by Robdar 61 Replies latest jw friends
Calling Bush's daughters names only casts a pall on the person doing it. They have nothing to do with his decisions and pointing out the failings of his daughters is pretty low and pretty sad.
Teenyuck, please re-read what I said, I called no one names, just like you accused me of calling dubla dumb, even after I re-interated, I wasn't calling him dumb. I was only responding to what you said, was not the one that brought them up.
TH, I was actually referring to Reborns rant. He brought the daughters into it. I know you did not.
Facts about Syria. Source: CIA
Realist, Good question but you miss the point. History is full of these examples. So what? Europe was ready to coddle Hitler at the expense of Poland. Did that mean that they could not act in the future? Also, remember, the items shipped were duel use items that were stopped when discovered what the Iraqis were up to. Iraq was in bed with a lot of Nations........
Regarding Iran...there is still some payback due the US in some people's minds, including many Iranians who feel the current leadership put Iran back 200 years....
In hindsight, the Shah proved to be a lesser of the two evils. At least according to some Iranian friends I have and a review of history of the Shah's reforms that placed Iran in the 20th century.
teenyuck-
I see you conveniently decided to ENTIRELY AVOID the relevant FACTS I presented regarding Mr. Bush's hypocritical actions in the past. (e.g. his sale of Harken Oil stock in 1990 for a 200 percent profit one week before the company suffered a $23 million dollar loss, while as President he goes on to criticize and lambast CEO's for "immoral" behavior when he committed the same atrocities himself)
I see you ENTIRELY AVOIDED the issues I raised regarding the moral authority this man attempts to use when it is the United States that is the ONLY country in history to use WMD, and has the largest stockpile on earth, yet feels it is inappropriate for other countries to possess them because they "may" use them. Or that the Administration villifies Hussein and others (and rightly so, I agree they are tyrannical dictators and evil men) when the US itself has used chemical weapons on it's own citizens in the past.
Regarding his daughters, they were arrested for using fake ID and also for underage drinking. To steal a page from the Dubs, if the man cannot control his MINOR UNDERAGE CHILDREN and govern his own household, how is he suppose to manage the most powerful country on earth and dictate global policy for billions?
Give me a break. You toss a red herring by saying I am petty on the daughter issue and completely AVOID the more important points I raised.
Another desperate far-right whacko.
Another desperate far-right whacko.
Whatever....
As I noted on a couple of other threads on this (you came to these debates a little late), I am not going to change my mind and I won't try to change yours. We have debated all this to death.
We all have our opinions and I don't see anyone changing their mind.
On the issue of his daughters:
It is still ridiculous to point to them as a reason he cannot/should not be President. Period. Pointing out their failings is pretty lame. Re-read my post about college students and drinking. It happens. Just because Chelsea didn't get caught, does not mean she was not doing it--
What a red herring! You cannot take the moral high ground if you make a LEGAL profit in the stock market? Good for Bush! By your reasonings, then no leader can stand......It was not fair to condemn the Clintons because of their profit of %1000 percent in the cattle futures market. The Amarican way, baby!
Too bad you just don’t come out with your hidden agenda so we can really debate the issues!
| Egypt says Israel behind U.S. pressure on Syria | ||
| CAIRO, April 16 — A senior adviser to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel on Wednesday of instigating a campaign of U.S. threats against Syria to force Damascus to make political concessions to the Jewish state. | ||
| Osama el-Baz also urged Israel, in remarks carried by the official Middle East News Agency (MENA), to prepare to withdraw from occupied Arab lands. ''Concerning threats to Syria, Baz said the threats were aimed at pressuring Syria and twisting its arm to go along with certain proposals..., explaining that Israel was the instigator,'' MENA said. The United States has turned up pressure on Syria during its war against Iraq, accusing Damascus of harbouring former aides to deposed President Saddam Hussein, of developing chemical weapons and of supporting ''terrorist'' groups. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said Washington has no war plan to attack Syria but is considering political and economic measures to force it to comply. Israel has long demanded that Damascus end its backing for Lebanese militant movement Hizbollah and Palestinian radical groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, responsible for many attacks on the Jewish state. Egypt, which became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, has kept lukewarm relations with the Jewish state. Baz urged Israel not to waste the chance for ''a true co-existence with the Arabs,'' adding that Israel must be ready to withdraw completely from the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. | ||
| Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. | ||
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters04-16-105214.asp?reg=MIDEAST
No, actually I think it was Switzerland we were going to next...
*scratches head and goes back to study more "S" countries*
XW
""A senior adviser to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel ""
Can you provide a more independent source than rubbish from a known state that harbors, or at least has, active terrorists?
