Bush refuses to press Israel for a truce!

[jujuman13]

I can understand Israel being highly ticked off over Hamas & Hezbollah, I can also understand that Bush will be mighty pleased that someone is trying to knock hell out of these terrorists and at the same time cause both Iran & Syria some grief.

What I simply fail to understand is why Israel is (apart from a few strikes at Hezbollah) is bombing the Lebanese infrastructure and virtually leaving the Hezbollah strongholds to the south of Lebanon alone.

What I fail to see is what Bush's reasoning is.
He claims to want peace in the mideast, his administration has virtually ignored the Palestinan/Israeli problem for the last 5 years, yet now when everything seems about to blow up, his administration claims they will be sending a team to the mideast to try to broker a peace agreement.
Quite with whom he expects this team to converse with is difficult to understand.

all the while our President is encouraging Israel to continue the war.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not anti Israel.

I am however anti anyone who prefers to start & or encourage wars.
At some time in the future (assuming this war does not go nuclear) all those involved with the war will have to sit down and talk.

The only other alternative is a war of annihilation & this is likely to at first include Syria then Iran after which China, seeing it's oil supplies being cut off will start making a lot of noise, at the same time oil will probably go to something near $120 to $150 / Barrel.

Mr. Chavez apart from making idiotic & pointless digs at the USA does not really help the situation.

He could offer mediation, albeit most everyone would ask "WHO IS HE", & then ignore him as a pest.

Our President should be told quite firmly by his advisers that encouraging wars is not why he was elected, he has missed a brilliant opportunity to be remembered as someone who attempted to bring peace to the mideast, instead he will be remembered and cursed as the man who almost single handedly brought enormous grief to the USA over his 2 terms.

 

[jennyb]

excellent question about who we will have talks with.....and what are peace talks if one side continuously provokes the other for no reason...simply, israelis have no choice. they cant just sit and allow rockets to fall on them everyday.
this is not a small fight for them, these are people who want the destruction of israel, they are ridding themselves of the terrorists in their mist,the same as we would.

 

[Goobieman]

GWB may have done what has needed to be done in the ME fo a long time.

Release Israel from her leash.

Good work, G-dub.

:rock :yes: :cheers: :good_job:

 

[imprtnrd]

No wonder countries of the world hate the US! One person---GWB! His days are numbered and so is the republican party for this term! Thank god!

 

[oldreliable67]

What I simply fail to understand is why Israel is (apart from a few strikes at Hezbollah) is bombing the Lebanese infrastructure and virtually leaving the Hezbollah strongholds to the south of Lebanon alone.

As I understand it, the Israeli objective is to, as much as possible, eliminate Hezbollah as a military force in Lebanon. Consequently, Israeli tactics are to cut off Hezbollah from reinforcements from Syria and Iran (hence, putting the Beirut airport and other airports out of commission - Iran re-supplied Hezbollah via a weekly 747 cargo plane into Beirut), and at the same time, prevent Hezbollah from mixing with Lebanese refugees and escaping to Syria. And certainly, Israel wants to slow any military incursion from Syria, should the Syrians decide to act.

To the maximum extent possible, Israel wants to isolate whatever remnants of Hezbollah remain so that they are restricted to a significantly lesser role in Lebanese affairs, to trivialize them, so that the struggling democratic gov't of Lebanon can exercise more control over the southern Lebanese territory abutting Israel. This area is the Hezbollah stronghold from which rocket attacks and incursions into Israel are originated.

 

[talloulou]

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israel on Thursday to exercise restraint in its attacks against Lebanese targets and demanded Syria press Hizbollah guerrillas to stop attacking Israel.

"It is extremely important that Israel exercise restraint in its acts of self-defense," she told reporters travelling with Bush in Germany.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738183.html

Claiming Israel has our support as well as a right to defend themselves while also cautioning them publically to show restraint is a far cry from "starting" & "encouraging" the war. Have you actually watched the news jennyb? Or have you just hopped on the "let's hate on Israel and side with the islamic freaks" bandwaggon that's so popular these days?

I know not all those who lean left are anti-Israel but almost all those who are anti-israel lean left. So it looks like the dems are gonna blow it again.

