Quite simple: We do what Israel wants us to do. Middle East policy is dictated in Jerusalem and not Washington.Has been in the past and will do so in the future no matter who is sitting in the oval office.
A renewed Middle East war could be the first foreign policy crisis to test President-elect Barack Obama's mettle when he takes office next month.
Or it could be President Bush's last crisis before he leaves office. That's how fast tensions between Israel and Hamas are heating up.
Hamas, the Iran-sponsored Islamist terrorist group that currently rules Gaza, recently marshaled hundreds of thousands of supporters in Gaza City to brag about its violent exploits and to celebrate the group's founding 21 years ago. Meanwhile, Hamas' top leaders made two important announcements:
First, the six-month truce with Israel that was coming to an end would not be renewed. Second, on Jan. 8 Hamas will stop recognizing the legitimacy of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who holds sway over the West Bank.
After Israel withdrew from Gaza as a goodwill gesture in peace talks with Abbas, Hamas waged war for months against the Palestinian president's Fatah forces before winning control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas is sworn to destroy Israel and, until the truce was agreed on, was involved in dozens of suicide bombings that killed more than 250 Israelis.
Since the truce ended about a week ago, Hamas has launched rocket and mortar fire into Israel, prompting a response from Israeli defense forces. The renewed hostilities have drawn promises to break Hamas' hold on Gaza from the two frontrunners contending to become Israel's next prime minister in February's elections.
"Israel must topple Hamas rule in Gaza and a government under my command will do just that," vows Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, leader of the governing Kadima party. Not to be outdone, Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the rival Likud party, says there's "no choice but to topple Hamas... Right now we have to go from passive response to active assault."
It could be that Iran is pushing Hamas into a confrontation with Israel in hopes of dividing Israelis into peace and war camps going into February's elections. So far, based on frontrunners' responses, it doesn't seem to be working.
Radical Islamists may also be seeking to take advantage of perceived U.S. weakness during the presidential transition. They shouldn't have much luck there either, as there seems to be no daylight between Bush and Obama as far as Hamas is concerned. Both men agree with official U.S. designation of Hamas as a terrorist group. Even so, renewed warfare would still pose a serious challenge to U.S. diplomacy and influence around the world.
Further complicating, if not inflaming, Mideast tensions is America's worst-ever former president, Jimmy Carter. While Hamas was issuing threats against Abbas and terminating the truce with Israel, Carter was "talking peace" in Syria with Hamas' exiled political leader, Khaled Meshaal -- the second time in a year he's done that, drawing condemnation from both the U.S. and Israeli governments, and for good reason.
The problem with Carter stirring the Mideast cauldron is that as an ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, he gives the impression that his anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian and soft-on-jihad views are shared by the U.S. government when they clearly are not.
Carter could best serve his nation by going back to Plains and growing peanuts again.
Comments
Quite simple: We do what Israel wants us to do. Middle East policy is dictated in Jerusalem and not Washington.Has been in the past and will do so in the future no matter who is sitting in the oval office.
The best thing to do in the middle east is turn Israel loose. Let Iran and Syria know that we will no longer be reigning in the Israeli's. That Israel is free to bomb and destroy anybody they want. I think you might see a little more negotiating on the other side. Because given the choice between letting someone push them around and war? The Israeli's will pick the latter.
To the first comment. Israel has to make the decisions 'because the United States rule of engagement do not let us take care of any Military situation. The U.S. first move is to go into Pitty-Pat mode' send checks' send food' send troops for roadblocks' no collateral damage' no civilian casualties. Israel operates under none of these rules. they do not respect a Mosque' they believe little Hamas grow up to be big Hamas. they could care less about Civilian casualities or collateral damage. They are trying to survive and will do what ever it takes to do so. When it is time to make a move they will tell the U.S. SHUT UP. Just keep your eyes focused on the Iranian Nuclear Facilities.
