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Middle East
Bush call for democracy draws scorn from Palestinians
2003-11-09
Second verse, same as the first...
US President George W. Bush's call on Thursday for greater democracy in the Middle East drew rebukes from Palestinian commentators and officials, who condemned Washington for its continued support for Israel.
  • Ali Sadek, a prominent political analyst, wrote in the Palestinian Authority's official Al-Ayyam newspaper that the policy of the Bush Administration made the US one of the most hated countries in the world.
    They hate it when we're right...
    "Bush is searching for an excuse to intimidate the Arab governments so that they would agree to play functional roles that serve his imperialist policy," Sadek said. "In our view the worst Arab regime, with regards to freedom and constitutional rights, is more democratic than the US. The American democracy is arrogant and offensive, and this is reflected in the picture of the American soldier trampling with his boots on an Iraqi citizen who is fasting during the month of Ramadan. This is similar to the daily killings of Palestinian children."
    At the moment, the worst Arab regime, with regard to freedom and constitutional rights, appears to be Paleostine, with its drooling, inimical president-for-life and its lickspittle "legislators," its myriad "security apparatus" that double as terror organizations, its "militias," its penchant for bumping off "collaborators" without trial, and the tight integration of street thugs into the fabric of the regime...
    Sadek accused Bush of lying when he talks about democracy, saying Washington's goal is to enhance its cards in the Middle East after running out of excuses. "How can we believe those who support the killing of our children and youth in Palestine and Iraq?" he asked. "How can we believe them when they say that they regret the lack of democracy in the Arab world?"
    If the Paleos had "democracy" — Bush was actually talking about individual liberty, using the term "democracy" as shorthand — perhaps they'd be able to actually negotiate with the Israelis and adhere to the agreements they make. Perhaps if they offered something other than a continuous stream of vitriol and enmity their neighbor might not regard them as enemies.
  • Fuad Abu Hijleh, another Palestinian commentator, said the "Arab street" hates the US because it's an imperialist superpower that is hostile to the freedom and advancement.
    Baathists — which the Paleo Authority is in essence — defines freedom as accruing to the state, not to the individual. "Advancement" doesn't seem to apply to building a middle class and engaging in commerce and research, but to the acquisition of weapons...
    "The Arab peoples hate America because of its bias towards Israel and because it supports tyrannical regimes in the Arab world," he explained. "They [also] hate America because it is occupying Iraq and is threatening to occupy Syria, looks down on the Arabs, is waging a war against the real Islam, and because it is stealing Arab oil. We hate America and we don't hide this."
    So lemme get this straight: they hate us because we support tyrannical regimes, and also because we overthrew one tyrannical regime and we're threatening another? That makes sense. Not a lot of sense, but sense. See my comments yesterday for a hint as to why we "look down" on Arabs. "The real Islam" attacked our country and killed 3000 of our people, after declaring war on us. And we pay for all that Arab oil we're stealing.
  • Abu Hijleh lashed out at Arab governments that are prepared to send their troops and policemen to protect US embassies and McDonald eateries in the Arab world.
    Embassies are sovreign territory, and they're accorded security as needed by the host country. Not to provide that security is considered an unfriendly act. If you don't like McDonald's, why not go to a felafel joint instead? Somebody must like them, otherwise they'd go out of business. But in countries with that authoritarian mindset it's considered permissible to tell other people what to like and dislike...
  • Youssef Qazzaz, director of the Voice of Palestine, the Palestinian Authority's official radio station, said in a letter addressed to Bush that the Palestinians and the Arabs don't believe in his views regarding peace, democracy and freedom. "Solving the Palestinian problem is the master key to solving all the problems of the region and to spreading democracy and peace," he added.
    It's like the One Note Samba, isn't it?
    "There is no cause, only effect... There is no Dana, only Zool..."
  • PA cabinet minister Saeb Erekat urged Bush to realize his vision of democracy by helping the Palestinians to hold free and democratic elections.
    Bush demanded that the Paleos hold elections a year and a half ago. Didn't ask, demanded. They blew him off, as we knew they would.
    "We have been trying to hold elections for a long time, but we failed because of the Israeli occupation," he said.
    Yep. It's all the Zionists' fault Paleos can't hold an election...
    "We hope President Bush would help us to provide the appropriate conditions for holding the elections under his auspices and the supervision of the international community."
    That would have been the road map that Hamas used for toilet paper.
The one thing we can always count on with the Paleos is that we're not going to get anything constructive out of them. There aren't any idea, there aren't any proposals, there aren't any compromises, just vitriol and blind hatred.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#10  "How can we believe those who support the killing of our children and youth in Palestine and Iraq?"

Hey, I thought he was talking about Bush, how did that reference to Arafat get in there?

"We have been trying to hold elections for a long time, but we failed because of the Israeli occupation," which he won't let us do - if we occupied Israel, all would be OK!
Posted by: John Anderson   2003-11-9 9:49:32 PM  

#9  The Paleostine Civil War should be happening within 6 months, I would imagine. Seriously, the leasers in the PA know Arafish is killing any chance they have of peace. It's no longer a matter of establishing a state. It's a matter of survival.

Those who wish to save Paleostinian live will rise against Arafish. The rest will be to loyal to the dying PA. In the end, there is just one question thos PA leaders have to ask: Who do you serve, Arafish or the People?
Posted by: Charles   2003-11-9 8:30:08 PM  

#8  Oh how they fear Democracy! Check with Kuwait, I think it's working for them?
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2003-11-9 3:41:45 PM  

#7  I would force Egypt, Leababnon and Jordan to naturalize all the Palestineans that have been born in their country and allow them to won property. The naturalization would be optional. The money that goes to keeping th ecamps open could be paid to those governements for a number of years.
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-11-9 2:06:41 PM  

#6  here's a thought: how about a nationwide 5 year mortorium on buying middle east oil? we could still get plenty from mexico and russia.
Posted by: dabbey   2003-11-9 12:58:00 PM  

#5  Raj - LOL, he couldn't do worse.

Fred, you were posting yesterday about the likelihood of us bringing democracy to the ME. I don't know whether we can or we can't, but it does seem to me that every time Bush says the D word people like these guys start running around like cockroaches after someone turns on the lights.

"Lemme see, if we had elections I'd probably get elected to be ... well, can't let that happen."
Posted by: Matt   2003-11-9 11:17:58 AM  

#4  The American democracy is arrogant and offensive, and this is reflected in the picture of the American soldier trampling with his boots on an Iraqi citizen who is fasting during the month of Ramadan. This is similar to the daily killings of Palestinian children."

I think we just found Terry McAuliffe's successor.
Posted by: Raj   2003-11-9 10:52:37 AM  

#3  Paleostine will not get better until Arafat is dead and the ineveitable Civil War takes place - real Paleos have to get rid of the hate and victimhood and decide to improve their lives with what they have, not what they want (Jews pushed into the Med). First things first...how ya feeling Yasser?
Posted by: Frank G   2003-11-9 9:49:48 AM  

#2  "Solving the Palestinian problem is the master key to solving all the problems of the region and to spreading democracy and peace," he added.
And, pray, how does this resolve the Saudi's problems? First Mecca and now Riyad?
Posted by: Barry   2003-11-9 9:42:45 AM  

#1  One thing is for certain, OBLadin did Islam no favors by attacking the USA. Where once we were ignorant, we have now begun to focus on the Islamic World; and though our hate is slow to build, when in full flower it is much scarier than the Muslims could ever expect. In other words, Ali you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Posted by: Tancred   2003-11-9 9:08:15 AM  

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