Many have written lately that Intifada II is over. Sharon’s strategy – the security fence cum severe retaliation against terrorists – does seem to be working (and it’s obvious the Pentagon has taken note), but it will be a long time before anyone can really say “Mission Accomplished!” Today’s rocket attack by Palestinian psychotics, evil-doers, etc., (fill in the blanks) is a case in point. [What? No "insurgents"?-ed.] Firing from inside Gaza, they apparently scored a direct hit on a school yard. Good job, guys. How to strike a blow for a Palestinian State!
A Kassam rocket hit a path between two houses in the southern town of Sderot Wednesday afternoon killing two children, aged four and five.
Still, apparently some Palestinians are seeing the light. Let’s hope for more.
Still there’s this: Are the Terrorists Failing?
I’m not sure I agree with this, but it makes me feel better.
Meanwhile, in rich, peaceful Norway, an Algerian tries to attack everyone on board an airliner. (via Lucianne.com)
Excerpt:
Axe was smuggled on board
The 30-year-old man who attacked two pilots with an axe on a Kato Air flight from Narvik to Bod¯ on Wednesday smuggled the weapon on board, police said at an afternoon press conference. Original reports stated that the weapon used was an emergency axe stored on board the flight.
link should’ve been typed ‘kill’. (sigh)
Interestingly, earlier reports in the Aftenposten described the attacker as an Algerian and denied terrorism as a motive. This one drops the Algerian descriptor and the terrorism denial.
When do we get a fence? I’ve heard talk that the majority of the country supports the enforcement of our immigration policies. When are pols going to catch on and turn off the spigot? And does anybody know how feasible an Israeli style security fence would be on both our northern and southern borders?
Meanwhile, the Presbyterian church, for the second time, told Jews to go fuck themselves on the matter of Israel. The Church is upset that Israel defends itself, because Jews are supposed to be victims.
Mike,
You failed to mention this and I really want to make it clear- the Presbyterian church is split into two factions- USA and PCA. In general, the PCA consists of mostly traditional conservatives, who are pro-Israel (my parents are PCA). Presbyterian Church USA is a much more liberal (socially and globally) organization and contains many liberals who actually attend church. The Pres. USA’s stance on Israel is reprehensible but its akin to liberal jews who seem to take the same stand.
If I remember correctly from prior discussions, you have some issues with the Christian Church in the US – thats understandable- as a Christian in American, I also have some issues with the Christian church in America- at the same time, Israel has no greater friend in America then religious conservatives and its important to draw a distinction between the far more liberal anti-Israel denominations and the vast majority of the Christian community, whihc is pro-Israel.
Mike Silverman needs to remind himself that this is the liberal wing of the Presbyterian Church. I strongly suspect that all of the liberal churches throughout the United States are anti-Israel. Lastly, so do a very high percentage of John Kerryís supporters. This is the ugly secret the MSM media are hiding from the American people. They know that the truth would completely doom Kerryís campaign.
Any culture whose “warriors” purposely murder children is so degenerate and depraved as to be beyond salvation.
If any of us should know that you can’t appease or negotiate with a Nazi, it is the Jews. The fascist mindset of the Islamic jihadists seems to me to be identical to the Nazi mindset: overvaluing of the perfection of the will, abhorence of “decadence,” revilement of signs of “weakness,” absolute moral judgements, conviction that the future has a mystical calling for them to over-run and tyranize the world, and the certainty that all those in the world who are not them should be destroyed. It is the authoritarian mindset observed by Erich Fromme in his “Escape from Freedom” – a book in the late forties that analyzed the psychology that led to fifty million deaths in WWII.
The fascist, Nazi mind is alive and ill in the Islamofascists. Bush knows this, Kerry doesn’t. American Jews should be able to see it and vote accordingly. Even if their parents and grandparents would turn over in their graves. The world changes, but the Jews keep running into enemies that want to eliminate them. Vote Bush.
Well, back to the topic. The exisitng fence around Gaza strip and the yet to be finished fance/wall arounf West Bank were never ment to be a protection against rocket, mortar and artillery attacks. This time Hamas got “lucky” and the random shooting hit today a bunch of Israeli children. If there is anything Israelis are extremely sensitive about it is their children.
Obviously Israel is not going to evacuate Sderot.
Consequently, Israel will effectively create a buffer zone inside the Gaza strip.
It is also very possible that the other punitive action will be to destroy all existing potential manufacturing and industrial capabilities still exisiting in Gaza. Hopefully this will make Hamas and the supportive Arabs very happy. Unfortunately, some more or less innocent Arabs will suffer too and the sympathetic world will have another reason to berate Israel.
Marek: first the wall. Then the roof.
richard,
And then fill it with water. Can be the sewer.
Marek:
you said “Unfortunately, some more or less innocent Arabs will suffer too ….” At the risk of being labelled a racist I will tell you there are not many innocent Arabs. For all the sanctimonious crap about the religion of peace, the Arabs have not, by and large, condemned the pogroms against the Israelis. And I use pogroms in the sense of slaughter of innocents. The Sheiks of Al Azar have been silent; leading Islamic scholars have been silent; and as long as the leadership of the Islamic world remains silent, I tell you: there are no innocent Arabs–even the children are dressed in suicide bomber dress. It is a sick and degenerate culture.
Three words for these Quassam and mortar attacks: counter-battery fire. (or is that 2?) Once Israel fully evacuates Gaza, they need to set up a few batteries of 155mm howitzers or MLRS rockets and some fire-finder radars. A rocket or mortar bomb comes over the fence, a 5 minute barrage goes the other way, regardless of where it lands. I guaranty that the rocketeers and mortarmen will become very unpopular very quickly.
This is actually why I am in favor of a Palestinian state in Gaza and a portion of the WB: right now Israel is an occupying power with certain responsibilites and limitations under international law. Once the Palestinians have their own state, then Israel has carte blanche to respond in kind to acts of war. It doesn’t matter that the PA may not technically be at warwith Israel – if they are a sovereign power and do nothing to prevent Hamas et al from launching attacks into Israel, then, by their inaction, they ratify those attacks.
RogerA,
You are preaching to the choir. The only argument, and not a very big one, we might have on this topic, is the number of sensible Arabs left in this world. Some is greater than zero but not by much.
PS. TypeKey sucks! It tells me I’m signed on until I try to post. Arghhh…
Just testing TypeKey – as it really does suck. Maybe it will let me post in here. . . I’m doubting it.