Syria Next?

To be honest, I don''t think there is much Syria could do that would initiate conflict. As long as they don't beg to be invaded they probably won't, I think the case in iraq was the opposite, I think that there was very little that Iraq could have done (since Bush's election) to avoid having their country invaded.

I'm guessing that on Iraq we'd have to agree to disagree. I do agree with you, however, that Syria needs to get over Isreal. But I'm also guessing that our similarities end there. I think Isreal has a few things they need to work on as well.

THE BIG SCORE (So Far)!
NAZIS - 4 ... FREEDOM - 0.

U.S.A., Britain, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria (oil and gas, next), Iran (oil, to follow). TOMORROW THE WORLD!

HEIL TO DER NEW FUHRERS!

Syria? The White House conditioning and lies have already begun. Watch the news.

We'll just have to wait for that one bridge too far. Rude, but true. Its the only way those hawks are gonna stop those unprovoked invasions of sovereign foreign countries.

Israel to U.S.: Now deal with Syria and Iran!

By Aluf Benn

Two of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's senior aides will go to Washington for separate talks this week. National Security Advisor Efraim Halevy will discuss the regional implications of the Iraq war and the fall of the Ba'ath regime, and the prime minister's bureau chief Dov Weisglass will bring the White House Israel's comments on the "road map" plan for a peace settlement.

Israel will suggest that the United States also take care of Iran and Syria because of their support for terror and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Israel will point out the support of Syria and Iran for Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers an important target in the war against international terrorism.

American officials recently said in closed conversations that the U.S. will act against Syria and Iran, but not by military means. The American administration is very angry with Syria for its support of Iraq during the war and its willingness to take in defectors from Saddam Hussein's regime. As for Iran, the administration suggests working with the UN and Atomic Energy Commission to halt the Iranian nuclear program.

Weisglass is scheduled to meet National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and present Israel's reservations on the road map. Senior government sources said Weisglass's goal is "to make sure things that disturb us won't happen." The administration has made it clear in advance that it is not ready to reopen the road map for discussion and will present it to both sides as is, after the new Palestinian government headed by Abu Mazen is sworn in. Israeli sources assume Weisglass will try to reach "agreed principles to implement the plan" with the Americans that will take Israel's "red lines"into consideration.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom spoke with his U.S. counterpart Colin Powell on Friday to prepare for the talks. Shalom said Israeli comments on the road map were meant "to facilitate its implementation," and explain the political pressures on Sharon's government. He said "our comments will help get the road map approved by the cabinet."

Powell made it clear to Shalom that the road map will be presented with no changes. Israel's comments on the road map stipulate, inter alia, that every stage of its implementation will depend entirely on performance and not on a schedule; that Israel will act only in response to Palestinian moves, and not simultaneously; that the Palestinians will be required to declare they renounce the right of return; that freezing settlements will be done only after a prolonged peaceful period; and that IDF activity in the territories will not be restricted. Israel also asks that the Saudi initiative should not become a source of authority for the peace talks.

The security establishment is examining possible gestures of good will for Abu Mazen, including the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and vacating territories in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Copyright 2003 Haaretz


Article in the Ha'aretz

The Roadmap is designed to favor neither party to the dispute, and incorporates provisions in accordance with, among other things, years' worth of UN resolutions dating as far back as 1948. Neither party is to be expected to "Roll Over" ... both will be expected to make accommodations, concessions, and to come to compromise. Both will howl in protest in the process of doing so Whether or not it will work, it is the first and only comprehensive initiative of its sort ever proposed. It, and only it, Gives Peace a Chance. I'm glad finally it, and peace, get a chance.

everybody knows the Palestinians will never give up the right for the refugees to return to their homes. You can't blame them.

So this roadmap is doomed to falter.

Of course, Syria have the means available to avoid invasion, just as did the ill-fated Iraq, who failed to recognise the finest politicians money can buy.

All Syria has to do is understand the Bush Administration for what they are - the world's most powerful gangsters not dissimilar to Al Capone.

In other words, make the Republican Party an offer they can't refuse, several billion dollars a year in protection money. Problem solved!

By the way, Colin Powell has just claimed that Syria are developing Weapons of Mass Destruction. Not only that but, surprise surprise, they are hiding members of the former Iraqi Government.

There will NEVER EVER be anything resembling real peace in the Middle East so long as the state of Israel exists and there are Arabs alive in the area.

