The U.S. has a imbalanced approach to the Middle East

I copied the whole article, sorry, but I'm tired of people jumping into debates without actually having read the article that initiated it.

I put the salient (and arguable) facts in bold. Good article.

world.mediamonitors.net...

An Unbalanced Middle East Policy
by James J. David
(Monday, August 25, 2003)

"The Bush administration is stepping up its demand that Palestinian leaders dismantle West Bank and Gaza terror structures. This demand comes in the wake of a devastating bomb attack in Jerusalem last week that killed 20 Israelis, including 5 children. According to a senior U.S. official, fresh emphasis will be put on calls to uproot the terror infrastructure.

Prior to this latest suicide attack in Jerusalem the western media had reported a "relative calm" period since the roadmap was accepted by both sides nearly 2 months ago. What the media failed to report were the 22 Palestinians killed and the dozens of homes demolished by the Israelis. And where were the words of condemnation from President Bush or from National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice? When Palestinians are killed, the situation is considered "relative calm" even when the deaths are Palestinian children, but when Israelis are killed, it's called terrorism and the headline news never stops. Is it any wonder that Israel's most crucial allies include America's mass media and Washington's top politicians?

When an Israeli soldier fires a tank-mounted machine gun at a car stopped at a West Bank roadblock three weeks ago, killing a 5-year-old Palestinian boy and injuring his two sisters why didn't we hear of any demands from the Bush administration then?And what about Israel's attack, just a few days after accepting the roadmap, that killed two Hamas members? Or what about the attack by Israeli troops that killed Islamic Jihad operative Mohammed Sidr in a shootout in the West Bank city of Hebron, triggering the suicide bus boming in Jerusalem? And just last month Israel thumbed its nose at the U.S. when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his Cabinet that Israel should continue building settlements - but quietly - despite his acceptance of a U.S.-backed peace plan that requires a construction freeze. I guess the construction of these illegal settlements do not qualify as terror structures? I guess the killing of 22 Palestinians by the Israelis since the signing of the "Road Map" doesn't qualify for a step up in demands?

And this is where the basic problem lies. This is why we have no peace in the Middle East. And maybe the 20 Israelis killed last week in Jerusalem would still be alive today if we had U.S. leadership that wasn't so spineless in dealing with Israeli crimes. Instead, we have President Bush referring to Ariel Sharon as a "Man of Peace" and members of the U.S. Congress signing a proclamation in approval for the Apartheid Wall while the Majority Leader Tom Delay addresses the Israeli Knesset offering unconditional U.S. support.

Maybe someone needs to tell President Bush that dismantling the structure in Washington would do more in ending the violence in the Middle East than dismantling any structure in the West Bank or Gaza. And the first stop should be in the U.S. Congress.

The United States claims to be an "honest broker" between Israel and the Palestinians yet the U.S. continually ignores Israel's repeated violations over decades of UN resolutions. While the U.S. accuses Palestinians of "terrorism" for fighting with small weapons, Israel receives billions of dollars in U.S. aid and arms each year, further building up its monstrous arsenal of F-16s, attack helicopters, tanks, and nuclear weapons. In addition, there are two important conditions for receiving U.S. military aid that Israel has violated repeatedly. Under the Arms Export Control Act, military hardware provided by FNS funds can be used only for defensive purposes or to maintain internal security. When the Israelis dropped a one ton bomb from a U.S. supplied F16 fighter jet in a central appartment complex in Gaza City a few months ago that killed 16 innocent Palestinians including 9 children, both conditions of the Arms Export Control Act were in violation. No amount of spin could justify this crime as defensive or an act to maintain internal security. Yet, the Israelis were never censored or sanctioned. These are the kind of acts that build terror structures, and when Washington fails to respond the structures get that much stronger.

We talk about a balanced Middle East Policy but look at what we actually practice. We have one standard for the treatment of Israelis that is so high they cannot be criticized no matter what grisly crimes they commit. Then we have a second standard for the treatment of Palestinians that is so low we publicly finance their ethnic cleansing and torture. We even finance the construction of the illegal Jewish settlements that we admit as being a major cause of the continued violence.

Whenever Israel invades one of its neighbors or kills innocent civilians, the United States is prompt to veto any United Nations resolutions that criticizes Israel. The U.S. could not even bring itself to condemn the Qana, Lebanese refugee camp massacre in which over 100 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians were killed. Sheilding Israel is an international embarrassment and places U.S. citizens in danger around the world.

