War Now

[Eli]

(12:10) 16 dead in Haifa suicide bus bombing
By The Jerusalem Post Internet Staff


At least 16 passengers died when a suicide bomber blew himself up on the No. 16 bus in Haifa minutes ago.

At least 60 riders sustained wounds in the blast, Israel Radio said.

A second bus traveling behind the first was also destroyed in the blast.

Hamas took responsibility for the attack.

The vehicles were traveling on the Giborim Bridge in the Hadar district when the blast took place.

A suicide bomber was sitting in the back of the first bus as it traveled from Neveh Sha'anan.

He blew himself up as the bus drove over the bridge.

The wounded were brought to Haifa's Rambam Hospital.

Some eyewitnesses say they heard two explosions, the second blast coming moments after the first explosion.

The area is closed off as police search for another bomb thought to be hidden in the vicinity.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General for Media and Public Affairs, Gideon Meir, said that decisions would be made when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon returns from the US, but there was "no question there will be a change in our policy, because this kind of massacres of killing teen-agers or killing innocents must stop."

Ten killed, 180 wounded in Jerusalem bombing
By Etgar Lefkovits and News Agencies


JERUSALEM (December 2) - Ten persons were reported killed and some 180 wounded when two Palestinian suicide bombers detonated themselves in the heart of Jerusalem last night close to midnight.

The two explosions at the foot of the Rehov Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall were followed shortly afterward by a car bomb on nearby Rehov Kook, which apparently did not cause many casualties.

The mall had been packed with the usual Saturday night crowd of mainly teenagers out for the evening. The bomb scene was gruesome with overturned tables, bloody chairs, and bodies and body parts strewn on the ground, in one of the worst attacks in Jerusalem in months.

Police speculated that the number of casualties would probably turn out to be similar to those in the devastating Sbarro pizzeria attack in Jerusalem and the Dolphin discotheque bombing in Tel Aviv several months ago, when a total of 36 were killed.

"I was sitting having coffee with my girlfriend," said Gideon, 25, from Jerusalem, "when suddenly we heard an immense explosion. The explosion was followed by yet a second one."

Witness Yossi Mizrahi told Reuters: "I saw people without arms. I saw a person with their stomach hanging open. I saw a 10-year-old-boy breathe his last breath. I can't believe anybody would do anything like this."

"There were lots of limbs and dead bodies," said Michael Perry, 37, who ran out of a bar on the mall after hearing the back-to-back blasts just before midnight. "I saw three dead and what looked like the remains of the suicide bomber. It was just a lump of something," Perry said.

Another bystander, Eli Shetreet, 19, said he saw bodies being hurled in the air. "A lot of people were crying, falling, and there was the smell of burning hair," he said.

As police and Magen David Adom officials raced to the scene in downtown Jerusalem and began treating the wounded from the initial bombings, a car bomb went off with a thunderous roar on Rehov Kook, just 40 meters away from the site of the initial attacks.

Israel Radio reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was considering cutting short his US visit and returning to Israel. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer conferred immediately after the attack with police Insp.-Gen. Shlomo Aharonishky. Peres updated Sharon on the details of the atrocity.

In the minutes after the attack, the scene in downtown Jerusalem looked like a war zone, with scores of ambulances, police vans, and medics trying desperately to treat the wounded, mostly teenagers.

"It was just horrendous. I still hear the sound of the explosions in my mind," said Rachel Levinson, 17, of Jerusalem.

Police said the car bomb contained several mortar shells.

It was not immediately clear how many people were hurt by the car bomb.

Half an hour after the attacks, police and border police were evacuating everyone from the downtown area, and streets which had been previously filled with people out for a night's entertainment were almost completely emptied. However, on the ground the bodies of those killed were still in view. The special Hessed Shel Emet squad could be seen collecting body parts at the scene.

Police said the bombs the two suicide bombers had carried on their bodies contained screws and nails to add to the carnage. Police warned of other possible car bombs in the area, and worked feverishly to evacuate onlookers from the scene.

