Thursday, October 14, 2004

GAZA INCURSION: 'VIOLENCE GENERATES MORE VIOLENCE'

KEY FINDINGS

**  Israeli dailies back PM Sharon's "radical remaking" of Israel's political spectrum.
**  Arab media dub the "monster Israeli military machine's" Gaza operation "genocide."
**  Hardline Arab outlets say the U.S. veto in the UNSC sought to "protect Zionist terrorism." 
**  Euro and Canadian writers find both sides guilty of "stubbornness, if not stupidity." 

MAJOR THEMES

'A remarkable political drama'--  Israeli media focused on Sharon's effort to "shuffle the cards of Israeli politics" in light of the "non-negotiable impasse" within the Likud party over disengagement from Gaza.  Pluralist Yediot Aharonot urged Sharon to form a pro-disengagement national unity government that would "abandon" the extreme right and left.  The conservative Jerusalem Post forecasted that Israel may create "new political alliances that finally part ways with anachronistic configurations."  Other dailies accused Sharon of trying to "freeze the political process" so as to "kill the Palestinian state softly."  Popular Maariv concluded that "Israel has failed" because "Palestinian society has become more extreme."  

'Open Zionist aggression in Gaza'--  Muslim writers assailed "Israel's massacres and atrocities."  Syrian dailies were especially critical of Israel's "flagrant violation" of international law; government-owned Al-Thawra described Israeli policy as "annihilating the Palestinian people [and] trampling on their remains."  Palestinian papers said PM Sharon was working to "keep the violent conflict open-ended" to quietly "intensify" the "large Jewish settlement blocs."  Many dailies highlighted Muslim "impotence," describing Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as powerless "slaves to American wishes."  The elite Jordan Times decried both the "world's superpower and its spineless minions" in the region for viewing the conflict "through blinders."  

The U.S.' 'ugly image will only get uglier'--  Saudi outlets slammed the U.S.' "wrong and shortsighted policy" of granting "unlimited support" to Israel.  Moderate Al-Bilad labeled the U.S. the "enemy of peace and humanity," and moderate Al-Watan said the U.S. "has become a partner" in Israel's "systematic genocide."  The West Bank's official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida judged the U.S.' "offensive" UNSC veto to be "evidence of its affection for evil."  Other dailies deemed the UNSC "useless" because the "international system has become entirely American."  The U.S. veto has "fanned the flames of hatred," warned observers, as "Arabs will always hate the U.S."  Pakistan's independent Din predicted "a new wave of terror."  

'A credible peace process' is vital--  Euro and Canadian editorialists faulted both parties, who "seem to be unilaterally preoccupied with creating more hatred."  Canada's conservative Winnipeg Sun stated that "bulldozing houses...serves only to create more terrorists.  And suicide bombings serve only to create more bulldozing."  France's left-of-center Le Monde agreed the region must cease "endlessly pushing peace further away."  Observers criticized Israel's "large-scale and destructive" assault on Gaza as a "tragic mistake" but also denounced Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel as "despicable."  

Prepared by Media Reaction Branch (202) 203-7888, rmrmail@state.gov

EDITOR:  Ben Goldberg

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Media Reaction reporting conveys the spectrum of foreign press sentiment.  Posts select commentary to provide a representative picture of local editorial opinion.  Some commentary is taken directly from the Internet.  This report summarizes and interprets foreign editorial opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government.  This analysis was based on 64 reports from 20 countries over  5 - 14 October 2004.  Editorial excerpts are listed from the most recent date.

EUROPE

BRITAIN:  "Israel Must Never Give Up The Moral High Ground"

The conservative Daily Telegraph (10/8):  "The road map's fatal flaw was that it depended on Washington for its momentum.  Mr. Sharon will have calculated that neither George W. Bush nor John Kerry has much enthusiasm for a Palestinian state likely to be dominated by Hamas, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Islamic Jihad.  It would be a tragic mistake for Mr. Sharon to dash hopes for peace.  Friends of Israel can only defend controversial measures such as the counterattacks now taking place in Gaza, or the perimeter fence to exclude suicide bombers, if the Israeli government is seen to be ready to negotiate.  It was Mr. Arafat who snubbed Mr. Sharon's predecessor, Ehud Barak.  Israel still has the moral high ground.  Mr. Sharon forfeits it at his peril."

FRANCE:  "A Dangerous Blockage"

Left-of-center Le Monde argued (10/8):  “Dov Weissglass is not just anybody. He is Sharon’s man in charge of relations with the U.S. administration. He is therefore an influential and powerful man in Jerusalem....  A certain dynamic seems to be developing in this region of the Middle East, masked by routine attacks....  Sharon, who has proven to be a remarkable political strategist...is using the Iraqi quagmire with as much mastery as he did the aftermath of 9/11....  At the time he managed to completely discredit Arafat in the eyes of the U.S. administration....  Now Sharon’s goal seems to be going back on the proposal of a Palestinian state made by President Bush in 2002. He is doing this by taking advantage of the U.S. administration’s disarray, caught as it is in the worst possible aftermath of a war one could ever have imagined....  Sharon is ready to abandon the ‘roadmap'....  There is a danger for the Israelis and the Palestinians alike. Because the region has nothing to gain from endlessly pushing peace further away.” 

GERMANY:  "Sharon Is Unsuccessful"

Center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich editorialized (10/7):  "The choice of words make clear that both sides have not learnt anything in the last four years of intifadah, during which 3,500 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis were killed.  Palestinians continue to fire missiles and Israel is stabilizing itself with violence.   Sharon's vow for a Palestinian state is lip-service.  Recently, he said that you should not believe anybody in the Middle East because they all lie.  He works on the assumption that violence can be fought with violence, but he does not pursue the vision of two states....  I wonder how many more people must die until the Middle East understands that violence generates more violence."

"There Will Be No Palestine State"

Martina Doering opined in left-of-center Berliner Zeitung (10/7):  "The U.S. government does not disagree with Israel's policy to take the objective of establishing a Palestinian state off the agenda.  Sharon's advisor said the Israeli plans were given a presidential blessing.  Beyond that, the U.S. is in a last round of the election campaign.  Washington worries about other things than and does not want to annoy any Jewish and Christian voters."

DENMARK:  "Israeli-Palestinian Leaders Fail Their People--International Intervention Needed"

Herbert Pundik concluded in center-left Politiken (10/11):  "The tragic thing about the Middle East is that the vast majority of Palestinians and Israelis would be willing to compromise in order to reach some sort of solution, but anyway, support leaders who are bent on confrontation.  Foreign intervention could make a difference.  But, the EU has passed the baton to the U.S. and neither presidential candidate seems interested in becoming embroiled in the Middle East right now.”  

HUNGARY:  "The Cynical Duet"

Levente Sitkei said in conservative Magyar Nemzet (10/9):  “A cynical duet is being performed by the U.S. and Israel, in an increasingly shameless way....  Do we want to live in a more peaceful world, and are we willing to act to achieve that?  Most do.  The above-mentioned two countries, though, certainly do not. One calls everybody who speaks out against its policy an anti-Semite, and the other, just like a loyal subject, keeps nodding....  The American power machine does have strength, but it does not have a straight backbone or culture; thus, it tries to settle all controversial issues with its fist.  So far it has, indeed, worked....  There is no peace, no cooperation, and no security. There is, however, war, chaos, and the peoples of the world are more and more afraid of each other....  Anti-Americanism is indeed more and more prevalent all over the world (both in the member countries of the EU and in the Islamic countries), but that must not be mistaken for anti-Semitism.  Contrary to what the members of the tandem are trying to present, the problem is not with the Jews.  What enrages people is rather the arrogance of power and the disregard for other people’s lives.”

IRELAND:  "Sharon's Plan For Gaza"

The center-left Irish Times declared (10/13):  "Mr. Sharon faces a choice between new elections which he says will not change anything or his preferred course of reconstructing a governing coalition with the opposition Labour Party which may decisively split his own party....  Mr Sharon restated his support for the negotiating plan drawn up by the quartet...which demands that a Gaza withdrawal should be linked to a fresh peace effort. Those aware of the cynical remarks last week by his adviser and former chief of staff, Mr Dov Weisglass, cannot but be deeply sceptical about Mr Sharon's true intentions....  Right-wing members of Mr Sharon's Likud party say withdrawing from Gaza will undermine Israel's occupation of and settlements in Palestinian lands and lead the way to a Palestinian state. They are not convinced by his determination to maintain military control over Gaza nor by his belief (bolstered by an agreement with the Bush administration) that the plan will strengthen Israel's ability to resist international pressure for an unfavorable settlement....  Nevertheless, two-thirds of Israelis support the Gaza plan and want a peace agreement with the Palestinians....  Nothing can be expected on the international front before the U.S. elections--realistically until next year. But if any new initiative is to have real purchase it must be accompanied by determined international pressure for a settlement. That must come from the EU and Russia, since the U.S. has effectively abrogated its mediating role by its support for Mr Sharon's plan. The prospects are not good. There has been little objection to the huge military operation in Gaza, which is to continue. But a credible peace process leading to a sustainable two-state settlement remains a crucial part of any plan to bring democratic change and stability to the Middle East.”

"Israel's Assault On Gaza"

The center-left Irish Times noted (10/5):  "Israel's assault on northern Gaza over the last six days is just as large-scale and destructive as previous operations there and on West Bank towns over the last year, but international reaction has been much more muted than before....  The subdued international reaction is partly explained by the fact that the operation was provoked by the despicable killing of two young children in the Israeli town of Sderot....  It is also because the more severe violence in Iraq has overshadowed this Israeli operation and because the US presidential election has diverted the attention of the principal international players with an interest in the conflict. As a result the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, feels little constraint on his plan to deal a lethal military blow against Hamas prior to the proposed Israeli withdrawal from Gaza next year. Withdrawal is bitterly contested by the right-wing in his Likud party....  To forestall this the Israeli occupation should continue and the 8,000 settlers stay put. Mr Sharon believes that is unsustainable in the long run....  This operation therefore has a clear political purpose as well as a military one and could last weeks or months according to Israeli defense sources. It is intended to eliminate Hamas's capacity to mount such attacks by breaking up its organisational base in the Jabalya camp so that Israel is not seen to withdraw from Gaza under fire....  Hamas would be better outflanked by reopening the peace process with the mainstream Palestinian leadership, harnessing it to the continuing desire of most Israelis for a peaceful two-state settlement and the international goodwill that would accompany such a process. Mr Sharon will come under pressure to go this route next year and wants to defeat Hamas before then. But these tactics are more likely to reinforce its appeal.”

NORWAY:  "When War Becomes A War-crime"

Social-democratic Dagsavisen commented (10/6):  "When helicopter gunships fire target-seeking missiles into Palestinian crowds and into heavily populated residential areas, this is an intentional attack on civilians, with the murder of civilians being the conscious strategy. This is an obvious war- crime, and nothing else....  But Hamas also knows exactly what it wants to achieve with its primitive missile attacks, which first and foremost target civilians....  There will be no peace in the Middle East before an agreement on two separate states within recognized borders is in place. It takes two parties to make war. It also takes two parties to achieve peace. Unfortunately both parties at the moment seem to be unilaterally preoccupied with creating more hatred.” 

"Future Without Peace"

Newspaper-of-record Aftenposten observed (10/5):  "The so-called roadmap to peace--which the U.S., the UN, the EU and Russia were behind--is no longer worth the paper it is written on. This in spite of it being formally accepted by both the Israeli and Palestinian governments....  The U.S. carries the largest piece of responsibility for this through giving Ariel Sharon free hands and leaving the Palestinians to themselves. The Gaza-offensive is just one of many indicators of exactly this. The Palestinians are supposed to be threatened into a type of peace that they themselves cannot influence, while Israel now intends for not just Eastern Jerusalem, but also large parts of the West Bank to stay permanently occupied. This is how to build a future without peace. A future that makes the world more dangerous.”  

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL:  "A Desired Mediation"

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (10/14):  "Over the past few days, as the Palestinian death toll has risen, the international community stopped supporting the Israeli operation.  The EU's foreign ministers called on Israel to stop the operation and honor the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of civilians in battle zones....  Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is adamant about continuing the operation, and even expanding it, until the Qassam launches cease.  Under the circumstances now prevailing, he ought to reconsider his position.  It would be preferable if some authoritative body in the PA was able to take immediate responsibility for security in the Strip.  Such a body does not appear to be available....  Israel therefore needs to take advantage of the EU's call and translate it into a constructive maneuver for international mediation, which will ensure the implementation of a cease-fire.  The Egyptians cannot do this alone, the Europeans won't do it without the Americans, and the Americans are too busy with their forthcoming elections and are not interested in initiating a move of this kind at present.  An Israeli acquiescence in joint international activity that would lead to a cease-fire would present the sides with a challenge.  Meeting the challenge is critical for the implementation of the disengagement plan."