 

[Joby]

They're calling on Syria to try and solve it-like this conflict is there fault.

Israel is destroying the democratic government of Lebanon, along with that of Palestine. Just goes to show you, we love democracys--as long as they vote for who we want.

So, how long is it in Iraq until they elect the We-Hate-You-Israeli-ists to power, and we give Saddam his old job back?

 

[Paul]

So, how long is it in Iraq until they elect the We-Hate-You-Israeli-ists to power, and we give Saddam his old job back?

If most Democrats have it their way, ASAP.

 

[talloulou]

They're calling on Syria to try and solve it-like this conflict is there fault.

Israel is destroying the democratic government of Lebanon, along with that of Palestine. Just goes to show you, we love democracys--as long as they vote for who we want.

So, how long is it in Iraq until they elect the We-Hate-You-Israeli-ists to power, and we give Saddam his old job back?

I agree it's a problem and even when the people are allowed to vote they vote extremists into office. Thus they as a populace are forced to pay the consequences of such decisions. You'd hope at some point lessons will be learned. I'm not even sure the government of Lebanon has the power to do anything about Hebollah even if they wanted to so obviously everything is a mess. However I still can't understand those who would find fault with the actions of Israel. If anything they have too long been patient and tolerant in trying to hold Islamic nations that would see them annihilated at bay.

I see the whole thing like pulling off a band aid. Israel has been slowly peeling the band aid off for years and it's high time they just rip it off already.

 

[Pen]

As I understand it, the Israeli objective is to, as much as possible, eliminate Hezbollah as a military force in Lebanon. Consequently, Israeli tactics are to cut off Hezbollah from reinforcements from Syria and Iran (hence, putting the Beirut airport and other airports out of commission - Iran re-supplied Hezbollah via a weekly 747 cargo plane into Beirut), and at the same time, prevent Hezbollah from mixing with Lebanese refugees and escaping to Syria. And certainly, Israel wants to slow any military incursion from Syria, should the Syrians decide to act.

To the maximum extent possible, Israel wants to isolate whatever remnants of Hezbollah remain so that they are restricted to a significantly lesser role in Lebanese affairs, to trivialize them, so that the struggling democratic gov't of Lebanon can exercise more control over the southern Lebanese territory abutting Israel. This area is the Hezbollah stronghold from which rocket attacks and incursions into Israel are originated.

Thank you for this well thought out post and it's contribution to the OP. I find that to be rare at DP.

 

[cherokee]

Why should the US do anything to stop the war the Hamas and Hezbolla started with Israel? Barter a peace deal with two demons? I think not.

I hold more sympathy to a roach then any bleeding member or supporter of the Hezbolla or Hamas, which includes the Palestine and the Lebanese people. They allow these groups to operate and thrive within their land.
They wanted a war and now they got one.
I say to them DEAL WITH IT!

 

[RightinNYC]

No wonder countries of the world hate the US! One person---GWB! His days are numbered and so is the republican party for this term! Thank god!

Care to offer your predictions?

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-el...ection-06-prediction-thread-2.html#post349996

 

[jamesrage]

I can understand Israel being highly ticked off over Hamas & Hezbollah, I can also understand that Bush will be mighty pleased that someone is trying to knock hell out of these terrorists and at the same time cause both Iran & Syria some grief.

What I simply fail to understand is why Israel is (apart from a few strikes at Hezbollah) is bombing the Lebanese infrastructure and virtually leaving the Hezbollah strongholds to the south of Lebanon alone.

What I fail to see is what Bush's reasoning is.
He claims to want peace in the mideast, his administration has virtually ignored the Palestinan/Israeli problem for the last 5 years, yet now when everything seems about to blow up, his administration claims they will be sending a team to the mideast to try to broker a peace agreement.
Quite with whom he expects this team to converse with is difficult to understand.

all the while our President is encouraging Israel to continue the war.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not anti Israel.

I am however anti anyone who prefers to start & or encourage wars.
At some time in the future (assuming this war does not go nuclear) all those involved with the war will have to sit down and talk.

The only other alternative is a war of annihilation & this is likely to at first include Syria then Iran after which China, seeing it's oil supplies being cut off will start making a lot of noise, at the same time oil will probably go to something near $120 to $150 / Barrel.

