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Sharon Doesn't Work For Bush
New York Post ^ | April 9, 2002 | JOHN PODHORETZ

Posted on 04/09/2002 8:31:46 AM PDT by scratchgolfer

Edited on 05/26/2004 5:05:43 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

April 9, 2002 -- A "DEFIANT" Israel delivers a "slap" to President Bush with its "refusal" to "obey" Bush's "insistence" - no, his "demand" - that it begin an "immediate withdrawal."

The words in quotes have all appeared in American newspapers, news-channel crawls and wire-service reports in the past two days. They indicate that the U.S. media have decided the story line ought not to be the war between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but rather a developing rift between the United States and Israel based on Israel's recalcitrance.


(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: scratchgolfer
the amazing suggestion that Ariel Sharon somehow is in the employ of George W. Bush.

Pohoretz blundered into the truth. Sharon does not work for Bush....Israel is on the U.S. payroll.

Regards

J.R.

21 posted on 04/09/2002 9:20:31 AM PDT by NMC EXP
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To: scratchgolfer; Veronica; dennisw; sabramerican; nachum; thinkin' gal; oldeconomybuyer...
Powell had a surprisingly tough but appropriately dismissive response to this peculiar notion: "Oh, please," the secretary of state said. "Prime Minister Sharon is the elected leader of a democratic sovereign nation."

Wow, Powell said this!?

Well, despite the fact that Powell said it, it is correct. Israel taking aid from us entitles us to a certain amount of influence, but they are not our slaves or our colony, which must always defer to us. The fact that they took many Scud hits in 1991 without responding, due to our request, conclusively demonstrates to me that we do have lots of influence. The fact that Israel always pulls its punches with the terrorists when Zinni or someone else comes from our country to arrange a cease fire or to talk peace - this also demonstrates that we have a lot of influence or control over their policy. By the way, compare Israel's actions to those of the terrorists - they step up terrorism when a negotiator arrives.

The key point is that Bush's obligation is to do what is best for the US; Sharon's responsibility is to his nation. Though we are close allies, though we give Israel lots of aid, though Israel shares valuable and sometimes vital intelligence with us, depite any other ties we may have - these are 2 independent nations. Each must, if it is to retain its independence, continue to do what it perceives to be in its own best interest. Much more often than not, our interests coincide, and there is total cooperation.

Sharon is only pursuing a war on terrorism in his nation, as we have done, are doing and will do ourselves. Bush himself said that we will go anywhere to protect ourselves - why shouldn't Sharon do the same? And, by the way, Sharon isn't going 8,000 miles away - he's doing it in his own country. What would we do if there were daily suicide bombings here by a known enemy - would we kowtow to any other nation, no matter how closely allied, and not respond in the way we thought was best? I think not, and to expect Israel and Sharon to just stop, especially when the PLO and the other terrorists still haven't even verbally committed to stop the suicide bombings, is moronic and arrogant. In fact, this is why I believe that Sharon and Bush are playing "Good cop, bad cop" with the terrorists and their supporters throughout the Arab world. Though I am somewhat taken aback by the hypocracy in some of our recent statements about Israeli withdrawal, I think that it is part of something larger and (so far) hidden.

22 posted on 04/09/2002 9:22:45 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: Ancesthntr
We give lots and lots of cash to *all* of the countries involved.

Why is Israel the only one expected to march to our orders?

23 posted on 04/09/2002 9:28:00 AM PDT by 07055
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To: 07055
BBC: US soldier reported killed in eastern Afghanistan suicide bombing

One has to wonder what Bush's response would be to calls from Israel to show restraint and pull back from areas occupied by al-Qaeda forces.

24 posted on 04/09/2002 9:29:48 AM PDT by LTCJ
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To: scratchgolfer
I'm not sure why people are bleating when Israel doesn't just throw in the sponge when Bush - under obvious pressure from the Petroleum dictatorships - called for an immediate withdrawal. Plenty of Arab states have called for Bush to withdraw from Afghanistan and he's not obliging them. Bush, a month ago and then again two weeks ago and plenty of other times, called on Arafat to stop the terrorist bombings and Arafat ignored him. So howcome Israel is singled out for being a villain because it won't quit its war on terrorism halfway through?
25 posted on 04/09/2002 9:31:06 AM PDT by DonQ
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To: dennisw
Hey, at least you're not out playing in the streets...:)
26 posted on 04/09/2002 9:50:44 AM PDT by beowolf
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Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: Jack Crack
Thanks for venting. Now crawl back under your rock.
28 posted on 04/09/2002 10:06:06 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw
The words in quotes have all appeared in American newspapers, news-channel crawls and wire-service reports in the past two days. They indicate that the U.S. media have decided the story line ought not to be the war between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but rather a developing rift between the United States and Israel based on Israel's recalcitrance.

It figures!

