Pretty Frustrating Isn't It?
>>And how would that help? This is a big hand-wave.<<
I believe the presence alone of a multinational unbiased ( read equal ) contingency would in itself make a difference.It just might bring hope to those who feel they are victimized and forgotten,and a sense of continuity with the rest of the world for those who feel alienated on both sides.But I don't anticipate much consideration from the world community,since most are looking at the area as a quagmire right now, and the Iraq cleansing has priority.
>>There is no substitute for a real peace between two non-terrorist states who both have a chain of command.<<
Couldn't agree with you more.That,however, is not the case now,and the PAL side has always had factions that wanted nothing less than the annihilation of Israel.So it has to be addressed differently than if the ideal conditions could exist, because I doubt they will for some time.
There will not be an absolute peace for a long time,just different degrees of more or less conflict till the hatred is diminished though co-existence and cooperation .That appears a long way off from here,doesn't it?
>>Arafat chose not to do that and to let the terror keep up through various organizations such as Hamas<<
I assume this was to keep pressure on Israel to offer a better deal,but I'm just guessing here.Arafat WAS a terrorist,and I would think he found it tuff to take those factions out while Israel still occupied the disputed territories.His menacing little hidden army, if you will.
>>Now you can't have it both ways.........<<
Well, we're well beyond Arafat being able to deliver anything acceptable to Sharon these days.His days are numbered as long as Lukid controls the government and the US ( quartet?)backs regime change in the PA.
>>In neither case is there a partner for peace. One side cannot make peace unilaterally; only war.<<
Indeed,as we have discussed before here,is there an advantage to having a weak leadership.Recent activity tells us it is not,not unless Sharon is willing to go after Hamas and I-Jehad himself.Maybe that is what we are about to see.
>>they can wind down in some in-between state that gets resolved by negotiations.<<
Maybe.Hopefully.But there may be a lot more pain before there is any gain here.
>>what are they fighting for?<<
I guess that's a matter of who " they " are.Some want peace,some want a state,others want the destruction of Israel.
>>what message do they send by killing children inside Israel<<
Like I say,there are a number of factions at work here.This one obviously doesn't want the peace plan to ever hit the table for negotiation.
>>The Palestinians are currently so politically dysfunctional that they cannot even produce a short-term cease-fire.<<
Yep!It's called " fracturing ".I discussed this with you some time ago, and suggested it might not be a good idea to pit one against the other,unless peace and sustainable cease fires were not the objectives.Poor policy maybe?
>> So the situation is in stalemate until something external changes, or one side becomes war-weary.<<
It's a pretty ugly stalemate right now.Let's hope this is as bad as it gets,but I'm not optimistic right now.The retaliation will likely bring another retaliation etc etc...
>>From close reading, I think the Palestinians will go first.<<
I don’t think there will be such a thing as " go ", unless Sharon declares all out war on the trouble makers.But he will have to do so with impunity, and state clearly his objective,and get off the Arafat blame game gig.I just don't buy the idea that Arafat is so stupid as to be sponsoring these attacks.But then again????
>>But the Israelis are in a struggle where they will be cleansed off any land they give up<<
That will be addressed in the roadmap,I assume.
>>and most of their enemies will be satisfied with nothing less than the destruction of Israel.They say so daily.<<
That would be the hard-liners again.Not all..or most..IMO.
The parallel to the war on terra is becoming obvious these days though,and whether they are linked and to what degree is debatable.OBL points out the PAL situation pretty clearly in his tapes,so I think everything is connected now.
One big ugly war on terra.
YUK!
Well,that's all I have to say on this for awhile.
Take care. |
