Posted on 11/22/2002 6:47:35 AM PST by veronica
The United States should conduct military strikes against Hezbollah and Hamas facilities in the Middle East before engaging in any military action against Iraq, the leaders of an influential US Senate committee demanded Sunday.
Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham and his Republican counterpart, Richard Shelby, made their recommendation amid increasing concern among member of the US intelligence community that if faced with certain downfall, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could hand over weapons of mass destruction to regional terrorist groups.
"Against those international terrorists such as Hezbollah and Hamas, we need to be launching attacks on their headquarters and their training camps so that they will not be in a position to provide support for their terrorists that are embedded in the United States or be developing the next generation of terrorists," said Graham, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition" program.
Shelby, interviewed on the same show, agreed.
"Hezbollah and some others are probably the A team, not the B team or the C team, as far as potential terrorist threats to this country," he said.
The White House had no immediate comment. But if accepted, the plan would represent a dramatic broadening of the war on terror, which so far has been focused on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network blamed for the September 11 attacks on the United States.
President George W. Bush and other US officials have repeatedly mentioned the possibility of Iraqi transfers of chemical or biological weapons to groups bent on causing harm to Israel and the United States as the prime rationale for seeking the removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power.
But Washington has refrained from direct military action against most of the organizations mentioned on the State Department's terrorism list because of diplomatic consideration, according to US officials.
Hezbollah, which has extensive bases and training camps in Lebanon as well as cells in various part of the world, enjoys strong material support of Iran and Syria, the officials said.
The radical Shiite group is blamed for the 1993 suicide truck bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, and the 1985 hijacking of a Trans World Airlines plane, during which a US Navy diver was murdered. It is also the chief suspect in the 1994 bombing of an Israeli cultural center in Buenos Aires.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, operates primarily from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and draws its financial support from Palestinian expatriates, Iran, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, according to the officials.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for scores of suicide bombings in Israel, but so far has not directly struck any US targets.
With the White House considering military action against Iraq, Graham warned it would be dangerous to move against Baghdad without first neutralizing these groups that could be recruited by Iraq for revenge missions and inherit its weapons of mass destruction.
"In my judgment, it is a dereliction of duty to the American people not to disable those organizations to the maximum extent possible before we get into that position where we are the bull's eye of Saddam Hussein's attack, and we have the capability of such disablement," the senator said.
Graham argued that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who he said has control over Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations, should be given an ultimatum: "We expect you to take care of this problem, but if you don't, we're going to take care of this problem," he said.
"And then you're always getting into something that's none of your business," says Brer Fox, says he. "Who asked you to come and strike up a conversation with this Tar-Baby? And who stuck you up the way you are? Nobody in the round world. You just jammed yourself into that Tar-Baby without waiting for an invitation," says Brer Fox, says he. "There you are and there you'll stay until I fix up a brushpile and fire it up, "cause I'm going to barbecue you today, for sure," says Brer Fox, says he."
You know, I kind of forgot all about ole Cynthia after the a$$whooping the dems got on Nov 5- but it is so good to have her out of office. Come January- she's just another nut in the crowd.
If the US would divest itself of political correctness let me just say global terrorism would be dealt a severe blow it would never be able to rise up from! The US has the resources, the skills, the opulence and the capability to impede terrorism so much that a major portion of its threat magnitude is negated!
However in order to do that the PC elements would have to allow the US to act in the most prudent manner possible, and for its own best interests! Trying to appease Euroweenies (Euroweenie is a term that includes countries like France, and several other former powers .....with the exception of Britain which is not only potent but is also a true US ally and is comprised of people who do not have wool over their eyes) and Saudi Caliphates (especially the Sauds) has been a veritable achilles heel of the US. The Euroweenies are obviously sour grapes due to what they see as US hegemony (why do you think France rants and raves so much), and as for the Arab Caliphates and princes i am still shocked that official policy listed the Sauds as allies (by the way i watched a commercial by the Saudi embassy that was basically showing how the Saudis are 'great allies' of the US! I did not know whether to chuckle or throw a boot at my telly)!
