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Palestinians Kidnap Hamas Leaders

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
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Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171531,00.html

But in a sign of ongoing lawlessness, a previously unknown group said it had kidnapped three leaders of the Islamic group Hamas (search) in three West Bank towns. The al-Farouk bin al-Khatab Brigades (search) accused Hamas of putting itself above the law.
But since Israel's withdrawal last month from the Gaza Strip (search), where the lawlessness is most extreme, Palestinians have increasingly demanded a restoration of order.

Threatened by the instability, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (search) has ordered his forces to rein in criminals and enforce a ban on public displays of weapons. This has led to fierce gunbattles with Hamas militants. In the toughest battle, three Palestinians, including a policeman, were killed this week.
 

Reactor

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2005
3,976
1
Chandler, AZ, USA
Interesting isn't it. It was all good fun when the Palestinian leadership encouraged lawlessness and terrorism in the occupied territories. Now they have to live with the mess they created.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Anyone think the US should be helping the Palestinian Authority restore order and build their infrastructure into one that can feasibly govern the territories?
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
ohio said:
Anyone think the US should be helping the Palestinian Authority restore order and build their infrastructure into one that can feasibly govern the territories?
I would rather see the Arab states try to lend a hand. Egypt has been very outspoken in their supprt for the Palestenians lately.
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
ohio said:
Anyone think the US should be helping the Palestinian Authority restore order and build their infrastructure into one that can feasibly govern the territories?
No I do not, and not jest because I don't like palistinians (I need to stop hanging out with right wing israeli kids) but because the arab countries have always stood behind "palistine" when it made israel look bad. But now that israel looks like the good guy they could care less. Israel tried to treat the arabs with respect and as human beings but the palistinains refused to let that hapen unless they got the entire country, they got themselvs into it and now it is there responsability to get themselfs out, but props to who ever took out the hamas leaders.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
ohio said:
Anyone think the US should be helping the Palestinian Authority restore order and build their infrastructure into one that can feasibly govern the territories?
Hmm.....

Fundamentalist kooks or less religious thieves? Tough one. Maybe we should stay out of it? Our presence would likely cause more harm than any good we could do.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Damn True said:
You mean in the form of assisting them in restoring some order and ensuring the election of a democratic government?
Yes, that's what I mean.

While I worry that Silver is right ("more harm than good...") it could be an opportunity to demonstrate some impartiality to the Arab world, offset some of the current fodder for Islamic extremists... plus it may be necessary to make sure the current efforts "stick." Or it would be another case of us sticking our noses where they're not wanted and making things worse...

Not really sure, just mulling it over in my head.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
TheMontashu said:
No I do not, and not jest because I don't like palistinians (I need to stop hanging out with right wing israeli kids) but because the arab countries have always stood behind "palistine" when it made israel look bad. But now that israel looks like the good guy they could care less. Israel tried to treat the arabs with respect and as human beings but the palistinains refused to let that hapen unless they got the entire country, they got themselvs into it and now it is there responsability to get themselfs out, but props to who ever took out the hamas leaders.
Isn't this then an opportunity to expose the hypocracy of Arab nations while demonstrating that we really ARE impartial in this process, and only seeking to bring peace and stability to the situation? A chance to take the high-road while the Arab world cops out? We'd probably screw it up, it just seems like a golden opportunity to do some winning of "hearts and minds" I heard so much about at the beginning of the Iraq war, but haven't seen much of...

edit: me speel goode late at night.
 

jaydee

Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
794
0
Victoria BC
There's no oil in the Gaza Strip. Do you think Bush will invest $5 to go there under the pretense of restoring order and assisting the democratic process? Not likely.
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
ohio said:
Isn't this then an opportunity to expose the hypocrisy of Arab nations while demonstrating that we really ARE impartial in this process, and only seeking to bring peace and stability to the situation? A chance to take the high-road while the Arab world cops out? We'd probably screw it up, it just seems like a golden opportunity to do some winning of "hearts and minds" I heard so much about at the beginning of the Iraq war, but haven't seen much of...
The US doesn't have much of a choice. We are already in it and to back out of the process would make us look worse in a time when looking worse is pretty difficult.

The hipocracy of the Arab world in regards to the Palestinians is sad. What if just one of the oil nations gave Abbas $500 million to rebuild Gaza and turn it into a worthwhile place to live? Even Iran, hasn't given any real money but as the supporter of Hamas I guess that wouldn't make sense. How interested do you think people would be in suicide bombing and Hamas if that happened? Before I would have not thought this was a good idea, Arafat would have been too tempted to do bad things with that money but I believe that Abbas is trying.

So in the absence of Arab support, the US and the EU should fill that roll. Though I'm not sure how interested the EU is in fixing things, I do think the US can shame them into getting in on it. Dumping a ton of money to first develop a plan to economically rehabilitate Gaza, then to help implement that plan. And if you wanted to win hearts and minds, and this works in almost every case, build hospitals in Gaza and provide basic health care for them. Anything to make it a better place to live. And as Israel gives back more of the West Bank do the samething there.
 

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
I think the wealthier Arab nations would rather retain Palestine as poor and pissed off. That way they have a place to find people to do their dirty work. When people are well fed and happy they are less likely to strap a bomb to their chests.