Does anyone really doubt that we're headed for full-scale war in the ME w/in the next 5 years? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Israeli intelligence sources say Iran, Iraq, Syria pledge full support By David Dolan Israeli intelligence sources say they believe Yasser Arafat has decided to scuttle the ceasefire mission of American envoy Anthony Zinni after receiving pledges of full support from Iran, Iraq and Syria. They say evidence is strong that the three Mideast countries have been putting pressure on Arafat to rebuff all U.S. attempts to curb his violent war of attrition, pledging they will back him militarily if Israel responds with further major army operations against his Palestinian Authority. They add that the flap over Arafat’s scheduled speech to the Arab League summit in Beirut yesterday is part of a struggle between pro and anti-American Arab countries over the pending larger conflict in the explosive Middle East. Israeli sources say they suspect that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdullah cancelled their scheduled appearances at the Arab summit at the last minute after learning of the war plot. They say both U.S.-linked leaders were told by moderate elements inside the Lebanese government that their lives could be in danger if they showed up at the summit. Alarm bells were already sounded when the Syrian regime, which controls Lebanon, staged a huge anti-Israel rally in Damascus last weekend which denounced Arab states that maintain relations with the Jewish state. Hard-line speeches delivered yesterday by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud at the summit reflect the intense struggle between pro- and anti-American forces in the Arab world, say intelligence sources. Lahoud hardly disguised his contempt for American envoy Anthony Zinni’s ongoing ceasefire efforts, they noted, warning that the greatest problem facing the region is not the threat of a wider conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, but of “foreign pressure” being applied to halt the violent uprising before it achieves its goals of forcing Israel out of territories captured in 1967. Assad gave tepid backing to a U.S.-backed Saudi peace plan being discussed at the summit, but then strongly contradicted that by calling for the immediate severing of all Arab ties with Israel – a slap at Jordan and Egypt, and a warning to Arafat not to rejoin the peace train. The powerful suicide blast at the Park Hotel on Wednesday night in Netanya – the worst terrorist atrocity in nearly one year – was carried out with Arafat’s full approval, say intelligence sources. They note that despite Zinni’s ongoing mission, the Palestinian leader has done nothing to close down his own Fatah-backed Al Aksa Brigades and Tanzim terror networks. This is made clear by the fact that Al Aksa terrorists carried out the last major suicide attack in Jerusalem one week ago, and attempted another assault on Tuesday that was only scuttled when two terrorists prematurely blew themselves up at an Israeli roadblock – apparently while on their way to attack Jerusalem’s main shopping mall. Intelligence sources say continuing Fatah terrorist action has sent a strong signal to Muslim radical groups like Hamas – which claimed responsibility for the Netanya blast – to carry on with their suicide assaults. Intelligence sources say the Sharon government fully realizes the implications of Arafat’s continuing terror campaign. Israeli leaders understand that Arafat has secured significant military support from several regional powers, and believe he and his allies have a good chance of causing major damage to Israel should a new Mideast war erupt. Nevertheless, they cannot hold their return fire in the face of continuing terrorist atrocities simply to placate the Zinni mission or to forestall a wider conflict. They add that the outrageous attack on a crowded family Passover celebration was definitely designed to provoke a fierce Israeli military response, and indeed it will probably do just that. Even if a new Mideast war does not turn out as Arafat and his comrades expect, the Palestinian leader can at least claim that he valiantly resisted foreign pressure to give in to Israeli negotiation demands, say intelligence sources. If he survives such a conflict, he can then go back to the negotiating table with his honor intact, and accept whatever state he can secure from Israel. But the sources warn that Arafat is playing with a greater fire than he might realize, with the very real potential that any new Mideast conflict could escalate to the point that Israel is forced to use some weapons in its undeclared nuclear arsenal. David Dolan is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. He reported for CBS Radio for over 12 years.
War does suck. And don't call me an idiot, moron. Arafat is the original terrorist. He's earned his "martyrdom". Let him have it. And you're right, judgement day is right around the corner.
A friend emailed it to me. I know nothing about the author other than what is printed at the end of the article, but I've also read nothing recently that contradicts his assertions re: Arab/Palestinian intentions. The more I see & hear, the more hopless the situation seems; I simply do not believe that the radical Palestinians & their backers really want peace under reasonable terms (i.e. ending settlements, withdrawl to pre-1967 borders, no right of return).
