hamas is unwilling to compromise their "principles" and that is a good thing, for two reasons. First, the Israelis themselves are less likely to be persuaded that they have any sort of "peace partner" who would try to prevent ongoing mass murders of Jews in the form of the unctious abbas and his ilk. Secondly, they are freer to take action against the leadership of all the gangs, including hamas. This has, in the past, proven to be the ONLY effective means of reducing attacks against Jewish civilians.

Posted by: Infidel33 at April 17, 2006 12:10 PM

John 8:44

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Rather telling.

Posted by: Founding Forefather at April 17, 2006 12:22 PM

Took me a moment to understand this, but I suppose there is an argument for fast food being 'aggressive.'

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/010222.php

Posted by: Gary at April 17, 2006 12:38 PM

We all recognize the sordid statement as an attempt to justify murder, all the further the goals of Islam.

Posted by: epg at April 17, 2006 12:49 PM

Hamas are thugs and murderers. The Palestinians are just pawns of the Islamic world that has never given up on the dream of destroying Israel and irradicating Jews, and as long as Hamas is the chosen political and ideological leadership of the Palestinian people, I give them no quarter and no sympathy.

Propaganda might blind the U.N. Islamic sympathizers, but I've been watching events in the middle east for too many decades now to have any compassion for monsters that try to cloak themselves as martyrs.

Posted by: Foehammer at April 17, 2006 1:01 PM

Geez..Well at least Hamas is honest about it. The PA would just say they condem it and everyone would believe them as they celebrated behind closed doors.

Posted by: Avatar at April 17, 2006 1:07 PM

Terror bombing is 'ok by them'?

The next 'gathering' of the Hamas leadership should be as legitimate a terrorist target as I can imagine.

Posted by: poetcomic1 at April 17, 2006 1:14 PM

Poetcomic,
Aye aye to what you say.

Posted by: Eliyahu at April 17, 2006 1:21 PM

Actually, I find Hamas's candor rather refreshing. It beats the heck out of Arafat's and Abbas's serial duplicity of condemning each attack.

Posted by: scaramouoche at April 17, 2006 2:04 PM

At least with the Hamas government, the old jig is up. Under Arafat there was a rotation of claiming responsibility for terror attacks, to divert the retaliation from the PA institutions, to the extent that the PA bothered with their existence. Now the source of terror and the proto-state in Gaza and Judea/Samaria is one and the same.

Posted by: Quijybo at April 17, 2006 3:19 PM

Ye are of your father the devil
"This is a testimony to the objective (outward) personality of the devil

Basically it is saying that all of the attributes the devil has are intrinsic and not gotten or influenced from outside.

Its application here is perhaps meant as a comment on the "evil" of the suicidebombing committed by somone truly of teh devil.

scaramouoche
I agree, I was always somewhat sickened by the disingenuous denounciations made by Arafat.

Posted by: Peter at April 17, 2006 3:30 PM

IF

The Palestinians' new Hamas leaders called the attack a legitimate response to Israeli "aggression."...

=

Hostile Intent + Hostile Action

THEN

Israel

=

Justified aggression +
Largest keg of whoop ass ever

Posted by: Erik at April 17, 2006 3:32 PM

The truth is, there will never be peace between the Jewish and Arab/Muslim people as long as even one Jew remains in the ME and Islam continues to ferment the hatred and extermination of Israel. Arabs/Muslims have made that their goal and the whole world knows it. Israel should ratchet up their response to each suicide attacks in kind. Eliminating one or two Palestinian terrorists is not an in kind response in my book. Every time an Israeli bus is bombed, the Israelis should put a rocket into a full bus load of Palestinians, every time an Israel cafe, restaurant, marketplace is bombed, Israel puts a rocket into a like kind Palestinian Establishment. I believe such Israeli response would in time send a message to the Palestinian people that it's not conducive to their own health to keep blowing up innocent Israeli men women and children. The time has come when the Jews should stop turning the other cheek and instead adopt an eye for an eye attitude.

