howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
28 December 2008
23:0611590over the past couple of days terrible pictures have come in of bombing raids in that area.
this is one of the most populous places on earth.
the israelis and the palestinians seem incapable of reaching anything close to an understanding.
one side aims rockets at civilians in villages, the other side saves their timing to coincide with kids leaving school.
the president elect in the US has stated that a cease fire would not automatically bring peace.
how does one go about bringing peace between two interminably stupid sides?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 December 2008
23:0911592there is an answer to that howard but i will not post it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
28 December 2008
23:5211597brian
any ideas must be listened to.
the politicians on both sides have failed the people miserably.
today a 14 year old girl was asked about the food shortage in that area.
she looked puzzled, then replied that she( and most others) did not feel like eating anyway, while the bombing was going on.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
29 December 2008
07:3211601It is indeed a very sad and comlex problem all around there.
Hamas attack Israel with rockets bombs and suicide bombers and Israel attack some days later - but with such (superior) devastating force.
The main thing every one sees is the retaliation from Israel, we don't see (or hear about) the rocket attacks that rain down on Israeli villages almost every day.
Israel could completely destroy the Gaza strip, but of course the rest of the Arab World would then together, try to destroy Israel and then we would REALLY have a problem; making the current situation look like a skirmish.
Roger
29 December 2008
08:5311604Absolutely - this is a terrible war and we only see a small part of it. It is very important to see around the issue, past the tragic and horrible consequences of violence to the complex and devastating core, which involves both factions.
Unregistered User
29 December 2008
09:2611605We might not be "a small part of it" if we take our "eye off the ball" here & elsewhere. Try looking behind this current "two state conflict" & there is something bigger & nastier going on that people are attempting to divert our eyes from.
Watty
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
29 December 2008
10:2411610A never ending 'tit for tat' tragic conflict which the innocent seem to suffer from most, let us hope that the President Elect can hopefully help to resolve the situation in the long term.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
29 December 2008
14:4011615How stupid is the statement that 'a cease-fire will not neccessarily bring peace'? Of course there has to be negotiation and a common sense agreement, but first the killing has to stop and isn't that what a cease fire is meant for?
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 December 2008
18:3711629they have had plenty of cease-fires before.
both sides take turns to accuse the other of beaking them.
watty makes the point of things escalating, look at history, all the major conflagrations have grown out of small wars.
for example that chap in charge of iran has made it clear that he wishes to see israel wiped off of the face of the earth.
iran is very close to having a nuclear arsenal.
many major powers are watching the situation closely to see how they can gain from it.
29 December 2008
20:0311631As an Irish woman, I can vouch for the ambivalence of a "ceasefire"!!! A ceasefire is something that happens way after negotiations have reached a decent standing. A ceasefire is not the start, but an indication of the possibility of an end.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 December 2008
20:1011638i hadn't realised you were from the north bern.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
29 December 2008
20:1211639I agree with you Bern, I was pointing out the stupidity of ruling one out when it would mean that the sides are at least talking. Given todays news about tank movements and the call-up of reserves it could all be irrellevant all too soon anyway. Far too many nations, factions and 'allied supporters' will be looking to gain from an escalating conflict and it looks as if they will get. Won't hurt the pockets of the arms producing nations either.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
29 December 2008
20:3511644the only way i can peace happining there is,america withdrawing all support to israe and other parts and put in a large contingent to seperate the waring factions.and then and only then broker a long lasting peace deal.l
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 December 2008
22:1111650brian
that is the most sensible idea i have heard on the subject.
if the warring factions felt that the super powers were not supporting them, they would have no choice but to get around a table and negotiate.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
29 December 2008
22:3211652Sounds good on paper but, would a major conflict draw fighters, arms and financial support away from Iraq and Afghanistan? Would a conflict draw attention away from Iran, Pakistan and the Kurds? Would a conflict allow the Russian Federation to gain more influence in the area? Would a conflict provide jobs and incomes (profits) for European arms manufacturers? Would a conflict provide reasons for repressive regimes in the area to increase their authoritarian powers? Would a conflict add fuel to the arguments and recruiting of extremist religious groups? Answer yes to any and you have reasons for the 'great' powers not to want to interfere with the situation.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 December 2008
23:2311653no chris
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
30 December 2008
08:5211659of course its possable chris,with the iraq war coming to an end american troops can be redeployed to israel right down the lenth of the gaza strip.the reason being they are in the area so getting there is no problem of long flying time,2,the yanks suplythe israels with ordanance in the first place and 3 ,both sides need to know the meaning of constate and to live and work togrther.britain couldnt make it work in 1948 so let the yanks have a go of soting there mess out.
30 December 2008
08:5811660Not from the 6 counties, Howard, but Irishness is Irishness.....!!!!
Any withdrawal of support from anyone right now would simply leave a vacuum to be filled by others over whom we have even less control. It is such a complex and historic circumstance that there is no right answer, only a potential to limit the damage until a point arrives at which each nation involved can save face and lose the minimum amount of capital.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
30 December 2008
10:1111664Gazza Strip?
Is that his England or Spurs kit that's up for grabs?
Eh no flies on me mother!!! or have I got it wrong yet again?
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
30 December 2008
11:1611671No Marek - it's the Gazza Stripe, a symptom, common in men, which indicates that they are about to blame someone, usually a woman, for their troubles........present company excepted of course!!!