Many American politicians jump on the Zionist bandwagon simply because they know that is where the power is. The Jewish Lobby has effectively silenced many critics of Israel by smering the character of anyone who opposes aid to that country. The influence of Israel's lobby and its political action committees has turned Congress and the White House into "yes men" for Israeli interests.

The greatest obstacle to peace in the Middle East is not the terror infrastructure. The terror infrastructure is a by-product of a corrupt, hypocritical, and unbalanced U.S. Middle East Policy. Until we get strong leadership in Washington who refuses to bend to the Israeli lobby in order to advance his or her political career then, and only then, will we see peace in the Middle East. If America is serious about fighting terrorism then it's time to get tough with Israel and end its generous financial and military aid to the Jewish State.

James J. David is a retired Brigadier General and a graduate of the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College, and the National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington DC. He served as a Company Commander with the 101st Airborne Division in the Republic of Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 and also served nearly 3 years of Army active duty in and around the Middle East from 1967-1969. "

It still brings a smile to my heart when you activist kids talk of Israel killing Hamas leaders in a bad light. You have no idea what it means to be a soldier, you have no clue what it's like to lose someone close to you, as many Israelis and Palestinians have. So, this is my advice to you; coagulate that little bleeding heart.

And by the way, as for your statement about America making the mid-east unstable; I think the mideast was unstable ALONG TIME BEFORE THE US SHOWED UP.

[Edited on 27-8-2003 by goregrinder]

Goregrinder,


I was a soldier at one time. The Israeli approach to killing Hammas leaders is simply blow the place up and kill everyone there. Simple. Blwoing up a whole boock just to get one guy or three is stupid and cowardice. Are the Israelis too big a bunch of pussies to go in and seize em S.W.A.T. team style?

There are better ways. Seige comes to mind, though not as bloody. Block off the area, surround the place. No one leaves until Hammas #head is turned over. If no one cooperates, you send in your special forces, your team of crack forces, in to locate and nab the son of a bitch.

They are hardly fighting against a heavily armed army. They are fighting against the middle eastern equivilant of backwoods rednecks with guns.

What they are doing to the palestininas is comparable to what the ATF and FBI did to Waco and Ruby ridge, only ten times worse.

Shooting rockets into buildings indiscriminately, bulldozing down peoples houses, ect. is bully pussy tactics. There are much better ways, and since Israels army is supposed to be ten times better than our army, I dont see why the hell they cant pull it off.

Skadi, if you were, then you can relate. I find the level of uproar from the anti-semetic comunity intriguing. I'm not Jewish, but i find the scapegoating of the jews laughable. Why don't people look at the perdicament these people face on a daily basis? THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES.

While the U.S. accuses Palestinians of "terrorism" for fighting with small weapons

No, we accuse them of terrorism because they strap bombs to themselves and blow up non-combatant women and children....

The article is strewn with other examples of this....

Yes, Isreal does sometimes kill Palestinian children and women.... Then again, when a child is running up to you with a grenade, you usually don't have the luxury of debating the issue....

This is the difference.

The Palestinians DELIBERATELY target innocent civilians. Palestinian civilians that get killed by the IDF, are killed while trying to hide, defend sought terrorists....

Originally posted by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
Goregrinder,

I was a soldier at one time. The Israeli approach to killing Hammas leaders is simply blow the place up and kill everyone there. Simple. Blwoing up a whole boock just to get one guy or three is stupid and cowardice. Are the Israelis too big a bunch of pussies to go in and seize em S.W.A.T. team style?

There are better ways. Seige comes to mind, though not as bloody. Block off the area, surround the place. No one leaves until Hammas #head is turned over. If no one cooperates, you send in your special forces, your team of crack forces, in to locate and nab the son of a bitch.

They are hardly fighting against a heavily armed army. They are fighting against the middle eastern equivilant of backwoods rednecks with guns.

What they are doing to the palestininas is comparable to what the ATF and FBI did to Waco and Ruby ridge, only ten times worse.

