Gee, isn't it great that the Israelis have given up Gaza? The peace that has ensued has just been wondrous. From AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Israeli military fired a barrage of artillery and missiles at the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hitting two offices of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and a bridge the army said was used by militants to reach areas where they fire rockets.Hours later, about two dozen armed Al Aqsa members briefly took over the governor's office and two other government buildings in northern Gaza — the latest outbreak of lawlessness that has undermined the rule of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel's pre-dawn aerial strikes were part of the army's attempt to halt rocket fire on Israeli towns bordering Gaza. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved a buffer zone in northern Gaza, although the army said it has not yet implemented the plan — which including firing on anyone who enters the area — and was unlikely to on Tuesday.
And the world gets to see Palestinian "self-determination," free of "Zionist interference."
What this world needs is a body of freely associated nations who can meet and communicate in a centralized location away from the "hot" zones, issue resolutions condemning this sort of thing, and approve joint military action, when necessary. *coffee reaches brain* Oh, wait... the first two attempts (League of Nations and UN) have failed. Will the third time be the charm? Place yer bets. ;)
Seriously, though, the silence of the UN and Arab League (though we expect even less from the latter) is deafening.
At least with elections coming up and Hamas doing well, there's a short-term time frame in which we may see "liberated Palestine" self-determine itself into such a mess that the international community get off its duff and do something constructive.
Then, we just may see some action in the disarmament of the Palestinian terrorists posing as political parties. It's not going to happen from within, and any action by the US or Israel alone would be used to enshrine the Palestinians as victims. Again.
They've got enough rope now to hang themselves; I'd venture a guess that this is why Israel is taking a minimalist approach at this point.
Drat... that one bit should read: "that the international community must get off its duff and do something constructive."
I just hate to let a typo sit there and fester.
The entire world heaped praise on Sharon when he made the concession of leaving Gaza. Even our good buddies the Pakistanis orchestrated some friendly atmospherics. It appears the closer to doom Israel allows itself to slide, the more Muslim nations will be willing to visit them at their death bed to say some kind word about their brave suicide.
Who will disarm these Palestinian terror groups? The Egyptians, who are allowing them to arm? The "international community"? Who are they exactly? The entire Eurabian alliance will do nothing to extract Israel's chestnuts from this fire, and heap scorn upon them when they try to act in the interest of self-preservation. Israel stands alone as the party interested in its own survival. Europe and much of the world would happily throw it to the dogs to buy off the Jihad, as if that would solve the problem.
The only way for Israel to deal with a "liberated" Gaza is to punish the entire citizenry for failing to stop these attacks. What good are international norms and laws if they cannot protect people?
Quijybo
Land for peace....just how much land are we talking about?
/rhetorical
There will be no peace until Israel and much of the politically correct world acknowledges that Islam is terrorism. A good moslem is a terrorist. That is in their terror manual: the koran. A good moslem is ordered to strike at all non-believers and non-good moslems. Non-good moslems are those who don't believe in following the terrorists' orders. I think all this is spelled out in suras 9 and 35 of the koran. Chilling reading.