Seminole, you know Iraq never had a problme of suicide bombings before we got involved. You can call it whatever you want, the fact remains that general Iraqi public was safer under saddam than US or the current iraqi regime.
Also, it does not matter if the muslims are united today or not or if they can ever unite. The idea that formation of a central muslim govt. must be stopped is an attack on all muslims itself.
OG, I will buy yout viewpoint if I did not see the shift in the views of general public as more of it is becoming to hell with the muslims, shoot them first ask questions later. Statements such as those made by the general and everyday venom spewed by the likes of Savage, Hannity and what is the name of that stick with tits .......adds fuel to the fire. Look I am not worried about my safety, I am worried for my kids.
You're right Kaleem, there weren't any suicide bombings under Saddam. That's because he tortured, murdered, imprisoned and displaced the factions to keep order. How 'safe' was it for shias or Kurds under those conditions? And why you are worried about Ann Coulter (devil in a dress), Sean Hannity (smug self righteousness who spews immorality in the guise of morality) and Savage (anyone who isn't like me must be evil), Americans are worried for their kids by the hate spewed by various mullahs around the globe. And if these mullahs came to represent a world power, you would really have to be worried for your kids.
I am with you buddy, the kids are everything. However, overstating the case helps no one. I agree that the talking heads love to stir the pot. The larger media in my opinion is much worse. We are fixated by thing that go boom. Every bloody bomb that goes off in Iraq reinforces how brutal our opponents are. Facing an opponent who apparently has no sense of morality, with video beheadings reinforces the feeling that we are fighting barbarians.
But people are not stupid. The occasional loud mouthed idiot speaks loudly for both of us. Most rational people are able to parse out that there is a microscopic group of idiots who wants to kill us. The problem is that there are very few ways of detecting those people. At this point in time, I am convinced that our Government can protect us against "the big ones". Eliminating Saddam, who was the most likely source of WMDs, and the recent London bombings convinces me that Al-Qaedda does not pack much of a punch these days. Unless we really miss the boat, they will be a nuissance, but today they are not capable of effecting our economy, which was the real victim of 9/11. To some degree we have to normalize the ongoing threat of Al Qaedda. But a new attack could always turn back the clock.
The real risk to you and your family would have been if there was a second and third attack after 9/11. I think we are past that risk at this point.
All over the world there are views of Israel evicting it's own people. Israel controls it's extremists. Not as part of a settlement, but unilateraly. What have the Palestinians done unilaterally in the interest of peace?
Americans have known all along that the gambit has been land for peace. First the Sinai, then Gaza. The ball is in the Palestinian court. Any bets on how badly they will screw it up? Gaza will be a mess, poorly administered, violent, crime ridden and a seat of further terrorism. Meanwhile the fence will continue to be built on the West Bank, and Isreals position will be more secure there each day. *It will take no time at all for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to control the area, making the Palestinians appear as if they a simply rabble.
*
Providing Sharon with the worlds biggest "I told you so".
Don't look now folks but Sharon just seized the high ground.
I quoteth myself from a year ago. So, How are things going in Gaza? Do we have a garden of Eden developing in Gaza? How is unemployment? Is the elected leadership effective and rife with integrity? Are attacks on Israel down? Is life better for the the average Palestinian?
A little more than a year ago Sharon completely and unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, and I predicted that the Palestinians would screw up the opportunity royally. Well? Here we are a year later.
What evidence do we have that the Palestinians can actually govern themselves? The legacy of Arafat is perpetual conflict and Israel is the chronic scapegoat. Lets not use the West Bank as an excuse for the chaos ensuing in Gaza. Palestine is quickly approaching the Somalia level failed state. The Islamic world should be proud.
wow the israelis did alot, they made a few of the settlers to leave palestinian homes. When leaving they burnt and destroyed them beyond repair. The settlers were then given brand new houses and thousands and thousands of dollars compensation but still insisted on screaming on international tv with stupid girlish non violent scuffles, whilst palestinians were being shot dead by israeli troops and jewish settlers...
In the immortal words of Tevye from the “Fiddler on the Roof,” the reason Jews never take their hats of is because they constantly have to leave as soon as the get their…
But yeah it does suck to see Jews losing their home. Its one of the reasons why I think a Jewish state of one form or another is ok… Its just all the rest of the crap they pull that pisses me off.
Good Gentlemen, everybody wants to discuss Israel, while we skip around the issue of Gaza. Still the same old story.
Gaza is now completely under the control of the Palestinians, and Fatah and Hamas are in a virutal state of Civil War. Unemployemnt has sky rocketed, and every meaningful foreign supporter (except Iran, who pays the Palestinians to die) has cut off aid to Hamas. No one has been paid, not the police, not teachers, no one. The economy is in virtual collapse, and political squabbles have rendered the govenment non-existant.