Posted by: krkrjak at April 17, 2006 3:39 PM

"(Muhammad said:) The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; (Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6985)."

This chilling hadith is being taught all across the Muslim world in the mosques, the madrassahs, and to many Muslim children. They grow up knowing that one day will come where they will kill the Jews. Only a very small remnant will be left.

The Bible describes that that day is coming, and that two thirds of the Jews will die (Zech 13:8,9).

The events are all coming together.

See many more comparisions at :
al-mahdi.50megs.com

Posted by: yaqub at April 17, 2006 3:45 PM

Hmmmm....

Most countries consider setting bombs off inside their borders, and then admitting to it, as a something called an "act of war".

You think this might be one of those "act of war" thingies?

Posted by: Kristopher at April 17, 2006 3:58 PM

The BBC report this cowardly snide attack as being in "self defence" according to Hammas.

The way these sicko wretches mangle meaning and words and expect - and get - creedence makes me want to puke.

Brave Islamic Jihad warriors equates to Palestinian cowardly murderers, killers of women and children....

Posted by: Turbinehead at April 17, 2006 5:30 PM

Perhaps the upshot of "Palestinian" history is that what so many believe will happen (or must happen or should happen) will not happen. Instead, these Sunni Arabs, indistinguishable from other Sunni Arabs, at most will have some political autonomy, but will have no state.

Posted by: StillBreathing at April 17, 2006 5:38 PM

"Brave Islamic Jihad warriors equates to Palestinian cowardly murderers, killers of women and children...."

Exactly the way to destroy a nation, kill the next generation and producers thereof. And increase your own by enslaving your women and giving them no purpose in life but reproduction.

Posted by: Lili at April 17, 2006 5:57 PM

Since October 2000 Hamas suicide bombers have killed 300 Israelis. Israeli military attacks have killed almost 5000 Palestinians in the same period.

This is the final paragraph in a report on this attack by Tali Caspi and Rami Amichai in Tel Aviv posted online at the Sydney Morning Herald under the title Israel blames Hamas for blast.

The title is misleading as Hamas' outrageous justification of the attack is surely the priority news rather than any puerile "blame" game. This last paragraph also seems to back Hamas' justification by simply giving body counts without further explanation or clarification.

This is not mere dhimmi reporting, it smacks of Jew bashing (or what used to be called anti-Semitism).

Posted by: Arizona at April 17, 2006 6:03 PM

I agree with the present policy of knocking off the leaders of the terrorist groups. However, the Israeli govt is too timid about this. They should get rid of those Hamas leaders whom we did not get rid of two years ago when we got rid of Shaykh Yasin and Rantisi. The Israeli army does not follow the policy intensively enough.

Posted by: Eliyahu at April 17, 2006 6:03 PM

I'm just wondering at what point does Israel consider going to all-out war against the Plishtim in order to destroy them and to secure their borders. They've already made it known to everyone that they give no regard to anyone as "combatants" or "noncombatants," so it's going to come down to (eventually) a war of survival between Jewish Israelis and Plishtim "Arab Palestinians."

Posted by: yohannbiimu at April 17, 2006 6:16 PM

Fox news showed the suicide murderer and his eyes are as dead as a doornail.

It's a sad sad cult that, the greatest ideal for that young man, is to kill as many innocent people as he can. Instead of bright eyed and thinking of a future, his only purpose in life was ended probably within hours of the video.

Do these idiots not realize what they are doing to their own future? Raising children to kill. To cause chaos where they live.

I can't imagine bringing my child into this world to use as a bomb. Dead end life in a dead end cult.

Posted by: freewoman at April 17, 2006 6:24 PM

Those who find Hamas' candour refreshing have a point. That said, Israel should first obliterate al-Aqsa, Fatah and those self-styled moderates, thereby leaving only Hamas and Islamic Jihad standing. In the process, they wipe out the Palestinian Taqqiya brigades, so that they can't come to power again, and give the self-styled Quartet a facade to hold in front of the Israelis.