Never -- ever!

In fact, my guess is that the closest the area will be to peace is right now. The future will be darker.

Rummy comes up with some real proof.

BBC: US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accuses Syria of conducting a chemical weapons test "over the past 12, 15 months".

If Rummy says so it has to be true.

find the seven differences

Granted, Syria is a totalitarian country, its citizens cannot do anything without having got a direct order from the authorities. In 30's hundreds of the Soviet Army officers (including generals, e.g. Stern, Rychagov, etc.) fought in Spain, and their official status was this of volunteers. But if they really were volunteers they would be unable to leave the territory of the USSR: these people were sent by Stalin. And if Syria sends its citizens to assist the enemies of the USA/UK, this is nothing else than an act of war[/color][/i].

steissd opinion or evidence?

Opinion. But based on the knowledge of how does the stuff work in the totalitarian countries.

Apparently the Palestinians and other Arab nations have not been informed of this.

I follow the negotiations very carefully and over a year ago both the Palestinians and the other Arab nations changed their wording from the "right to return" to a "fair and equitable settlement" in regard to the return of refugees.

This was widely interpreted as an indication of Palestinian and Arab willingness to negotiate on the refugee terms.

Success of the roadmap depends completely on the Palestinian willingness to accept the concept of two states for two folks. PM Sharon has unequivocally declared his acceptance of this idea in his interview to the Haaretz newspaper, and now he has no chance to repudiate it. In order to have a country of their own Palestinians have to give up the idea of getting rid of Israel by means of demografical aggression that appears under cover of the so-called "humanitarian" problem of refugees. All the other things can be discussed and negotiated: borders, settlements problem, even division of Jerusalem between the Jewish and Arab states. Refugees are to be settled in the independent Palestinian state (if they want to return there); not even one should be permitted to return to territory of Israel, to avoid creation of the legal precedent. Israel is the Jewish state, and the future Palestinian state is an Arab state, and the latter has to accept those of Palestinians that want to live in the area, just like Israel accomodates Jews from any place in the world.

steissd,

I posit that placing the onus on one side is one sided and a false premise.



Arafat has too, no big deal.




Agreed, where we will not agree is in that I deem many Palestinians willing to do that and there are extremists on boths sides that impede the process. The extreme Palestinians wish to regain all the land while the extreme Israelis wish to realize "greater Isreal".

As evidence I cite Palestinian terrorism within Isreal and Israeli pronouncements (from Likud for e.g.) stating that there would be no Palestinian state except Jordan (there was even a Likud resolution along those lines within the last 2 years).

THESE people block peace, it is not a simple matter of a Palestinian choice.



Yes, and Isreal's error is in insisting on sequentialism and deferring negotiations to an unrealiztic date. The delay works well for Isreal as they are encroaching on Palestinian land. This provides motivation for many Isreali estremists to delay the process.






I believe that both sides will settle on a small number who actually return. This prediction is based on the current status quo.

Steissd, a question.

Why are Jews(not Israeli) from all over the world welcome to move to Israel and why are Palestinians not allowed to move to the region or even house they used to live in?

There may be another apocalyptic scenario. Majority of Palestinians living abroad have no intention to return: they have settled quite well in the West. But they may do this temporarily, just for acquiring majority in the Israeli population, demanding a national poll for future destiny of Israel, voting for its dismantling and returning to Paris (or wherever else in Europe they have settled)after their mission is accomplished. Therefore, agreement on returning of refugees is suicidal for Israel. Let any number return: to the independent Palestinian state. Unfortunately, the Arabs having already got an Israeli citizenship (and define themselves as Palestinians) will never leave Israel for Palestine: they have already got accustomed to the welfare state with acceptable level of corruption (that does not exceed this of the Mediterranean Europe), and they will never want to change it for citizenship of the classical Third World country.

The United States under George Dubya and his handlers:

TO THE WORLD:

Do as we say or we will kick the **** out of you!

Hey, it may work. Look at what that kind of thing did for Mike Tyson.

Well, this is not something original, just a concept of "Pax Americana". Frankly speaking, if it is implemented and U.S. becomes the only dominating power in the world, there will be much less people dying of hunger, diseases and dictatorial atrocities in the world. The only thing that is supposed to be affected under this new world order are ambitions and exaggerated self-respect of some Third World leaders and European intellectuals.