Mr. Chavez apart from making idiotic & pointless digs at the USA does not really help the situation.

He could offer mediation, albeit most everyone would ask "WHO IS HE", & then ignore him as a pest.

Our President should be told quite firmly by his advisers that encouraging wars is not why he was elected, he has missed a brilliant opportunity to be remembered as someone who attempted to bring peace to the mideast, instead he will be remembered and cursed as the man who almost single handedly brought enormous grief to the USA over his 2 terms.

Sometimes war is necessary,why do you fail to understand this?

 

[superskippy]

What I simply fail to understand is why Israel is (apart from a few strikes at Hezbollah) is bombing the Lebanese infrastructure and virtually leaving the Hezbollah strongholds to the south of Lebanon alone.

The reason you fail to understand it is because you are incorrect.

All of our artillary along the border is striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, after all that is the limit of their range.

Our Aircraft are destroying vital strategic targets across Lebanon and strongholds and saliants in South Beirut.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

No wonder countries of the world hate the US! One person---GWB! His days are numbered and so is the republican party for this term! Thank god!

1. You should capitalize the word "God" in the term Thank God.

2. What would you want Bush to do? Take the side of Hezbollah and the terrorist states who harbor and support it? Israel is showing a lot of restraint compared to what we, or damn near any other nation on earth for that matter, would be doing in their place. If Lebanon gave a damn about its own people, it would be be harboring and supporting Hezbollah. If you lay down with dogs, you stand a good chance of getting up with flees.

 

[jamesrage]

I can understand Israel being highly ticked off over Hamas & Hezbollah, I can also understand that Bush will be mighty pleased that someone is trying to knock hell out of these terrorists and at the same time cause both Iran & Syria some grief.

What I simply fail to understand is why Israel is (apart from a few strikes at Hezbollah) is bombing the Lebanese infrastructure and virtually leaving the Hezbollah strongholds to the south of Lebanon alone.

Is it because Lebanon is is responsible for the actions of a terrorist orginization they openly harbor?Could that perhaps be the reason why Israel is attacking infastructure in Lebanon?

I am not sure if you under stand the concept of warfare,but in war you try to disable your enemies.That means destrying infanstructure,preventing any possible communication, disabling thier ability to deploy troops,and destroying any means they have of producing weapons.Lebanon is responsible for the actions of Hezbollah.

 

[tecoyah]

I can only say ....Timing is everything as far as the ME is concerned. Well, Timing and evaluation. It seems to me the major players in this part of the world are simply not ready (if indeed they ever will be) for our form of democracy. We have attempted to force western thought, and by extention culture somewhat, onto a population fundamentally unprepared to be successful in such a system. Yet, we still try, and pay the price for our ignorance of differing culture.
Even here, in the United States we clash over the place in Government for Religion, and our Clerics are somewhat dimwitted, or confused in message. Regardless we try to force a like system on a group of people far more devout in nature, and whos main religious tennants are nearly opposed to our democratic system, is it any wonder they rebel against it.
No one can say with any clarity how long it would take for these people to be ready for a democracy.....but likely its not now. So we instead try to Kill anyone unwilling to bend to this new way of thinking, rather than try to understand the differences, and work within the mindset for change. I seriously do not expect to see a lasting democracy in the Arab world....it is to me at least, a pipe dream.

So....do we continue to support this "program" of assimilation by force?
Or perhaps....just maybe we might try to talk to people...Honestly, and hope to understand a new path. One that has a chance for success.

 

[Stinger]

They're calling on Syria to try and solve it-like this conflict is there fault.

They are certainly culpable

Israel is destroying the democratic government of Lebanon, along with that of Palestine.

Being a Democratically elected governnment does not grant the the right to try and destroy Israel

Just goes to show you, we love democracys--as long as they vote for who we want.

Just goes to show one of the more ludicrious statements posted here in a long time.

So, how long is it in Iraq until they elect the We-Hate-You-Israeli-ists to power, and we give Saddam his old job back?

Can you possible imagine how horrible this would be had Saddam been left in power?

 

[jennyb]

superskippy..is it true there is a missle that may reach tel aviv?? i continuously hear about it..... but have you any idea whether it is true or purely a scare tactic?