29 posted on 04/09/2002 10:20:32 AM PDT by Victoria Delsoul
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To: dennisw
Last ping for a while?! How are we going to cope without your pings?! Don't you know you work for us?!

(You've been working hard to get the truth out. Thank you.)

30 posted on 04/09/2002 10:30:00 AM PDT by Prodigal Daughter
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To: scratchgolfer
The idea that Israel is solely a client state with no right of dissent from U.S. governmental opinion derives entirely from the fact of U.S. assistance to the Jewish state.

This isn't exactly right. The idea that Israel is a "client state" derives entirely from the fact that it simply could not exist without U.S. assistance (financial and diplomatic). It's also worth noting that even if Israel abandoned the occupied territories and allowed the creation of a Palestinian state under all of Arafat's terms, this Palestinian state would not be viable without an enormous amount of outside assitance.

31 posted on 04/09/2002 10:37:19 AM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: Jack Crack
On top of that, the supposed cold war necessity of propping up the Jewish state over there has led to millions of muslims' vitriolic hatred of the United States, a hatred that motivated those who drove the planes into the WTC to such an extreme act of violence.

This statement is based on a myth that has spread since 9/11. Osama bin Laden's hatred of the U.S. was based entirely on the U.S. military on the Arabian peninsula. He never mentioned the Palestinians until his last video when he called for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories. In doing this he wasn't motivated by any concern for Palestinians, but by his desire to win some friends among other Arabs. You see, many Arabs who might have supported him in principle actually despised him after they learned that most of the young men who took part in his great jihad on 9/11 didn't even know they were on a suicide mission.

On September 11th, the poor, downtrodden Palestinians were heavily outnumbered by the male children of wealthy Saudis on those four hijacked flights. In fact, I believe the count was 19-0 in favor of the Saudis. Kind of odd that there wasn't a single Palestinian among them, isn't it?

32 posted on 04/09/2002 10:49:30 AM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: Alberta's Child
The poor downtrodden Palestinians danced and celebrated on 9-11. They are victims of Arafat's mafioso regime.
33 posted on 04/09/2002 11:13:52 AM PDT by scratchgolfer
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To: Jack Crack
Jack Crack isn't smoking crack.

The world is still a jungle- though propaganda, bribery, media manipulation and political lobbying have changed the "brute force" equation somewhat.

We all know that nations and tribal groups take and hold whatever territory they physically can. The objective "truth" of territorial claims are often just as nebulous as discerning (and propagandizing about) who is a "terrorist" and who is a "freedom fighter".

I don't oppose Israel's right to exist, or defend itself. I just don't want them doing it on my nickel, or by manipulating the American political system (lobbying and intimidation by AIPAC, ADL of B'nai B'rith, AJC, JDL, etc.) the media (which hardly ever questions American aid) or by endangering the freedom of people everywhere ("hate speech" and "hate crimes" laws, laws making it a criminal offense to question the Jewish version of the Holocaust, etc).

That famous question, "Have you no sense of decency?" must soon be asked of Israel and its worldwide support system. Is there any price to pay, any manipulation or endangerment of people and nations across the world, any crime that needs to be committed (attack on USS Liberty, Pollard's espionage [which cost the US $4-5 billion and put secrets in the hands of China and the Soviet Union], selling Phalcon radars and other weapons to China, bugging the US State Dept, assasinations, massacres by Ariel Sharon, etc. etc.) that is too high a price to pay for Israel's continued existence? If the answer to that question by people with the power to make American foreign policy, extract billions from the US taxpayer and perhaps unleash war and nuclear weapons is "No", then we are in for a lot of pain.

34 posted on 04/09/2002 11:13:52 AM PDT by BushMeister
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: BushMeister
Adversaries Go Inside ADL's Spying Operation
36 posted on 04/09/2002 11:20:33 AM PDT by luvzhottea
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To: 07055
Because not withstanding what some people may believe it has nothing to do with US financial aid. Aid works for both countries. Non-military aid is already going to end soon by agreement. Military aid- which must be spent in the US- aids American defense contractors.

Also American aid to Israel is a tiny part of its overall budget.

What concerns Israel is that the US may pull political support. For example the UN votes for an economic boycott of Israel and the US does not veto the resolution. That could be devastating to the Israeli economy.

37 posted on 04/09/2002 11:25:06 AM PDT by Sabramerican
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: luvzhottea
What does your post have to do with this thread. The ADL are angels compared to the Muslim charities in the US.
39 posted on 04/09/2002 11:52:48 AM PDT by iav2
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To: iav2
What does your post have to do with this thread.

Hello Fellow Freeper!
If you take the time to read the post to which I was responding you will see the poster refers to the ADL and its influence upon my country. So it is in fact relevant.
Thanks for reading my post!!!
Best wishes!

40 posted on 04/09/2002 11:56:05 AM PDT by luvzhottea
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