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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (101378)	6/13/2003 2:01:45 AM
From: KyrosL	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Israel Vows War on Hamas, Poll Finds Public Opposed Nadine this doesn't fit your script. It seems to go hand in hand with emerging Palestinian opposition to Hamas terrorist actions. Maybe the roadmap has a chance? "But a poll in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily found 67 percent of Israelis wanted what the survey termed the "assassination policy" to stop, at least temporarily, to give new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas a chance to grow stronger. Yedioth Ahronoth commentator Sever Plotzker described as unprecedented the widespread opposition to the assassinations amid a dizzying cycle of violence." story.news.yahoo.com

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (101378)	6/13/2003 4:01:23 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

We are finally going after the potential terrorists. Can't wait to see the left start screaming "Racial Profiling!" American Muslims unlikely to vote for Bush The community is angered by the perceived anti-Muslim slant of a post-9/11 registration programme By Roger Mitton IN WASHINGTON AND DERWIN PEREIRA IN DOHA (QATAR) - SINGAPORE TIMES WASHINGTON - The American Muslim community, which was influential in President George W. Bush's electoral victory in 2000, is threatening to desert him next year. The issue which most riles Muslims and Arab-Americans is a registration programme that was introduced after the Sept 11 attacks and seen as discriminatory. The programme requires immigrants from 25 countries to register with the authorities. All the countries involved, with the exception of North Korea, are Islamic. 'The programme just targets Muslim countries,' said American Muslim Council communications director Faiz Rehman. The official rationale for the programme is to correct visa irregularities but it is seen as stereotyping Arab and Muslim immigrants as potential terrorists. 'It is causing anxiety because we believe it is a selective prosecution of the law,' said Mr Nihad Awad, executive director of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. 'It defies the American tradition of treating people equally before the law.' To make matters worse, immigrants who came forward voluntarily to register under the programme thought it was a formality. A staggering 82,000 trooped in, many of them proud to cooperate in the battle against terrorism. But 13,000 were shocked when told they faced deportation because of visa irregularities. 'They thought that because they were abiding by the law, they would be treated leniently. Now they feel they were duped,' said Mr Faiz. Mr Nihad added: 'Muslims and Arabs feel they are being singled out. It's not healthy.' The US authorities contend that the crackdown is necessary because illegal immigrants pose a high security risk, pointing out that several of the 9/11 terrorists were in America illegally at the time of the attacks. But US Muslims are not appeased by such logic and that could be dangerous for Mr Bush in next year's presidential elections. Muslim voters can play a crucial role in 'swing' states such as Florida, where the President's Republican Party is uncertain of victory. There are an estimated six million Muslims in America. About 30 per cent are from South Asia, 30 per cent are Afro-American Muslims and the rest are predominantly from the Arab world. Black Muslims traditionally vote for the Democrats; the others are divided equally between the two main parties. In the last election, Muslim voters swung heavily to Mr Bush and his party - a trend most evident in states with Muslim concentrations such as Michigan, California, Texas, Florida and New York. Mr Bush had worked for the support. He met Muslim leaders in key states and impressed them with the way he condemned racial and religious profiling and affirmed the right to pray. But now, the perceived anti-Muslim slant of the registration programme, coupled with opposition to the war in Iraq and a widespread belief that the US favours Israel over Palestine, has alienated Mr Bush from American Muslims. 'Next year is going to be a different story,' said Mr Faiz. 'There's no chance Muslims are going to vote for Mr Bush.' straitstimes.asia1.com.sg