ISRAEL - IRAN - SYRIA - HAMAS - HEZBOLLAH - WWWIII?

Kind of like ignorant conservatives believing Bush about Iraq's WMD's and Iran developing a nuclear weapon and, with no doubt in their mind at all, using it to nuke Israel.

The message of fear, intolerance and hate works great on ignorant minds; Muslim, Jewish, Christian or Ican's.

xingu, Excellent observation. LOL

Convert or Die? Pakistani Christians Seek Help
By MUNIR AHMAD
AP
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (May 16) - Christians in a Pakistani town beset by pro-Taliban militants sought government protection Wednesday, the eve of a deadline for them to convert to Islam or face violence.



About 500 Pakistani Christians in Charsadda, a town in the North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan , received letters earlier this month telling them to close their churches and convert by Thursday or be the target of "bomb explosions."

Several Christians, a tiny minority in the predominantly Muslim country, have fled town and others are living in fear, community leaders said.

Some complained that police were not taking the threat seriously.

"Police say someone is joking with us by writing these letters," Chaudhry Salim, a Charsadda Christian leader, said during a news conference in Islamabad. "They have deployed only two policemen at our churches ... this is the kind of security we are getting now."


"Here we see the difference between radical and traditional Islam..."
»Read the postShahbaz Bhatti, a prominent Christian leader and head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, said the provincial government, which is controlled by a coalition of pro-Taliban religious parties, would bear blame for attacks after the deadline.

Bhatti also urged Muslim religious scholars to condemn the threats and said the federal government should take "concrete steps to provide protection" to Christians.

Asif Daudzai, a spokesman for the provincial government, asked Christians not to panic, saying authorities were doing all they could to ensure their protection.

"Christians are our brothers and sisters, and we will not allow any one to harm them," he told The Associated Press.

Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities make up about 3 percent of Pakistan's 160 million residents.

Most live peacefully alongside the Muslim majority, although the groups have been targeted repeatedly in attacks blamed on extremists since the country allied itself with the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Islamic radicals trying to impose Taliban-style social edicts in northwestern Pakistan are growing bolder, bombing shops selling Western films, threatening barbers for trimming beards and warning hotels to remove televisions from guest rooms.

Minorities and secular opposition parties say the government is doing too little to counter the "Talibanization" of growing swaths of the country.

We haven't heard much from those UN peace keepers have we? I guess they're so focused on keeping Hezbollah in check that Hamas is free to take up the gauntlet.

Israeli Airstrikes Target Hamas
May 17, 11:05 AM (ET)
By IBRAHIM BARZAK

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel targeted Hamas with three airstrikes Thursday, destroying a compound and a car carrying senior commanders of the Islamic group and killing three people in a new layer of violence added to Palestinian infighting that has paralyzed the Gaza Strip.

All of the strikes were in Gaza City, where 22 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in the most widespread factional fighting in nearly a year between Hamas and the rival Fatah.

The raging street battles have turned the densely populated seaside city into a war zone and endangered the Palestinian unity government.

A new cease-fire between the warring Palestinian parties sharply reduced the infighting Thursday. But by midafternoon, three people had been killed in new factional clashes.


(AP) An injured Palestinian woman is helped from a building after an Israeli airstrike on a facility...
Full Image


The army confirmed all of the airstrikes, which came after Israel threatened "harsh" action in response to repeated Palestinian rocket attacks. More than 50 rockets have fallen on the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza, in the last three days.

Hamas said the first strike targeted an administration building of its elite bodyguards unit. The two-story structure is normally filled with Hamas personnel. One person was killed and 45 were injured, Palestinian witnesses and medical officials said.

The second hit a Palestinian car carrying two senior Hamas commanders, killing one and wounding the other, Hamas said. It did not identify them. The army said that airstrike had targeted a Palestinian rocket squad. The second strike came about two hours after the first.

The third airstrike targeted a trailer housing security guards of a senior Hamas official, killing a Hamas militant and injuring eight people, medical officials said. The strike was in the Sheik Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, considered a Hamas stronghold.

