Sharon: Israel Will Strike at Enemies

[DuctapeFatwa]

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in his first public comments since an Israeli air strike against Syria, said Tuesday that his nation would not hesitate to strike at its enemies wherever they were.
Sharon's statement came two days after Israeli warplanes bombed a suspected Islamic Jihad training base outside the Syrian capital of Damascus in the first major Israeli attack on Syrian soil in three decades. That bombing was in retaliation for an Islamic Jihad suicide bombing Saturday that killed 19 people in a restaurant in Haifa.

"Israel will not be deterred from protecting its citizens and will strike its enemies in every place and in every way," Sharon said...

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031007_629.html

[KoKo]

1. Yes, he repeats Bush's retoric. Now, how many other countries are going

to strike at their "enemies" whever they are? How many countries now see "US" as the enemy?

Sharon has been even more emboldened by the Chimp. And, the world is safer?

[northernsoul]

5. The Bush Doctrine in action

we are knew it was a matter of time before this pre-emptive warfare garbage would come back to bite us.

If it's okay for us and Israel, how long before North Korea decides it's okay for them too?

[Flying_Pig]

2. Yadda, yadda, yadda....

I wish the people of Israel, and progressive U.S. Jews, would rise up and act to remove Sharon and Likud from power. There will be no peace as long as Sharon, and Arafat, hold power. A deal needs to be cut, where they would both agree to step down for peace.

Here in the U.S., support for Israel, unfortunately, means support for Sharon/Likud, which also means support for PNAC, and the Bush regime. U.S. progressives need to work just as hard for Sharon/Likud removal, as they are working for the Bush cabal removal. They are tied together, and supporting each other. Both must go.

[sam sarrha]

4. Sharon, the Likuds, 'W", Republicans,NEOCON's, Rush....are paranoid

schizophrenics and need to be locked up until their medication is properly adjusted.

[Evil_Dewers]

3. Let's hope Little Kim doesn't adopt the Bush doctrine

and nuke 37,000 US servicemen and 4 million South Koreans in Seoul.

Bush said we went to war with Iraq because an Iraqi scientist had a 12 year old tuna fish and mayonaise sandwich in his fridge.

Meanwhile, little Kim keeps producing nuclear missiles capable of hitting the US.

[jmcgowanjm]

6. The Martial Lord of Wei asked one of his ministers

what made a nation perish.
The minister replied, "Numerous
victories in numerous wars."

The lord said, "A nation is fortunate to win
numerous victories in numerous wars-
why would it perish thereby?"

The minister said, "When there are
repeated wars, the people are weakened;
when they score numerous victories,
rulers become haughty. Let haughty rulers
command weakened people, and
rare is the nation that will not perish
as a result."
The Tao of Politics

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. A better question is...

When is the media going to start accurately portray the whole Israeli/Palestinian conflict?? 75% of Israeli deaths make page 1 of the newspaper while only 5% of Palestinian deaths are reported at all. If people in this country actually KNEW what was going on over there, i feel our policy and our sentiment would be far, far more balanced than it is.

[Evil_Dewers]

11. Palestinian deaths are in the non US media only. n/t

[SOS]

16. Interesting anecdote

Newsworld International reported that Negropontes lone raised hand at the UNSC vote (to condemn palestinian suicide bombers and to deplore Israels assasination/exile plans on Arafat) was a photo on the front page of nearly every newspaper in the world. As US citizens, did we see that photo?

[demdave]

14. 3 of those killed in the last suicide attack were Arabs.

The latest attack occured in a city where Arabs and Jews actually try to get along. How is it productive to blowup your own people, unless you see them as traitors for having the audacity to try to live in peace with your enemies.

[KDLarsen]

8. You know, to quote my sister..

.. both sides have their fair share of idiots. There's the moderate Palestinians and the extremist Palestinians. And there's the moderate Israelies and the extremist Israelies. Both of the moderate groups just wants peace and wants to be able to live without a fear of going into cafes, busses, malls, their own homes, streets.

The two other extremist groups could almost be suspected of working togehter to ensure that peace will never take place, and that the fighting will continue until either side is wiped out. Which will never happen, so you can imagine how long fightings will continue.

And frankly, I think she's onto something.

[gratuitous]

9. L:ooks like they left off part of the quote

"Israel will . . . strike its enemies, real or imagined, . . ."

Real difficult for President Stupidhead to deny Israel the same right he claimed for the U.S., so he's backed into a corner whenever Sharon can make a colorable claim that he's striking Israel's enemies.

Give the wheel another spin, and watch the bodies hit the ground. Soldiers, civilians, men, women, they're all going down. We must then avenge their death and strike back. And back. And back. Where does it end? Where is the only place it can end?

[Kitsune]

10. 'real or imagined!?"

Bombing someone because you think they might be an enemy? Now there's some responsible use of military power...

Jeez, it's like having a slightly more honest version of B*sh.

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. Syria is a real enemy

Not imagined.

It has been for 55 years. That's a hell of a track record.

[Kitsune]

13. I'm not saying Syria is an imaginary enemy.

I'm saying that it's irresponsible to even say what he said.

[bemildred]

15. Darn, there goes the element of surprise.

[J B]

17. I take it the foreign Mossad assassination plan is now on.

Thank you, Mr. President!

[spindoctor]

18. The million $ question: Why outside Damascus?

Syria has been less than cooperative in our little Middle-Eastern venture. Rumor has it that Syria is harboring what's left of the Hussein family and the mythical WMDs both.

Israel is too dependant on the US to do anything like that without prior approval (or instructions) from the White House.

Several sources confirm that the target was not a major hide-out for Islamic Jihad.
Now there is another resolution against Israel in the UN, that the US will veto. This will endlessly complicate the process of gaining any support from the UN in Iraq.

This is not good...not good at all.

[tinnypriv]

19. The IDF is due to present a series of further targets to Mofaz soon

[TahitiNut]

20. Israeli/Palestinian Affairs

"Due to continuing problems, discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues is limited to the Israeli/Palestinian Affairs forum, and is governed by a special set of rules which are available in that forum. If a discussion is primarily about U.S. policy in Israeli/Palestinian affairs, it is still allowed in other forums. Discussion of other Middle East issues is also allowed. If a thread is on a different topic, but later goes off-topic and becomes a discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues, the moderators may move the thread to the Foreign Affairs/National Security forum."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html#topics

I'm locking this thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator