Where’s the Outrage?

I’m not sure where to go with Bush’s statement about the dangers of appeasement in the Israeli Knesset. I’m surprised that President Bush didn’t get booed.

Wasn’t it the Bush administration that pushed Israel into a fight with Hezbollah? Using the same logic that got us bogged down in Iraq, the Bush administration pushed and prodded Israel into attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon. In my opinion, it was Israel’s worst defeat in its history. So, why didn’t the Knesset give Bush the Bronx cheer that he deserved? Maybe they were just too polite.

On the other hand, could Bush be deflecting attention from Senator John McCain and his lack of thoughtful foreign policy? McCain has had about as many positions as you can on Iraq. Bush has had only one- one bad position, but only one.

Keith Olbermann and Rachael Maddow tackle this issue.

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq, Israel by ecthompson
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President George W. Bush was addressing the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) today. Bush said: “Some seem to believe we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”

Somebody please help me. Who said anything about appeasement? Pat Buchanan pointed out that the Bush administration negotiated with Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. He gave up his nuclear ambitions. We tried the hard line with North Korea and they made more nuclear weapons during the Bush administration than in their history. We tried the hard line against Iran and they are clearly stronger now than since the late 1970’s.

Barack Obama had a thoughtful statement: “It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel. Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power — including tough, principled and direct diplomacy — to pressure countries like Iran and Syria.”

It appears to me that Bush is trying to go out of his way to prove how bad his administration truly is. I’m not sure that he did Senator John McCain any favors.

Tags: Iran, Israel by ecthompson
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Okay, I think we know one of Senator John McCain’s main talking points and that he will have this one for at least another couple of months. According to McCain, Senator Barack Obama– the product of a single, working-class mother– is elitist and out of touch with America. But where did Barack Obama do his community organizing? Probably in some ritzy neighborhood, like the South Side of Chicago. I don’t see how this line will work, but more power to him.

McCain has also asked demanded that Obama condemn former president Jimmy Carter for meeting with Hamas. McCain is doing two things with this jab. He is trying to put doubts in the minds of American Jews that Obama will not support Israel in the clutch. He is also trying to stir something up  within the Democratic party.

As far as I know, Carter is a private citizen, so he is allowed to go where ever he can afford to go. I think it is a smart move for Carter to go to the Middle East;  No other president has made bigger strides toward peace in the region than him (but Clinton comes second in my book). The current president is in a distance 30th place. As a matter of fact, I think that it can be argued that he has done more harm than good.

By the way, how out of touch can you be when 1.3 million Americans have donated to your campaign, like they have done for Obama? Does McCain have even half that many donors?

 

 McCain rails on Obama [2:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Israel by ecthompson
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I didn’t hear anything about this.  Last month, Israel attacked suspected nuclear reactor in Syria.  Wow.  Where was the international media?  NY Times?  Washington Post?  Now, Israel is a country that understands how to keep a secret. I’ll have to read more on this story but it appears at first glance that Israel has made the right more.

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From NYT:

Israel’s air attack on Syria last month was directed against a site that Israeli and American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of nuclear weapons fuel, according to American and foreign officials with access to the intelligence reports.

The description of the target addresses one of the central mysteries surrounding the Sept. 6 attack, and suggests that Israel carried out the raid to demonstrate its determination to snuff out even a nascent nuclear project in a neighboring state. The Bush administration was divided at the time about the wisdom of Israel’s strike, American officials said, and some senior policy makers still regard the attack as premature.  (more…)

 

 Israeli Air Strike [3:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Israel by ecthompson
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I’m not sure how we could have screwed this up any more.  The uneasy peace was lasting between Lebanon and Israel.  Then we told them that kicking some tail in Lebanon would be a cake walk (It is Lebanon not Iran.  Nothing.)  Well, it was anything but a cakewalk.  The violence has only stopped long enough in the last year or so to bury the dead and re-load the rocket launchers. 

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From NYT:

A powerful bomb exploded at a popular seaside club here on Wednesday, killing a prominent lawmaker and nine other people. It was the deadliest in a string of recent explosions that have rattled this city and shaken its fragile sense of stability.

