US Congress seeks military action on Hezbollah, Hamas

Middle East Online ^ | 11-19-02 | Maxim Kniazkov

[Non-Sequitur]

What about whatever we need them to do to stop terrorism? Why not have some of the IDF in Afganistan? A couple of F-15s, some of their commandos, if we're going to be striking the West Bank in response to their loses then they can ship some of their guys over to Afganistan in response to ours.

[Non-Sequitur]

And I suppose you have a more humane solution to the Palestinian problem that would work.

Me? No, I don't. But neither do you.

[weikel]

So then the transfer is the best solution anyones come up with( well I suppose Israel could put a huge wall around the territories).

[Non-Sequitur]

So then the transfer is the best solution anyones come up with.

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?

[weikel]

At least then they'll only be bombing military targets on border outposts and the IDF will be able to shoot most of them before they get close.

[Non-Sequitur]

At least then they'll only be bombing military targets on border outposts and the IDF will be able to shoot most of them before they get close.

So save yourself some time and gasoline and shoot and bomb them now.

[SJackson]

Thanks for the ping.

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.

[FreedomPoster]

Cynthia McKinney is irrelevant. She's seen her last Congress as of the moment when the House recessed for the holidays.

You're welcome.

[SJackson]

Let me see if I have this right. Hamas blows up a bus in Jerusalem so we launch air strikes on the occupied territories. Does that mean that if bin Laden blows up a building in Des Moines that we will expect Israel to launch air strikes in Afganistan?

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.

[Non-Sequitur]

The article points out that Hamas has not struck directly at the U.S. Hezbollah attacked U.S. forces when they were in Lebanon but has not been responsible for any attacks in the U.S. Other that being lumped in with Al Qaeda as additional terrorist groups then I don't see the point. Attacking them will guarantee an attack on us, at a time when we have more than enough enemies. So I would disagree with Senator Graham and Senator Shelby. Hit Saddam and leave Hamas and Hezbollah alone.

[Non-Sequitur]

I kind of figure that Hamas and Hezbollah are Israel's problem. They don't need any advice from me on what to do.

[SJackson]

I said both have carried out attacks against US interests, not that Hamas has struck within the US, yet. They have attacked US interests and killed Americans.

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.

============================================

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.

[recalcitrant]

and your point?

[browardchad]

I would disagree with Senator Graham and Senator Shelby

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.