"The Left's Inflated Ego"

Yael Paz-Melamed held in popular, pluralist Maariv (10/14):  "The Left is too dainty to make life easier for [Sharon], and to accept this move [disengagement] as a lesser evil, which is very good in Israel's situation.  The Left knows better how to solve the problems....  But all its leaders are looking down on [the plan]: 'The unilateral move isn't the answer....  We brought you the Geneva Accord....  What else do you want?'....  But we, two-thirds of the people, over 80 percent of the moderate Left, will tell you what we would like.  We want you to forsake your inflated egos...and to escort Sharon's move with all your might--without squalid party considerations, unlike what you did at the Knesset on Monday....  The meaning of disengagement is that the fight that you, the leaders of the Left, have been fighting for during decades, is now dictating the course of Israel's policy....  What is important is that we are approaching a historic moment....  The Likud leader, the father of the settlements, has reached the conclusion that there is no choice but to bring them down, and to leave the Gaza Strip forever."

"When The Left Embraces Sharon"

Settler leader Israel Harel wrote in left-leaning, independent Ha'aretz (10/14):  "Sharon's exercise in uprooting is reminiscent of his imbroglio in Lebanon in both the brutality of its internal political machinations and its potential for external and security entanglements....  This time, unlike Lebanon, most of the support for uprooting settlements, which is liable to produce Lebanon-type results, may be found in the Left and in the press.  Even if the catastrophe does happen its main victims would be Jews, after all....  Nevertheless, this support is a double-edged sword.  The closer the Left's affiliation with Sharon, the stronger the alienation toward him within his own camp.  Even the last of his faithful followers in Likud will not be able to continue supporting him--no one chooses political suicide--if they realize two weeks from now when the Knesset votes on uprooting settlements that most of those who support him are either members of the Left or Arabs.  A vote in favor of uprooting would serve the policy of the latter group, but not that of Likud."

"Winds Of Change"

Eytan Haber opined in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (10/13):  "Today, the place of Sharon and his supporters in the Knesset isn't in the Likud.  They have abandoned its ideology....  Now is the time to shuffle the cards of Israeli politics.  Perhaps the moment of truth has come, the one all political parties have feared since June 10, 1967, just after the Six-Day-War victory.  As prime minister, Sharon should gather under him all the Zionist parties that support his plan and abandon the (extreme?) Right and the (extreme?) Left."

"Undoing His Own Creation"

The conservative, independent Jerusalem Post noted (10/13):  "As foreign minister in the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon memorably urged Israeli Jews to grab more hilltops in the territories, to ensure that no future prime minister could stymie the settlement enterprise he had fathered.  In championing disengagement, and the dismantling of all of Gaza's settlements and four in northern Samaria [the northernmost part of the West Bank], he has become the very prime minister he warned against, starting to undo his own ideological brainchild....  Sharon has led his Likud to what has gradually emerged as a non-negotiable impasse....  Each camp [within the Likud] is now left accusing the other of betraying both party and public. And amid the mounting bitterness and recrimination, the ruling party is falling apart before our very eyes.  Quite how, and with what speed, this remarkable political drama will play out is likely to be our preoccupation in the coming weeks.  But it seems clear that the much-anticipated 'big bang' of Israeli politics, the radical remaking of long-standing party groupings, is drawing nearer....  In the short term, we now have a recipe for parliamentary chaos.  In the medium term....  Israel may emerge with new political alliances that finally part ways with anachronistic configurations, and more accurately represent the views of the various sectors of Israel's radically changed political spectrum."

