Bush: "Root cause of problem is Hizballah"

[CuteNFuzzy]

says he regrets loss of civilian life over there, but the "root cause of the problem is Hizballah"

As if his "root cause" (that's debatable) is any justification whatsoever for going after civilians.

How is it possible that this war-monger has become the president of the U.S. of A.????? Does this guy have any clue about any thing??

[El Supremo]

1. How is it possible that this war-monger has become the president?

Because most of the voting public are war mongers.

We have very few leaders who promote peaceful solutions to conflict. They must be perceived as "strong on defense".

[Full Metal]

2. que?

The Israelis aren't targeting civilians Hesbollah places military targets in highly populated civilian sectors to be able to use civilian dead for propoganda, it's Hesbollah that's targeting civilians by launching hundreds of unguided Katyusha rockets into Israel.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Israel is still in violation of international and US laws. Violating the

Geneva conventions and UN charter. Hezbollah is a 'terrorist' organization according to US and Israel. I haven't heard them declared as such by another country.

[Full Metal]

7. umm ya they are a terrorist group

ie the 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beiruit which killed over 200 of our soldiers.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Founded in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon.

[VOX]

38. 1983 bombing might be Hezbolla, but it is not certain...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing
<snip>
The responsibility for the bombing is uncertain. Most (notably the U.S. government) believe the Hezbollah militant group, backed by Iran and Syria, was responsible for the bombings, as well as the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in April of that year. Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, all staunch opponents of a Western presence in Lebanon, denied any involvement. Several Shia militant groups claimed responsibility for the attacks, and one, the Free Islamic Revolutionary Movement, identified the two suicide bombers as Abu Mazen, 26, and Abu Sijaan, 24.
<snip>

[philb]

11. wake up

and smell the coffee........

Hezbollah has been identified universally (well, maybe excepting Syria and Iran) as terror merchants.......................................................................................................FOR YEARS!!!

bet you wanta link now huh?

next session we can debate the social redemptions of Hamas.....

EOM

[sinkingfeeling]

26. Then why did the US Senate just bring up a resolution to pressure the

EU countries late last year?

European Union: urge addition of Hezbollah (terrorist organization) to list of terrorist organizations (see S. Res. 82), S2735 <15MR> (see H. Res. 101), H630 <15FE>


EU countries are under pressure from the US administration and Israel to add the Iranian-backed Hizbollah organization to its list of outlawed terrorist organizations, obliging member states to seize its assets and take action against its members.

So far, France, Spain, and Britain have been reluctant to include Hizbollah on the list, fearing that such a move would further damage the prospects for Middle East peace talks.


http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=10923

[CuteNFuzzy]

4. 250 civilians killed and Israel hasn't targeted any of them?

yea right

[Full Metal]

9. Like I said Hesbollah places military targets ....

......in densly populated civilian sectors to illicit just such a response.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. And if Israel (or the rest of its supporters) cared about international

law and the conventions, they wouldn't be bombing those areas. But, like Bush, the rules don't have to apply to them.

[Full Metal]

18. lol

what are you talking about once military targets are placed in civilian sectors said sectors cease to be protected by international law and in fact it is Hesbollah that is in violation for placing them there in the first place.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

19. so sorry...but you are wrong

the targeting of an area or facility being used for the purpose of storing weapony, planning or carrying out attacks, or quartering of enemy soldiers is perfectly legal...regardless of where they are. Under the rules of war, Hezbollah would be in breach for using civilian infrastructure and persons as shields for their arsenal.

But, hey, you're obviously a member of the "all is Israel's fault" brigade so you have no need for the truth...just whatever falsified statement supports your position.

sP

[The Stranger]

14. They are targetting Christian areas where there is NO HEZBOLLAH.

And milk factories, where, needless to say, there are no Hezbollah.

[Full Metal]

21. There's no apartheid in Lebanon.........

IE there are no Christian areas if the targets you speak of are in southern Lebanon then they are prime realestate for Hesbollah.

link to attacks you speak of?

[The Stranger]

31. Holy ignorance.

Look, Lebanon has different areas, and Israel is bombing Christian areas and killing people WHO ARE NOT HEZBOLLAH.

In its ongoing air assault, Israel's military targeted Beirut, hitting a vehicle in the city's Christian neighborhood -- shocking residents who overall do not support the Islamic militant group.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/19/mideast/index.html

[cali]

33. Why do you think

that justifies Israel bombing the crap out of Beirut? Hundreds of civilians are now dead and a fledging democracy is mortally wounded. I am not an Israel hater; I just can't see defending sacrificing so many civilians to get H'zbollah. What's more, I believe that Israel's actions both in Gaza and Lebanon have endangered citizens of Israel, not protected them.

[The Stranger]

12. One more poster with less than one hundred posts here to defend bombing.

Where are they coming from?

[Sequoia]

24. What a crock.

Guess you watch your news from the Spin Zone. Israel is a terrorist nation.

[Full Metal]

27. Actually they're the only liberal Democracy in the mid-east

.......................