Cafes and restaurants which had previously been crowded with customers closed down quickly, even as emergency crews raced by to reach the scene of the attacks.

Meanwhile, Jaffa Road was a sea of ambulances, their lights flashing as they carried the wounded to nearby Bikur Holim Hospital and the city's other hospitals, where emergency staff raced in to help treat the wounded.

Israel blamed Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for the attack. "As head of the Palestinian Authority, Arafat bears direct responsibility for what happened today in Jerusalem," government spokesman Avi Pazner said.

 

[FearlessLeader2]

Disgusting. The Palestinians should try to wrap their minds around the concept that two wrongs don't make a right. Saner heads doubtless will not prevail, and the area will be a bloodbath in hours.

You have to wonder what they hoped to accomplish this way. If they wanted some kind of an agreement, they might wait for the negotiations. This kind of action looks like a simple goal of genocide.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

I think the aim of these monstrous acts is to provoke a response and to perpetuate the bloody conflict. These are not the acts of people who would negotiate; these are the acts of terror with the same goal since 1948, genocide, as my learned friend FL2 put it

 

[G-Man]

Here are more casualties of the PA's idea of a cease fire: do nothing.
If an Israeli would kill innocent people from another country I can assure you that the Israeli goverment and people would do anything to prevent this from happening again. A leader is responsible to it's people's actions, and Arafat better understand it.
This time they targeted teenagers hanging out (first explosion in Jerusalem), the people who helped the casualties(second explosion in Jerusalem), the humanitarian workers and vulenteers that helped the casualties (third explosion in Jerusalem), young kids coming back from school and senior citizens that can't afford a car (Haifa) and a Dr. in physics (Shomron shooting incident).
But it isn't terrorism because the muslims have a majority in the UN...

 

[amadeus]

These bombings were a victory for Arafat and the United Nations.

Someone should assassinate Arafat, because he's the head terrorist of Palestine.

 

[joespaniel]

US forces in Afghansistan should take a "side-trip" on the way home.

 

[Eli]

They dont need to. Just tell Bush not to bother us while we solve these problems in our way.

 

[G-Man]

Not that we'd be bothered if B-52s will start flying over Gaza....

And again Arafat condemns the attacks (I'm sure the families of the victims are happy to hear this...) and arrests some people that'll be released within a few days... So for now the Hamas is planning it's attacks in the Palestinian "Jail" (This jail looks better then most houses over there, and the prisoners are allowed to talk to whoever they want whenever they want).
The talibahn at least agreed to stop Bin Laden under some conditions... The only thing that'll stop Hamas will be commiting a mass suicide of 6,000,000 Israelis. Or the IDF. Guess which option I support...

 

[PinkyGen]

Either two things should happen.

1. Israel withdraws, and builds a big fence between the territories and Israel proper, and not allow Palestinians in. There, now they have their "independence."

2. Reoccupy the territories, destroy or send the PLA back to Tunisia.

Why? Either two reasons.

1. Arafat is not seriously trying to make peace by starting this infitada and terrorist attacks.

or

2. Arafat has no control over the situation, in which case their is no point talking to him or trusting him, and Israel should take matters into their own hands.

 

[amadeus]

Originally posted by Eli
They dont need to. Just tell Bush not to bother us while we solve these problems in our way.

We're sorry for sending you billions in aid.

 

[Ohwell]

Pure Evil! Arafat is a evil bastard! Israel was trying to make peace the other day, and Palestine just LITTERALY EXPLODED in their face! Two sucide bombers, a car bomb, a bus bomb? Unbelievable! The war on terrorism with the United States, the UK, and other coalition members had better visit their "friends" in Palestine before mor people are hurt. Crazy.
They will be punished my way!

 

[SunTzu]

I believe arafat isn't in control anymore, and he also doesn't want peace.
I say we back the israeli's in getting rid of the palestinian menace.
This isn't a attack against muslim countries. its an attack against terrorism.
I hope Hamas is our next target.

 

[King of England]

Here's the way I see it from reading a couple of newspaper articles on the Israel problem:

1. Arafat has no real control at all, especially not the terrorists and he's just playing games with the U. S., Israel and the U. N. so that he can stay on top without having the terrorists there harm him.

