Bolton to Arab World: Fuck You
Lest anyone wonder why Arabs think the US has a lopsided policy heavily favoring Israel in any and all disputes, look no further than our Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton. In a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, Bolton made it clear where we stood on the recent conflict and why we haven't pressured Israel to let up on their offensive in Lebannon; an offensive that threatens to destroy their fragile government leaving it entirely in the hands of Hezbollah.
Echoing a favorite Neo-Conservative slogan, Bolton said, "I think it's important that we not fall into the trap of moral equivalency here." He seems to think that international calls for Israel to exercise a measured response is so much horseshit.
"What Hezbollah has done is kidnap Israeli soldiers and rain rockets and mortar shells on innocent Israeli civilians. What Israel has done in response is act in self-defense. And I don't quite know what the argument about proportionate force means here. Is Israel entitled only to kidnap two Hezbollah operatives and fire a couple of rockets aimlessly into Lebanon?"
Certainly not, but a look at the casualties—on both sides—shows a bit more than a proportional response from Israel. The CNN report states that Israeli forces have killed at least 271 people and wounded another 711, according to officials with the Lebanese security forces. In response, Hezbollah attacks have killed seven Israeli civilians and 20 soldiers and wounded more than 300 civilians and more than 60 soldiers, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
That's 271 Lebanese and 20 Israeli soldiers in response to the kidnapping of two.
There's no question that Israel has a right to defend itself, but the idea of proportional response that eludes John Bolton is a matter of simple math.
Comments
So what do you think we should be doing? Where has urging restraint gotten Israel?
Not that I have any fucking clue. Here's an issue that'll kill the dinner conversation.
Posted by: barabajagal | July 24, 2006 9:29 AM
I think we should be working directly with all parties to broker a cease fire.
Now, don't think I am ignorant of Iran's influence in all of this. How we deal with them is another question entirely.
Posted by: Derek Phillips | July 24, 2006 10:13 AM
I'm disappointed that we're breaking with our established tradition of funding/supplying arms to both sides of the same conflict, you know, like we did with Iran and Iraq when they were at war. (Boy, was that ever a great idea...) Think of the added millions our beleaguered arms suppliers could make!
Posted by: JML | July 24, 2006 12:52 PM
Hezbollah has been lobbing rockets into Israel for years. Israel has been amazingly restrained up until this point. For the past year Labanon has allowed this to continue. They can't blame Syria anymore, since the Lebanese threw them out. Now the government and the people of lebanon have to live with what they've allowed to fester.
Imagine if Castro started firing rockets into Florida; a few or a dozen a day. How long do you think we'd put up with it before we invaded?
Israel is reacting with their military in the manner they are because Hezbollah has weapons cache's and fighters dug in in southern Lebanon. They've been preparing to fight a war and egging Israel to engage them.
There is only so long that any country can put with being attacked before it fights back.
As much as I find the Bush administration's folly in Iraq detestible, I have to side with Israel here. They have enemies on their boarders who have vowed to wipe Isreal off the face of the earth. Boo Hoo for the Labanese, they allowed Hezbollah to do this and they brought this on themselves.
Posted by: scotty | July 24, 2006 6:40 PM
Lebanon can't have it both ways. Either they're with the Israelis and have to join the fight to uproot Hezbollah, or they're with Hezbollah and have to deal with Israel raining war down on them. It's not like we'd allow a militia to plant itself in Texas and start a war with Mexico. We'd go down there and put their ass in jail.
And yes, Baraba, This topic came up at dinner Sunday night and I ran the hell out of the room to do dishes.
Posted by: Lurker01 | July 26, 2006 8:41 AM
JML's response wins, hands down.
I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself, but I would pose another question: how is strategically destroying an already weak state as opposed to the terrorist organization that is hiding behind said state going to make Israel any safer? A shock-and-awe bombing campaign only serves to throw Lebanon into total chaos, which if experience is any indication, will just plop down a big welcome mat to more radical, fundamentalist elements like Hezbollah. Not to mention Iran and Iraq using the opportunity to further rally formerly moderate muslims against Israel and the West. But since Olmert has been chest-thumping about obliterating Hezbollah for once and for all, and since we know Hezbollah is not going to back down, the only thing I see happening here is continued escalation. Which only means more civilians are going to die. The US would do itself a lot of good if it appeared simply concerned about that fact, and not about trying to take sides on what will be seen as an Israel vs. the entire Arab world conflict.
Posted by: steve-o | August 3, 2006 9:29 AM
so if gaza fires rockets yearly and aims for civilians only in america or any other country you think that america wont fight back!!!! you think that they will stand back and let civillians get killed and wounded?!! america will destroy gaza! but if israel dares to fight back for once!"but their killing civillians bombin schools" when the arab cowards hide in schools behind children.
Posted by: jake | November 5, 2009 9:07 PM