This AP story is entitled "Israelis Injure Stone-Throwing Protesters", and starts off with this paragraph:
NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli troops fired rubber bullets at Palestinian stone throwers, wounding 16, and tanks rolled through West Bank towns Saturday as Palestinian leaders appealed for international intervention to stave off a new round of violence.
The eighth paragraph reveals a little more information:
In Nablus, the army said soldiers tried to disperse dozens of Palestinians throwing rocks and firebombs.
Rocks, firebombs, what's the difference? Why did the writer take so long to point out those pesky firebombs?
Some 200 teenagers remained in the streets hurling stones at soldiers and tanks. Demonstrators burned tires. The army said a small bomb exploded near Israeli troops in Nablus, but no one was hurt.
If they were throwing stones at me, and I had a gun, you can bet that there would be more dead Arabs. I'd have absolutely no regrets at blowing away the little shits, whether they were 10 or 50 years old. Let Allah decide who was justified.
Now, Palestinian leaders say they hope to discuss a new cease-fire — this time, one Israel might also be asked to sign.
But Israel said it wasn't interested in making new agreements while the Palestinians have yet to live up to commitments under the current road map, which calls for the Palestinians to dismantle militant groups.
Oh, yeah. The Israelis are the only side that have actually followed any of the steps in the "road map". The Arabs have not even begun the most important step of the process—disarming the terrorists. When that occurs, Israel will be ready to talk.
The Palestinians say Thursday's killing forced them to suspend a planned crackdown on militants. Efforts were under way to reopen talks with militants to rescue the cease-fire, said Ghassan Khatib, the Palestinian labor minister.
And before the bus bombing, Sharon was ready to hand over all of the West Bank, plus throw in Jerusalem and the Negev Desert as well. It's just as likely.
A prominent Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, lashed out at President Bush, calling him "Islam's biggest enemy" in comments carried by Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya. He called the U.S. decision to freeze assets "a theft of Muslim money by the Americans."
Hey, Sharon is no longer at the top of the Islam Hate Parade! Freezing assets is not the same as theft, and since the money is being used to finance terrorism, they ought to be damn glad the US doesn't just seize it outright. We have a deficit, you know, and that money could be used to reduce it...
Following the latest violence, the army has re-established large numbers of checkpoints, severely restricting movement between towns.
It wouldn't be a shock if Israel completely shut down ALL towns in the territories, and confined the Arabs to the cities which they are currently located. That would cut down on some of the violence in Israel, although it would create more violence in the territories. If it comes down to that, I'm sure Israel would prefer the latter to the former.
posted on August 23, 2003 03:05 PM
