I sort of got the feeling that Israel would look at the recent downfall of Fatah on the Strip as a blessing in disguise.
I sort of got the feeling that Israel would look at the recent downfall of Fatah on the Strip as a blessing in disguise.
"But suppose everybody on our side felt that way?"
"Then I'd certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way. Wouldn't I?"
How in Gods name is the loss of Gaza to HAMAS a good thing for Israel? I will say this again (now that I am stateside and have a goooooddd coffee) Israel screwed up with Arafat - Isolating him and removing his tools for stabilizing the Palestnians gave the entire kitandkaboodle to the Islamic Extremists ... when faced with moderates who were terrorists to suicidal exremists for whom all future generations are enourgaed to become terrorists, you choose the moderates.Originally Posted by Culpeper
This things is a disaster for Israel, the USA and the ME region as a whole. We have let the extremists set the agenda and do it democratically through legitimate elections!
All we can do now is hope someone in Israel has the guts to make thr tough call ... assist FATAH in the West Bank establish, rapidly and with UN assistance a new independent Palestine including a right to return for Palestinians in Lebanon and overseas, the rich, smart ones - to the west bank. That way, HAMAS will end as an entitiy, people moving back to the WB can isolate Gaza and it becomes a pan-Arab/international problem.
Israel won't invade again.
Will the Israelis take this historic chance to stop a radicalized, Iranian inspired terrorist group from doing same to 9 million Palestinians? Doubtful but its an option to be explored.
Putting Foot to Al Qaeda Ass Since 1993
Many Israelis see Fatah as a trojan horse. They didn't want to deal with it but it was just legitimate enough in the world's eyes that they were pressured to do so. There will be no pressure to politically deal with Hamas.
I would hope that they do, but somehow I think that they won't. Certain attitudes are too deeply ingrained for them to see the opportunity that this gives them.
"On the plains and mountains of the American West, the United States Army had once learned everything there was to learn about hit-and-run tactics and guerrilla warfare."
T.R. Fehrenbach This Kind of War
[QUOTE=Abu Buckwheat;18651]How in Gods name is the loss of Gaza to HAMAS a good thing for Israel? I will say this again (now that I am stateside and have a goooooddd coffee) Israel screwed up with Arafat - Isolating him and removing his tools for stabilizing the Palestnians gave the entire kitandkaboodle to the Islamic Extremists ... when faced with moderates who were terrorists to suicidal exremists for whom all future generations are enourgaed to become terrorists, you choose the moderates.
This things is a disaster for Israel, the USA and the ME region as a whole. We have let the extremists set the agenda and do it democratically through legitimate elections!
QUOTE]
Thank you. This case goes with the they deserve each other theory i turn to when either side does something remarkably dumb; in case you don't get what AW is speaking of, think of training dogs. If all you do is beat 'em, you just make 'em meaner. We now a meaner breed has dominance in Gaza.
I don't know that Israel has the will to go it again after last year in southern Lebanon. It would be a remarkable step forward if they were to do it jointly with Fatah. The only bright side of this is Gaza is not southern Lebanon and can be relatively isolated.
Tom
Hamas is now trained and funded by Iran. The Iranian-Hezbollah-Hamas-Syria axis is in ascendance. To compare this axis with Israel and say "they deserve each other" is hard to understand. Our democratic allies may make mistakes in wartime -- certainly we do. That doesn't mean that we say "they deserve each other". Certainly Britain and France did not "deserve" the Nazis even though their hard line at Versailles may have helped create them. A sense of proportion and moral perspective is needed.
There is no Axis ... politlcal rethoric claiming similarities to real alliances, understandings and direct links is not a substitute for proper intelligence and political analysis. These groups are disparate entities who have been inspired by some and supported by others... some have cooperative links such as Iran-Hizballah-Syria but to call this an axis is a far stretch. Syria and HAMAS have very different ideas about who directs their future, as does Hizballah. This group of entitites are less in ascendence as a group than our failed, miserablly myopic foreign policy has given them immense short term opportunites (Iran aside). Were there the slightest bit of soft power left we would have a say in the matter, but they know, shy of using a nuclear weapon that we have even used all the capitol of our hard power.
If Israel views FATAH as a Trojan Horse (who would do what? Bring in terrorism to Palestine?) then welcome HAMAS ... REAL terrorists, with demonstrated capability to do terrorism that FATAH could not do (and I don't mean two or three Qassam rockets). Did Israel make a concious preference that they preferred suicide bombers from HAMAS as opposed to the occassional bottle rocket from a FATAH splinter group... who were being hunted by FATAH loyalists? Let me speak from the deckplates on this one ... this is a SNAFU of immense proportions.
Mindboggling... Milo Minderbinder must have a role in this!
Putting Foot to Al Qaeda Ass Since 1993
Iran and Syria have a defense agreement. Hezbollah is an Iranian creation and there are many reports of Iran's funding of Hamas. To not call this an "axis" is fine -- what would you like to call it? An "alliance"? A hodgepodge of coincidences?
No ...hodgepodge is not one of my favorite words, but it is simply an example of what happens when there is no superpower ... or at least a respected one with a shred of influence. I hate to winge but we have facilitated the opportunities that each of these entities is taking advantage of. They see the opportunities but our own political blindness gives America a horribly naive, onesided, undiplomatic and cultural tone-deafness not seen since 1860. I fear for the results when each of these players really gains advantage over both us and Israel. We aren't haggling over one camel here, but several different camels, tied together, that are standing next to each other and have to survive on one gulp of water at the oasis. Believe me, Camels can be quite ornery!
Putting Foot to Al Qaeda Ass Since 1993
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