True or not, it appears that Bush gave his blessing to Sharon ........

[kentuck]

to assassinate the Hamas leader today. At least, that is what the Arab countries are saying and thinking. The White House refused to criticize the Israelis for the action.
=======================================================
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/breaking_news/8451291.htm

<snip>
The White House declined to criticize Israel's missile strike assassination of a top Hamas leader Saturday, saying instead that Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist attacks and urging Palestinians to use restraint in responding.

Fearing retaliatory attacks from Palestinians that would escalate already high Mideast tensions, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said in the wake of the killing of Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the Hamas leader in Gaza, that "the United States is gravely concerned for regional peace and stability.

"The United States strongly urges Israel to consider carefully the consequences of its actions," he said. "And we again urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint at this time."

Rantisi was killed as he rode in his car in attack that also killed two of his bodyguards. A senior Bush administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration had no advance notice of the attack. Israeli sources, likewise, said the strike was not coordinated with Washington.

...more

[bloom]

1. on yahoo "Jordan's King: U.S.-Arab Tension at Worst"

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040417/ap_on_re_us/jordanian_king_2

SAN FRANCISCO - King Abdullah II of Jordan said Friday that the twin images of Israelis battling Palestinians and American troops occupying Iraq (news - web sites) have generated more animosity toward the United States in the Arab world than he has ever seen.

The enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the issue that still consumes most Arab countries, the 42-year-old king said.

Abdullah said Americans are "being held responsible, rightly or wrongly" for that conflict. "That is the recruiting ground for extremism and terrorism that we see in the Middle East," he said.
_______________________________________________

I can't blame everybody for saying that Bush* is encouraging bad relations. What else could anyone think?

Bush* & Co. don't even try to pretend they want peace.

[soleft]

4. encouraging bad relations?

What he's encouraging is Armageddon

[bloom]

6. You're right

:nuke:

[Mari333]

5. I almost fainted when Bob Novack said on Capital Gang today

that what Bush did was a huge blunder.
and our troops are the ones who will pay for this mistake.
Sharon will be indicted. If any Repubs or Dems get a spine Bush will be thrown out of the white house .
In the meantime, our kids are sitting ducks.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[still_one]

2. I do not think bush gave his blessing

but because he did not continue the mideast peace talks where Clinton left off, he has practically destroyed any chance for peace in that region for at least the next decade

[kentuck]

3. Maybe not, but it appears that way....

Since Sharon just left the WH about 24 hours ago....

[drfemoe]

10. US veto

of UN resolution to condemn Yassin's assassination = Blessings to continue assassinations.

PLUS US military using same 'strategy' in Ira*.

[rucky]

16. Yep. It's more than "appears" that way.

A veto is a blessing.

[PurityOfEssence]

7. True; it APPEARS that way

and that's all that matters.

I can't find the photo from The CBS Evening News tonight, but Sharon and Bush were addressing the press from behind matching podiums, and behind each of them was a U.S. and an Israeli flag. The shot on Junior was perfectly framed, with the draped U.S. flag behind his right shoulder, and the entirety of the Star of David over his left.

I've never seen as powerful an image for the equating of the two states, and it's sure to be seen again.

Anyone got that photo?

[Leilani]

8. of course this move puts our troops in more jeopardy

in Iraq.

The tensions there are so bad, so let us throw some fuel on the fire, & be seen as completely backing Israel, in its illegal assassination & this weeks land grab in the West Bank.

Anyone who didnt hate us in Iraq, now does.

And this is all for a few votes in November.

