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Posted April 15, 2002
Middle East War
The only way to stop the Middle East war, is for Syria to order the Hamas and other factions to stop sending martyrs to Israel and blowing up innocent people, and I am sure Mr. Arafat could do more but he is powerless to stop these suicide actions by the fanatics ... no matter what Israel offers.
Innocent people always suffer. [If] it is okay for the USA to tell Israel to get out, why does the USA not get out of Afghanistan? They went there for revenge because they have failed (initially) their own people, by not preventing what happened. Surely the CIA, the FBI, if they were not sleeping, this could have been prevented, and mainly the airport security were dead asleep. And the Air Force chiefs had time to follow those aircraft but someone hesitated and no decisions were made, and history will tell all one day.
Regarding Germany stopping the sale of arms to Israel, this is crazy. Israel is a tiny little country, just look at the map; what do you expect them to do, sit and see innocent people, their citizens, blown apart on a daily basis?
Someone should be telling Israel and the Palestinians: unless the suicide bombing stops, Israel will continue to go over the Palestinians' cities. Otherwise, very shortly, the whole Arab world is going to suffer.
Just a point of view and I am sure it won't even be mentioned, because it is the truth.
Managing Editor Eric Garris replies:
You need to do a little homework. Hamas is not in any way connected to Syria. You are thinking of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is an indigenous Lebanese group that has battled Israel on the Lebanon border, but doesn't use suicide bombers. Hamas (which does suicide bombings) is a fundamentalist group that was started in the early '80s by Israeli intelligence in order to compete with Arafat's PLO.
The problem most Americans have in viewing the Middle East is the lack of accurate information. This leads to the justification of Israel's using force against innocents to retaliate against the guilty terrorists (who happen to be of the same nationality). Both suicide bombers and the Israeli Army use the same strategy: blindly attacking innocent civilians to "force" the terrorists to give up. Such a program is not only immoral, it is counterproductive.
Terrorism Vs. Occupation
I would like to thank Mr. Ran HaCohen for the articles that he has written, it has opened my eyes further; and I know it has done the same for others. I especially agree with his concept of terrorism vs. occupation; I had never looked at it from that particular standpoint; ... after reading your article I feel I have truly learned something.
High Ground
While reading Mr. Raimondo's latest views in "Short Takes," on the whole in agreement, I came across a dismissal of speculation connecting McVeigh and Iraq. In the context of the essay, the dismissal seems intended as evidence of "even more craziness" from the War Party. I lean to the view that Iraq was unconnected to the anthrax scare as many of the so-called Neo-cons were arguing. However, that Iraq is the unlikely cause of the anthrax attacks does not lead me to the conclusion that McVeigh did not receive their aid. I remember reading numerous speculations, well before 9/11, on possible McVeigh accomplices, speculations which if entertained would have muddied the water for an "execution which brought closure" (you know things are crazy when that phrase makes sense).
This is not to argue that Iraq did assist McVeigh but rather to argue that Antiwar.com does not, in my opinion, need to dismiss speculation, even when its conclusion might be fodder for the War Party, in order to push its view. The truth is, I believe, on your side, do not leave that high ground. Once the ends begin to justify the means, well, you get the drift.
~ Dave Lewis, Chaos-Onomics.com
New Zealand is Watching
... Just read [Justin Raimondo's column of April 10, "Short Takes":] ... , a bit disappointed to see that New Zealand wasn't mentioned. I'm sure we rate there somewhere. I've been checking your website every day for over a year now and have made sure that most of my friends and colleges are also aware of it. It is refreshing to come across a US media outlet that does not pathetically fawn all over Israel despite the monstrous crimes it commits. It takes guts to go against the trend and be honest and critical, weathering the inevitable cries of "anti-Semite."
The "conspiracy theories" you peddle, i.e. the hidden US agenda in the Balkans, Afghanistan and the Middle East, are in fact realities that need to be out there.
Keep up the good work; the world, including New Zealand, is watching.
Half
I read Scott McConnell's article ... "Bush vs. Sharon: The Sequel" and realized that Scott only presented half of President Bush's problems in trying to separate American foreign policy from Israeli and especially hard-line Likud positions. McConnell did very well to present how Bush is faced with aa strong pro-Israel lobby in Congress. But, that presents the dilemma facing primarily liberal and Democratic Congressman. The Republicans and Social Conservatives have the problem presented by American Evangelicalism, which for the most part sees "Israel" as God's people.
Evangelicals are among the Republican Coalition's strongest supporters, and a wobbly stand on Israel is not tolerated. If you don't recognize this, look at WorldNetDaily.com. They were firm opponents of America's involvement in the Balkans, but when it comes to Israel, their Evangelicalism drives them to support Sharon, and see nothing to condemn in any Israeli policy. So, from left or right the pro-Israeli forces push our Congressmen and President away from policies that would be normally in the American interest. Our Middle Eastern interests are peace which would allow the flow of oil throughout the world. We recognize something of a debt to ensure that no holocaust is again allowed, but somehow we must separate support of Israel's existence from a blank-check mentality that supports every action of the Israeli military.
Contradiction and Hypocrisy
Am I wrong in seeing contradiction and hypocrisy in the apparent U.S. position of touting and promoting their own war on terrorism, and yet "demanding" that Israel refrain from her war on terrorism? Why does America get to drop bombs and calls it just and victory, but when some other country does so -- it is "violence"! Why were there not UN resolutions against US attacks on Afghanistan? Why did not the pope decry American aggression? It seems to me that the church's position was that a country had the right to fight against those who want to destroy.
Do not mistake this question as support for Israel's actions any more than support for suicide bombing. I only question how we could baldly justify our behavior and yet condemn the same behavior in others.