Once this is done, the next time a terror attack occurs, be it Hamas, Islamic Jihad or PFLP, just carpet-bomb the area. Preferably have missile launches rather than troop incursions, and don't make distinctions of collateral damage. In the process, provoke Iran to be more beligerant, so that Washington is forced into military action to blow up the science project in Natanz and Isfahan.

Once the entire Palestinian leadership is wiped out, there won't be anyone for the 'world' to rally around.

Posted by: Infidel Pride at April 17, 2006 7:20 PM

Freewoman said:

"I can't imagine bringing my child into this world to use as a bomb. Dead end life in a dead end cult."

That is why they will fail, and soon. The "Palestinian people" are steeped in evil with corrupt hearts and minds. There is no future for these people. They are a people raised to be destroyed by their own dispicable thoughts and actions.

No people can survive without a civilized culture. These "Palestinians" are devoid of any culture, other than hatred and murder. They have made themselves to be a blight on the face of the Earth, and they will not survive this apparent mass-suicide that they are committing upon themselves.

In time, these people will cease to exist, and no one will even take notice of it.

Posted by: yohannbiimu at April 17, 2006 7:39 PM

Hamas and the Palestinians...almost sounds like a rock group...Why expect anything better from them than a 17 year old suicide bomber...now being entertained by all those virgins...After having been given the farm, they continue to rain rockets, and send demented people, or children to do their maniacle dirty work. No matter what they are given, beg, borrow or steal, they are not going to give up. Israel gots to go, and then the west and the world...There is not several isolated festering sores in Islam, it is one big festering sore, from Russia, to the Phillipines, to Sudan, to Indonesia, to the US, U.K France, Germany, The Netherlands, and all those other places, the sore festers...What we can expect from Hamas and the Palestinians, is more of the same...

Posted by: duh_swami at April 17, 2006 9:07 PM

Eliyahu is correct that the Israelis are too timid about knocking off the leaders of the terrorist groups. Not only should Israel respond in kind to these attacks but should expel all Hamas supporters across the Jordan. Then hopefully, King Abdullah of Jordan will expel them on to Saudi Arabia will they can live under a terrorist sharia regime to their liking.

Posted by: Provoslavni at April 17, 2006 9:26 PM

P.S.S. Should have been sewn-past participle of sew. I had my wife to spell check this time.

Posted by: AMartinez at April 17, 2006 10:16 PM

These are good for nothing useless breathers.

Stop and think what people would do with a pack of rabid dogs.

There you go.

Posted by: freewoman at April 17, 2006 10:19 PM

Funny how the Palestinians never seems to see how their arguments can be turned right back at them.

Does this mean that driving them into the sea is also a legitimate use of force?

Posted by: treehugger at April 17, 2006 10:25 PM

Keep building that Wall Israel...

Posted by: Morgane at April 17, 2006 10:44 PM

According Hamas' equation, Israel can now kill any Palestinian for any reason using any method.

Maybe they'll regret having sanctioned state sponsored terrorism for anyone willing to be so ruthless, heartless and mindless.

Or maybe they understand that the Jews are not as crude, cruel and crazy as the jihadists.

But they should keep an eye out for rockets, meanwhile.

And booby-trapped cellphones.

And assassins.

And... well, let them just worry about the "and".

Posted by: profitsbeard at April 17, 2006 11:32 PM

"new Hamas leaders called the attack a legitimate response to Israeli aggression"

What aggression?!? How/when/where has Israel been aggressive towards the Palestinians? Am I missing something?

Posted by: champ at April 18, 2006 12:31 AM

Keep building that Wall Israel...
Posted by: Morgane at April 17, 2006 10:44 PM
==============

The murderous bomber came into Israel where the fence building has not been completed.

The fence will continue to work and improve in Israel especially after it is completed.

Congress needs to realize our borders are not protected and Americans want them protected....

