I worked a few years back with a guy form Israel and I didn't realise that the country is about 50 miles by 150 miles and bordered with countries that would love to kill all of them just because of the religion. And I get edgy just knowing Canada is about 19 miles across the "straits" from me.

 

Stop immediately all Isreali occupation and terrorism?????

A little history lesson. Isreal was attacked by Arabs with the idea of total destruction. The Arabs lost (quite quickly, I might add). The Isrealis can take what they want (Gaza strip, West Bank, Sinai penninsula). Texas beat Mexico, Texas decided their border. The US beat Mexico, we took some land. The Allies beat the Axis powers, Germany was divided for many years and we installed a new government and Japan cannot raise an offensive army. The North beat the South, all the slaves were freed. Veitnam resisted until we gave up, they named the government in the south. Seems very clear in the "game" of war the winner names the booty.

 

My questions are

1. "Why do we want support Israel in taking out Saddam?"

2. "What does Israel do for the US to warrant our support?"

I am extremely anti-terrorist and would like the US to just back out to let the Middle East resolve their own problems . When it comes to Israel I just don't get it . They don't have much in exports and the only it seems they buy from us is arms . Can anyone explain our need to send US service men and women to their death for Israel ? Don't get me wrong . I am a veteran and would still give my life for the USA . This one just don't make sense .

 

To partially answer your questions:

1. We don't need Israels' military support when it comes to Saddam. I think the point was whether we need the Saudis' support, which we don't. They are just one more Arab country that takes our money, and then turns on us the next day.

2. Israel is one of our best Allies. They give us human intelligence that we can no longer get, especially pertaining to the Middle Eastern countries. In fact, our gov't has even at times contracted Israeli intelligence organizations. Thanks in part to the Clinton administrations reliance on satellite intelligence, it would take YEARS for the US to infiltrate terrorist organizations without the help of the Israelis.

 

Basically it boils down to the fact that American Jews wield tremendous political and financial clout in this country.

 

"Basically it boils down to the fact that American Jews wield tremendous political and financial clout in this country"

If that were true, we would never even consider going into Iraq. Wall St. will take a hit when we go in.

 

Gentlemen

1depd , your "history lesson" is not quite accurate.
The occupied territories were seized well after the 6 day war, and after a UN brokered agreement to set aside said lands.

FrankS

American jews DO indeed have tremendous clout in the US.
Media, financial and political. Not to knock your intelligence level but you believe what you belive (about this issue) because this is what they want you to believe, plain and simple
And this is what I find boggling! I have travelled extensively and it seems that almost everyone else in the indutrialized world can see the US/jewish syndrome , but the VAST majority of americans can not. When opposing views are voiced, in the US, they are quickly dismissed as antisemetic. WHY can the rest of the world see this ,but americans who pay the heaviest price for this bull****, cannot??????

 

I think some of us should read a bit more history than we seem to and I am definitely not trying to flame here.

As a point of interest, the Israelis used very much the same type of terrorist tactics including bombing buildings and killing civilians that we see used by the Palestinians today. Same objective more or less; get the British out of Palestine and force the UN to recognize them as a country. This was in the 1946-1948 time frame.

As to the Canadians, and I lived there for two years (Queensville Ont.), be very careful about bashing them or their contributions to the West. They lost a horrendous amount of people in WWI, certainly based on their population base. They made a major contribution in WWII, pretty much liberating Holland on their own for example. They also completely rebuilt the British motor transport fleet with almost a million cars and trucks that replaced what was lost at Dunquirk and in the Far East.
They fought in Korea and in Viet Nam, were there in the Gulf War and are now in Afghanistan.

That they do not always agree with us is, well, their privelege I would say. But never, never count them out when they are truly needed.

PS: I don't see much real justification for invading Iraq either but that is just my opinion too.
Bill

 

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HORRIBLY INSULTED I AM BY THAT REMARK.

Why are we involved in the Middle East? Look as far as YOUR OWN gas tank and desire for cheap gas.

 

You want to keep the US out of the Middle East? Sell your truck and take the bus. The next time you go pointing fingers -- Look in the mirror.

 

From what I've learned in my years is that if we don't take the initiative to go after terrorists, they will go after us, i.e. 9/11. I guess we need to have one of those every few years before some people realize we are hated and despised by other countries just because of what we have and the freedoms we enjoy. It is better to be leaning into these people, then us being leaned into. .02

 

Despite all the things that are said about George W bush, IMO he has done a great job in matters of security since 9/11, but this is all just a bandaid
FrankS, noboby hates us because of the freedoms we enjoy, for what you have, for your way of life. You still don't get it , US foreign policy has dumped on ALOT of people all over the world, probably in ways that we will never know. Why would the body of a US serviceman, be dragged through the streets (Somalia) by a mass of what is likely uneducated, ignorant poor , who have probably not even seen any part of the US even on TV!
Why do we have a group of similarly iganorant freaks running through the jungles in the Phillipines, chanting death to America?!
I could go on....
Some where, sometime US foreign policy has hurt these people.
Until foreign policy is "fixed" we may never be safe!

I don't mean to offend anyone with my comments, but it just seems that whenever a topic like this comes up , anywhere, there seems to be a loud mouth that says, bomb the ****ers, without thinking first.

 

Noone is saying that here. An Americans' body was dragged through the street by poor heathens.

I get it quite clear. And I have been to countries, namely France, where you are looked upon with hatred, even though not so many years ago, very brave men bailed their country out of doom. Foreign policy is a small portion of the Arabic hatred of the US. Do more research and you will find it. I've done mine.

 

oops

 

If you're going to bring up Somalia, you have to remember the only news the Somalies received was from a radio station ran by leader of their clan. This is not to say the U.S. military and the government did not make errors but, it is easy to control a population's opinions by controling the information they receive. As to the history of the "occupied lands" here are a couple of web sites. I have found many others but it would be redudant to post them.
http://lexicorient.com/e.o/yomkipwr.htm .
http://i-cias.com/e.o/sixdaywr.htm