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Fighting has broken out near Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity
BBC News Ticker ^ | 13th April 2002 | BBC News

Posted on 04/13/2002 11:22:16 AM PDT by colette_g

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To: FITZ
It's sad if all these historic and beautiful holy buildings are destroyed.

Is it not odd that mosques are almost never damaged and destroyed?
Even when used as ammo dumps?

I would change that in an instant.
One mosque per church damaged, entered or destroyed.

61 posted on 04/13/2002 1:51:38 PM PDT by Publius6961
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To: TheDon
As there are hostages, I would fill the place with tear gas and anyone coming out with a weapon gets dropped.

Careful there.
The mangy dog Mass Murder muslims have been known to force people out with weapons to "invite" a killing.

62 posted on 04/13/2002 1:55:16 PM PDT by Publius6961
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To: American in Israel
Palestinian civilians who happen to be carrying machine guns to church.

That fact continues to escape the EU,CNN,Reuters,AP...........

63 posted on 04/13/2002 1:55:32 PM PDT by cardinal4
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To: Publius6961
That's at least a fair trade. There needs to be mosques destroyed if the churches are destroyed by them. I don't think it would be Israelis damaging Christian holy sites.
64 posted on 04/13/2002 1:56:49 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: TheDon
As there are hostages, I would fill the place with tear gas and anyone coming out with a weapon gets dropped.

Then thank G-d you're just another kook behind a keyboard and not in a position of authority in the IDF.

65 posted on 04/13/2002 2:03:03 PM PDT by jo6pac
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To: sobieski
Of course you are correct that an Israeli soldier shot the Christian monk at the Church of the Nativity. Moreover, the monks were not taken hostage by the Palestinians. You have been insulted by "Israel first" morons who obviously don't follow the news and refuse to believe the IDF has ever committed a terrorist act. Just try to ignore them. Here is a quote from CNN.com regarding the situation at the Church of the Nativity:

"The Israelis are saying that the religious leaders may leave the compound, but they're afraid to do so because they want to maintain the sanctity of the holy place." At least four priests have left the church since the standoff began. On Wednesday, Israeli forces shot and injured an Armenian monk as he walked through the compound near the church. The IDF said it "deeply regrets" the incident, which occurred as Israeli troops were delivering food and medicine to the church. The monk was taken to a Jerusalem hospital, where he was in intensive care after surgery.

66 posted on 04/13/2002 2:21:29 PM PDT by hangin' chad
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To: jo6pac
What's your plan?
67 posted on 04/13/2002 3:14:27 PM PDT by TheDon
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To: Publius6961
Then drop those using the weapons.
68 posted on 04/13/2002 3:15:29 PM PDT by TheDon
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To: sobieski
Who is protecting whose holy sites? You have an obvious Palestinian bias, but you have given not straight answer to justify your bias. As far as I can see, it is the Palestinians who have defiled a Christian church and are hiding behind the skirts of a bunch of nuns (which seems to be typical behavior for Palestinians, anyway).
69 posted on 04/13/2002 3:29:29 PM PDT by Eva
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To: hangin' chad
The Franciscan Father General in Rome has released several statements saying that contrary to Israeli spin, there are no hostages. The Franciscan monks and nuns are remaining to fullfil their role under the accords signed between the Vatican, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. They remain to protect the holy site as do the Armenians and the Greek Orthodox. The idea that they were hostages came from the Israeli press and has been refuted by the Franciscans time and again.
70 posted on 04/13/2002 3:31:08 PM PDT by history_matters
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To: hangin' chad
Do you consider CNN a credible source? Not too many on this board would agree with that assessment.
71 posted on 04/13/2002 3:32:53 PM PDT by Eva
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To: TheDon

From Via Dolorosa website:

Tony Salman, a Palestinian lawyer trapped inside the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, told Via Dolorosa by cellular phone April 5 that there are currently 245 people inside the church, ten of whom are wounded waiting for a miracle to save their lives.

