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A Second Look: Israeli forces advance deep into Gaza urban areas

Jan 11th, 2009
by Tom.
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via Israeli forces advance deep into Gaza urban areas.

IBRAHIM BARZAK and CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA | January 11, 2009 05:51 PM EST | AP

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel had made progress in its objectives in the Gaza offensive but was not finished yet.

“Israel is nearing the goals that it set for itself,” Olmert said. “However, further patience, determination and effort are necessary in order to achieve those goals in a way that will change the security reality in the south.”

While Olmert’s comment signaled no immediate end to the offensive, it indicated that Israel is wary of an open-ended conflict with an unclear agenda. Israel wants to end years of rocket attacks by Hamas on its southern population, a complex goal that could require Egyptian or international help in shutting off routes to smuggle weapons into Gaza from Egypt.

Hamas, in turn, demands that Israel open Gaza’s blockaded borders as part of any halt to the fighting. Such a measure would relieve economic pressure on the destitute territory but also strengthen Hamas’s control of Gaza, an odious prospect for Israelis who fear a halt to the fighting will just give Hamas another opportunity to re-arm.

Try this. Why not get Egypt in on the negotiation to stop smuggling of rockets from THEIR COUNTRY. Let Egypt make a commitment to seek out and arrest those making the illegal arms deals. Hamas demands that the blockaded borders be opened for humanitarian aid to flow in, and maybe their commerce can begin. Israel is fearful that Hamas will re-arm and they probably will, but that may be the price of peace. I have to repeat that the only party in this able to set this situation right, really right meaning autonomy for the Palestinians is Israel. The outcome of this terrible situation is on their shoulders.

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A Second Look at Gaza Talks In Cairo Thursday UPDATES, VIDEO

Jan 7th, 2009
by Tom.
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via Gaza Talks In Cairo Thursday UPDATES, VIDEO.

Scroll down for video, photos

CHEERS!!!!

UPDATE: 1/7 5:30 pm

Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority will meet Thursday to negotiate a cease-fire plan, reports the AP.

UNITED NATIONS — Egypt’s U.N. ambassador says representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have agreed to meet Thursday for talks in Cairo on the Gaza crisis.

Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz says all the parties agreed to send technical delegations to discuss an Egyptian-French initiative to end the fighting in Gaza.

Details of the plan aren’t clear, but the initiative calls for a limited cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

UPDATE: 1/7 3 pm

Israel increased its anti-tunnel operation on Wednesday night and captured 120 suspected Hamas fighters, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Tunnel openings are frequently hidden inside houses and Palestinians reported that by 9 p.m., 30 homes had been destroyed. According to Channel 10, the army said that anti-tunnel operations would continue through the night.

Finally some adult supervision. But France and Egypt? It figures that the US, still under Bush, would want war to continue. It makes me want to puke. I don’t care who’s leading the talks, just so they are happening.

Watch this video. Warning, there’s some blood.


Watch CBS Videos Online

The AP reports that last year’s US-funded plan to disrupt the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt had little effect.

Yes. It goes on to speak of the huge efforts to stop the illegal smuggling of rockets from Egypt through the border tunnels. The article says that the tunnels they found in Gaza City are different tunnels than the border ones, that these are dug for the purpose of kidnapping Israeli soldiers.

They are dug by Hamas militants for military purpose.

This makes sensational news, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. I will not waiver from my position that the tunnels may have been originally designed for covert military missions, but were later put to practical use for humanitarian purposes. Our own Interstate Highway System was originally passed in Congress as part of a homeland defense act enabling our military to move from one coast/border to another with minimum delays, then used extensively for civilian needs. When you imprison people, then allow them to have shovels, well…..you’re going to have tunnels for whatever purpose.

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Marty Kaplan: Eyeless in Gaza

Jan 5th, 2009
by Tom.
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via Marty Kaplan: Eyeless in Gaza.

Mr. Kaplan’s article today in the Huffington Post tries to open the eyes of us who only see one side of this fight. He begs the question, can I rationalize a reason for a seemingly unprovoked attack by a terrorist organization in style with sympathy for the devil and thereby feel good about Israel’s response? And at the same time empathize with the same  people who have been rounded up and fucked over in the same fashion as the American Indians?

Then I reminded myself that the people of Gaza overwhelmingly voted for Hamas in a democratic election, and I thought, What good is democracy, if it can put terrorists in charge of governments?

In my humblest of opinions, that is as far away from the issue here as Miami to Seattle. It only takes a short two minutes to remind oneself that that is exactly what has happened throughout the world and throughout history. Terrorists have been put in charge of governments since there has been governments. They will continue to be a presence that must be dealt with, negotiated with, as you will. Please be reminded of the Good Friday Accords in Belfast.

I can’t condone the rocket thing that Hamas did, but in my opinion, the only side in this fight who has the power to end all this and make it right, really right (as in complete autonomy) is Israel.

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