"Israel will defend our citizens. We will actively stop rockets, rocket launchers, those who plan the terror infrastructure," said Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin. She repeated Israel's vow not to be drawn into the Gaza morass, but the heavy airstrike raised questions about the commitment.

The explosion at the Hamas compound sent heavy plumes of gray smoke into the sky. The structure and several others around it were destroyed and terrified residents fled.

After the blast, a large crowd gathered at the site, frantically digging through the rubble and pulling out the wounded. One woman, her white robe covered in blood, was carried away.

A military statement said that following rocket salvos and other attacks by Hamas, Israel carried out "an aerial attack against a Hamas terrorist headquarters in Gaza City."

In a text message to reporters, Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida vowed revenge against Israel, possibly by suicide bombing.

"The Zionist enemy are launching an open war against Hamas. Therefore, reprisal options are open, including self-sacrifice operations," he said. "We advise the Zionist settlers to go immediately to the basement of their residence because our rockets will not spare any of them."

Hamas called on all its members to take extra precautions "because everyone is targeted" by Israel, including senior leaders.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed a planned visit to the Gaza Strip from his West Bank headquarters after the latest violence, officials said.

Officials in Abbas' office said the trip would be delayed by at least a day, but gave no firm time. They said he was determined to travel to Gaza.

"The reason for the trip is to stop the fighting," said his aide, Saeb Erekat. He said the talks would focus on Abbas' plan to end the infighting and chaos plaguing Gaza. "This is to preserve our social fabric, our society, our internal peace," he said. "Without this, we're doomed."

Sporadic gunfire could be heard in Gaza City on Thursday. But it was nowhere near as intense as Wednesday, when masked gunmen engaged in fierce battles and took over otherwise deserted streets, trapping frightening residents in their homes.

Gaza residents took advantage of the lull to stock up on bread, bottled water, diapers and other basic supplies.

Ghassan Abu al-Qas, a grocery store owner, said business was brisk.

"I have run out of cigarettes and I'm almost out of mineral water. I don't have many diapers left," he said. The only item that wasn't selling was newspapers, he said. "No one has asked to buy newspapers," he said.

But streets were still relatively quiet, and few cars were out because of the large number of roadblocks. At one point, gunfire forced a team of electric workers to halt repairs on power lines, leaving parts of Gaza City without power for a third day.

Nearly 50 people have been killed since Sunday in Palestinian infighting, which has included the most ferocious battles in more than a year of factional clashes. The violence has left the two-month-old Palestinian unity government on the brink of collapse.

In Thursday's violence, gunfire erupted at a Hamas funeral procession, killing two people and wounding 14 others, Palestinian medical officials said.

The funeral was for two Hamas fighters killed during Wednesday's factional violence. Witnesses said members of the procession were firing their weapons into the air - a custom at Palestinian funerals - when members of a Fatah security force based in a nearby building began firing. The two sides accused each other of starting the battle.

In Gaza City, Hamas said one of its men was kidnapped and executed by security forces loyal to Fatah. There was no comment from Fatah.

The violence has left the fragile unity government in tatters, though Fatah and Hamas leaders have said they hope to preserve the coalition. A main goal of the alliance, formed in March, was to halt months of factional violence, but the unity deal never addressed a key area of dispute - control over Palestinian security forces.

Jordan's King Abdullah II told a gathering of Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian peace activists he was "very concerned" by the wave of inter-Palestinian fighting in Gaza and warned that more will follow unless progress is made in the peace process.

---

Associated Press Writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Aqaba, Jordan, contributed to this report.
SOURCE

Peacekeepers? In Gaza?

There's UNDOF on the Golan Heights, UNIFIL in Lebanon and UNTSO.

UN peacekeeping


I quite agree with this leader in today's Guardian

I'm pretty sure those rocket launchers and the rockets they are launching were not manufactured in Gaza. But with people who seemed to determine to fight somebody, anybody, if the Israelis aren't immediately available, the prospects of peace do look dim.

Actually some of them are locally made or assembled.

I agree with you though about the prospects for peace. Very grim. Perhaps we should try something different.