Hahah haha yoyoyoyoyheheheh wow! Very good source! Another example wishful thinking and a hidden agenda. hahaaahaa lol
ERUSALEM, April 18 — With the Bush administration preparing to push a new Middle East peace initiative, Israel said today it was willing to pull back troops, release some Palestinian prisoners and ease travel restrictions if an emerging Palestinian government makes a serious effort to halt violence.
But skeptical Palestinians cautioned that these Israeli steps were not a substitute for full Israeli acceptance of the international peace plan, called the road map.
"All this talk about confidence-building measures, as kind as it may sound, is part of an attempt to do away with the road map," said Nabil Shaath, a Palestinian cabinet minister and negotiator. "What is required of Israel is to accept the road map. Then there will be a detailed plan for everyone to follow."
The United States and its partners, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, intend to formally present the plan when a new Palestinian government is established. That could happen within days, though the incoming prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, is still wrangling with the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat over the cabinet's makeup.
The peace plan is the most ambitious effort yet to end 30 months of fighting in the Middle East and to revive peace negotiations. The aim is a comprehensive peace agreement and a Palestinian state by 2005. While both sides accept the plan in principle, an Israeli delegation expressed more than a dozen reservations in talks with the Bush administration in Washington this week.
Still, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has shunned Mr. Arafat, says he is prepared to sit down with Mr. Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen. And the Israeli steps could help Mr. Abbas gain traction as he takes office.
"We are talking about a package of humanitarian assistance and the easing of security restrictions," said Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Mr. Sharon. "Of course, it's contingent on the Palestinian security forces showing they are dead serious about taking action against terrorists."
Mr. Abbas has been a critic of the Palestinian violence, calling it counterproductive. But Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups that have carried out suicide bombings and other attacks say they plan to press ahead, and it is not clear how forceful Mr. Abbas will be in confronting them.
Israel is prepared to remove troops from some Palestinian cities and towns, where they have been for most of the past year, if Palestinian security forces can take over, Mr. Gissin said.
In addition, Israel would be willing to release some of the more than 5,000 jailed Palestinians. The figure includes those convicted of violence, as well as suspects facing trial, and about 1,000 being held without charge.
With the Palestinian economy in shambles, Israel is also considering allowing more Palestinians into Israel to work. Before the Palestinian uprising, some 150,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip commuted daily to Israel, mostly for work. Today, the number is about 10,000.
Israel is also willing to increase the amount of money it is sending to the Palestinians from the taxes and customs duties collected on their behalf, Mr. Gissin said. Israel has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in such revenue, saying it believed some of the money was being used by the Palestinian Authority to finance violence.
The Israeli spokesman did not give a timetable, but said Israel was ready to move as soon Mr. Abbas' government was in office.
"Even before the road map is published, we're ready to take basic steps," Mr. Gissin said. "We're all for Abu Mazen putting his security forces in place, and making a 100 percent effort to halt terror so we can pull out our troups."
President Bush has said it will be presented when the Palestinian government is formed, and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is expected to visit the region in a bid to get the initiative rolling.
However, the United States says the measures will not be imposed, and the two sides will have to work out their differences.
The Palestinians fear the plan will be derailed by Israel objections on issues such as freezing construction on Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.
"We are satisfied that the United States is not going to change the road map," said Mr. Shaath, the Palestinian minister. "Is the United States going to wield all its influence to get it implemented? I don't know the answer to that."
In recent weeks, the number of Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians has been down significantly, though Israeli troops and Palestinian militants still clash regularly in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. No deaths were reported today, something that used to be a rarity, but which is now becoming more common.
Israel attributes the decline to its strong military presence in Palestinian areas, though the measures also greatly constrict everyday life for Palestinian civilians.
Israel sealed off the Palestinian territories before the weeklong Jewish holiday of Passover, which began Wednesday evening. Israeli security sources say they have received more than 50 warnings of possible attacks during the holiday period.
In another development, four Israeli border police officers have been arrested on suspicion of beating to death a 17-year-old Palestinian in the West Bank town of Hebron last December.
The police officers are suspected of seizing Imran Abu Ramdiya from his home, killing him with blows to the head, and dumping his body in an industrial park.
The suspects apparently decided to carry out the assault after one of their commanders was killed by Palestinians several days earlier, said Jacob Galanti, a spokesman for Israel's Justice Ministry, which arrested the men.
An Israeli judge ordered the four held for another week while the case is investigated, said Mr. Galanti, adding that no charges have been filed.
