered the assassination of Rabin.