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| Middle East | |
| IDF withdraws from Rafah; UN, Paleos bitch | |
| 2003-10-13 | |
| U.N. officials said Israel’s three-day military operation in a Gaza Strip refugee camp left 1,240 Palestinians homeless, the largest demolition of houses in a Gaza raid in three years of fighting. Boo Frigging Hoo Israeli troops withdrew from the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border Sunday, after a three-day operation the military said was aimed at finding and destroying weapons smuggling tunnels. Three tunnels were shut down. The raid, the biggest in Gaza in six months, was accompanied by heavy fighting between soldiers and Palestinian gunmen. Eight Palestinians, including two then to 30 then to 3 "We have had very, very maybe as many? how about as little as 3 or 5? kinda loose with numbers Peter Another 70 houses were damaged, said Saed Zoarub, the mayor of the town of Rafah next to the camp. The area targeted was the camp’s Yabena neighborhood, next to the Gaza-Egypt border. Several of the houses were blown up, while the remainder were razed by army bulldozers. It was the largest-scale demolition in a single raid since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting three years ago. Rafah has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli troops. because? how about because it is a source of illegal weapons, drugs, prostitution, and killers? In all, nearly 3,500 houses have been demolished in the Gaza Strip in the past three years, including about 1,200 in Rafah, municipal officials said. The Israeli military said it did not know how many houses were demolished in the latest Rafah raid, but that about 30 of the structures were uninhabited and used as cover by gunmen. sounds good to me - knock it down with them in it The military said that other houses were razed because they were sitting atop or near tunnels. Also, some structures were damaged in the fighting, the army said, noting that Palestinians fired grenades and anti-tank missiles and that soldiers returned fire. Palestinians charged that Israel was trying to bury peace efforts with the Rafah raid. "This is a classic war against the Palestinian
Fred called that one | |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #9 The conflict in the ME is not one of ideologies, such as democracy vs. communism. Were that the case, it would be as good as over as communism is beyond discredited - it's simply asinine. The ME problem is one of Arab hatred of Jews, pure and simple. It is taught, indoctrinated, and inculcated from cradle to grave. Nothing in the education system misses being twisted to include it or to sharpen it. It is in the names of every street, building, and holiday. It is endlessly invoked in "prayer" every Friday. It is in the air, the water, the food, and on every tongue in almost every sentence. It is constant. It is never diminshed by concessions or acts of civility or kindness. It saturates every act and thought and deed. It is the core of the Arab culture. It is the core of Islam. If you do not understand this - fully - then you do not understand the Arabs nor the situation on the ground in the ME. Factually speaking, until the Arabs or the Israelis are effectively wiped out, there will be no peace. Period. If you don't see this, then you haven't been paying attention. This has been going on for a long long time and there is more than sufficient history available to make a concrete case for what I'm saying - assuming you are willing to read it all - not just the bits that suit your notions and biases. Yes, it's sad and deplorable. Yes, it is insane. But there it is, nonetheless. Without US support, which allows us some measure of pressure to demand constraint, long ago Israel probably would have depopulated the territory around their border to deny the murderous Arabs the staging areas and firing positions they use to attack Israeli civilians. Ask yourself why the following timeline of events occurred... Immediately after the Oslo Accords were signed (one of many peace processes, if you'll recall) the world was eating out of Araft's hand - and he had a Nobel Prize in the other. Barak was trying to negotiate land for peace - precisely what had been demanded by the Paleos. It looked like there might be an end to the insanity. Arab funding was high and so were Western hopes. Then Arafat declared the intefada. As the violence grew, Barak lost credibility and office. The Israeli public elected Sharon in response - because he promised to deal with the killers. He has. The current campaign to kill the terrorist group leaders is in progress - and has proven very effective in lowering the rate of the murders - do the math. It is not finished. Nor is the fence / wall, which might help as well. Everything hasn't yet been tried - especially all of the military options Israel can bring to bear - mainly due to US pressure. Should Israel give up on the US - or should the US give up on the Paleos, then you'll see what Israel can do to end this bloody stupid stalemate. The "truth" you want someone to confront is appeasement - and since you don't understand or won't accept that it has already been tried (more than once) and is only viewed as weakness by the Arabs - and invites renewed violence - then you obviously don't get it. The real truth is that Israel, if it is to survive, must make that possible through violence, massive and ferocious. Hot war with the gloves off - no more trying to be careful in their targeting to minimize civilian deaths. Were the Arabs 1/100th as concerned with the rules that you and others of your ilk demand of Israel, then there would be hope. But that won't happen for it is beyond the Arabs - they are simply blind in their hatred and all Jews are equal targets, children, old women, soldiers, and pregnant mothers alike. I don't give a shit whether you agree with this or not. I have lived in the ME and come to know this is the reality they face. I don't hate the Arabs, but it would be fair to say that I hate hatred - particular their blind variety. I hope Israel is unleashed soon so they may save themselves from the sub-human Paleo cretins. The Israeli people have gone the extra mile more than enough times to deserve a chance at peace. Sadly, the only options left to them are these: 1) give up and leave Israel 2) destroy, not hold at bay, destroy their enemies And there you have it as it stands today, in my not even remotely humble opinion. |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-13 11:25:27 PM |
| #8 sure .com, it's easy enough to dismiss alternative views by referring to people's lack of understanding of underlying issues. While I personally don't condone suicide bombings against civiliant targets (they vulgar and barbaric), I really don't have aproblem with attacks on legitimate military targets. I have had the opportunity to experience life under a communist system as well as a western democracy (do prefer the latter) and unlike some people, I can see through the fog much more clearly than others. The current israeli strategy has achieved nothing and will achieve nothing in the future, it takes a brave men to face up to reality and confront the truth. An alternative is needed and unfortunately it won't be found with the current idiots in charge, Sharon Bush and yes, Arafat. |
| Posted by: Igs 2003-10-13 10:40:15 PM |
| #7 Ah, Igs, you're such a simple soul. I'd guess, from your comments, that you'd get lost in the fog from your breath on a cold morning. Better stay in and watch the game shows. Safer that way, and less confusing. Don't worry, Don Pardoe will explain everything. |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-13 10:13:42 PM |
| #6 no wonder the palestinians are pissed at the israelis, I would be too if my house was demolished, expect some retaliation |
| Posted by: Igs 2003-10-13 9:30:00 PM |
| #5 Lessee, taking their claims at face value, that's 1200 people "homeless", and 120 homes destroyed. 10 people to a house, on *average* ?! Now I see why the Paleos are such sociopaths.... |
| Posted by: Carl in NH 2003-10-13 5:07:16 PM |
| #4 The tunnels were "shut down"? I hope this means that they were destroyed-or-caved-in shut down. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-10-13 2:44:31 PM |
| #3 Cry me a river and drown in it. |
| Posted by: Atrus 2003-10-13 1:44:32 PM |
| #2 No doubt the numbers are a result of the patented Jenin Massacre Casualty Calculator... |
| Posted by: mjh 2003-10-13 1:00:22 PM |
| #1 Next they'll be trying to smuggle in land-mines to use on the roads. Perhaps even use them to give thir bombs some extra "Zing". |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-10-13 12:13:02 PM |