The Problem In The Middle East Is Not A Lack Of Diplomacy But A Lack Of Retaliation

Michael Rubin nails a point I’ve been making for a while now:

The problem with the West’s policy in the Middle East is not lack of diplomacy, but rather failure to allow retaliatory violence and impose accountability. During the Clinton years, terrorists believed they could strike U.S. interests with near impunity. In 1996, Clinton failed to respond to Iranian planning, training, and supply for the terrorists which struck the Khobar towers, in 1998, U.S. retaliation in response to al Qaeda’s East Africa embassy bombings was weakwristed, and in 2000, the response to the U.S.S. Cole bombing was nonexistent. Israel too suffered from and erosion of its deterrence.
Not only is vengeance against terrorism sometimes necessary, but it is more likely to bring peace if it is disproportionate. The Bush administration’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks was not to bring down a couple buildings in Kabul or Qandahar, nor shoot missiles at empty buildings or training camps, but rather to launch war on al Qaeda and bring the Taliban government to its knees.

He goes on to say this about the current Israel/Lebanon situation:

there will never be peace if Syria and Iran are allowed to use Lebanon as a proxy battlefield safe and secure in the knowledge that they will not pay directly. If the peace is the aim, it is imperative to punish the Syrian and Iranian leadership.

Meanwhile, international leadership is already trending toward getting Israel to scale back its assult on Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, as though protecting Hezbollah from retribution is going to solve anything.
The only way Israel easing up in Lebanon is a good idea is if they turn around and begin vicious assault on Syria. That country (along with Iran) has been allowed to sponsor terrorism against Israel and other western targets for far too long without reprisal.
There is no time like the present for settling accounts.

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  • http://Array Jim Hurt

    Uhm, just how much sterner a response would you like?

    From Wikapedia –
    On November 3, 2002, the CIA fired a AGM-114 Hellfire missile from a Predator UAV at a vehicle carrying Abu Ali al-Harithi, a suspected planner of the bombing plot. Also in the vehicle was Ahmed Hijazi, a U.S. citizen. Both were killed. This operation was carried out on Yemeni soil, possibly with the cooperation of the Yemeni government.

    On September 29, 2004, a Yemeni judge sentenced Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri and Jamal al-Badawi to death for their roles in the bombing. Al-Nashiri, believed to be the operation’s mastermind, is currently being held by the U.S. at an undisclosed location.

  • TwoHotel9

    L.K., I, as others here do, appreciate the recapping of history. That said, only post 4-5 lines and then a link. You know? A teaser! Posting entire articles is rather gauche. Not critizing nor disagreeing, just making a point of ettiquette.

  • Bat One

    Considering the speed at which the UN noormally operates, the Israelis should have plenty of time to dispose of Hezbollah, and then focus on Damascus.

    After all, the Security Council has been “working” on the problem of the genocide in Darfur for how many years now?

    President Bush’s (ahem!) off-the-cuff remark at the G-8 luncheon indicates that he is in no hurry to save a bunch of Hezbollah and Hamas Islamist terrorists from Israeli retribution and their own stupidity. While in New York, Ambassador Bolton appeared to be equally disinclined to pressure the Israelis to stop taking out terrorists.

    Incidentally, I’ll bet the President’s “unintentional” slip of the tongue is probably good for at least another 5 points in the next Rasmussen poll.

  • http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

    The war won’t be over until every Jihad warrior is dead.

  • Bat One

    Uhm, just how much sterner a response would you like?

    All of them!

    I don’t much care what your religious persuasion is… even a nuts and berries, secular, progressive (“…and AlGore is his prophet…”). But the moment you suggest that someone else’s life, liberty, or property are at risk because they don’t believe as you do, then you have earned all the retribution that can mustered against you.

    Simple as that.

  • Pilgrim

    Diplomacy is a great thing and works, more often than not, with rational, civilized people. The radical Islamic extremists are neither rational nor civilized. They’re the schoolyard bullies, and as long as they can they will bully anyone and everyone to get their way.

    I learned in high school that when dealing with bullies reason doesn’t work. They take negotiation as weakness – or cowardice. After all else fails a good solid punch in the nose is a form of communication they can understand. Israel doesn’t need to back off. They need to keep punching. Only then will those savages get the message.

  • Bat One

    Judaism and Islam are basically the same religion;

    Try convincing an Islamist fundamentalist of that one!

  • tyler

    wow nicely put Lloyd. i dont know much about israel and palestine but i feel a little more educated now !

  • http://www.LloydKraus.com/ Lloyd Kraus

    Will Ignorance Defeat An Arab-Israeli Peace Treaty?

    Judaism and Islam are basically the same religion;
    All Wars are caused over Land

    by

    Lloyd Kraus

    Is Israel’s behavior to the Arab-Muslim based on Ignorance?

    Predominately, Israeli’s and the Jewish People have no knowledge of the following statement:

    1) Judaism and Islam are basically the same religion.

    The Qu’ran (or Koran) is a validation of the Jewish Religion (Simply compare the Old Testament with the Qu’ran). The Muslim People believe in the same Creator as the Jewish People (ask any Muslim, they will acknowledge this to you!). All the Prophets of the Qu’ran are Jewish (except the Messenger, Mohammad – who brought the ancient Jewish Biblical History, and the basic observance of the same laws and commandments, as written in the Torah, to the Muslims). The stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, . . .are all in the Qu’ran. Judaism and Islam honor the same faith of Abraham. Muslims, moreover, go to Mecca to honor the Faith of Abraham.

    Do Jewish People know this? Predominately, No. (Did the Christian Crusaders know this? No.)