Recommended step: Get rid of him. Perhaps he'll have an "accident". This would take care of ever so many problems in negotiations, and it may be easier to find solutions. However, there would be some sort of outcry from someone.. "illegal assasination, infringement of rights, yadayadayada..." God if only it were practical. Stupid politics.

2. I wouldn't be adverse to adequate military action by Israel or even the U. S.

3. The way the politics are running in the Mideast countries hinder any better efforts. The Israeli govt. seems ready to make at least some concessions, if only the other side (whatever that really is) can follow.

Now for what I really have to say: Can't we all just get along?

 

[amadeus]

No Palestine should exist.

There's plenty of other Arab states run by fundamentalists that those rock-throwers would be perfectly happy in.

 

[Gromit]

The Palestinians should try to wrap their minds around the concept that two wrongs don't make a right.

Well at least someone here has a vague idea that the Palestinians have been wronged in some way.

Surely it is interesting that so-called 'Neo-Nazis' ADMIRE Isreal's domestic policy (as far as I've been led to believe, Isreal is a JEWISH nation). Does no-one wonder why thi is the case? Especially since it is Hitler's 'ideals' that these 'Neo-Nazis' aspire to.

Don't get me wrong, I am all fora sovereign state for the Jewish people/religion, but can it not be at the expense of another people/religion's please.

Furthermore, I find it difficult to believe that a nation that holds it's founding ideals of freedom and self-determination so close to it's heart, can give 'billions in aid' to a nation that denies those self same things to people who live within it's borders.

Questions:

1.) Are ALL Irish people members of the I.R.A.?

2.) Are ALL Americans money grabbing, capitalist, couldn't give a **** about anyone else oil barons?

3.) Are ALL Palestinians terrorists?

4.) Are ALL southerners rednecks?

Answers:

1.) No.

2.) No.

3.) No.

4.) No.

 

[amadeus]

Originally posted by Gromit
3.) Are ALL Palestinians terrorists? No.

Maybe not, but they sure are good at throwing rocks!

 

[Gromit]

You watch the news too, huh

 

[amadeus]

Yes.

I honestly don't think that all Palestinians are terrorists, but they sure aren't contributing to peace in Isreal.

Isreal calls for cease-fire,
Palestinian blows up a bus,
Isreal condemns attack,
United Nations condemns Isreal,

And so the cycle continues...

 

[dreadhead7]

The U.N. comdemned ISRAEL??? What the heck!?!

Well, from what I understand (Eli, G-man, correct me if I'm wrong), the U.S. has not condemned Israel. President Bush says that Israel is a sovereign nation and must do whats in their best interest to combat terrorism (or something to that effect). This may sound strange coming from me, an avowed peacenik, but in the face of what happened, I think that Israel must do what it must to protect itself. Arafat obviously lacks the will or the ability to control the extremist and militant elements within his people. In my opinion, the atrocities that happened over the weekend were acts of terrorism, and Israel desperately needs to do something about that. If the U.S. can wage a war on terrorism, why not Israel?

 

[geake]

Originally posted by dreadhead7
but in the face of what happened, I think that Israel must do what it must to protect itself.

Yes that's right, and they will do as usual, ie:

- killing palestinian children going to school (5 last thursday)
- attacking rock throwers with helicopters and F16s.
- 6 november: israeli soldiers are suspected of killing 3 palestinian who were wounded and lying on the ground... they sure show the palestinians how to act properly, don't you think?

Well, just to remind you a few statistics:
since september 2000, the casualties are
578 Palestinians
156 Israelis

Oh yeah, Sharon will probably be soon accused of crime against humanity for the actions of the army in Lebanon in 1982 when he was the minister of armies or something. On the other hand, we don't exactly know what he did when he was himself in the army or mossad... Arafat and Sharon have the same story behind them, they're both terrorists.


Terrorism is a plague, and I don't know who will win the stupidity contest, Palestinians or Israelis?