As an aside maybe the reason i am so angry with the Sauds is because when i was taking my international baccalaureate after highschool (and before college) my school system (a mix of kenyan, british and swiss) attached me to the UN and the delegation i was to assist was the Saudi one! I did my thing, and did it so well that the resolutions I drafted passed very well, to the extent i received an award! However those stingy sauds just sent me some measley card that did not even have my name right! I remember fuming for quite some while! (Maybe as i finish updating my profile page i will paste some angry photos pertaining to the sauds)
Anyways going back to the post i am happy some people in the higher echelons of power in the US are starting to see what Freepers have been saying since FR was started! It is time serious action was taken against Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups .....also it is time the Saudis were 'politely told' (and by polite i mean a very thinly-veiled threat) that any more rubbish and Riyadh will be a target before Baghdad is! After all if you trace virtually every terror act outside the UK you will notice the trails all lead to Saudi Arabia! All terror acts against the US, all terror acts in South America ( terror groups over there like the FARC receive funding from Saudi sources), the Russian fiascos (eg the Chechnyan terrorists receiving cash from a Saudi source to invade Dagestan and make it into an Islamic republic, and Al Queda helping the Chechnyans out), Africa (Somalia and Sudan are hotspots of Al Queda activity ...and guess who bankrolls Al Queda!), the Middle East (all the Palestinian and Lebanese terror groups receive primary funding from the Sauds).
And as for the British terror groups it will be noticed that even that has changed! Starting late last year the IRA started offering help to Hamas and Hezbollah in the M.E, and in South America to the FARC! And 3 guesses who is bankrolling them? Yep ....the Saudis! Hence the IRA has also caught a whiff of Saudi money!
Even Basque separatists are starting to have some M.E connections, which is tantamount to saying there is some opulent Saudi sultan spreading money around!
I just wish that the US (the powers that be since it seems the average freeper recognizes the real threats) and puts an end to this malignant malaise called Saudi Arabia! How can this be done? Simply finding other sources of fossil fuel (eg the Russian reserves GW is workign on). Also to stop being sycophants kissing Saudi @$$#$! If they mess with the US then we need to kick their behinds! Trust me, were the Saudis a superpower and the US not just know the Saudis would ahve exterminated America a long time ago.
Anyways let me stop my rant spiel and go cook some lunch!
Take care guys!
This is key in preventing them from starting trouble if a war on Iraq would start.
If the US would divest itself of political correctness let me just say global terrorism would be dealt a severe blow it would never be able to rise up from! The US has the resources, the skills, the opulence and the capability to impede terrorism so much that a major portion of its threat magnitude is negated!
Yep, too bad, because when the war on Iraq starts, trouble will start in the holy land, and you can say good by to the coalition.
Why transfer? Why not just shoot them? Women, babies, old men, the whole lot?
And as our ally in the 'war of terrorism' what do we expect Israel to do?
Me? No, I don't. But neither do you.
That is no solution at all. Take 3 million plus Palestinians and dump them over the border? What if they say, "Thank you very much but I think I'll stay right here?" What do you do then?
So save yourself some time and gasoline and shoot and bomb them now.
Here's Khaled Meshaal and Moussa Abu Marzouk having breakfast after the bombing yesterday. They look pleased.
Meshaal said the operation that killed 11 Israelis in a bus explosion earlier in the day in Jerusalem came to reflect Hamas course of continuing resistance to Israeli occupation of the Arab lands.
Other than, Non-Sequitur, I completely missed that in the article. I read Bob Graham say
"Against those international terrorists such as Hezbollah and Hamas, we need to be launching attacks on their headquarters and their training camps so that they will not be in a position to provide support for their terrorists that are embedded in the United States or be developing the next generation of terrorists,"
and Richard Shelby saying
"Hezbollah and some others are probably the A team, not the B team or the C team, as far as potential terrorist threats to this country,"
Neither the bombing in Jerusalem nor terrorist activities in Israel seem to have entered the equation as far as Shelby and Graham are concerned. It's about the threat they pose to the US.
I agree with them. Both groups are our enemies, both have carried out attacks against US interests. Both groups have networks in the US. I've no doubt they'd cooperate with Sadaam. I suspect they'd be at the top of his list in terms of transfering chemical or biological weapons for a hit on the US. They're legitimate targets.
You may disagree that they're our enemies, or that they're a threat, but the fact that they bomb Jews in Israel isn't much to base that viewpoint on.
...because of diplomatic consideration...
And that's an excuse I'm so flat-out sick of hearing! Diplobabblers never want to get things done; they just want to talk.
Woodrow Wilson (our first truly awful 20th-c. president) gushed about making the world "safe for democracy." But if the handwringers at the State Department had their way, the world wouldn't even be "safe for diplomacy"!