That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane and Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn - world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs. Feed it off an aux speak, grunt, no, strength, Ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height. Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site. Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck. Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped. Look at that low playing! Fine, then. Uh oh, overflow, population, common food, but it'll do. Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right, right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn. Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down. Watch your heel crush, crushed, uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier. Renegade steer clear! A tournament, tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sit in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs. Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...fine...
As much as we talk about media bias' in the Middle East, has anyone noticed that every opinion and article posted on the ISRAELI-Palestinian conflict is ISRAELI?? All the wonderful non-biased sources we've heard from recently: Charles Kruthammer : Jewish, Very Pro-Israeli for years Jeffrey Goldburg: Jewish, Dual Israeli and US Citizenship Now just because they work for Time Magazine and "reputable institutions" does that mean that they will be fair in their assesement of the situation
Khan: What are you talking about? You yourself (as well as glynch, boy and Q8 Rocket - great company, BTW) have posted many an article written by middle easterners and/or otherwise biased towards the Palestinians / against the Israelis. Are you saying that you don't want to hear the other side's (Israel, to you) viewpoints/analysis?
Treeman, I feel that all point of view's should be taken, but it saddens me to see people that are obviously biased writing for publications in which the American Public see them as unbiased journalism. Then any report of an incident in Israel/Palestine that is not sent through the Israeli Media or Government is seen as Terrorist Propaganda. We do have some intelligent posters here that have seen beyond the usual bias', but many are ignorant and feel that the resounding opinion by people with these bias' is the truth. I believe both sides should have their say and that the news should be unbiased, but that is just not the case.
Khan: Just a word of advice - anything that comes from the Palestinian Authority, the Guardian, the Independent, or anything with any connection to Saudi money is most definitely not unbiased. Any report/article that fails to take note of the despicable and totally unjustifiable Palestinians' actions (suicide attacks) should immediately send up a red flag in your mind.
I believe 100% that any Publication that fails to discuss the horrible terrorist bomb on the first day of passover is utterly and completely wrong. Yet on the flip side, constant atrocities are occuring to Palestinians at a rate of over 3:1, yet they seem to get less media coverage because they are Palestinian. I think the actions of both side are despicable, but the media seems to focus on the negatives of the Palestinians, yet talk about Israeli fault is nil. Every killing done by Israeli's is plastered "RESPONSE TO TERROR", yet attacks by Palestinians are glossed "TERRORIST ATTACK" You cannot hold one party above the other when they both continue the circle of violence.
Khan: That is exactly the sentiment that allows publications to justify the Palestinian suicide attacks. Whether you realize it or not... "Constant atrocities against the Palestinians"? The vast majority of the Palestinians killed in this intifada have been combatants - if someone is pointing a gun at you, making a bomb, throwing a grenade, etc - then killing them is not an "atrocity". Most of the rest of the casualties have been accidents: children wandering into a combat zone, errant tank shells hitting iunintended targets, stray fire, mistaken identity killings (like those who tried to blow past a roadblock not too long ago), etc. If you don't want to die, then the best thing to do is get the hell out of the combat zone - even if it's right on your street. Get the f* away, and you'll live. Many of the Palestinian children killed so far didn't even "wander into the combat zone" - they were sent there by their parents. Why doesn't the Palestinian-side of the media ever report on that? Look, everyone - everyone with a brain and heart, that is- agrees that the Israelis should pull out of the territories. Even most Israelis want to do it. And guess what? They *have* pulled out, many times (they're out right now). The shameful fact of the matter is that the Palestinian-side of the media will *never* acknowledge the real reason that the fighting is still going on: because a generation of Palestinian youth have been brainwashed - yes, literally brainwashed - into believing that it is their duty to kill Jews and push them into the sea. Any media that is bold enough to hint at that truth is invariably labeled as "pro-Israeli", and "biased against the Palestinians". But truth stopped being relevant in the media battle a long time ago. Too many have already been taught to believe the lies that constantly barrage our fragile brains...
