Cool, I'm glad someone agreed with me. - Matt
----- Original Message ----- From: "deadcityskin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 5:12 PM Subject: RE: comments? > Hell's yes!!! > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Chesty Puller [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 9:23 AM >> To: CF-Community >> Subject: Re: comments? >> >> >> I just got back last night from a week-long cruise, so if my >> comments have >> already been addressed, please excuse me. >> >> He's wrong, dead wrong. A goal of permanent and sustainable >> solution is the >> only thing that will let the warring stop (by definition). Any >> cease fire >> starts another cycle of small hostility leading to an ever >> greater hostility >> and then of course, this happens, again. His own words say this, >> although >> he suggests that a ten-year cease fire is a solution. A total absence of >> hostility is the only way to get this problem resolved. >> >> The problem with the immediate crease-fire is that it removes all >> pressure >> from the parties to actually negotiate. >> >> Personally, from watching all of this on CNN-international all week (the >> only channel on the ship TV), I hope this is the time that Israel >> destroys >> Hezbollah and rains Hell down upon Lebanon. For too long, factions like >> this have been mosquitoes flying around biting on Israel and the US and >> everybody else desiring peace. >> >> It's time that the general population is punished for allowing >> these types >> of groups to co-exist. All of our "touchy-feely don't hurt >> anybody" types >> of defense doesn't work, it hasn't worked since the Vietnam war. >> Only when >> the population who must actually co-exist with these groups gets tired of >> war will they cease to exist. That has't happened because we've >> prevented >> Israel from doing the needful. >> >> My take: Israel should invade and destroy Lebanon, incur the >> wrath of Syria, >> and then let Syria have war as never before. The only way out of >> this mess >> is to go forward, beyond all hope of retreating back into the >> sinkhole that >> is a cease-fire. >> >> - Matt >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Dana" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "CF-Community" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 2:24 AM >> Subject: comments? >> >> >> > Time To Act >> > >> > By Warren Christopher >> > Friday, July 28, 2006; Page A25 >> > >> > Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's just-concluded trip to Lebanon, >> > Israel and Rome was an exercise in grace, bravery and, to my regret, >> > wrongly >> > focused diplomacy. Especially disappointing is the fact that >> she resisted >> > all suggestions that the first order of business should be >> negotiation of >> > an >> > immediate cease-fire between the warring parties. >> > >> > In the course of her trip, the secretary repeatedly insisted that any >> > cease-fire be tied to a "permanent" and "sustainable" solution >> to the root >> > causes of the conflict. Such a solution is achievable, if at all, only >> > after >> > protracted negotiations involving multiple parties. In the meantime, >> > civilians will continue to die, precious infrastructure will >> continue to >> > be >> > destroyed and the fragile Lebanese democracy will continue to erode. >> > ** >> > Save & Share >> > >> > - *Tag This Article* <javascript:void(0);> >> > >> > >> > Saving options >> > *1. Save to description:* >> > Headline (required) >> > Byline >> > >> > *2. Save to notes (255 character max):* >> > Blurb >> > >> > 3. Tag This Article >> > <http://del.icio.us/> >> > >> > My own experience in the region underlies my belief that in the >> short term >> > we should focus our efforts on stopping the killing. Twice >> during my four >> > years as secretary of state we faced situations similar to the one that >> > confronts us today. Twice, at the request of the Israelis, we >> helped bring >> > the bloodshed to an end. >> > >> > In June 1993, Israel responded to Hezbollah rocket attacks along its >> > northern border by launching Operation Accountability, resulting in the >> > expulsion of 250,000 civilians from the southern part of Lebanon. >> > >> > After the Israeli bombardment had continued for several days, Israeli >> > Prime >> > Minister Yitzhak Rabin asked me to use my contacts in Syria to >> seek their >> > help in containing the hostilities. I contacted Foreign Minister Farouk >> > Shara, who, of course, consulted with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. >> > After >> > several days of urgent negotiations, an agreement was reached >> committing >> > the >> > parties to stop targeting one another's civilian populations. We never >> > knew >> > exactly what the Syrians did, but clearly Hezbollah responded to their >> > direction. >> > >> > In April 1996, when Hezbollah again launched rocket attacks on Israel's >> > northern border, the Israelis countered with Operation Grapes of Wrath, >> > sending 400,000 Lebanese fleeing from southern Lebanon. Errant Israeli >> > bombs >> > hit a U.N. refugee camp at Cana in southern Lebanon, killing about 100 >> > civilians and bringing the wrath of international public >> opinion down upon >> > Israel. >> > >> > This time Shimon Peres, who had become prime minister after the >> > assassination of Rabin, sought our help. In response, we launched an >> > eight-day shuttle to Damascus, Beirut and Jerusalem that produced a >> > written >> > agreement bringing the hostilities to an end. Weeks later, the parties >> > agreed to a border monitoring group consisting of Israel, >> Syria, Lebanon, >> > France and the United States. Until three weeks ago, that agreement had >> > succeeded for 10 years in preventing a wholesale resumption of >> > hostilities. >> > >> > What do these episodes teach us? >> > >> > First, as in 1996, an immediate cease-fire must take priority, with >> > negotiations on longer-term arrangements to follow. Achieving a >> cease-fire >> > will be difficult enough without overloading the initial >> negotiations with >> > a >> > search for permanent solutions. >> > >> > Second, if a cease-fire is the goal, the United States has an >> > indispensable >> > role to play. A succession of Israeli leaders has turned to us, >> and only >> > us, >> > when they have concluded that retaliation for Hezbollah attacks >> has become >> > counterproductive. Israel plainly trusts no one else to negotiate on >> > its >> > behalf and will accept no settlement in which we are not deeply >> involved. >> > Further, based upon my experience in helping bring an end to >> the fighting >> > in >> > the Balkans, the Europeans are unlikely to participate in a >> multinational >> > enforcement action until the United States commits to putting its own >> > troops >> > on the ground. >> > >> > Finally, Syria may well be a critical participant in any cease-fire >> > arrangement, just as it was in 1993 and 1996. Although Syria no >> longer has >> > troops in Lebanon, Hezbollah's supply routes pass through the heart of >> > Syria, and some Hezbollah leaders may reside in Damascus, giving the >> > Syrians >> > more leverage over Hezbollah's actions than any other country save >> > Iran. >> > Syria has invited a direct dialogue with the United States, and >> although >> > our >> > relations with Syria have seriously deteriorated in recent >> years (we have >> > not had an ambassador in Damascus for more than a year), we do not have >> > the >> > luxury of continuing to treat it with diplomatic disdain. As the >> > situations >> > with North Korea and Iran confirm, refusing to speak with those >> we dislike >> > is a recipe for frustration and failure. >> > >> > Because Hezbollah has positioned itself as the "David" in this >> war, every >> > day that the killing continues burnishes its reputation within the Arab >> > world. Every day that more of the Lebanese infrastructure is turned to >> > dust, >> > Beirut's fragile democracy becomes weaker, both in its ability >> to function >> > and in the eyes of its people. >> > >> > The impact is not limited to Lebanon or Israel. Every day America gives >> > the >> > green light to further Israeli violence, our already tattered >> > reputation >> > sinks even lower. The reluctance of our closest allies in the >> Middle East >> > even to receive Secretary Rice this week in their capitals >> attests to this >> > fact. >> > >> > It is time for the United States to step forward with the authority and >> > balance that this moment requires. >> > >> > *The writer was secretary of state from 1993 to 1997.* >> > >> > >> > >> > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072701 > 420.html >> >> >> >> -- >> "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a >> confession >> of their character." - Ralph Waldo Emerson >> >> >> > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:211986 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