The bomb, which security authorities say they believe was hidden inside a parked car, exploded as Walid Eido, a Sunni member of Parliament and an outspoken critic of Syria, drove by. He was killed instantly, along with his son and two bodyguards, and six passers-by.

The blast occurred near a crowded amusement park along the Mediterranean; it destroyed an adjacent building and shattered windows nearby at a time when sunbathers and swimmers were returning home from a day at the beach. (more…)

 

 Choas in Beirut [1:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Israel, Lebanon by ecthompson
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From CBSnews.com:

A British newspaper reported Sunday that Israel has drafted plans to strike as many as three targets in Iran with low-yield nuclear weapons, aiming to halt Tehran’s uranium enrichment program. The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied the report.

Citing multiple unidentified Israeli military sources, The Sunday Times said the proposals involved using so-called “bunker-buster” nuclear weapons to attack nuclear facilities at three sites south of the Iranian capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office said it would not respond to the claim. “We don’t respond to publications in the Sunday Times,” said Miri Eisin, Olmert’s spokeswoman.

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This is sure to make the region a little more tense.  The quote from the end of the CBS article is a classic.  “No reliable source would ever speak about this, certainly not to the Sunday Times.”

Tags: Iran, Israel by ecthompson
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I caught a program on NPR this afternoon for the first time and it had me absorbed for the entire hour. It was the third in a series called “Intelligence Squared U.S.”, and it was an hour-long abbreviation of a public “Oxford-style” debate held in New York recently. The format includes a moderator, a single motion for the night, and a panel of three speakers in favor of the motion and three speakers in opposition to the motion. A live audience is polled on entrance to the auditorium in regards to their positions on the motion. All six panelists make their opening statements and then the audience is given a chance to ask questions of the panelists. After the questions, each side makes their closing arguments and then the audience is polled again about their positions on the motion.

The proposal debated in this particular program was “A democratically elected Hamas is still a terrorist organization.”

For the motion were Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Steven Cook, a Mideast expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, and John O’Sullivan, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Against the motion were Stanley Cohen, a lawyer who has representated Muslim and Palestinian activists and imams, Mohamed Mohamedou, of the Harvard Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research, and Mark Perry, co-director of the Conflicts Forum.

Judy Woodruff moderated this particular debate, but each of the three held so far have had different moderators. The program as aired lasted an hour, but the full one hour and 27 minute debate can be listened to at the program’s website.

Previous shows have debated the following proposals: October 3, “We must tolerate a nuclear Iran”, and October 26, “Freedom of expression must include the right to offend.”

Upcoming shows include: December 13, “Hollywood has fueled anti-Americanism abroad”, February 7, “America is too damn religious”, March 14, “Global warming is not a crisis”, April 18, “Better more domestic surveillance than another 9/11″, and May 16, “Beware the dragon: A booming China spells trouble for America.”

I know, I know, just what I needed, more stuff to go listen to. But hey, at least you can stream this on your computer while you’re working on something else.

Tags: Israel, Media, Other Political Thoughts by desertbug
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Olbermann poses a very unlikely question.  Suppose Bush called you for advice?  What would you tell him?  Fix the Israel-Palestine problem.  You should look like we (the US) prefer cooperation over unilateralism. 

That’s off the top of his head.  When was the last time that Bush say something that was half as thoughtful?

 

 Clinton gives advice [3:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues, Israel, Party Politics by ecthompson
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As usual, when you leave the office, all hell breaks loose.  I really didn’t leave the office but I did go out of town for a few days.  I spent some time with the family.  While I was gone, Andre Agassi loses and Tiger wins, again.  The US Olympic team again proves that putting a bunch of superstars together may not be the best way to play international basketball.  The war in Iraq drags on.  The Bush administration continues to throw sticks at Iran.  The Iranian government throws stones back at us.  UN peacekeepers move into southern Lebanon with no real hope of being able to keep the peace.

As I traveled to Texas, the amount of holiday traffic was remarkably light.  Planes that were normally packed, were relatively empty.  It will be interesting to find out what the final numbers were of the Americans that traveled over the Labor Day holiday but I suspect the amount of traveling once decreased over years past.