It will take bombs, WMD's or even nukes going off in America before secular Washington responds

Protect yourself, yoiur family and your country.

Prepare, be armed be ready.

The Texican.
Freedom, the only choice at any cost.

Posted by: Texican at April 18, 2006 12:49 AM

champ-

For accepting a "state" under the U.N. mandate of 1948, the Jewish people committed the ultimate "aggression":

surviving an attempted genocide.

And even worse:

-prospering.

The Arabs will never forgive them for it.

And have been trying to 'remedy' it ever since.

The mere existence of a Jew is an "aggression".

It means that the Muslims have someone sucessful nearby to demonstrate their culture's failings, -intellectually, spiritually, morally and militarily.

How much more "aggressive" can the Jews get?

The Arab nations attack them again and again and they continue to fail to die?

It's intolerable!

(Plus the mere existence of the Israelites is a constant reminder that the Muslims stole the Jews' religion, their God, their prophets, their bloodline and their essential meaning from these insufferable Hebrews... it makes the Mohammedans feel like the theo-thieves and primal-plagiarists that they are... so they try to erase the source of their existential angst and guilt by completing Koranic kill-fest recommended by the pedophile "prophet".)

Posted by: profitsbeard at April 18, 2006 12:50 AM

Thanks profitsbeard!

They're calling the Jews "aggressive" because they returned to their rightful homeland? Sounds like the Arabs are deeply envious of the Jews and that they're holding a major grudge. Besides, the Palestinians are the ones who are aggressive.

Posted by: champ at April 18, 2006 1:29 AM

Israelis need to be more offensive with their tactics, like killing more of the Hammas leadership. these Hammas are cowards, their leaders send off brain dead people to do their dirty work, and then hide among women and children. so kill the leadership where ever they may be.

Posted by: Lulu at April 18, 2006 2:44 AM

Lulu

No doubt about that. The only hope for avoiding a bloodbath is killing enough religious and political leaders to force them to reform or enlighten Islam. Nothing the kufr does, other than kill jihadis, has any effect. It's called a "decapitation strategy." Metaphorical head-chopping for actual head-choppers, seems like destiny to me.

Posted by: Beagle at April 18, 2006 2:52 AM

Sheik yer'mami's Koran sez:

Hamas is a legitimate target.

The 'forbidden months' have passed.

Kill them wherever you find them, lay in wait in every ambush & every stratagem of war, and do not accept a hudna unless you made slaughter (and lots of car-swarm) in the land...

...bind them firmly and take them captives...and strike off their necks...

Sounds familiar?

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at April 18, 2006 4:00 AM

Is it worth making the point again that Islamic terrorist organizations subscribe to a notion of an extra-territorial umma that for them overrides the concept of sovereignty that the rest of the world recognizes - and that helps to keep the peace in the rest of the world? Is it worth saying again that they conceptually divide the human world into two - House of Islam and House of War?

That being so, actions such as this are not merely an attack on Israel but also an attack on all sovereign nations, an affront to all loyal citizens of all nations, and an assault on all "infidels".

I should like to hear, for example, a clear condemnation for incidents such as this from the German Interior Minister - the man who had the gall to invite Ahmadinejad over for a little R & R from his Holocaust-planning at the World Cup.

These attacks are not something happening to people far away of whom we know little. They are an affront to us all. I am starting to feel very angry with a political and media establishment in the West that has covered up the real significance of such things for so l ong.

Posted by: Yojimbo at April 18, 2006 4:19 AM

This from fox news:"We reiterate that the United States will have no contact with such a government and we call upon all states to demand that it abandon its support for terror," the spokesman added.

If we keep denouncing this regime and take steps for security then this thing will soon be over when Israel steps up to the plate and hits a home run.