At what point will you guys figure out that the Palestinians someday must be responsible for the welfare of their people? That foisting all of the blame on Israel is childish, and transparently stupid? That the Palestinians have the chance to show the world they are competant enough to run their own country.
Sure Hamas is a great militia who gives hand-outs to buy loyalty. But they are a rotten Political administrator. Most of all, the inability of these "resistance movements" to adapt and compromise should be a message that gaining a little pride by shooting AK-47s does not translate into a better life for Muslim people.
I am still watching the Gaza experiment to see if there is any hope that the Palestinians are capable of forming anything that resembles a government.
^^ The biggest problem is the palestinian belief that they can destroy Israel. That is not going to happen. The longer they cling on to this dream the longer they will experience this current nightmare.
I think it will about 2-3 years before Hamas acknowledges Israel's right to exist but by then it will be too late.
Israel is already planning a unilaterla withdrawl from West Bank. They will probably take over some strategic areas of the West Bank and cordon it off.
So just like Gaza, West Bank will be totally under the control of Israel....
All over the world there are views of Israel evicting it's own people. Israel controls it's extremists. Not as part of a settlement, but unilateraly. What have the Palestinians done unilaterally in the interest of peace?
Americans have known all along that the gambit has been land for peace. First the Sinai, then Gaza. *The ball is in the Palestinian court. Any bets on how badly they will screw it up? Gaza will be a mess, poorly administered, violent, crime ridden and a seat of further terrorism. Meanwhile the fence will continue to be built on the West Bank, and Isreals position will be more secure there each day. It will take no time at all for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to control the area, making the Palestinians appear as if they a simply rabble.
*
Providing Sharon with the worlds biggest "I told you so".
Don't look now folks but Sharon just seized the high ground.
Hell yeah...Settlers have no right to that land. Have no right to be living on occupied terrirtory. Setup a couple of Jewish refugee camps in Jerusalem and let them do whatever the hell they want from there.
If they dont want to leave, then they should be paying taxes to Palestinians for leting them live on Palestinian territory.
You know, half of the hatred in the Muslim world for the US and Israel is due to the Palestinian situation. What may be abundantly clear now is that the Palestinian leadership are just idiots. From emperor-for-life Arafat to Hamas, the Palestinians have fostered low level warfare and hostility, not sincere efforts for peace. Why? Look at the billions looted by Arafat. It was in his best interest to keep the aid money flowing so that he could skim 10%. Of course Fatah is corrupt. And Hamas instead of being reasonable and competent are more extreme.
What may now emerge is a true and lasting peace in the West Bank. The US needs to broker a fair and equitable compromise there and wait out Hamas.
You know, half of the hatred in the Muslim world for the US and Israel is due to the Palestinian situation. What may be abundantly clear now is that the Palestinian leadership are just idiots. From emperor-for-life Arafat to Hamas, the Palestinians have fostered low level warfare and hostility, not sincere efforts for peace. Why? Look at the billions looted by Arafat. It was in his best interest to keep the aid money flowing so that he could skim 10%. Of course Fatah is corrupt. And Hamas instead of being reasonable and competent are more extreme.
What may now emerge is a true and lasting peace in the West Bank. The US needs to broker a fair and equitable compromise there and wait out Hamas.
That still doesn't matter.
Israel is still occupying Palestinian Lands in West Bank and has made Gaza into a giant prison which is churning hate against the West and Israel in the Islamic world.
True, the occupation started by the stupidity of Arabs themselves launching the disastrous war in 1967 to destroy Israel.
But Israel has to come to the realization that it cannot hold onto the West Bank forever and needs to withdraw.
For its survival and the safety of its country, it has to withdraw to the 67 borders.
I think teh world should be demanding the pre war 1948 borders. that is it. the 1947 UN partition plan witj jerusalem being an international region not owned by either side.
Specifically in regards to the Jewish settlements around Jerusalem which cut the West Bank in half....
and Israel controlling the border with Jerusalem and no access between Gaza and West Bank.
Although its not hard to sort out these problems.
But then the 2nd intifiada started.
Uh, one correction. *Arafat started *the second intifada. Do you think it was spontaneous combustion? After that Intifada there were never elections held again. The "danger" of the intifadas made Arafat emperor for life, having had only one election his whole life.
The real point is that Israel abandoned the Sinai settlements. They abandoned the Gaza settlements. Giving back that land was always understood. The settlements were only designed to create pressure for a few years. Then when the resolution of the borders became a protracted affair, the settlements gained a life of their own. The Palestinians could have had the '68 borders back 30 years ago.
