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?
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