I think your position is defensible but doesn't answer Gruss' point #1. Or 2 for that matter.
On 7/28/06, Chesty Puller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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:211987 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