The predictably pro-Israeli propaganda & disinformation campaign in The Augusta Chronicle persists. Is William Morris an endtimer Christian Zionist who is trying to hasten Jesus' return before his media empire implodes? (I ask only slightly tongue in cheek.) On Dec 22 Reuters reported "Palestinian armed groups in Gaza are observing a 24-hour halt to rocket fire against Israel at the request of Egyptian mediators, a senior official of the ruling Islamist Hamas group said on Monday. Ayman Taha said the brief ceasefire went into effect on Sunday evening. He said Hamas might consider a longer truce if Israel were to lift an embargo on the impoverished territory, beginning with permission to import an aid shipment from Egypt." On Dec 20, Richard Falk, professor of international law at Princeton University & the UN's special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, wrote in The Guardian that he was denied entry by Israel & detained "to teach me, & more significantly, the UN a lesson: there will be no cooperation with those who make strong criticisms of Israel's occupation policy. ... By attacking the observer rather than what is observed ... Israel practices a politics of distraction"
Pro- U.N. comments always seem to have no intelligence. Supporting the Carter stance is just plain crazy....like Carter.
Good for them. It's their country. They can detain whomever they want. Especially where the sorry pansy UN is concerned. They know they won't get a fair shake from them anyways. It's high time they quit bowing down to the PC of everyone and do whatever they want to do in their own country.
GnipGnop, they already do what they want with their country... They do what they want with Palestinian land as well. It takes two to tango. Pettythomas, while overmatched as President, Jimmy Carter has done more for the general well-being of mankind than you or any of your compatriots will ever hope to do... My, y'all are a bellicose bunch....
This may be the very reason that U.S. forces will always have to maintain a significant force in the area. Our presence maintains somewhat of a peace between nations in the Middle East. Unidentifiable groups may be a problem for armies to deal with, however, nations are not. Our military has been a constant figure in Europe since World War II and in Korea since the 50's. The possibility of a conflict involving Middle Eastern countries that could rapidly spread to Pakistan and India is too great to ignore. As much as I despise the role of being the world's peace keeper, our forces will most likely be in Iraq for a long time to come.
United States arms, supplies & funds Israel. Israel does not / cannot act without U.S. complicity. Before Israel got its rear end in a sling in south Lebanon in the summer of 2006 George W. Bush & Condoleezza Rice sat on their hands & did not push for an immediate cease fire. But Bush was forced to send jet fuel, rockets & other military supplies & weapons to Israel. Israelis have admitted that their invasion of Lebanon & bombing of Beirut was a disaster. Israelis are reluctant to start a large scale intervention/occupation of Gaza or bomb Iran without U.S. consent & support. This is not 1967. The myth about Israeli invincibility is just that - a myth. There is no way that a micro state like Israel with a population 7.3 million, 5.3 million of whom are Jews, can continue indefinitely to dominate the region militarily. Israel will not remain the region's only nuclear power for much longer. Israel will survive only by reaching an accommodation 1st with Palestinian Arabs & 2nd with neighboring Arab & Muslim countries in the Middle East. Expanding settlements on the West Bank is a non-starter. Jimmy Carter has more insight than Neanderthal Bush. A wise Obama will glean Carter's wisdom
The AC is just salivating for these events to occur, much like they were disappointed a riot did not break-out after the death of the young man shot by police.
Rightwingnuts tried to claim that the Mumbai massacre was Obama's "first foreign policy crisis". The Augusta Chronicle editorial staff (ACES) may or may not have been among them, but one thing is sure: Barack Obama was not President of United States when the Mumbia massacres happened elevating tensions between nuclear armed India & Pakistan to dangerous levels, nor is President Barack Obama President of United State today. Nonetheless ACES and other right wing reactionaries are trying to foist responsibility for U.S. policy towards Pakistan, India, Israel, and the Palestinians onto President-elect Obama. The President of United States at this moment and for the next 4 weeks (28 days) is George W. Bush. At noon on July 20, 2009 I will be on President Barack Obama's case. No doubt ACES will join me. Will ACES call for investigations into the actions of the Bush/Cheney regime? Hell no they won't, but Americans must know the truth about their actions before we can "move on".
Israel answers to nobody. Just cause you write something on here JRHC does not make it truth. Israel has nukes and given the right circumstance will use them. Don't think for a second that they have to obey the US and don't think for a second they are weak. You calling someone a "rightwing nut" is laughable.
Obama hasn't assumed control yet so no actions are his first foreign policy actions. However, the time is near. Stand-by for "O"day.
