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Israel-Palestine
Qassam Mujahideen shell Zionist settlements
2004-12-30
The Qassam Brigades, military wing of the Hamas Movement, shelled at dawn today the Kfar Darum settlement in central Gaza Strip with three mortar shells. The Qassam communiqué said that the Mujahideen also fired a Qassam missile at the Tal Qatif settlement at 07.00 pm Tuesday. For its part, the military wing of the Fatah Movement, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, today declared responsibility for firing two mortar shells at the Kfar Darum settlement. The Nasser Salahuddin Brigades, military wing of the popular resistance committees, also took the credit for firing two Nasser-2 missiles at the Dugit settlement to the north of the Gaza Strip. The Aqsa Martyrs along with the Quds Brigades, military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, yesterday claimed joint responsibility for firing and hitting two Zionist soldiers to the east of Gaza city at 02.50 pm Tuesday.
Posted by:Fred

#13  I will take out the word "hate" referring to Jews and Tunisia(only). I still don't trust them.

My point is that, if Israel were to ever to become militarily or financially weak (not that it will ever happen), the Muslim countries will show their true colors.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-30 6:05:01 PM  

#12  Tunisians don't hate Jews. They've lived together in peace with their own for millenia. Egyptians do hate, but then there aren't any left there -- after 1948 it became increasingly illegal to be Jewish, so they all went to Israel or the West (a friend of mine went first to France, then came here, and now is happily retired in Florida). AFAIK, the Berber countries have had some level of unofficial contact with Israel for quite some time now, just as Jordan has since Golda Meir went across the border in a burka to meet with King Abdullah's grandfather. Much as they would like us to think so, the Arab League (and the Muslim world overall) are not of a single opinion on a national level, let alone with regard to individual smugglers who can easily sell quality Israeli goods -- so long as the customers can see where the labels were cut off.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-12-30 5:29:10 PM  

#11  LH,
"Israelis went to help out Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, which only just recognized Israel in 2000


FYI..Update

When the Israeli's went to help Sri Lanka, the help was REJECTED.---Us Mooselimbs, don't need no steeekin' Jooooos helping us---

Please don't get too optimistic about the sudden change in color towards Israel, from the governments mentioned above(Sri Lanka, Egypt, Tunisia, etc. The citizens that these governments belong to, will always HATE Jews. It doesn't matter how many opportunistic sweetheart deals these governments make with Israel, as long as its citizens hate Jews. The only reason the U.S. Govt. (excluding Bush, Rummy, Cheney, Rice-where they naturally support Israel) doesn't side with the U.N/EU is because the majority U.S. citizens will NOT allow it.

Bottomline, its the Heart of the Citizens that matter, not the Government.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-30 4:15:25 PM  

#10  not unreasonable, frank. depends on context. As long as the terrs keep missing, for the most part, its probably not worth it. I can see circumstances where it would be tried, though. Look, the jihadi idiots are tossing missiles at settlements that the Israelis are about to abandon, for chrissakes (pardon the expression) This isnt an existential assault, its a political maneuver. To make it look like Israel is withdrawing under fire (see South Lebanon) The main point is to hit back hard enough to show Sharon isnt Barak, without derailing Sharons political initiatives.

Look, a US-Egypt-Israel free trade initiative just passed. Israel is talking with Tunisia about reestablishing relations. Israelis went to help out Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, which only just recognized Israel in 2000. The various EU boycotts are dead in the water. Blair revised the agenda of his conference to meet Israels wishes. Despite the tendency to think that the political process never buys Israel anything, it in fact does. So there is a real strategic tradeoff to playing rougher (I happen also to think that the IDF is motivated by more than just strategic considerations, but thats another thing) AFAICT counter battery fire like you describe would have a much higher collateral damage (and thus political damage) to dead terrorists ratio than targeted killings and other acts the IDF does. As long as things are more or less working, I cant see them doing it.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-30 2:46:21 PM  

#9  Anyone else regurgitate when they hear "military wing" of Hamas? When do we and our "allies" stop treating political parties with "military wings" as other than what they are: terrorist organizations?
Posted by: Jules 187   2004-12-30 2:36:16 PM  

#8  what about limited anti-battery as I noted above, LH? your thoughts?
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-30 2:14:50 PM  

#7  I dont know how to tell you this, but the US is bigger and stronger than Israel. Kerry isnt important to US policy the way the US is important to Israel. And if you think the response to CARPET BOMBING Gaza would be no greater on the part of the EU or the Arabs than to the US invasion of Iraq, well, Im not sure I can convince you.

As for the cost of targeted assasinations, what is that? Theyre gonna have the air assets, the Sayeret units, etc anyway. A few bombs, some jet fuel, some overtime. Trivial. They spend more on the Shas school system. Israels financial situation is quite sustainable.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-30 1:55:32 PM  

#6  LH,
"carpet bombing gaza would be virtually suicidal for Israel (can anyone say war with every neighbor, EU economic embargo, and no KerryUS support?

No offense but, Blah! Blah! Blah! I heard the same things before we went into Iraq.

Israel can't financially sustain targeted killings forever. If the terrs know that Israel won't stoop to their level, then they will never stop. Either Israel can do surgery after surgery after surgery to get rid of the cancer or Israel can do a couple of surgeries and get rid of the whole thing. If more props up, then keep cutting. I agree with Bomb-a-rama's anger about this situation. Enough is enough. I would like a start off with a small appetizer, as Frank states, taking out blocks.

I know, I know. You are going to rebuttle me with a novel sized reply, but the terrs must be killed. If the terrs supportersinnocent civilians don't want to be accidentally killed, then leave. If there is no place to go, then leave anyway.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-30 12:31:34 PM  

#5  I'm all for big-time counter-battery for the Qassam launches - from wherever they launch. If it takes out a block of "civilians", so be it. The Paleos make the causes here, effects are their's also
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-30 11:44:54 AM  

#4  carpet bombing gaza would be virtually suicidal for Israel (can anyone say war with every neighbor, EU economic embargo, and no US support?) and wont be done. IF things go poorly with Abbas, Israel will return to targeted killings of terrorist leaders, and will continue to attempt to avoid collateral damage, though some collateral damage will happen anyway. IF things go relatively well with Abbas, Israel will NOT pursue targeted killings, but WILL kill "ticking bombs" IE cannon fodder in the process of conducting an imminent attack. IF, and only if, Abbas's security forces are BOTH willing and able to stop the ticking bombs themselves, the Israelis will cease from doing that (dont hold your breath).

AFAIK Israel has never carpet bombed any arab neighborhood anywhere. Despite all the loony propaganda out there. Do we really want to debate that?
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-30 11:28:14 AM  

#3  Lh sez it won't help. Or is it different with Paleos?
Posted by: .com   2004-12-30 11:19:01 AM  

#2  The IAF needs to carpet bomb the entire Gaza Strip. Repeatedly.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-12-30 2:39:57 AM  

#1  The Heroic Mujahidin also reported that in addition
to all the above activities another heroic act was performed by a special unit composed of 15 volunteers carefully selected from all the brigades.
The volunteers lined up in the central Gaza Moskkkkk and farted intermittently for 20 minutes in the general direction of the Zionist forces.
No casualties were reported.
Posted by: EoZ   2004-12-30 1:07:02 AM  

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