Step aside, wimps, and let the real men get the job done. Once the Middle East has been rid of Philistine pestilence and hamas-ide bombers, y'all can nibble on all the croissants you want while pontificating world peace at the coffeehouse.
I don't understand why the major players (the US, UK, Israel and Russia) can't each take on our various nemeses yet help each other in the ultimate goal of wiping out terrorist scumbags everywhere. Intel sharing, technology, joint military ops, etc.
Am I totally off base?
Yes hit Saddam, but let the Israelis take out Hamas and Hezbollah.
At the end of the day, no Islamikazi warmongers should be left standing!
From the IDF website
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The Hamas Website Provides A Platform For Surfers Who Support The Murder Of American Citizens
Participants in a chat- forum of the official Hamas website have discussed ways and methods to murder American citizens. What appears below are their comments, as found on the site.
1. Al- Awsad (user number 1):
Once a week, a group of American "dogs" come near us on the sea front. I have been following them for a long time and am interested in your suggestions for ways to get rid of them secretly.
2. Salam (user number 2):
If they arrive in a private car, put a large amount of sugar in the gas tank of the car. Then, you can ambush them on the way back because the car will get stuck in the way. You will have many options to get rid of them. You can run them over on the road, after they abandon the broken down car. You can put a trap on the beach if they tend do a a lot of walking. If you have people with you and 4 cars, you can stop them at a certain point on the road, at a traffic light for example, block them from all directions and burn them in their cars using a Molotov cocktail.
3. MSKZ (user number 3):
Read Koran verses on them and then kill them one by one, after you have made sure they are Israeli American tyrants.
4. Al- Awsad (user number 1):
Thank you all very much, but I would like to get rid of them quietly. They have a cabin on the beach were they meet every week. It is very easy to get into; that is, the operation can be carried out using a poison gas or an electrical short circuit. Don't forget that they have communications devices like cellular phones etc, and that there are between 5-10 Americans.
5. Habib Allah (user number 4):
I believe that if you sneak in (the cabin) on days they are not there and spread an effective and quick poison that works on contact with places like door handles and telephones, or put poison in the food or on cups and plates, it would be very effective because it would kill them on the spot. You can search for a way to prepare the poison on the forum itself. But my advice to you is that you get to know the poison extremely well or get help from someone who is in a science or pharmaceutics faculty.
6. Al- Awsad (user number 1):
This is an excellent way, but what are the strong poisonous materials that act quickly? Maybe I should put the poison in the water (tank) before they come?
7. Saafalaha (user number 5):
Why be discrete? Let them serve as an example for others like them. Let the Americans understand that they are not safe in Muslim countries. Burning their car is excellent or you could shoot all of them. The country is filled with weapons.
8. UNITY_MANAGER (user number 6):
Put cyanide in the water (tank). They will die within 10 seconds. They won't even have time to scream in pain. Make sure that they deserve to die, that is, that they are soldiers or Jews or something like that.
9. Al- Nasaf (user number 7):
The members have made useful suggestions, but have you considered the consequences!! Do you think the government in your country will leave you alone? Don't you think it will investigate the incident? Don't you think it will accuse you? Of it will. I beg you to be careful, if you are not sure, this operation is not necessary.
10. MOUHY (user number 8):
Spread rat poison in their food.
11. BINZ (user number 9):
The easiest way is to put a little arsenic in the water tank, if you know for sure they drink from it. If you don't want the operation to be revealed as a premeditated action, put pieces of rusted copper in the water tank. This way the investigators will think that the pieces fell in by accident and won't suspect it is a criminal act.
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I wouldn't worry too much about US strikes in Lebanon or Syria. First, I've seen speculation that underlying Syria's support in the security council was a message the US delivered in frank terms that we consider Hizbollah to be under Syrian control, and to stay out of our actions in Iraq (ie, don't start shelling Israel from Lebanon in hopes of broadening the war). If they don't, you won't need US planes to strike them, you'll simply have to take the handcuffs off Israel.
So would I disagree, considering Graham's motive is to use Hamas and Hizbollah as strawmen to block action against Iraq -- or any other action, for that matter. While other liberals use the argument that we haven't abolished al-Qaeda or killed bin Laden to oppose Bush, he's been using this ploy for months, knowing that we risk igniting the entire region with such a move, and that it just ain't gonna happen.
I don't know what Shelby's problem is, other than not being able to see through Graham's ploy.
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