Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Roadmap: Shoot self in foot, repeat

President Bush:

Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.

Over the next four years, we'll work to ensure that the gift of freedom reaches more men and women in the broader Middle East.


Meanwhile, back in reality:

U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster

JERUSALEM, Feb. 14 — The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.

Freedom. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

The intention is to starve the Palestinian Authority of money and international connections to the point where, some months from now, its president, Mahmoud Abbas, is compelled to call a new election. The hope is that Palestinians will be so unhappy with life under Hamas that they will return to office a reformed and chastened Fatah movement.

Ah yes, I'm sure it will go exactly like that. Who comes up with these plans? Former Three's Company writers?

Israel has also threatened to cut off monthly transfers to the Palestinians of about $50 million from taxes and customs it collects for them, once Hamas takes power.

the Hamas government could be forced to enact widespread layoffs that would scotch the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families.


Well being even poorer and more desperate probably won't cause a problem.

The strategy of bringing Palestinians to their knees by cutting off cash could easily backfire, however, with Palestinians blaming the U.S. and Israel - not Hamas - for their growing misery.


Oh.

The Times said the idea of forcing regime change by further impoverishing the Palestinians was being discussed at the highest levels of the U.S. State Department and the Israeli government.


Freedom is on the march.

Let's hear from the Palestinians

Mushir al Masri, a Hamas spokesman and incoming legislator, said attempts to bring down a future Hamas government were hypocritical.


Sort of.

"This is ... a rejection of the democratic process, which the Americans are calling for day and night," al Masri said. "It's an interference and a collective punishment of our people because they practiced the democratic process in a transparent and honest way."


Yep

"We need a firm Islamic and Arabic position to confront this challenge," al Masri added.


Wait, that doesn't sound good

On Monday, a Hamas leader said the group would annul landmark interim peace accords with Israel from the mid-1990s.


Shit.


Well yet another shining example of democracy and freedom in action, as spread by our dear leader.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, that didn't work out too well huh? Hamas should have never been allowed to participate. It's Arafat's fault Hamas did so well, but that's really not important now is it? There will never be peace as long as Israel exists IMO.

Anonymous said...

Oh that was me above....
-Sean

CNK said...

Well I see no reason why Israel can't exist - they faught wars against Egypt and Jordan and now there is peace between those countries.

The heavy handed tactics should stop, they should recognize an independant Palestinian state and stay out of their business. They keep saying that they can't until the suicide attacks stop but anytime there is a prolonged peace they do something to provoke a reaction. Last time I checked California.

CNK said...

woops - I was saying, last time I checked California wasn't denied state hood because it supplies most of the country with meth. (ok maybe that was a bad analogy)

Anonymous said...

Yep, that was a pretty bad analogy ;-)
Hamas isn't like Egypt or Jordan. At least now they (Hamas) will have to be more responsible. Don't expect peace anytime soon, that's for sure.
-Sean

CNK said...

One plus is that the P.A. could never fully stop Hamas attacks. Now that they are the legitimate government they hopefully will be able to stop thmselves.

There won't be peace anywhere for a long time, this is the military industrial complex's cold war for this century - if not for terrorists we might actually have to spend money on crazy things like education and health care.