Treeman, I believe having bulldozers destroy the homes of innocent people that were not "Combatants" is an atrocity. To throw these people into sub-human refugee camps and have people grow up in these camps with little to no running water, malnutrition and the physical and mental abuse of seeing other around you killed. Then watching the spread of disease plough through your economically, socially and politically starved people is a travesty. If China took over Texas and treated me like a third class citizen, did not give me access to better jobs, killed our people and tore down my house with no compensation to build settlements, no economic opportunities or hygene. Then said ok we'll give you this city and this city but we're in the middle and your government is a puppet of ours with limitations on almost everything. The most dangerous people are those in utter despair because they have nothing to lose. And that is what we are seeing. I feel the media improperly denies coverage of the inhumanities placed on the Palestinians by their exile. Its not that i'm Pro-Arab in these nations. I think these Arab countries and their rulers abuse the issue and use the Palestinian problem as a crutch for their own inefficient, corrupt, un-democratic regimes. The fact is they don't want the rest of the Palestinians either, Syria and Jordan have many and it places a problem on these countries to take more in. Its sad though, any Palestianian with the means has already left. All the educated, middle and upper class people have fled, so what is left is the population that has no where to go. I would call it a Palestinian Diaspora to create the state of Israel and now it seems their ultimate goal is to annex the occupied territories and displace millions more. I find it ironic that the jews who have their own tragic historical diaspora would be the ones to pull the trigger on the tragic fate of another group of people.
Khan Don't try and argue with Treeman. The guy gets off on misery... The only guy I have seen on these boards who you, literally, think must be j#rking off at the thought of a war...
Khan: No one - no one - is arguing that a) bulldozing homes of innocents is justified, b) that the Israelis should not pull out of the territories - much less annex them (which the vast majority of Israelis don't want to do anyway), c) that the settlements are justified, or d) that life for the Palestinians is exceedingly hard in the camps. No one here has argued any of those things once here - ever, to my knowledge. All of these things, BTW, are regularly reported on by CNN/Time, NBC/MSNBC/Newsweek, ABC, etc - it's not like some big zionist conspiracy is keeping a lid on these matter so that no one will know what is really going on. Everyone already knows, because most American and virtually all foreign presses have a pro-Palestinian bias - that has been clear for years. For some reason these media outlets will never report on the indoctrination processes the Palestinians use to create the suicide bombers. They will never report on the links between Arafat and the PNA and Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Iran, Iraq, Hizbollah, and Al Qaeda. In fact they typically are scared s*itless to say a bad word about Arafat in particular at all, even though he is the longest-surviving terrorist in the world (he's been at it for over 40 years). No one will ever report on the "suicide bomber factories" that pass for the supposedly "mainstream" schools in Palestinian-controlled areas. No one will report that Palestinian "policemen" wear a small picture of Israel with the word "Palestine" on it... You don't want to hear about any of that, because it would destroy your theory that the Israelis have pushed the Palestinians to this point. Never mentioned is the fact that in other conflicts, other peoples didn't resort to suicide bombings (Ghandi had a much better solution, for instance - one that worked). Never mentioned is that until the early '90s, even the Palestinians weren't conducting suicide bombings, even though the territories had already been occupied for nearly 25 years. What has changed? The Israelis trusted Arafat and the Palestinians to hold up their end of agreements. They gave them autonomy (the Israelis created the PNA and let Arafat run it, I remind you), and took the Palestinians at their word that they would negotiate with good faith when the time came. They repeatedly pulled out of the territories in a show of good faith, only to get sucked back in whenever the Palestinians broke a ceasefire. They entered into the Oslo process with hope in their hearts and peace on their minds, not realizing that the Palestinian leadership never had any intention of living up to agreements or coming to final resolution. That was a serious mistake that the world is just waking up to. You're making excuses for terror. Frankly, none of them fly. Frankly, the attempt is quite disgusting. As for a Palestinian Diaspora - maybe they shought have thought about that in 1948? They could have lived in peace with the Israelis the past half-century, but they didn't. Why? Is that the Jews' fault, too? At any rate, it hasn't really been a "diaspora" yet - it won't be until the Israelis force the 3.2 million there currently to leave - en masse. And if these bombings don't stop, hide and watch - that is exactly what the Israelis will do. If the Palestinians are too stupid to realize that the terror campaign cannot be successful in the long run, then they have already signed their own death warrant. This s*it has got to stop. I guarantee you that the Israelis will not put up with it forever (not too much longer, either), and they will not be pushed into the sea either.