Posted by: chuck at April 18, 2006 6:05 AM

Once again a murderous militant of the Caliphate has attacked Israeli civilians in a deadly exercise to subvert the existence of Israel and to extend the Caliphate's boundaries. Hamas has continuously claimed it is legitimate to arbitrarily murder women, children or anyone to put Hamas in power of its portion of the Caliphate. Hamas did not repeat its long list of religious justifications for the mayhem. It only repeated it is legitimate that Jewish men, women and children must die for the glory of establishing Allah's caliphate.

Islam teaches that when a Moslem has died in battle, the spot on which he dies becomes holy land obligating other members to take up the fight. Moslems are instructed to fight there again and again by any strategem or deceit or infamy of war until it becomes a permanent part of the ummah. Hamas, which was popularly elected by the Palestinian masses, reiterates that the Jews must die until the land of Israel is part of the Caliphate.

Moslems have a religious doctrine Taqiyah which allows deceit and misrepresentation to non Moslems (and Moslem wives if appropriate). The doctrine allows Moslems to promote Islam by truth or by any form of deceit.

The elected Hamas leaders appear progressive and part of modern trend among Caliphate activists. The current Hamas leaders said they do not feel it necessary to lie about their plans or activities. Recent interviews of various Hamas leaders about destroying all of Israel and by implication all the men women and children indicated the Hamas adherents did not feel the need to lie about these plans because as he says in prayer five times a day Allahu Akbar.

Posted by: David England at April 18, 2006 7:41 AM

"John 8:44

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Rather telling.
Posted by: Founding Forefather "

Folks,

Founding Forefather has it correct. When a country that is governed by a terror based group praises a horrible act of terrorism done in the land of Isreal, know this, they are simply doing the will of THEIR father, who is the "faither of lies. "

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at April 18, 2006 8:03 AM

Could someone please answer this question?
--------------------------------------------
If Hamas is the legitimate governing body of the Palestinian Teritories then could this "homicide bomber"* attack be called an act of war?
They have had their elecions, they won office, they are responsible.

I think it is an act of war. Does anyone else agree?

I did notice,,,and for the first time,,,the homicide bomber's mother was crying. Usually they are gleeful.

* Fox News is the only broadcaster who rightly calls them homicide bombers.This is what they are.Good for Fox News!

They need to be dealt with severely!!! Israel should never have given back an inch!

Posted by: Gramfan at April 18, 2006 9:07 AM

the homicide bomber's mother was crying

Probably because only a dozen or so Jews were killed.

this "homicide bomber"* attack be called an act of war?

Absolutely, even Hamas calls it an act of war.

They need to be dealt with severely!!! Israel should never have given back an inch!

Ahhh, but then they would have Bush & Condi to deal with -- it might be better to stick with the suicide bombings. A few lives here and there are better than losing all that foreign aid from the US, no?

Posted by: witness at April 18, 2006 9:25 AM

It is difficult, and exspensive, to declare "war" on ideologies re: "War on Terror". It is completely legal, in ALL laws and codes, to declare "war" on a REAL threat, and acordingly on LEGITIMATE governments supporting/endorsing hostile/subversive actions in another country. I could be mistaken, and I am by no means an expert, but isn't the issue of the Israeli's declaring an open and sanctioned "war" relegated to the United Nations by virtue of their {Israel} formation in 1948? Just curious. Personally, I think the IDF should commence, at once, the prejudicial enforcement of their borders, language, and culture. Furthermore, I don't think a thermonuclear attack on Israel will happen, according to the Pals, it is their land. What good will it do for the rest of the Arab world to NOT have a place to encapsulate the Pals? No, I believe the threat facing Israel is red mercury, and/or chemical agents.
Finally, I offer a prayer for the innocence lost; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. The real headline should read, "Muslim Palestinian Murders {fill in the numerical blank} Jews, again, in Israel" If their is a "silver lining" to this murder, it could be this: After 5,000 years, the Philistines and Ishmaelites STILL can't break "God's chosen people."

Posted by: SickBoy at April 18, 2006 9:50 AM

John 8:44
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
It was said about the Jews.