    Eventhough the Creator made a special covenant with the Jewish People, if you would understood Islam you would see that the Muslims are devoted to the same Creator the same. Humanity only starts when one realizes that all lives under the Creator are the same. (Fortunately there are a lot of Jewish People and Israeli Organizations that support the Peace Process and a humanitarian philosophy.)

    To understand all Wars, one has to understand the following Theory (a subject I have been studying for over 30 years):

    2) All Wars are caused over Land.

    What is the Arab-Muslim fighting for? Land. Soldiers fight over land. Terrorists fight over land. Israeli’s fight over land. What is the “strategic” element of all wars (past, present and future)? Land.

    Israel has been occupying outside her pre-1967 borders for over 40 years now (before 1948, Israel was fighting for the Land of Israel).

    Today, the Arab Countries have stated that they are willing to accept Israel in her pre-1967 borders.

    A peaceful solution that Israel could accept has to address these Land issues:

    For religious reasons, Israel and the Jewish People will never give up Jerusalem; their Biblical Capitol.
    For religious reasons, Israel and the Jewish People do not want to give up the West Bank; the Land that Abraham was promised by the Creator. (but that promise was to the Jewish People and Abraham, not necessarily to Israel).
    In the following Peace Treaty, Israel can call Jerusalem their Capitol and Jewish People can live in the West Bank as Jewish-Palestinian Citizens. No one has to move from where they are living now. There are just recognized changes in Land Sovereignty.

    And, of course, if one will always see the Arab-Muslim as the evil, terrorist enemy, and not as human beings under the same Creator with the same Land aspirations, then Ignorance will win.

    But, if one can understand the following two claims:

    Judaism and Islam are basically the same religion.
    Wars are caused over Land.
    Then all parties could possibly accept the following Land and Peaceful Co-existence terms.

    Ignorance does not have to win.

    ——————————————————————————–

    ARAB-ISRAELI PEACE TREATY
    “All Wars Are Caused Over Land”
    “Judaism and Islam are basically the same Religion”

    by

    Lloyd Kraus

    I. The borders between Israel, Syria and Lebanon shall basically be her pre-1967 borders. The borders of Palestine shall basically be the West Bank and Gaza.
    Israel could possible extend her borders within her security wall. If you look at the Palestinian’s in Israel, why are they not fighting? Because they are not being forced out of their Land. The Palestinian’s living within the security wall would become Palestinian-Israeli Citizens.
    II. The walled city of Jerusalem should be sacred land with equal sovereignty and rights to all religions and people who honor the faith of Abraham. Israeli, Palestinian and Dual Citizenship shall be allowed within the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel shall be responsible for common municipal duties. The rights of Israel and Palestine to have their capitol buildings outside of the walled city of Jerusalem shall not be restricted.
    Israel, like Palestine, would be allowed to call Jerusalem their Capitol.
    III. Jewish people living within the borders of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon shall automatically become Jewish citizens of those states and will respect the sovereignty of those states. Palestinian people living in Israel shall automatically become Palestinian-Israeli citizens and will respect the sovereignty of Israel. Dual citizenship shall be allowed, but dual citizens shall be foremost obligated to respect the sovereignty of the country of primary citizenship.
    No one is asked to leave where they are living now. Israeli’s living in the West Bank would become Jewish-Palestinian Citizens (just like Jewish People are citizens of the many countries they are living in now).
    IV. The rights of Palestinians to emigrate into Israel and become Palestinian-Israeli citizens, and the rights of Jewish people to emigrate into Palestine and become Jewish-Palestinian citizens shall be equal. The rights of Israelis to travel into Syria, Lebanon and Palestine; and the rights of Syrians, Lebanese and Palestinians to travel into Israel shall be equal. The full powers governing immigration and travel shall be set by each state.
    The “power” behind the “equal” right for immigration into Israel stays with Israel. There, maybe, could be a one for one future transfer of people.
    V. Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon shall maintain full sovereignty over their laws and their state. Citizens of each country agree to respect each state’s sovereignty over private, public, political, military, criminal and civil issues, and the actions and decisions of each sovereign government. Each state shall foremost respect the rights of the current use and user, including current water right usage across borders.
    The details and evolution of this treaty is really in the above passage. All People will have to settle their differences within the Government’s “Land Sovereignty”.
    VI. The Government’s of Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon agree to an unconditional amnesty; and to forgive any and all past political, military, economic, property, civil, criminal, private and public claims and wrongs between each people and nations.

    The above two passages does not specifically address the issues of civil restitution between people – but the evolution and interpretation of any civil restitution would be civil nevertheless, with the Jurisdiction determined by the “Land Sovereignty”.
    VII. The agreement shall become operational upon the approval of the Prime Minister’s of Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli demilitarization of all land outside her borders shall be 50% completed within 4 years of this agreement becoming operational and 100% completed within 8 years of this agreement becoming operational. These territories shall thereafter remain demilitarized by Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.

    Israel does not have to give up her existing Security Apparatus till there are at least 4 years of Peaceful Co-Existence to verify and solidify.
    ——————————————————————————–

    Please email your comments: mail@LloydKraus.com

    LloydKraus.com

  • TwoHotel9

    And we should be all helpful and whatnot and help them achieve their goal!

  • http://bullwinkleblog.com/ bullwinkle

    First and foremost Israel needs to get Hezbollah out of missile range. That’s exactly the same problem the U.S. faces on illegal immigration, if you can’t protect and secure your borders you’re wasting your time doing anything else. Then they can go after Syria and Iran. I hope they do.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    An end to the terrorist group altogether, Jim. Anything less is just a victory for the terrorists.

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