Is the Bush Administration too Pro-Isreal?

[Stile]

While I don't agree with the closing of the borders, many columns of Buchanan I have read are reasonable and well-thought out. This one perhaps not so much...

I once spent 3 weeks in Israel while a member of the Marines, mostly in Haifa. Time spent cross-training with the Israel military revealed we shared a mutual respect. I would venture many Americans don't care what faith or race a nation has. What is more important is that they share American ideals such as democracy. We like the Israelis not because of some bizarre end of the world plot or shared religous beliefs (to an extent), but because Americans admire people who persevere, work hard, and fight for their liberty.

Maybe we once saw those traits in the Palestinians, but suicide murderers killed any compassion that may have existed.

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

It didn't kill all the compassion Stile- just made it harder to mentally, emotionally, and really connect with the Palestinians who are not interested in using terror to advance the cause of their self governance. Which is exactly what the suicide bombers and terrorists want- they want to highjack the political causes of honest Palestinians. To the effect that we fail to sympathize with honest Palestinians begging for reform, we have let that terrorist faction win.

 

[Stile]

Let me change many to several in relation to Pat Buchanan's columns.

Sultan, there probably is still compassion for Palestinians (even after 9-11 dancing in the streets), but I don't think one of the terrorists' goals is anti-Palestinian, unless you are saying that the average Palestinian wants reform of their own leadership. I think it's more a sideeffect than an intentional design to turn world opinion against themselves.

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

What the hardline fundamentalist Muslim groups that employ terror try to do is set up a wedge between the West and regular Muslims; this is what for example the Bali bombing was all about- driving away tourists, making it impossible for legitimate aid to be funneled in, etc.

This creates a situation where more people are desperate, easier to be recruited in the terrorist ranks, and more likely to see the terrorist leadership as the only legitimate outlet for political change for them.

Not "anti-Palestinian" from the terrorist perspective, and possibly not either from the average Palestinian perspective (though what they may think, I can not speak for), but in the end, certainly anti-Palestinian from a rational perspective (and ask a forthcoming Saudi like this forum's Ahmad and he will also tell you that the terror flies in the face of reason when it comes to advancing the Palestinian cause).

So, yes, the leaders intentionally isolate the people they lead, to consolidate their power. It happens in Palestine... maybe it's happening here in the USA...

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Sultan Bhargash
I would love to see them trying that now. We need all of the money we can get to help convince Turkey, rebuild Iraq, replace the weapons we are going to use up fighting Iraq, oh, and some people have the crazy idea American money should go to improving conditions in America. Maybe you could get more help from France, as I recall they helped you go nuclear.

The US didn't invest in human intelligence of terror groups for decades. Israel did. All the money in the world can't get you that now or anytime soon. And another 9-11 that can be prevented with such info (and assuming this time the US goverment won't ignore Israel's warnings) would cost more, financially but mostly in human lifes.