Quite a few - if we can believe (and there's no reason not to do so) the Israelian forces when they distroyed the manu-factories.

Possibly so. But since we know that Iran was supplying Hezbollah through Syria last summer, its hard to believe that Hezbollah managed to fire all those rockets before the cease fire. But after a quick reading up on Gaza munitions factories, I agree there were quite a few there. I couldn't find what sort of munitions they were making though.

There is no doubt that the Iranians are indeed supplying them as you suggested. However the fact is that the indigenous capability of the Palestinians to wage war has grown substantially in the past few decades. Moreover they have evolved a strategy and tactics that are an effective counter to Israel's conventional military superiority.

All this points to the folly of the Zionist notion that the Palestinians either don't exist ("a land without a people for a people without a land") or can easily be pushed aside. They do indeed exist; they live there; and they will fight for their rights. Perhaps the Israelis should reconsider their own strategy and principles with that in mind.

For the history and meaning of Palestine and Palestinian, see:

http://christianactionforisrael.org/isreport/july01/history_palestine.html

I am forming a group to visit Israel in May 2008 to celebrate the nation's 60th birthday. I am sure that George, Infra, CI, Valter, and many of the rest on this thread are eager to join the group. Please let me know ASAP concerning this.

Advocate, Before you can recruit people to join you, you must have an "itinerary" that shows places to be visited, total number of days, accommodations, number of meals to be included - if any, and total price of your tour.

Georgeob1 writes


While I respect you and your opinion in all things, I continue to believe that you don't see or just don't want to see the fact that the Palestinian leaders want Israel dead and they wanted Israel dead long before the Israelis had established any strategy, principles, and/or policy toward the Palestinians. Until that fact is factored into the mix, I continue to believe that it can't all be put on Israel to make whatever changes are necessary. Israel by far is the nation with the most to lose in a unilateral policy change while the Palestinians would risk nothing.

Fox, Do you have any knowledge about the American Indians and the white man? How about the white man and the aboriginies of Australia?

Digg It! new





A war this summer?

By Ze'ev Schiff

With great fanfare, it was announced this week that the Israel Defense Forces was conducting a general command drill. Last week, it held an important war game. One would have to be naive to think the Arab camp is just sitting there and not conducting drills, maneuvers and large-scale training exercises.

The Syrians are talking about a major military exercise that will last more than a week. They say all the preparations must be complete by June 1 in case Israel attacks. While Hezbollah continues to lick its wounds, it is trying to establish new defense lines, rearm and step up training. One of its new approaches is to recruit Shi'ites who belonged to Amal, as well as Sunni volunteers. Hamas is continuing its efforts to build up a semi-regular army in the Gaza Strip. The organization's self-confidence is growing because it sees that Israel cannot stop the barrage of Qassam rockets.

Reactions to the Winograd Committee report also tell us something about the Arabs' military preparations. The Syrians say the report's conclusions will increase Israel's frustration, and one must be wary of frustrated people who seek revenge and see war as an outlet. Radical Arab organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas claim to have found a tactic to prevent Israeli military victories - continue the war of attrition. Moderate Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan are worried about the Israeli government's weakness. A weak government will not be able to make political concessions, and this increases the danger of armed confrontation.

Many people say there will be war this summer. Are the pessimists right? The question that should be asked is whether one of the sides plans to declare war. Apart from Israel, there are four parties - Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas - who must be asked this question. Iran will determine whether Hezbollah launches a new war. Tehran is involved in large-scale military operations in a number of places: Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, but its primary focus is nuclear development. A major war today, initiated by Iran, could endanger its main objectives. For Iran, a steady stream of low-key military action combined with cash flow is preferable. Tehran has ordered Hezbollah to halt its efforts to topple the Lebanese government. Iran also knows that kidnapping more Israeli soldiers will set off a major conflagration.

