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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sojourner Smith who wrote (2703)	4/16/2002 12:27:52 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 32591

U.S. needs to bring its influence to bear in Middle East The Mainichi Shimbun / April 14, 2002 mdn.mainichi.co.jp [A Japanese Perspective on The Middle East Crisis] _________________________________________ A suicide attack in Jerusalem on Friday delayed the scheduled meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. In the late 1990s, there were fewer than 10 suicide bombings a year, but the number suddenly shot up to 36 in 2001 after Ariel Sharon became prime minister of Israel. So far this year, there have been more than 30 suicide attacks. The Palestinians have resorted to suicide bombings to strike at the Israelis, who enjoy overwhelming military superiority. But such tactics will not soften the hard line of Sharon's administration nor bring about peace. The Oslo peace process, which began in 1993, was premised on the renunciation of terrorism, and Chairman Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize for the role that he played in the process. But if he has lost his ability to prevent terrorist attacks carried out by various armed Palestinian groups (the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, tied to his Fatah organization, claimed responsibility for Friday's attack), his ability to inspire trust abroad will begin to decline. On the other hand, Israel needs to exercise considerable self-restraint in responding to the suicide attacks. Prime Minister Sharon has tried to justify his military campaign in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank as an act of self-defense. But his campaign aims not only to end the political career of Chairman Arafat but also to destroy his security forces, and to undermine the effectiveness of the Palestinian Authority. Israel will not achieve peace through such an approach. The Oslo peace agreement was the result of Israel's realization that its overwhelming military superiority over its Arab neighbors would not guarantee its security. The Sharon administration leaves the impression that it has ruled out the possibility of coexisting with the Palestinians, and the large number of Palestinian deaths in Jenin casts doubt on the tactics of the Israeli Army. We call upon Prime Minister Sharon to act not as a soldier but as a political leader, and to make a decision to pull the Israeli Army out of Palestinian areas. Given that Israel holds the upper hand in military terms, Israel needs to implement a withdrawal first in order to pave the way out of this quagmire. And this is where the U.S. needs to step in to bring its influence to bear. Prior to U.S. Secretary of State Powell's meeting with Arafat, a U.S. presidential spokesman made a statement condoning Israel's military operations. The statement seemed to reveal where the Bush administration truly stands on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, and to give the Sharon administration a green light to pursue its military campaign as long as it was pitched as a battle against terrorism. But the Bush administration also led the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a Palestinian state for the first time, and President George Bush has personally urged Israel to withdraw from the West Bank. The world expects President Bush to exercise his influence and leadership to the utmost to end what Prime Minister Sharon has described as a state of war. We hope that he will not let us down.

To: Sojourner Smith who wrote (2703)	4/16/2002 1:09:14 PM
From: Sojourner Smith	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Just to make it clear. The Jewish people do not control the US press, as some like Billy Graham have stated. As Nixon said to Billy Graham "do you really believe that?." Emile? "do you really believe that?" These myths and lies, against Jewish people keep resurfacing from the pit. I hope all true Christians and all Americans realize that there is no Jewish conspiracy.

To: Sojourner Smith who wrote (2703)	4/16/2002 1:44:03 PM
From: Katelew	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 32591

It doesn't matter if 'most Israelis are willing to live side by side'. Since 1948, every Israeli government has continued to confiscate the land and water of their neighbors, oppress the indigenous populations (inc. Christian Arabs), and build settlements and roads that criss-cross the occupied lands. This is a long-term strategy. It's working, and we are paying for it. Our return on this wonderful investment so far has been the devastation of 9/11 and increasing hatred in the Arab world. Considering the fact that we are on the wrong side of justice here, why do we want to risk so much for this tiny little contentious country??