Shooting rockets into buildings indiscriminately, bulldozing down peoples houses, ect. is bully pussy tactics. There are much better ways, and since Israels army is supposed to be ten times better than our army, I dont see why the hell they cant pull it off.

well said.

palestinians use "terrorist" acts because thats all they have.

israel is given weapons from the US government and goes after people throwing rocks with attack helicopters and tanks.

some wingnut palestinian blows up a bus and half the israeli army mows down a palestinian block or village and moves its own people in.

if they want just the terrorist they have a funny way of showing it. so far actions on both sides indicate they want to exterminate the other side.

and i agree that the US goverment has a very unbalanced policy with the middle east.

we give its biggest enemy billions of dollars and military equipment and then try to act like neutral peace keeps between the two sides. no wonder arabs hate us! my government claims it wants peace but it gives support and equipment to kill the other side with. thats not neutrality! thats called bias last time i checked.

the government needs to stop putting on this act that it wants peace between the two when it STILL gives military equipment to one side so they can kill the other side. being neutral means giving NOONE any help until they decided to work things out and actually DO work things out.

Gazrok: "The Palestinians DELIBERATELY target innocent civilians. Palestinian civilians that get killed by the IDF, are killed while trying to hide, defend sought terrorists...."

Um, bs.

www.macon.com...

"GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - An Israeli helicopter fired three missiles at the car of a Hamas fugitive Tuesday, killing a bystander and wounding at least 26, doctors and witnesses said.

The target of the attack, a member of the Hamas military wing, managed to flee before the missiles struck the vehicle, witnesses said. At the time of the strike, the car was stuck in a traffic jam just north of Gaza City, near the Jebaliya refugee camp."

They fired MISSILES from a helicopter at a car stuck in a TRAFFIC JAM. And they didn't even assassinate their target! Tell me how this isn't disproportionate violence.

goregrinder: "THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES."

HAHA, enemies that they have FENCED in, imposed curfews on, imprisoned, and put in refugee camps. They MADE their enemies hate them more by how they have treated the Palestinians. I reserve my sympathy for those who deserve it.



jakomo

HAHA, enemies that they have FENCED in, imposed curfews on, imprisoned, and put in refugee camps. They MADE their enemies hate them more by how they have treated the Palestinians. I reserve my sympathy for those who deserve it.

this oddly sounds like what happened to the original jews that "founded" israel. looks like the victims have become victimizers.


and blowing up a car to kill one person, didnt kill them but killed one innocent and injured 26 others. talk about using a shotgun to kill a fly!

another example of they are not going after just terrorists, they're using that as an excuse to outright kill as many palestinians as possible.

People who are abused as kids sometimes turn out to be parents that abuse their own kids.

I think this is happening to Israel, unfortunately.

Ahh...but they deliberately targetted the military target and killed bystanders...not deliberately targetting the bystander.... Not that it's that much better of course, I'll give you that...

palestinians use "terrorist" acts because thats all they have.

That still doesn't validate it... Terrorism is not a valid means for any reason in my book. You want to get back at the Isrealis? Fine, take out some soldiers...but they'll get no sympathy from me by blowing up moms and kids who are shopping....

Originally posted by Gazrok
Ahh...but they deliberately targetted the military target and killed bystanders...not deliberately targetting the bystander.... Not that it's that much better of course, I'll give you that...

palestinians use "terrorist" acts because thats all they have.

That still doesn't validate it... Terrorism is not a valid means for any reason in my book. You want to get back at the Isrealis? Fine, take out some soldiers...but they'll get no sympathy from me by blowing up moms and kids who are shopping....

aha! just like using an attack helicopter and firing a missle at a car in a traffic jam full of civilians to get one person is not a valid means either.

now dont get me wrong. i'm not taking sides, all i'm saying is they both do the same thing to each other. if we're going to say its fair for one then it has to be fair for the other.

i dont agree with using guerilla/terrorist tactics but both sides are fighting dirty so as far as i'm concerned....when the bell rings take the gloves off and come out swinging. last man standing wins. leave em be and stop giving aid to israel and let them fight it on their own for a change.

eventually it'll stop, they'll run out of bullets bombs and missles or they'll run out of people. but something has to give.

Originally posted by Jakomo
People who are abused as kids sometimes turn out to be parents that abuse their own kids.

I think this is happening to Israel, unfortunately.

Accusing an entire culture of having battered child syndrome. Yeah, that's not racial at all.

Of course, if you want to go there, one could point out that the Arabs have been dumped on since the Crusades. By your logic, both cultures would suffer that same syndrome.

Good call goregrinder, they are surrounded by enemies. Not just ones that are fenced in either. The whole ME is filled with Muslim nations that would love to see poor little Israel blasted to bits.

Now, Jakomo, if you can tell me why we're helping out Israel so much I'll really be impressed.