Posted by: pong at April 18, 2006 11:35 AM

A response to pong,

Although taken out of context, I thought that passage (John 8:44) was an apt description of Hamas. I also thought in its original context it was talking about Cain, who I understood to be evil. I believe that the Jewish lineage and the lineage of Noah is from Seth, who is good and righteous. It is not from Cain. I could be wrong. I support the Jews, Israel, and the wall they are building 100%. If that passage offended anyone because of a different scriptural interpretation, then I apologize.

Thanks

Posted by: Founding Forefather at April 18, 2006 12:20 PM

"Treehugger" asks: "Funny how the Palestinians never seems to see how their arguments can be turned right back at them. Does this mean that driving them into the sea is also a legitimate use of force?"

The answer, unfortunately, is no. You can't use their own arguments against them. Because to the rest of the world, and even to many citizens of their own countries, Israel, America and Britain are held to a totally different standard than the enemies they are fighting. Behavior that would be even a fraction as nasty as what the enemies are doing would be judged unacceptably reprehensible. Partly that is a backhanded compliment to America: The world expects us to be Utopia and is sorely disappointed when we fall short. But partly it's also a cynically calculated tactic to paralyze Western will to act.

Case in point: A week or so after the 9-11 terrorist attack which killed thousands of civilians, while the U.S. was still contemplating military options, Phyllis Bennis of the far-left Institute for Policy Studies opposed military action on this basis: She said that if the U.S. used force resulting in even ONE innocent Afghan civilian being hurt (just hurt, not killed), the U.S. would be guilty of "war crimes." Well, no military commander can guarantee that a major military operation won't give even one civilian a hangnail, as I'm sure Ms. Bennis knew. Thus by raising the bar on expected behavior that high, Ms. Bennis effectively eliminated all military options with this one strawman, without having to explain her true motives to the public.

Here we were, with thousands of innocent American and other civilians dead (at the time it was feared about 6,000 dead), and that was dismissed as a "criminal action"--send in Interpol. But the U.S. was instantly guilty of war crimes the moment even ONE Afghan civilian got hurt as the result of U.S. military action! This is happening to us because we are allowing our critics to define the moral code of international relations. And they will define it in such a way as to pin the blame on us for nearly everything.

Posted by: Steven L. at April 18, 2006 12:36 PM

and acordingly on LEGITIMATE governments supporting/endorsing hostile/subversive actions in another country

Who decides what constitutes a legitimate government or a rouge state?

The U.S. tried to define this by proxy through the "authority and mandate of the UN" during the Yugoslavian conflict by "declaring" Milosovich as a rouge leader regardless of the fact that he was legitimately elected by his people.

I could be mistaken, and I am by no means an expert, but isn't the issue of the Israeli's declaring an open and sanctioned "war" relegated to the United Nations by virtue of their {Israel} formation in 1948? Just curious.

I think Golda Meir would have said otherwise -- she did in fact in 1967, and in 1973.

Furthermore, I don't think a thermonuclear attack on Israel will happen, according to the Pals, it is their land. What good will it do for the rest of the Arab world to NOT have a place to encapsulate the Pals?

Well, Iran is claiming otherwise. Even if there is a thermonuclear exchange it doesn't matter since in the view of islam, their grand mahdi will make everything okay again.

Here we were, with thousands of innocent American and other civilians dead (at the time it was feared about 6,000 dead), and that was dismissed as a "criminal action"--send in Interpol. But the U.S. was instantly guilty of war crimes the moment even ONE Afghan civilian got hurt as the result of U.S. military action!

True. But like all globalistic military ventures since WW2 -- it simply is a matter of containment.

Victory is not even the goal; management of the conflagration is what it all comes down to. Sustainablilty of casualities just like sustainable development, or sustainable economies has been the "conventional wisdom" in the West for the last 55 years.

The islamic world has not bought in to Western secular ideology -- yet the Western leaders use the logic of evolution and declare "after all, what other choice do they have?"

These leaders are in for a very rude answer. Unfortuantely, it will be Mr. and Mrs. Nobody from Nowhere and their children who will be the recipients.

