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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (5246)	9/29/2001 9:20:06 AM
From: Carolyn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 23908

The paper this morning featured an article claiming Palestinians calling for more suicide bombers, the usual dancing in the streets, etc., in celebration of the first year anniversary of the resumption of hostilities with Israel. I mean, come on! This is sheer stupidity. This goes nowhere! Until these people enter the 21st Century and face reality, nothing will be accomplished. They will eventually lose all, and die away.

To: D. Long who wrote (5246)	9/29/2001 10:00:04 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23908

Think this paragraph from that Stratfor link you provided, is convincing enough evidence that the US doesn't always support the Israelis?? "But with the new calculus in both foreign and domestic policy, the United States is already putting more pressure on Israel. For example Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon became the focus of a recent withering White House push to approve a meeting between Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to discuss a cease-fire. Restarting the Israeli-Palestinian talks became a high priority for the Bush administration following the terrorist attacks. The White House believes that a Peres-Arafat meeting could be a first step toward improving the atmosphere in the region, which is crucial to its bid to pull together a global coalition against terrorism, according to American diplomatic sources cited by Haaretz, the Israeli daily newspaper. Powell called Arafat and Sharon repeatedly in recent days, urging them to hold the talks. Last week Sharon rejected Bush's request that he permit Peres to meet with Arafat and proposed instead Israeli help for the anti-terrorism coalition. According to Haaretz, Bush told Sharon in no uncertain terms that he was the only leader to have turned down a request from the United States since the attacks. Bush reportedly said, "… when I ask you for A and you suggest B, I consider that a refusal." Soon after the conversation, the groundwork was laid for Arafat's meeting with Peres this week. And Sharon, who earlier expressed reservations about joining the anti-terror coalition, in part because of fears about possible concessions to the Palestinians, later reversed his statements after talking with Bush. Washington appears to be pressing its point with the Sharon government by threatening Israeli pocketbooks. American officials are reviewing a proposal to immediately end all civilian aid to Israel, totaling nearly $900 million, in the context of a general review of America's foreign aid priorities, according to a senior Western diplomat cited by Haaretz. U.S. civilian aid to Israel accounts for almost 1 percent of Israel's gross national product and is helping to keep the struggling Israeli economy out of recession. So far though, it appears U.S. military aid to Israel, which amounts to nearly $2 billion, would not be affected." ************************ I'm still suspicious that the Israelis knew more about this attack than they are letting onto, given how they knew enough to tell the US that a 200 person terrorist group was operating in the US on something big.... And I'm wondering if the Bush Administration is suspicious as well, leading them to believe that Israel might have been willing to let this attack occur in hopes that the US would launch into a war against terrorism that revolved around Israeli interests. But I think its pretty savvy of Bush to pressure the Israelis to return to the peace table. But that should not mean that Arafat has carte blanche to permit a resumption of terrorist attacks, or not be pressured to crack down on these groups and imprison them, as once been the case a couple of years ago. But look for the Israelis to possibly escalate this issue and try to ellicit sympathy from the US and the world. Everyone knows that Arafat has been supporting terrorism and few Americans will be willing to support him over the Israels. It will be interesting to see what catalyst turns this around in Sharon's favor, and how Bush will react. As I've stated, Israel will look out for its own interests first, and if it sees the US leading an Arab coalition that threatens to isolate it, I can imagine their taking some steps to re-balance the equation, as well as their "value" to the US. Hawkmoon