Hezbollah will not embark on an all-out war if Iran is against it. If it could, Hezbollah would renew its war of attrition, but the organization's freedom of action in Lebanon is limited. Unusual circumstances would be needed for Hezbollah to go to war again today. Another problem is Hamas; Hamas could ignite a war in the Gaza Strip. This organization's military arm is frustrated by the Palestinians' successes. The more serious leaders of Hamas know that a war this summer would be too early to serve their purposes.

In a year from now, the Gaza Strip will pose a greater threat to Israel, especially if the government doesn't come up with better solutions to the conflict. What is happening today to Sderot could happen someday to Ashkelon. It is a mistake to think the IDF has any desire to reoccupy the Gaza Strip today. There is no need to "save" the government from extremist generals. There are greater extremists among the politicians.

The most complex problem is Syria. There is no question that Syria is readying for combat. Again, the question is whether it has plans to initiate a war, or suspects that Israel does. The military emphasis of the Syrian army is on firepower - various kinds of heavy artillery rockets, some of them new models, missiles, and state-of-the-art anti-tank weapons. The Russians have also equipped Syria with sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles. Syria is capable of surprising Israel, mainly through hit-and-run attacks. But it knows there could be a heavy price to pay for a large-scale war, including the fall of the Alawite regime.

A cautious conclusion is that none of the parties today are interested in an all-out war. But war could erupt by mistake. For example, if the other side's intentions are incorrectly assessed, or if a local military campaign veers out of control and sparks a major showdown. For safety's sake, Israel needs to step up its vigilance in the sphere of intelligence, as well as to reinforce IDF troops on the Golan Heights and hone the army's quick-response capabilities.

Somewhat like the same scenario when the US attacked Iraq. One side was all bluster, and the other the US's superior military power.

1. American Indians were conquered by the White Man.
2. Aboriginies of Australia were conquered by the White Man.
3. Arabs of Palestine were conquered by the Jews.

A. American Indians learned how to grow and prosper along with the White Man.
B. Aboriginies of Australia learned how to grow and prosper along with the White Man.
C. Arabs of Palestine have yet to learned how to grow and prosper along with the Jews.

I. American Indians accepted/accept responsibility for themselves, and were and are individual problem solvers.
II. Aboriginies of Australia accepted/accept responsibility for themseves, and were and are individual problem solvers.
III. Too few Arabs of Palestine have accepted responsibility for themselves, and become individual problem solvers.

ican wrote: C. Arabs of Palestine have yet to learned how to grow and prosper along with the Jews.

No. Wrong conclusion. They were first privided with laws to protect them on an equal footing before "peace" was accomplished. As with the US, some minorities are still not provided "equal footing" after all these years of liberalism. Crime rates for those minority groups are high as a consequence, and the legal system is still not "equal" under the laws.

CORRECTION

1. American Indians were conquered by the White Man.
2. Aboriginies of Australia were conquered by the White Man.
3. Arabs of Palestine were conquered by the Jews.

A. American Indians learned how to grow and prosper along with the White Man.
B. Aboriginies of Australia learned how to grow and prosper along with the White Man.
C-1. Israeli Arabs of Palestine learned how to grow and prosper along with the Jews.
C-2. Non-Israeli Arabs of Palestine have yet to learn how to grow and prosper along with the Jews.

I. American Indians accepted/accept responsibility for themselves, and were and are individual problem solvers.
II. Aboriginies of Australia accepted/accept responsibility for themseves, and were and are individual problem solvers.
III-1. Israeli Arabs of Palestine accepted/accept responsibility for themseves, and were and are individual problem solvers.
III-2. Too few non-Israeli Arabs of Palestine have accepted responsibility for themselves, and become individual problem solvers.


Ahaa! Eureka!

The condition the non-Israeli Arabs of Palestine ought to demand for declaring Israel's right to exist, is Israel's agreement to incorporate all of Palestine into the state of Israel, and grant the current non-Israeli Arabs of Palestine the same privileges and rights as those currently possessed by the Israeli Arabs of Palestine.

Ican, how can Israel ever agree to a greater Palestine? In virtually every Arab country, minorities are persecuted, and there is tremendous friction between the diffent sects. The Jews would be crazy to accept this.

What are you smoking?