[mmonk]

5. Does that mean anything goes?

[kenny blankenship]

6. The root cause is his own policy of letting Israel oppress the Palestinian

people and refuse to negotiate a 2 state settlement. The root cause is his policy and the policy of Israel of trying to exterminate a democratically elected government.
Make no mistake: when Bush and Israel both decided to react to the election of Hamas to the leadership of the Palestinian Authority by refusing to recognize the result, they knew full well that they were setting a course that would lead to violent acts and a widening/reinflammation of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

This is what they both wanted. As with Iraq, ESCALATION is what Bush (and Israel) has been pursuing as the GOAL, not peaceful solutions.

[philb]

17. YES!!!

and that is exactly why Israel refused to abandon the Gaza strip............

crap, wait a minute, Israel did abandon the Gaza strip, i don't remember why.........oh, yeah, because the Palestinians said "abandon the gaza strip and we will live in PEACE"!

THAT worked out pretty good......at least they aren't killing each other,

Iran has another proxy.

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. What does the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbolla have to do with

the Palestinians?

[philb]

23. yeah,

i doubt that Hezbollah even knows that Hamas exists...............

no connection there!!

[mmonk]

37. they're all the same

:sarcasm:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Bush's knowledge of history stretches all the way back to breakfast.

Saying Hezbullah is the "root cause" of the violence in Lebanon/Israel/Palestine is like saying that the "root cause" of the poverty is the lack of cheap Yachts.

[Swamp Rat]

15. That's like a root calling a root, a root.

[ShortnFiery]

16. Yeah, they're less than human, even the humanitarian sections

of this multifaceted organization.

Black and White thinking. Gooks, Commies, The Bathe Party, Insurgents, Palestinians, All of Hamas (even the elected politicians) and *all of hezbollah* consists of sub-human evil-doers. :puke:

LAME! I'm not buying it and no intelligent, critical thinking American (or World Citizen), in quiet moments of reflection, should buy into this PROPAGANDA either. ---> I sure hope not. :(

[philb]

22. after all

Andrea Mitchell did explain that Hezbollah provides "social services".......

even as we speak they are renovating several Jewish cities.......some say they have been instrumental in the development of a new Towne Center in Beirut.

I am having way too much fun with this!!


NEXT!!

[ShortnFiery]

25. Glib statements do not help in promoting understanding ...

And trying to search for common ground.

No one organization is ALL EVIL.

That's a propaganda techniques to help the masses accept the killing of innocents. To make ALL people within a DEMOCRATICALLY elected faction of another government as so evil that it justifies the killing of innocents who MUST BE COMPLACENT and partially guilty not to counter such *evil-doers.*

Nothing is black and white. Besides, you will not ever be successful at "killing them all" ... trust me, we learned that the hard way during the Vietnam War. :( :cry:

[philb]

28. when you speak

of "killing them all"

Vietnam would not be MY first choice to make the point you seem to be trying to make....

i would probably point to Stalin and/or Hitler........ re; the "masses accepting the killing of innocents"

there was a common theme there also if my recall of high school history is correct.

[ShortnFiery]

32. You forget, YOU = Israel and the USA ... are the Super-Powers

Therefore, those with the OVERWHELMING $ and military power have the responsibility to play "the adult." When you kill innocents and plunge the populace into deeper poverty, what the hell do you expect? Poverty and lack of hope emerge as the MILITANT elements of these two organizations: Hamas and Hezbollah.

This may be a difficult truism: But Israel is the Terrorist elements of Hamas and Hezbollah's biggest promoters.

Because you have all the money and power, showing a true wish for tolerance and integration of the Arab community within Israel is IMO (and many others) the only feasible solution.

When you do NOT integrate and learn to empathize with the other side, you will always consider them less than human.

I'll give you that there are elements on BOTH sides that do NOT want peace. However, Israel as the *mighty power* must show humanitarian restraint. In other words, you are NOT winning "the hearts and minds" right now of EITHER the Arab nor The World Community. :(

On edit: Using Nazi comparisons to Hamas and Hezbollah don't play with anyone other than "the converted." Israel has all the cards ... the massive military and air power. In comparison these organizations will NOT EVER have the capacity to wipe you off of the map. You know that, don't you? These analogies insult our intelligence. :(

[sgxnk]

29. there is a subtle irony

in making an absolutist statement denying an absolute

"No one organization is ALL EVIL." :)

the problem with statements like this is all you need is one exception to be found wrong

fwiw, would the same above statement apply to

The SS? for instance

imo, it's kind of weird to say an organization is All Evil. It smacks of Dr. Evil'ism. absolutely 100% evil. no evil-lite here

i think many can readily agree some organizations are evil. it doesn't mean the members are necessarily (all) evil.

the nazis were clearly an evil organization.

whether or not you want to call them "all evil" which based on your above statement you would not

[Full Metal]

30. Common Ground?

With who Hesbollah and Hamas???

[ShortnFiery]

34. It can be done ...if you stop bombing the hell out of their infrastructure

Labeling someone as Terrorist is just a fancy way of saying "your enemy" ... it's clever but I'm not buying the Evil-Doer's Meme.

[Full Metal]

35. Good luck with that

[Supersedeas]

36. another very superficial understanding of 'root cause'