Israel to Quit Gaza by US Inauguration

[unhappycamper]

Israel to Quit Gaza by US Inauguration
January 19, 2009
Associated Press

JERUSALEM - Israel plans to pull all of its troops out of the Gaza Strip by the time President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated Tuesday, but only if Hamas militants hold their fire, Israeli officials said.

Thousands of troops have left Gaza since Israel declared Saturday its intention to unilaterally halt fire after a devastating, three-week Israeli onslaught. Gaza's Hamas rulers ceased fire 12 hours later. Large contingents of Israeli soldiers have kept close to the border, prepared to re-enter the territory if violence re-ignites.

A swift troop withdrawal would reduce the likelihood of clashes between militants and Israeli forces that could rupture the truce.

By getting its soldiers out before the Obama inauguration, Israel hopes to pave the way for a smooth beginning with the Obama administration and spare the incoming president the trouble of having to deal with a burning problem in Gaza from his first day, the Israeli officials said.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/israel-to-quit-gaza-by-us-inauguration.html?col=1186032310810

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. hardly a coincidence.

But you cannot trust Olmert any further than you could throw him.

What is truly sad is that Israel has such a better, more in-depth and wide-ranging conversation about Gaza than we do here. Here, is you speak your mind, you are accused of being a racist, anti-semitic, or a jew hater.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. The depth and breadth of the discussion in Israel is much better that in the US

or elsewhere.