On another note, what is up with the gas prices?  We were told that gas prices were getting ready to continue to climb above $3.50 a gallon.  But yet, in recent days, the price of gas has decreased significantly.  Why?  The British petroleum pipeline is still broken in Alaska.  There is still instability in the Middle East.  No new refineries have been built in United States.  These were all given his reasons for increasing gas prices.  If anything, the rhetoric between the United States and Iran has increased.  Thus threatening a major world supplier of oil.  Maybe, all of the reasons that we’ve been given for the increase in price of oil has been a smokescreen.  The real reason may be something incredibly simple - greed.  I don’t know, I’m just guessing.

Tags: Blogging issues, Domestic Issues, Economy, Israel, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine) by ecthompson
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Time article 

Okay, I’m confused.  The steroid induced musculature that the Republicans have been posturing with since 9/11 have produced exactly what?  Have we ended terrorist attacks?  Have we quelled the terrorist violence?  Is bin Laden and his lieutenant continuing to issue proclamations taunting the US on a weekly basis?  With the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan and rumors that Karsi may resign his post out of frustration from a lack of support from the international community and the Americans and crazy violence in Iraq, there is very little evidence that the Republicans have actually made us safer.

If the violence has gotten worse and it certainly hasn’t gotten any better, maybe we need a new approach.  Maybe braun without brains is not a good idea.  Maybe we could use a more thoughtful approach to combat terrorism.  I believe that Israel is figuring out that they’re not going to be able to shoot or bomb all of Hezbollah.  While they are widening their offensive they’re also increasing anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment within the Muslim communities.  This does nothing to help our long-range goal of security for all.

Maybe a more measured approach is needed.  One which rewards regimes like Lebanon who have embraced democratic ideals.  Once we are able to strengthen the government of Lebanon, the Lebanese government should be able to take care of the radical elements of Hezbollah.

Our progressive plan for success.

Tags: Iraq, Israel, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine), Party Politics, Terrorism by ecthompson
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Say it ain’t so.  Bush calls for peace.  Bush the peacemonger.  This is the same man who didn’t want to go back to the “status quo ante“.  They wanted Hellbolah neutralized.  Collateral damage didn’t matter.  So, what happened?  The deaths of UN observers?  The deaths of 100’s of women and children?  The cry from both Israeli and Lebonese innocents?

Tags: Israel, Lebanon, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine) by ecthompson
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I’m not sure that Israel’s goal is achievable.  I do not believe that it is possible to kill or capture all members of Hezbollah.  I’m not even sure if it is possible to find every single rocket.  This is a short-term solution to a long-term problem.  Winning the hearts and minds of the people should be the goal.  Displacing tens of thousands does not help that goal.

Great article in The Nation - There will be no “destruction” of Hezbollah, and no “uprooting” of its infrastructure or that of Hamas, whatever the results of Israel’s siege of Gaza and its merciless attacks against Lebanon. The rhetoric about “terrorism” has mesmerized those who parrot it, blinding them to the fact that Hezbollah and Hamas are deeply rooted popular movements that have developed as a response to occupation–of the West Bank and Gaza for nearly forty years, and of southern Lebanon from 1978 to 2000. Whatever one might say about the two movements’ callousness in targeting civilians (a subject on which Israel’s defenders are hardly in a position to preach), both have won impressive victories in elections and have provided social services and protection to their people. more

Tags: Israel, Lebanon, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine), War on Terror by ecthompson
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President Carter continues to be a thoughtful leader.  His Op-Ed in today’s WaPo points the way out of this mess.

It is inarguable that Israel has a right to defend itself against attacks on its citizens, but it is inhumane and counterproductive to punish civilian populations in the illogical hope that somehow they will blame Hamas and Hezbollah for provoking the devastating response. The result instead has been that broad Arab and worldwide support has been rallied for these groups, while condemnation of both Israel and the United States has intensified.

Tags: Israel, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine) by ecthompson
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Doing nothing isn’t the answer.  It just breaks my heart. 

Tags: Israel, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine) by ecthompson
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As more proof that the Bush Administration can’t even influence our friends Israel is calling up more reservists.  The fight is widening. 

Tags: Domestic Issues, Foreign Affairs, Israel, Mess O'Potamia (Iraq/Iran/Israel/Palestine) by ecthompson
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