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Isolationists -- those unhappy few who believe the U.S. should hide at home and hope the world won't come to their doorsteps with deadly intent, are really worried.  9/11 showed the world and many "happy at home" politicians that you can't simply disengage from the world stage.  Especially when you have so many nice things that other people covet.  But now their shrill voices do have something interesting to say.

Likud Party and Hamas Agree:  Yankee Go Home

In a rare moment in history, the Likud Party and Hamas have strongly agreed on something.  The Likud Party, the party of the current Israeli administration, has voted against a Palestinian State.  And Hamas, a terrorist organization which has never been one to be upstaged, says the suicide bombings will continue.  With both sides claiming positions that are totally unreconcilable, how can anyone expect to help.  In fact, say isolationists, it just proves that the U.S. should never have poked their nose into the fray in the first place.

The positions of the opponents, so the isolationists say, make it clear they not only don't need anyone's help, they don't want it.  And some even go as far as to say, they don't deserve it.

Pointing at the U.S. administration's own statements make it clear the U.S. is reluctant to try to mediate when the opponents are dead set against resolving the disputes.  Secretary of State Colin Powell has said on numerous occasions the violence must stop before the U.S. will agree to intervene politically.  Now with both sides saying "screw that, business as usual", the situation does make it difficult to fathom.  Note we said difficult, not impossible.

For what the isolationists have forgotten and indeed anyone who has grown frustrated over the events of the last two years not to mention decades, is that you don't make peace by giving up.  You keep plugging away at it until something triggers a movement toward peace instead of away from it.  Of course the difficulty in this situation is every move toward peace is countered by the opponents by a giant leap away.

What's It All Mean?

Well, for one thing, Sharon's days as the leader of Israel are numbered.  Netanyahu is in position to retake the leadership of Israel.  Another event likely to occur, is for Arafat to get the boot as well.  If the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority cannot shut the mouth of the leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, how can anyone expect Arafat to keep the murderer from sending new suicide bombers in.  Every week Arafat proves he is useless and negotiating with him is a total waste of time.  Negotiating with a turnip is more productive.

So if the United States is going to help, and indeed, who else can help, then Secretary Powell and Prime Minister Sharon need to make a joint statement on who they will negotiate with -- perhaps its time to embrace a new terrorist leader -- obviously Sheikh Ahmed Yassin speaks for Hamas, the most notorious of the terrorists of Palestinian persuasion.  Maybe the gruesome twosome should be dealing directly with him -- obviously the turnip can't.  Mabye a summit between Sharon, Powell, Yassin, and the leader of the Aqra Martyrs Brigade, xxx should meet in Cairo under eye of the real power in the Middle East.

Notice how we also left out the Saudis.  Their help is not much better than the turnip.

Or maybe the isolationists are right on this call -- no one is wrong everytime.  Maybe its time to tell the idiots in the Middle East, "Fine.  You want to murder each other for a couple of years?  Go Ahead.  We'll be back when you want to really stop the bloodshed.  We got more important things to do.  You remember Iraq, right?"

Stopping Suicide

In a realistic world, you can only do so much.  You can grab a friend's arm to keep him from jumping off a bridge.  But if he goes home and cuts his wrist in the bathtub, he pretty much negated your noble gesture, yes?  This is what Israel and the Palestinians are doing verbally right now.  All that is left is for the action to follow the words. Guess what.  Stay tuned, the violence will continue, its only a matter of days.
 
 

© Copyright, 2002, Michael Crawford, MILNET

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