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I say if Iran gets hit hard and fast and we close off their supply lines for ammo and food that they send out to the taliban my guess is the insurgent fighting will drop right off in afghanistan and northren pakistan and we may be able to secure it enough to leave by 2014.
You mean "shock and awe" Iran? And by 2014? At about 3 years at least that's not overly ambitious...
Incredible. Our 'old pal' Isreal is like a nasty hemorrhoid that just won't go away. Now they are blackmailing us, their benefactor with their *illegal* settlements? Very shrewd.
I've witnessed some of this scam in the early 90s. Wonder who paid for those 20 magic jets? Not the Israely taxpayer. Even if it's a 'sale', I know for a fact the US government guarantees loans to Israel for military equipment purhcases from private US companies, i.e. there is no cash from Israel that is transfered to the US, just IOU's that are written off late
I think that is the point. Isreal is just one of hundreds of countries in the international community. It can not continue the way it is dealing with their allies and their neighbors. They got American fighters, German submarines and other weapon imports and never pay for anything. Israel has tested its limits for a long time, they can't do forever. It is time to stop that weapon imports and those illegal settlements. They always blame their neighbors, but there are always two sides of the medal...
I do not think Iran is a threat, they don't like Isreal but they are not that stupid. They know even they have a nuclear bomb (what I can't imagine) that their whole country will be destroyed once they just think of using it. It is just a kind of Israel's propaganda that is sooo very necessary to fight against Iran. The Taliban is NOT bounded to any state, do you want to start new wars in Iran and Pakistan until we haven't finished Afghanistan yet? The only result will be the Taliban moved to the next place, until the whole world will be in war..
and freeze all the bank accounts in saudi arabia.. I guess it come down to how bad do we want to win this war and when to we cut our loses and leave no way can we win it like it is right now we would have to push on and make them run out of food, medical aid, water, ammo, weapons and basic supplies and force them to give up.
If they can't get bullets and explosives they can't shoot at us or use IED's and we can make a push to get the afghan army trained and get the pakistan army geared up to control the border region.
but then again that only happens if Iran is out of the picture and pre-occupied and loses their spere of influence in the region.
The US= the enabler parent. Israel= the drug-addicted adolescent.
*US punishes Israel*
Israel: Fine! I'm not listening to you anymore.
US: Wait. I feel bad. Here's $20, just promise not to spend it on drugs.
Israel: I promise! Love you daddy! *kiss*
Your first point hits the nail on the head.
Yea, settlements. That's what started the conflict! That's the core of the conflict! If only they would go away there would be PEACE!
SETTLEMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CORE CAUSE OF THE CONFLICT. And its very easily proven by history and what the anti-Israel Arab forces themselves have said and are saying. The attacks on Israel, since 1948 to the present day, are being perpetrated by forces who openly state that their goal is Israel's destruction. Nothing to do with settlements. It started long before there was a single settlement. All settlements were uprooted from Gaza in 2005 and what happened? It allowed Hamas to move their forces right up to the border resulting in more missile attacks and cross border raids.
The Arab attackers surrounding Israel have never claimed that settlements are the cause of the conflict. They openly and clearly say that the cause of the conflict is Israel's mere existence. And that they will continue the conflict until they destroy Israel.
The solution is recognition of Israel by the Arab states and normalization of relations. With that will come a resolution of the settlements through a combination of dismantling of some and the incorprating of others into Israel in a land exchange with a newly created Palestinian Arab state.
The total land used by settlements in 40 years adds up to about 5% of the west Bank, mostly suburbs of Jerusalem, and 0% of Gaza.
The outline for a peace agreement has been there for a while. The obstacle is the existence of the anti-peace forces of Hamas and Hezbollah, propped up militarily and financially by the radical Iranian regime.
If that regime can be significantly weakened there is a good chance for peace, because a weakened Iranian regime means a weakened Hamas and Hezbollah. On the other hand, a nuclear Iran will end ANY chance for peace. I hope Obama is serious and successful in doing WHATEVER must be done to stop their march toward nuclear weaponization.
I agree with that. Generally, Arabs do not accept ANY Jewish entity in the Middle East. Not only Hamas and Hesbullah, but regular Arab folks. Already In 1891, some 120 years ago, Arabs leaders petitioned the Ottoman Sultan to stop all Jewish immigration and land purchase in Palestine. Arabs who sold lands to Jews were declared traitors.
That happened some 60 years before Israel became independent. And today in 2010, just freezing settlements on the west bank will bring peace?
Already In 1891, some 120 years ago, Arabs leaders petitioned the Ottoman Sultan to stop all Jewish immigration and land purchase in Palestine. Arabs who sold lands to Jews were declared traitors.
Many sources, such as Thomas Friedman "From Beirut to Jerusalem" in the preface "Middle East Chronology", page XII : "1891: Arab notables in Jerusalem sent a petition to Ottoman Government in Constantinopole demanding the prohibition of Jewish immigration to Palestine and Jewish land purchases"
Another source is Amy Marcus book - "Jerusalem 1913" .
The importance is that it was already an organized and official petition, not just isolated complains by Arabs. People do not understand and think that somehow the conflict dates back to 1948 or 1967, when in truth the confrontation goes back to the 19th century, long before any Jewish state existed.
Many sources, such as Thomas Friedman "From Beirut to Jerusalem" in the preface "Middle East Chronology", page XII : "1891: Arab notables in Jerusalem sent a petition to Ottoman Government in Constantinopole demanding the prohibition of Jewish immigration to Palestine and Jewish land purchases"
Another source is Amy Marcus book - "Jerusalem 1913" .
The importance is that it was already an organized and official petition, not just isolated complains by Arabs. People do not understand and think that somehow the conflict dates back to 1948 or 1967, when in truth the confrontation goes back to the 19th century, long before any Jewish state existed.
And they began terrorizing the Palestinian Jews as early as 1919 with the use of suicide bombers (sound familiar?):
"One of the el-Husseinis, Haj Amin, who emerged as the leading figure in Palestinian politics during the mandate period, first began to organize small groups of suicide groups, fedayeen (“one who sacrifices himself”), to terrorize Jews in 1919 in the hope of driving the Jews out of Palestine" Arab Riots of the 1920s
The Palestinian Arabs subsequently committed massacres of Jews through the 1920's and 30's, as well as very active pro-Nazi activities throughout WWII.
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