Ned Lamont's Proposal for Israel/Lebanon

[oberliner]

In case anyone is interested in looking for solutions instead of engaging in name-calling, here's a proposal for peace from Ned Lamont!

Lamont Policy: Change Priorities and Pursue a Peace Settlement

"All Americans want the kidnapped soldiers to be returned and this cycle of violence to end, based on the principles of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 of 2004, which calls for Hezbollah militias to be disbanded and disarmed, with the government of Lebanon taking full control of all of its territory. It is not for the United States to dictate to Israel how it defends itself. Nor is it my place to make tactical recommendations to the president. But I do have some strategic suggestions about what our country should do moving forward.

After the fighting stops, the President needs to reengage in this part of the world and work on a peace settlement and a response to the humanitarian concerns in Gaza and elsewhere. We should not seek to impose a resolution on Israel. But peace between Israel and its neighbors must be a priority.

Without negotiating with terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, President Bush and the Secretary of State ought to be working on a peace settlement with Israel, the Palestinians and others who might help. The outlines of a peace agreement are there; both sides agree: land for recognition, peace and security.

Other Presidents have made progress in this difficult region. There’s no reason why this President should not reverse course and become engaged for peace."


Proposal can be found at the bottom of his statement on the situation in the Middle East.

I encourage everyone to read the whole statement here:

http://nedlamont.com/issues/627/situation-in-the-middle-east

[The Magistrate]

1. A Pretty Sensible Piece, Sir

Light on specifics, which is always adviseable....

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. This makes sense

and it is a breath of fresh air-I'm tired of the frayed nerves around here over this issue. The key is Lamont wants to figure out a way to settle this peacefully instead of resorting to war.

[Cha]

3. Ned Lamont is pointing

out that bush has been disengaged in the Middle East since he the junta began.

There would be lots of ways to at least attempt to broker a Mid East agreement if they weren't actually setting up Armegeddon on their four horses.

[smacky44]

4. i disagree. We need to stop calling Hizbollah and Hamas terrorist groups

and treat them as any other enemies during war. That means negotiate with them and their legitimate governments. As long as we keep pretending that Israel is always right and not guilty of the same and worse atrocities that Hizbollah and Hamas are guilty of we will never be able to broker a lasting peace if one is possible at all. Until the US can show the world that it is a leader and not a follower of the Israeli government ahead of its own interests we will always be guilty of hypocrisy and the blood of many innocents will be on our hands as well. This does not mean that we have to abandon Israel nor stop our close relationship but it does mean that some "tough love" needs be practiced. Aerial bombings of innocent civilians and tearing up the life sustaining infrastrucre of a nation that had not attacked you is not a just and sure way to ensure security. And Israel displays a certain lack of appreciation and understanding of its greatest ally, the US when it carries out these massive attacks and state assassinations against international and humanity laws. In short, we always have Israel's back but they never seem to have ours. We must meet with the leaders of Hamas and Hizbollah to at least learn what there true interests are and to bring them into the fold and control of their governments. But we will not do it by not talking to them and referring to them always as terrorists as though they had no legitimate concerns. We failed to do this with Saddam and 2,500 plus American lives and thousands of innocent Iraqi lives later, Iraq is much worse off than it was when we invaded and it was pretty bad off after 12 years of sanctions and bombings by the US and allies. If we could TALK to Japan, if could deal with Viet Nam as we are now doing, and if we can talk to and make trade deals with China, Pakistan, and even Saudia Arabia, in the name of all that is civilized we should be able to at leasst TALK to Hizbollah and Hamas. Remember, we aligned ourselves with some of the worlds top terrorists from Israel, who are regarded as terrorists by the rest of the world although they are heros to Israelis.

[Fozzledick]

5. I disagree. Hizbollah and Hamas need to stop being terrorist groups

[Name removed]

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