The March of Folly in Gaza
By Ted Belman
The current war was preceded by colossal blunders.
Disengagement
In August 2005 I wrote Disengagement will bring war not peace
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Sharon agrees and therefore is bending over backwards to divest himself of control. It is for this reason he is to allow a deep sea port, a land link to the West Bank and an airport. He is also negotiating to permit more Egyptian troops into the Sinai to manage the border; all this in the hope of getting the Security Council to declare the occupation of Gaza over.
No rational man would ever concede on any of these issues yet Sharon is in negotiations concerning all of them. The consequences of having the free flow of arms and terrorists in and out of Gaza and the West Bank are so obvious, so certain and so frightening that no one would contemplate it much less permit it. Yet Sharon is doing just that.
In effect Sharon is saying that no price is too high to end the occupation.
Rafah Agreement
In November 2005, I wrote The Rafah Agreement is against the law, common sense and prudence
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Although Rice has argued in the past that all requirements of the first stage of the Roadmap must be taken in parallel, she has violated this principal by putting the Rafah Agreement ahead of the fundamental condition that violence and incitement must end. But more important she has moved an offer made in consideration of a final settlement to a precondition to progress and even to an obligation.
Israel agreed notwithstanding that the Disengagement Law passed by the Knesset, says that “Israel will oversee and guard the external land envelope.” This agreement therefore violates this law.
If we accept at face value the words of our enemies, including the PA, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, and we should, violence will be stepped up. This is not intended to achieve a better deal for the Palestinians. Rather it is intended to keep Israel occupied while Iran develops the A-bomb and to keep the conflict going in order to have a rallying cry for Jihadists in their war against the West. The same goes for the “insurgency” in Iraq.
Even if Jerusalem could be solved, the conflict will continue as long as Iran wants it to continue. The Rafah Agreement will serve to increase the violence and make peace more difficult to achieve (if it was ever possible) rather then to lead to peace and security as Rice suggests.
There is no substitute for “utterly defeating” the terrorists (including the Palestinians) and those that support them.
Elections
Rice then demanded, over Israeli objections, Hamas be permitted to contest elections.
After the elections in Jan ’06, Rice Admits U.S. Underestimated Hamas Strength
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“But on the American side, the conceptual failure that contributed to disaster was the president’s belief that democracy and elections solve everything.”
Secretary Rice pointed out that the election results surprised just about everyone. “I don’t know anyone who wasn’t caught off guard by Hamas’ strong showing,” she said on her way to London for meetings on the Middle East, Iran and other matters. “Some say that Hamas itself was caught off guard by its strong showing.”
With increasing vehemence in the last few days, administration officials have defended their decision to back Mr. Abbas with American aid and to rebuff Israel when it warned that the election should not be held as long as Hamas participated while refusing to lay down its arms. Those officials continue to lay most of the blame on Mr. Abbas for not offering a positive alternative to Hamas.
Coup
In June ’07, US and Israel permitted Hamas to takeover Gaza in a coup. I even asked Did the U.S. order Abbas to take a dive?. Later I wrote US planned to defeat Hamas and included an article from The Guardian in which it suggested that the US forced Hamas to engineer the coup. The US also provided sucker’s bait by positioning $500 million in military equipment in Gaza. It was ripe for the plucking.
Many doubted my theory but events have proved it correct.
The reason behind these moves was to rend asunder the Hamas government enabling the Westbank first option and to delegitimate and dissolve such government. All this was a prelude to the current war. After winning the election, Hamas had to be gotten rid of.
Garth Porter in a current article in Asia Times, Bush plan beat obstacle to Gaza assault explained it thus
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Until mid-2007, there was a serious political obstacle to a massive conventional war by Israel against Hamas in Gaza: the fact that Hamas had won free and fair elections for the Palestinian parliament and was still the leading faction in a fully legitimate government.
But the George W Bush administration helped Israel eliminate that obstacle, by deliberately provoking Hamas to seize power. That plan was aimed at getting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve the democratically elected Hamas government – something Bush had tried unsuccessfully to do for many months.
Bush intended to build Fatah up to be able to take on Hamas but Abbas was a reluctant partner.
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When Abbas negotiated a new agreement with Hamas in Mecca in February 2007 on a Palestinian unity government, the Bush administration responded by drafting a secret “action plan for the Palestinian presidency”. The plan threatened that the “international community” would “no longer deal exclusively with the presidency” if it did not go along with US demands, and that “[m]any countries in the EU and the G-8″ would “start looking for more credible interlocutors on the Palestinian side who can deliver on key issues of security and governance”.
I highly recommend this article for the whole story.
Now, as the battle rages, Rice is at the forefront of demanding that Hamas be defeated. It is ironic that the architect of the Rafah Agreement and the Hamas election victory, should be the one to undo them.