Salman explained how he ended up inside the church saying, "After rumors circulated in Bethlehem alleging the Palestinian resistance forces attacked priests and took them as hostages, infuriated Bethlehem Governor Muhammad Al Madani —who is standing right next to me as we speak—called me and insisted that we enter the church together to investigate those rumors. You know this is a very sensitive subject in Palestine, and we had to know the truth. So we entered the church from the western side, and we were pleased to see the situation inside, opposite to what we heard and exactly as we expected. Priests and nuns are taking care of the wounded and are doing all they can to alleviate the dramatic situation. Franciscans, Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests inside the church are making sure everyone is having something to eat. They exhausted all flour they had in store making bread for everyone during the first two days. Now everyone is having one small meal a day which contains either a little bit of spaghetti or rice, all that is left in the church."

When asked why the Palestinian resistance took refuge in the the church, Salman explained they were left with two choices, either to be killed in cold blood by the Israeli occupation forces or run for their lives to the church. They chose the latter. This happened right after the Israeli tanks shelled Omar Bin Khattab Mosque last Tuesday located just across the square from the church. They ran into the church for protection. He pointed out, "Usually, there are a lot of armed policemen and security agents protecting governmental buildings here. When the Israelis invaded the Nativity Church area, snipers targeted those armed policemen and started killing them without hesitation. Their only choice was to take refuge in the church. For the last 1700 years, the Church of the Nativity has embraced the poor and the persecuted, and it will keep doing that in these difficult days too," Salman added.

Salman confirmed the Israelis tried to knock down the main door of the Nativity Church a number of times without success, however, they succeeded in destroying part of a wall. He pointed out that his main mission, together with the governor now, is to negotiate the release of the wounded with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. "So far we haven't been successful," he added.

Lawyer Tony Salman is also the head of the Catholic St. Anthony Charitable Society in Bethlehem.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A good start might be a dialogue between the governor of Bethlehem and Israeli authorities.

72 posted on 04/13/2002 3:39:38 PM PDT by jo6pac
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: Phil V.
It's a fact Phil, like it or not. Reference Monte Cassino.
74 posted on 04/13/2002 3:46:27 PM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: Travis McGee
It's a fact Phil, like it or not. Reference Monte Cassino.

And St. Etienne Cathedral in Caen, Normandy, which was bombed by either us or the British, I am not sure which.

75 posted on 04/13/2002 3:55:47 PM PDT by Inyokern
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Comment #76 Removed by Moderator

Comment #77 Removed by Moderator

To: knak
a 60-year-old civilian inside had been hit by two gunshots in the chest.

I guess those Pali terrorists are as durable as Mick Jagger.

78 posted on 04/13/2002 4:29:58 PM PDT by happygrl
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To: Eva
So you don't believe me or CNN...how about the Associated Press as posted on the FOX News website quoting an IDF source. Let me know if this doesn't work for you.

Thursday, April 11, 2002 BETHLEHEM, West Bank — An Armenian monk seriously wounded in the besieged Church of the Nativity compound was apparently shot by an Israeli soldier who mistook him for a gunman, a senior Israeli military official said Thursday. The army initially said the monk was shot by one of the more than 200 armed Palestinians holed up in the church, one of Christianity's holiest shrines, as troops were delivering supplies to clergymen in the compound. However, preliminary results of an army investigation into Wednesday's shooting indicated that the monk was shot by an Israeli soldier who mistook him for a Palestinian gunman, said a senior military official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

79 posted on 04/13/2002 5:08:28 PM PDT by hangin' chad
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To: Travis McGee
It's a fact Phil, like it or not. Reference Monte Cassino.

That Monte Cassino and others in times of dumb bombs have been destroyed is no foundation upon which to lay the statement(idiotic) that the U.S. military would level Bethlem. The suggestion that any U.S. commander would even consider doing what you suggest is repulsive. Times have changed. End Times kooks suggest tearing down the Al Aqsa (sp?)Mosque. That too is repulsive. The notion that the U.S. would even launch an operation that could ACCIDENTALLY destroy the churches of Bethlehem is beyond my comprehension. That Israel IS DOING IT suggests that Israel is led by a mad man.

80 posted on 04/13/2002 5:09:58 PM PDT by Phil V.
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