Livni to AIPAC: U.S. can't show weakness on Iraq, Iran

[Joanne98]

Livni to AIPAC: U.S. can't show weakness on Iraq, Iran

By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Monday warned the U.S. not to show weakness in Iraq, during an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, D.C.

In a region where "impressions are important," said Livni, countries must be careful not to demonstrate weakness and surrender to extremists.

"If we appease the extremists - if they feel that we are backing down - they will sense victory and become more dangerous not only to the region, but to the world," she said. "This applies to the decisions made on Iran, it is true for Iraq, and it is true across the Middle East."

The comments could be construed as expressing support for the Bush administration's policy of toughing out a war that is increasingly unpopular domestically.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/836374.html




:nuke:

[Dr.Phool]

1. It looks like the only extremists being appeased are

Him and AIPAC.

Our soldiers aren't there to do the Likuddists dirty work or steal oil.

[Joanne98]

4. I just watched the AIPAC conference from today and I'm furious.

They are clearly supporting Bushco war polices and are lobbying for an invasion of Iran, IMO! It's time to take on AIPAC!

[Dr.Phool]

5. THEY should be declared a terrorist organization.

[Scurrilous]

8. Hagee draws AIPAC cheers

<snip>

"A fiery pro-Israel speech by an evangelical preacher drew multiple standing ovations from thousands of AIPAC delegates. Pastor John Hagee, who last year founded Christians United for Israel, spoke Sunday night at the launch of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy forum in Washington.

Hagee outlined his vision of a united evangelical-Jewish front lobbying for Israel. He pledged to "stand up for Israel, to financially support Israel until Israel achieves a just, lasting peace. Israel, you are not alone." He finished his speech by leading the crowd in a chorus of "Israel Lives!"

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/100522.html


Pastor Strangelove

<snip>

"On Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the day Queen Esther saved the Jews from annihilation, Trinity Broadcasting Network’s flagship talk show, Praise the Lord, featured an appearance by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. A politically conservative Orthodox rabbi, Lapin is best known for crusading with the Christian right against “anti-religion bigotry” and, more recently, for his close association with the convicted super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But he was not invited to a nationwide telecast to discuss such topics as the trumped-up war against religion or the better nature of his fallen friend. He had been asked to explain the significance of Purim to Christians, and particularly how the Old Testament’s Book of Esther “serves as a roadmap to reality,” which pinpoints where the next world “hot spot” will be.

That soon-to-be-flaming location is where the Book of Esther was set: namely Persia, or in modern parlance, Iran.

Seated beside Lapin in the ornately gilded Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) studio was Pastor John Hagee, the author of an incendiary new book purporting to show that the Bible predicts a military confrontation with Iran. By then, Hagee’s book, Jerusalem Countdown, had sold nearly 500,000 copies. It had occupied the No. 1 position on the Wal-Mart inspirational best-seller list, showed up on Wal-Mart’s list of top 10 best sellers for seven weeks, and made the USA Today top 50 best-seller list for six weeks.

Hagee, who serves as head pastor of the 18,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, hosts his own television program that is seen twice a day on TBN. He argues that the United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God’s plan for both Israel and the West. Shortly after the release of his book last January, he launched Christians United for Israel (CUFI), a lobbying organization intended, he says, to be a Christian version of the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee. With CUFI, which Hagee has said will cause a “political earthquake,” the televangelist aims to put the political organizing muscle of the conservative evangelical movement behind his grand plan for a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ.

While Washington insiders wonder and worry whether President Bush really is bent on a military strike against Iran, Hagee already has spent months mobilizing the shock troops in support of another war. As diplomats, experts, and pundits debate how many years Iran will need to develop a viable nuclear weapon, Hagee says the mullahs already possess the means to destroy Israel and America. And although Bush insists that diplomatic options are still on the table, Hagee has dismissed pussyfooting diplomacy and primed his followers for a conflagration."

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=11541

[mbperrin]

11. Actually, the Antichrist is the one who will start the wars of the

runup to Armageddon, so this is an interesting admission by Hagee.....

Also, do those Jews who support these folks not realize that all but 144,000 male virgin Jews will be destroyed during this time period?

Maybe they'd be a little less anxious to jump in with fundies if they actually understood their beliefs.

Course, nothing can get started until the Temple of Solomon is restored, and there is the little matter of the Dome of the Rock sitting on that spot now....

Random thoughts of a cured Armageddonista....

[donkeyotay]

9. It is infuriating that the rightwing of Israel has more representation

than the left wing of the US. It's our blood and our country that's being bankrupted, but you and I have no teevee megaphone and our representatives could really give a rat's ass about our opinions since we don't have money and power like AIPAC does.

This administration came to power in service of AIPAC'S agenda. What we think is irrelevant.

[SquireJons]

17. How?

Jimmy Carter just tried and darn near every Jewish person working with him promptly resigned. It's appalling how foreign interests like Israel or the pope feel free to interfere in US politics and foreign policy. They issue edicts from afar and work in secret without having to declare themselves. Foreign interests permeate all levels of our bureaucracy. It's hopeless.

[Vidar]

6. They certainly shouldn't be, but they are.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Sounds just like Cheney, doesn't he? Or is it the other way around? n/t

[whistle]

3. Conservatives always insist that everyone live in the lie which assures

...complete disaster

[Joanne98]

7. Petition: Tell your Senators NOT to sign the AIPAC letter.

http://houseoflabor.tpmcafe.com/blog/richards1052/2007/mar/12/tell_your_senator_don_t_sign_the_aipac_letter

[Parche]

10. Weakness

No matter how many people they kill, show no weakness!!!! :sarcasm:

[youngdem]

12. Glad to see the heat finally on AIPAC....Israel is the anvil around America's neck

with it's current policies. Israel needs to be cut off from American financial and military assistance if they don't stop committing war crimes, stop the occupation and start playing nice with their neighbors. This one sided relationship is worthless to America in comparison to its cost to our treasure, blood and image.

[Megahurtz]

18. HERE! HERE!

:applause:

[GeorgeGist]

13. There's no denying the strength ...

of stupidity.

[mmonk]

14. I think it's time to give democrats a heads up

that policy should not be dictated by AIPAC, PNAC, AEI, or any other group seeking active war on unproven premises. U.S. policy should not be bought or planned for by groups outside government just like economic policy or energy policy. The people deserve honest debating of facts for anything that should be a last resort such as warfare. War is fought by the citizens of this country, not think tank groups or their politicians.

[Roland99]

15. I didn't realize supporting Israel was in the US Constitution.

:(

[Justice]

16. Message to Livni: Too late, weakness already shown

When you go into a war on false pretenses without enough people to execute it, and without giving them the proper equipment, and thus, you cannot secure the area and stabilize the citizens and the conditions or safeguard the borders to prevents terrorists from coming in and destabilizing the country and gaining traction with the citizens because of poor conditions and fraud and bribery and extreme religous divides which are older than dirt -- you are bound to look less than steller - and some might even say you show weakness, among other things.