Reports of Hizbollah launching rockets into northern Israel and providing the possibility of a two front war, is strongly suggesting the not so hidden hand of Iran manipulating this scenereo.While Israel is being diverted by bit players, Iran’s nuclear program (Israel’s real existential threat) is proceeding unhindered.This will not be the first time that Iran has outfoxed an opponent.
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IRAN-CONTRA HEARINGS; REGAN TESTIFIES REAGAN FELT IRAN ‘SNOOKERED’ HIM
Published: July 31, 1987
LEAD: Donald T. Regan, who was closer to President Reagan than anyone else who has testified before the Iran-contra committees, said today that the President felt he had been repeatedly ”snookered” by the Iranians.
Rockets, in my view, a test to see what if any response. Response was swift.
Endgame? Here is good summary for Israel:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123120028301755589.html
Peskin, this is the second time you have spammed the same message into many threads. I understand that you have a exhilarating joy in hearing about dead Israelis but you must restrain yourself. This site needs its example Self-Hating Jew so as to display the Jew-Bashing Moonbat in a cage but for your own sake you must stop bashing your head into the bars and.
………
I guess Rice can stand in the Ironic hall of Fame with Livni and Olmert.
The end game is peace and security for Israel. All else – the criticism from those who would rather see Israel shelled day after day without a response of any kind – is of no importance.
When I hear critics condemning Israel for its military operation against terror groups and then, when asked, they have no answers on what other options Israel has to control terror, I understand the meaning of Jew hate.
When people from other countries with no experience of decades-long terrorism speak as if there is a choice between defending ones country or not, it make me angry with these pathetic individuals.
The only thing that the terrorists understand is an overwhelming response to their violence. Terrorists have a choice to terrorize or not – Israel’s only choice is to respond to end their inhumane agenda nurtured and encouraged by a religion with inhumane tenets and goals.
Arab Muslims have lots of land, plenty of natural and human recourses, and cultures that date back many centuries. They don’t need Israel and they must control their own violent tendencies. This is all about violence, those who encourage violence, those who pray for an expanded Islam, and those who use their money towards one sick goal – the elimination of Israel. The solution is simple – the Arab countries must take responsibility for their own people, give them employment and housing and make sure that there is a separation between religion and politics.
In the meantime, Israel must defend itself and do so as quickly, professionally and convincingly as possible for a small David in the middle of huge Goliaths wanting to chop her head off.
email rec’d
and another
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Now this is a guy who should be castrated.
Laura:
Laura dearest, I have a confession to make, I find you ravishing…. how shall I put it, I have fallen in love with you… call it love sick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqnO4wNJAo8
Sexual repression, bloody carnage from war and self hate stimulate the libido demanding release upon an object.
That is not love but you are right, it is a sickness.
The one thing you can say about H Peskin is he’s a sexist. His comments are inappropriate and out of line. If Laura was a man, he wouldn’t be sending sexually suggestive remarks her way. Just because a poster is a woman doesn’t give other posters license to make it personal. Hey Max, he should unhand her, I say!
NormanF
Norm, I am no Doctor, but I am quite certain you are suffering from a massive case of constipation.
I can see Peskin is being as usual, his irrelevant self.
Peskin suck gas and I don’t mean the laughing type (Nitrous oxide) unless of course you overdose then I approve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqnO4wNJAo8
Peskin, Why don’t you crawl into a hole and die? You are a worthless piece of shit.
Will they ever learn:
I posted mistakenly to the wrong thread with
Palworthy:
And The Sun Also Rises!
What’s your point?
That IDF is loosing? Have you seen the destruction of Gaza? That Israel will be forced this time or the next to take Gaza and hold on to it? That Hamas if left standing will declare victory like Hizbolla? If left standing Hamas will not for a long time be stupid enough to fire rockets and missiles at our towns. That would be considered deterrence and if we still control entrances into Gaza the final determination is still in our hands. These were the declared aims of our operation.
Jackson Diehl-is an even bigger asshole than either you or Peskin. If any of you believe that talk and not bullets will have any effect on the Barbarians I pity you all and us,especially if your ideas prevail. Nuke war will be the probable or most likely result. Your Black God will have us all fry for an inane fantasy ideal. The Barbarians eat doves for breakfast.
You may recall Ted that I was of a different opinion. I thought getting out of Gaza was an excellent idea because it would show whether the Philistines really wanted peace. I also said that it would be easy enough to take back if that was desired.
So far the loss of Israeli lives has been no worse than might have occurred during continued occupation.
And Israel has gained in the international arena and has Egypt helping (a little) and Saudi Arabia staying quiet (mostly). And Europe is more on side than in 2006.
Not bad, all in all. Sadly Sderot had to take it in the neck for years. However, that has given Israel a moral advantage.
MS.
How many times must Israel prove your point. Most of us knew already. I also disagree that Israel is better off for this adventure. We are back where we started and Hamas is in a stronger position in all respects.
M.Simon
After all these years and you still don’t get it. Between you and me I would rather have a Hamasnick for a neighbor than an M. Simon.
I would rather have M. Simon as a neighbor – in Sderot.