Article

2003-06-11 Middle East

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve 2003-06-11 10:56 am|| || Front Page|| [11138 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Israeli police report at least 16 dead, dozens wounded.

Posted by Steve 2003-06-11 11:52:47|| 2003-06-11 11:52:47|| Front Page Top

#2 Finish the job on Rantissi and do Yassin. Get all the condemnations out in the shadow of the terrorist's own acts

Posted by Frank G 2003-06-11 11:55:08|| 2003-06-11 11:55:08|| Front Page Top

#3 Fox's "breaking news" banner (no story, just a banner) reports helicopter strikes in Gaza. Hope they had Yassin or Rantisi's hospital room in the crosshairs.

Posted by Mike 2003-06-11 11:55:21|| 2003-06-11 11:55:21|| Front Page Top

#4 USE BIGGER MISSILES!!!

Posted by tu3031 2003-06-11 12:03:49|| 2003-06-11 12:03:49|| Front Page Top

#5 Or more missiles - like a salvo of 20+.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2003-06-11 12:13:56|| 2003-06-11 12:13:56|| Front Page Top

#6 Better shooting today:
Witnesses said an Israeli Apache helicopter fired two missiles at a car stuck in a traffic jam in a crowded Gaza City neighborhood of Shijaiyah and then fired again after a group of people gathered around the stricken vehicle. Two bodies were taken out of the car, one decapitated. The dead included members of Hamas' military wing, Tito Massoud, 35, and Soffil Abu Nahez, 29. Five other people were also killed.

Posted by Steve 2003-06-11 12:17:50|| 2003-06-11 12:17:50|| Front Page Top

#7 The biggest unknowns here are:
1. Can Hamas actually carry out (or sponsor) many more suicide bombings?
2. Will the Egyptians and Jordanians do anything to help the situation? Or, will they sit on their hands some more.

Posted by mhw 2003-06-11 12:25:51|| 2003-06-11 12:25:51|| Front Page Top

#8 The Israelis need to take out the heads of Islamic Jihad, al Aqsa and Hamas. Otherwise, this will never end. Mahmoud Abbas isn't going to do it for the Israelis - they need to do it for themselves - basically liquidate the Palestinian security apparatus and leave Abbas in charge.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-06-11 12:27:22|| 2003-06-11 12:27:22|| Front Page Top

#9 As soon as the Israelis tke out the heads of these organizations some one, some where will rise to take there place. The basic problem is a culture that values martyrdom above all else. Do these people even have a view of what they would want a palistinian state to be.

Posted by Someone who did NOT vote for William Proxmire 2003-06-11 12:34:06|| 2003-06-11 12:34:06|| Front Page Top

#10 If the heads of these organizations keep getting killed in nasty ways as soon as they assume the office, as a matter of human nature the level of enthusiasm among the membership will decrease.
(I didn't vote for Proxmire, either.)

Posted by Mike 2003-06-11 12:48:12|| 2003-06-11 12:48:12|| Front Page Top

#11 The basic solution for Hamas and Co is to take off the head (i.e., the leadership) and cut off their resources (take out the funding) and they will die as a viable organization. Bush's statements toward Sharon were absolutely outrageous. He is asking Israel to take hits while we negotiate with liars and / or powerless whimps. We in the US never stood for this. Why should we ask others to do this for us in order to appease some Arab govts that hate us anyway. They will never love us, but the arabs will respect us if we deal with honesty, power, and resolve. The rest is BS---documented BS.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-06-11 14:50:44|| 2003-06-11 14:50:44|| Front Page Top

#12 "As soon as the Israelis tke out the heads of these organizations some one, some where will rise to take there place."

This is a good thing. It makes targeting easier.

Posted by Michael 2003-06-11 15:42:00|| 2003-06-11 15:42:00|| Front Page Top

#13 Taking out the Palestinian leadership does have a practical impact. None of these guys inherited their positions. The guys in charge are good at what they do. Some are good at propagandizing, some are good are organizing terrorist strikes and other are good at getting the finances together. All are best in class. The effect of taking out the leadership is twofold - it strikes the fear of Allah into the replacements and diminishes the pool of talented people who are willing to fill these leadership positions, knowing that they're no longer safe from attack.

The idea that there's an endless pool of suicidal Islamic martyrs is a myth carefully cultivated by both liberals and conservatives leery of taking on the Islamists, as well as Muslims everywhere who want to achieve their war aims. The truth is more prosaic - Muslim countries ranging from Egypt to Malaysia have effectively suppressed terrorists who want to impose Islamic law - terrorists were killed or arrested, and nothing rose to fill the vacuum. Going back further in time, the British crushed the Mahdi in the Sudan over 100 years ago, and no one rose to take his place. The Chinese had Yakub Beg (the charismatic Muslim leader of the Uighurs of East Turkestan, now Xinjiang) sliced to pieces like sushi, and no one ever emerged to replace him.

A tipping point exists, but the Israelis will never find out where it is if they keep making concessions that make Muslims think they have the Jews on the run. Why would Muslim terrorists quit if they can get all they want even if they continue their terrorist strikes?

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-06-11 16:32:09|| 2003-06-11 16:32:09|| Front Page Top

#14 Why not target the Muhlahs and imans that breed this bull. We never see the instigators out with in public with a DuPont Overcoat. The wonder is that the Israelis haven't taken out the Mosque on the Temple Mount or gone after the one in Mecca. You know the one that violates the Prophets stricture about the low grave

Posted by Anonymous 2003-06-11 17:41:20|| 2003-06-11 17:41:20|| Front Page Top

#15 You take out the Paleo terrorist leadership for the same reason you don't get upset when the other team's first-string quarterback is injured and has to leave the game -- by definition, the second-string quarterback isn't as good. As Zhang Fei notes, sooner or later you run out of quarterbacks.

There! I've flogged that metaphor enough!

Posted by Steve White 2003-06-11 18:20:53|| 2003-06-11 18:20:53|| Front Page Top

#16 We need to stop restraining the Israelis. Until the myth of the intifadeh is utterly annihilated, we will never see the end of Islamic terror. As long as fools believe that they can overcome democracy, organization, skill, and technology with faith and a bomb, they will continue. Everyday that we restrain the Israelis moves us closer to the day when the next suicide bomber is armed with WMD. Set the Israelis loose, Mr. President. Crush the myth. This isn't a problem that can be managed. It must be met with decisive force.

Posted by 11A5S 2003-06-11 19:55:33|| 2003-06-11 19:55:33|| Front Page Top

09:26 liberalhawk
22:33 Scott
22:15 tu3031
22:12 RW
22:09 RW
22:09 R. McLeod
22:01 tu3031
22:00 Scott
21:52 Scott
21:50 Michael
21:38 Watcher
21:13 Frank G
21:11 Brian
21:09 Brian
21:07 Matt
21:07 True German Ally
20:42 11A5S
20:33 raptor
19:55 11A5S
19:50 Frank G
19:45 Bulldog
19:35 raptor
19:25 Bulldog
19:22 someone