After all, they are the weakest, least informed, and softest targets for the enemy.

Posted by: witness at April 18, 2006 3:29 PM

HAHAHAHAHA, well formulated profitsbeard!

Posted by: milkboy at April 18, 2006 5:03 PM

The group responsible for the bombing was called Islamic Jihad ~ and you wonder why people think ~ ‘Islamic Jihad’ means violence.

Posted by: Pass It On at April 18, 2006 6:54 PM

Witness,
Thanks for the insight. My remark stating "legitimate" was not to infer Israel is not "legitimate". In my eyes, Israel was, is, and will be. Interesting reference to Milosevic, a bit peculiar how neat and tidy his trial ended up...Hmm. ...and reports of U.N. inflating "atrocity" numbers for the Albanians....Hmmm.
Meier and Thatcher have more brass than the entire lot of Western "leaders" do today...collectively. I think it is MORE advantageous for the Islamic world NOT to detonate a device e.g. Thermonuclear. Allowing, and or sanctioning, Jihadi Claymores keeps the Pals in a nice corner unto themselves. Perhaps the Israeli government is listening a wee bit too much to Sec. Rice and Javier Solano....

Posted by: SickBoy at April 18, 2006 8:14 PM

Don't you get it George Bush... Stephen Harper... Tony Blair...

They always justify their murder...
if the west blew up innocent muslems like these Palestinians murder innocent Jews the only pages in western newspapers not telling us how bad we are would be the sport pages... even then, our home team would probably be on a damm losing streak!

Oh and the cartoon section, well, let's not even get into that!!!

Posted by: winston at April 18, 2006 11:07 PM

"witness" writes: "Victory is not even the goal; management of the conflagration is what it all comes down to. Sustainablilty of casualities just like sustainable development, or sustainable economies has been the 'conventional wisdom' in the West for the last 55 years."

Originally, this mindset got started because of the fear that a push for all out victory could escalate to nuclear war with the Communists. But the Cold War is over, our enemies have few or no nuclear weapons (yet, thank goodness)--and yet this mentality of "limited war" and "proportionality" and "humanitarian war" continues to exist.

The reason: the invention of global television and now the Internet, which has turned war into spectator sport, and resulted in the U.S. military being put under a hostile magnifying glass to be dissected like a mounted insect. Every military campaign is viewed live on TV--by both sides, by allies, by neutrals. Every U.S. action is instantly commented on and deconstructed by self-appointed commentators and pundits. And worst of all, every U.S. action is judged--and often condemned--by self-appointed umpires from the peanut gallery. Instantly, Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International or the ACLU or the U.N. Security Council or whoever, weighs in on whether the U.S. has committed a "foul" or not, as if war is a game with umpires, rules, fouls and penalty boxes.

We could never have won World War II this way. With CNN televising the Dresden and Tokyo bombings, with the press giving equal credibility to what President Roosevelt said and what Adolf Hitler said, with on-the-spot TV coverage of the bloodlettings at Dieppe and Normandy, with Amnesty International demanding that the U.S. not bomb any enemy cities and especially let's not bomb anywhere in Germany on the Fuhrer's birthday because that might "provoke" him to escalate, with calls for a unilateral bombing "pause for peace" to see how the enemy reacts, with every errant bomb and every other U.S. mistake instantly and vehemently denounced by the news media, we would have lost.

And this situation won't change until we have a civilian leadership with the intestinal fortitude to clear the peanut gallery out of the field of battle. Like, the ACLU should stay out of the business of defining legitimate laws of war. That's a subject that is way beyond their pay grade.

Posted by: Steven L. at April 19, 2006 1:11 AM

Wait a second....If Gaza is considered annexed and thus a nation/state - am I wrong in assuming that Israel could now formally declare war on the regime of Gaza?

If so then this theory looks like a checkmate on the Palestinians.

Posted by: Quantum Infidel at April 19, 2006 2:28 PM