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2004-04-26 Israel-Palestine

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Posted by Steve White 2004-04-26 12:51:27 AM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This is the kind of thinking that's kept the Palestinian issue festering for almost six decades. Israelis are great at tactics, but can't seem to get their strategy down. Decapitation is a strategy that has worked since the beginning of time, but the Israelis just can't bring themselves to do it, making one excuse after another about how it doesn't work. Right - this must be why Israel's enemies are so opposed to these strikes.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2004-04-26 1:54:51 AM|| 2004-04-26 1:54:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Because the decapitation strikes scrambling the leadership it gives the Israeli informants in Hamas a chance for better positioning.

The most important thing however is that it hurts Hamas prestige. The big buck saudi sheiks who have provided lots of $ in the past don't want to give money to a losing operation.

Posted by mhw 2004-04-26 8:34:12 AM|| 2004-04-26 8:34:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 You realize that the rationale behind the main point of this 'article' is the statement of Palestinian Political Officials?! How fucking ridiculous. In other news, 'The West Is Immoral and Evil'...according to Osama 'bin splattered on a cave wall' Ladden. Nope, no media bias.

Posted by AllahHateMe 2004-04-26 8:51:04 AM|| 2004-04-26 8:51:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Fred's newest GoogleAd: "Hello, my name is Mahmoud. You can find me and my Palis at www.meetup.hamas.com. The password is Arafish."

Posted by Seafarious 2004-04-26 8:51:19 AM|| 2004-04-26 8:51:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Hmph... 'Killings May Make Hamas More Formidable,' and for that matter 'Absence Of Killings May Make Hamas More Formidable.'

Me, I'd go with the 'Killings' option. Save for the few moments of writhing just after decapitation, a headless snake is much easier to catch than one with its eyeballs still attached...

Posted by Mark O 2004-04-26 9:47:53 AM|| 2004-04-26 9:47:53 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 This was "above the fold" on the WAPO yesterday. Joining it was a picture of a crying child who had been badly injured and her distraught mother, clad in Muslim-modesty-attire.

Like I said, they've moved beyond pretending and started shilling.

Posted by B 2004-04-26 9:53:53 AM|| 2004-04-26 9:53:53 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 the headline righter seems to have confused "makes Hamas more dangerous" (arguable) and "makes Hamas more formidable" (absurd).

What the article says in summary - 1. Hamas will now be fragmented, and less controllable by anyone. 2. Military leaders who just want to blow things up will be running things, instead of "politicals" who want to blow things up, but will temporarily stop blowing things up in cooperation with the PA, and may work with the PA on running Gaza.

Now its clear that losing Rantissi and his ability to control the Hamas loonies makes said loonies, and Gaza in general, more dangerous for at least those elements in the PA that wanted to work with Hamas. It almost certainly DOES NOT make Hamas more dangerous to Israel, since the hudnas didnt protect Israeli security. And it ABSOLUTELY does not make Hamas more "formidable" since unguided military action is unlikely to lead to political gains in the long run.

This isnt WaPo shilling for the other side - its a WaPo reporter substituting interviews with locals for ANALYSIS on a strategic subject where ANALYSIS is whats called for. And then the headline writer flubbing it.

The WaPo is still on the right side. But they often are not as analytic as the NYT. One would like a paper with the outlook of the WaPo, and the journalistic depth of the Times - but there is none. The WSJ is good if rather far to the right for my tastes, but WSJ doesnt cover non-business international affairs in enough depth.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-04-26 10:16:07 AM|| 2004-04-26 10:16:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 For some reason our friends in the Middle East think this argument (don't kill the bad guys, it'll only make them worse) only works one way. I remember Hosni Mubarak, the world's wealthiest welfare recipient, saying last year that attacking Iraq would create 100 or 1000 Osama's. But I've never seen a statement from the ME like "The jihadis burned the bodies of four Americans! Now they've gone and done it. The Marines are going to kick their asses up and down the stairs."

Posted by Matt 2004-04-26 10:21:38 AM|| 2004-04-26 10:21:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

- Mahmoud bin-Kenobi

Posted by Cthulhu Akbar 2004-04-26 10:44:57 AM|| 2004-04-26 10:44:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Adnan Ghoul? How appropriate

Posted by Frank G 2004-04-26 10:59:08 AM|| 2004-04-26 10:59:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 The decapitations make a Palestinian civil war more likely. This is a good thing as far as Israel is concerned.

Posted by ruprecht 2004-04-26 11:10:14 AM|| 2004-04-26 11:10:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 "Ghoul"now isn't that about the most appropriate never you've ever heard.

Posted by raptor 2004-04-26 11:40:07 AM|| 2004-04-26 11:40:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 General Ghoul - Can we use the paint scrapers to clean you up off the street after the Israelis hit you with that missile?

After all we will be in as fragmented a condition as you, although only figuratively, so that we won't know what to do. We will be lost without your benevolent leadership and guidance.

Posted by Anonymous4052 2004-04-26 1:06:43 PM|| 2004-04-26 1:06:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Is he dead yet?

Posted by mojo 2004-04-26 1:11:04 PM|| 2004-04-26 1:11:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 ahh..but the biggest question of the week: is HE dead yet???

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/korea/story/leader/kim.jong.il/

Nothing but silence.........

Posted by B 2004-04-26 4:18:03 PM|| 2004-04-26 4:18:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 ..."We've been successful, relatively speaking. But it's not the end. It's a wide and deep organization."...

Hmmm... wide and deep. Kind of like the caves in Tora Bora. In that case, I'm thinking that the IDF will have to break out the Bunker Busters for the next smackdown.

Posted by Dripping Sarcasm 2004-04-26 10:28:15 PM|| 2004-04-26 10:28:15 PM|| Front Page Top

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