Well wingnuts recognize each other regardless of their ideology. Right or left. Isn't Obama already planning to "invade" Pakistan to find Osama bin Laden. I thought he already promised to send military aid to Africa too. I can't imagine he wouldn't support Israel over Palestine with Rahm Emaneul as his chief. Obama promised Israel he would coordinate policy between Israel and Iran-recognizing the threat of Iran to Israel. Obama told Israeli officials that he supported negotiations between Israel and Syria and that he would work to cut Syria off from Iran. Obama said in all his meetings that the Iranian question was at the top of his priorities and that a nuclear Iran would have negative implications for the entire Middle East, in terms of American interests as well. That is Obama's rhetoric so we will see if he is telling the truth this time or once again one of his convenient lies. He really is an unethical crooked individual.
My bet the costs of the inauguration events will top the bail out costs. Maybe then people would wise up to Obama's ruses and cons. I've noted he will say anything to any groups for approval and even dramatically change his opinion according to popular opinion. He really is a political mobster isn't he, but perhaps with the Congress mob he can have some sway. Ya know fight fire with fire. hee,hee,hee.
The wild card in all this is Hillary Clinton. She will drive foreign policy. After the hundreds of millions of dollars the Arabs gave to Bill Clinton, how can she make unbias decisions?
Develop Alternative Fuel, Become Energy Independent, and let Israel do what they want. The Middle East will come crying to the NATO for mercy as they did in '68. Israel makes its own weapons of war. We did not build their Nuclear Arsenal nor did we GIVE it to them. We do and will continue to sell them jets and fuel, if not us then the French. And I don't think the Oil Companies here want to have the French dictate the terms of the supply of oil to them.
A question comes to mind. Israel is a tiny, tiny little plot of land surrounded by a virtual sea of muslim arabs. Israel itself is filled with Palestinian muslims-a very diverse culture with both also living with a christian population too. Wouldn't you think that such a minority population would get greater sympathy?? I mean we worry about populations of other species becoming extinct but no sympathy for a population of people. I guess we massacred the American indian practically bringing all their populations to extinction. Give the jews their little plot of land and let them continue with a democratic and diverse society accepting all (Palestinians serve in govt too). The fact the surrounding lands are intolerant of such a miniscule presence is very revealing. I mean people got upset with ethnic cleansing in the Balkans killing muslims, but no sympathy for a group of people that is surrounded by populations that teach their children to destroy the jew. Anti-Zionism is an intolerance and bigotry that is vile, hateful, and against all human rights and biological rights (like a rare ecosystem we work to preserve).
typical rag response.don't talk and reason with anyone,blow them up and then rebuild their cities.kinda like that miracle in iraq. i just love these repukes who love to stage war after war,of course with other peoples families doing the fighting,while their kids hide in school,and buy ribbons for their suv's.carter the worst? and where will this trash in there now be placed?is there a better word for the worst of the worst? oh yes, trash!
No one is staging a war you dolt. Let Israel fight their own war.
Yep, hadn't heard a zinger that good since RETARDED ARMY was used a while back.
This middle east mess could be solvd like we did Heroshema. It is way past time. Drop the big one on it.
I think the best idea would be to just ignore Hamas. Then they'd do away.
JRHC makes really good points. elliottness, great post at 11:40 a.m. Small wonder why the ACES are the worst newspaper ever. It is f-ing trash. I'm glad my mother didn't renew the subscription.
There are 13.5 million jews (one of the worlds most ancient culture and population) worldwide. Over ninety percent live in developed countries other than Israel. The population of Georgia is around ten million isn't it. I wonder if anyone would miss a state this size disappearing off the face of the earth. PETA, the Nature Conservancy,and other animal rights groups should be fighting to preserve the jewish population from extinction. hee,hee,hee.
It would be truly interesting to let Israel "cut loose" instead of the US always trying to "reign them in" for the sake of peace in the midEast ... and Jimmy Carter has ALWAYS been an embarrassment to Georgia and the United States!
I am with Sarge...Drop the big one...Cain and Shivas can go in and inspect after the stealth bomber clears out. They must be 2 of the biggest idiots and name callers I have ever seen on here.
How do you stop two races from warring, when they've been doing so for several thousand years? This predates Muhammad. I think Israel should quit allowing illegal settlements, but say there can be no peace with Hammas in existence. It's a situation doomed to war, inevitably, no matter what is done.
Nah, Obama's first crisis is Hillary trying to run the country...uh, be Secretary of State. For her, there is no difference.
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