[chookie]

9. I believe that Bush has given Green Light to Sharon

Paul O'Neill told Ron Suskind that the two topics raised at his very first Cabinet meeting were
1) new policy towards Israel/Palestine. Bush ordered that the US disengage from any peace negotiations. He said he had a good feeling about Sharon, and that perhaps "if one side were allowed to show greater force" for a while, it might change things. Powell tried to get him to rethink it, but Bush demanded this. (As a result, Israel/Palestine exploded into horrific violence in the spring and summer of 2001 -- with no reaction or action from the White House, other than Ari Fleischer saying something to the effect ' You've seen one suicide bomber, you've seen them all.") My analysis -- Bush *LET* Israel/Palestine explode into violence. He wanted to provoke a violent uprising by the Palestinians, and for Americans to feel sympathy towards Israel.
(I suggest this is the first LIHOP of 2001.)
2) Bush initiated orders to invade Iraq.

Note how since the Clarke and O'Neill books have come out, revealing that Bush was planning invading Iraq from Day 1, that His Chimperial Highness has backed away from "Sept 11 made me do it" to "It was part of my comprehensive plan to eradicatie terrorism from the face of the earth" instead of "swatting flies."

Immediately after Sept 11, there was an attempt in the chimp-controlled media to see America and Israel as one and the same -- facing an identical foe. Laws have been passed to cause monitoring of university professors in state univiersities and colleges who teach things contrary to Israeli "interests" (like the Palestinian side of the story). Arlen Spector has proposed that Israel send their terrorists to the US to face the death penalty -- because Israel democratically chose to apply the death penalty only in cases of treason, and I guess some Americans think that the Israelis don't have the right to set their own laws on such matters.

It is my opinion that Sharon and Bush have been trying to instigate violence, to "bring on" a very terrible military solution towards the Palestinians, which the world, and Americans, are going to be expected to accept as the only possible remedy to terror.

It is my opinion that Bush's agenda all along has been to wage a long term regional war in the Middle East, to utterly transform the balance of power there. He's just starting to be a little more honest and open about it.

People have got to think long and hard as to whether they really want America in a long, bloody war in the Middle East, with war dominating our national life for the foreseeable future. Every day we move further down the road to this long cherished goal of theirs.

[drfemoe]

17. What I find absolutely INCREDIBLE

is that people actually believed *B* was sincere when he came up with his "Road Map". (Disregarding decades of previous foreign policy.) It was a scraggly bone he tossed at the time to 'balance' his war fever. NOTHING more. I'm just incredulous that anyone actually took that "initiative" seriously. Really.

[rdfi-defi]

11. the us has given the wink wink nod nod to Israel for years

it has been consistent

[mmonk]

12. One thing for sure

nobody will look to us to broker peace anymore.

[Lefty48197]

13. Bush is weak and needed a victory. Sharon knew this and took advantage

of the weakling-in-chief. Sharon get's to make limited concessions, and Bush tries to pretend that he has solved the ancient conflict between the Isrealites and the Philistinians. What a maroon.

[MrPrax]

14. Green Light?

um...Israel didn't need a green light for the last 30 years...no more than Bush did when he ripped up the 'basis' of International Law.

Let's go back over the week
-Bush press conference
-Sharon visit the next day
-assassination of a 'new' Hamas leader
-pissed off arabs

It is sorta like last week...
-Negorponte announced as the new viceroy
-US escalates the war
-Iraqis continue to demand meaningful 'sovreignty'
-IGC no longer a factor
-pissed off arabs

um...so the Peace Plan that Sharon-Bush agreed on...like Iraq...didn't actually include anyone did it? They are annexing land their are not entitled to in violation of International Law...Iraq and Most of Palestine (oh yeah the same folks will agree as part of their peace plan to pull out of Gaza Strip--which of course nobody believes they will actually do either)

No none of this actually includes anyone outside of a very tight circle...
Why would it? Since it would be completely unacceptable to anyone else in the world (arabs, Britain, EU, china, etc etc) because they are potential victims...

[Eric J in MN]

15. I don't believe that Sharon asked Bush for permission.

I don't believe that Sharon asked Bush for permission.

However, the Bush Admin's mixed reaction to the previous assasination of a Hamas leader would have been a sign to Sharon that he wouldn't face consequences in his relationship with Bush.