"When Dubi Meets Condi"

Yoel Marcus wrote in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz (10/12):  "In telling...Ha'aretz...that the disengagement plan is a way of freezing the political process and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, [Dov] Weisglass has ultimately portrayed Sharon as a cheat and a liar, and dragged the country into a whirlwind of denials and apologies....  So Bush laughed at his jokes, but the main thing is this invention he's come up with to freeze the political process and keep a Palestinian state from coming into being. 'The settlers should be dancing a jig around the Prime Minister's Office,' Weisglass rightly says.  By the time the Palestinians turn into enlightened Finns, we can be sure the Messiah will have arrived.  And who will be his adviser on earth if not Condi's friend, the inventor?"

"As Usual, Sharon's Bureau Thinks We're Stupid"

Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe asserted (10/8):  "The statements made by Dov Weisglass, according to which the crazy disengagement plan was meant to avert an American plan that would require Palestinian concessions without [Israel] giving anything in exchange, represent an insult to intelligence....  Weisglass remains what he has always been -- Ariel Sharon's right hand in the implementation of the uprooting of Jews just because of their being Jews....  The Palestinians understand the correctly the moves of the Prime Minister--the fact that he is broken, that he has collapsed, that he is zigzagging among various policies, and that every passing day brings another mad initiative, that he is ruling like a dictator, and that this dictatorship must come to an end."

"What The Adviser Said"

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized (10/8):  "The publication of [senior Sharon adviser Dov Weisglass's] interview [with Ha'aretz] has led the U.S. Administration to demand clarifications from the government, and has resulted in a wave of political criticism.  On the left there have been arguments that the adviser has exposed the true intentions of the Prime Minister, but these notwithstanding, disengagement from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria [i.e. the northernmost part of the West Bank] will result in a major withdrawal also from the West Bank and in the establishment of a Palestinian state.  On the right they claimed that the statements prove Sharon's lack of credibility, and asserted that they were made for political reasons....  Weisglass's statements should not divert attention from the main issue: the significance of implementing the disengagement plan and the evacuation of the settlers from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.  The evacuation of settlements deep inside areas densely populated by Palestinians is of supreme national interest, and the perpetuation of their existence is too costly for Israel, in diplomatic, security and moral terms.  With all due respect to the Prime Minister's adviser, he has no control on the future, and his analysis of the disengagement is no better than that of other politicians and pundits.  Weisglass is talking about a freeze in the diplomatic process?  Better a stall in the diplomatic process without settlements in the Gaza Strip, that no diplomatic movement under the existing positions in the territories."

"The Adviser That Roared"

Aluf Benn maintained in left-leaning independent Ha'aretz (10/8):  "While he is assured of Labor's support, Sharon must convince the undecided Likud Knesset members.  Weisglass's promises that the West Bank settlements will be strengthened and the overwhelming majority of the settlers will remain in place with American backing, are helping Sharon to present a more central, less left-wing approach....  Sharon preferred to kill Palestinian independence softly, saying 'yes, but' rather than 'no' obstinately to the U.S. and the international community.  This tactic paid off: in the past year Sharon used the military turnabout in Israel's favor and the American loss of interest to 'assassinate' the Palestinian state under the cover of his promise to evacuate settlements.  The Palestinian state has been removed from the political agenda for the time being.  However, there is little significance to the rejoicing of the PA and its supporters in Israel, that the interview 'exposed Sharon's real intentions' and the Israeli 'plot' to eliminate the political process is out of the bag.  So what?  Every politician and every political plan are given to contradictory interpretations."

"Israel Is Undermining Its Credibility"

Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz contended (10/6):  "The State of Israel, via the Israel Defense Forces, the intelligence community and the Foreign Ministry, and with the encouragement of the prime and defense ministers, has become entangled in and embarrassed by the affair of the Qassam-or-stretcher in Gaza.  In its eagerness to show that the Palestinians will stoop to any means, Israel behaved with reckless haste and injured its pretensions to superiority over the Palestinians with regard to credibility.  This has implications not merely for public relations, but also for diplomacy, and is even liable to weaken Israel in the legal arena. This does not mean that the UN, and especially its Relief and Works Agency, is completely guilt-free.  Their identification with the Palestinians is clear and open....  [But] there is only one issue at stake here: how the Israeli establishment came to commit a gaffe that increases skepticism about official announcements made by the state, its army and its ambassadors--and not for the first time."

"Ugly Duckling"

Ronen Bergman opined in mass-circulation, pluralist Yediot Aharonot (10/6):  "The UNRWA people aren't always right.  During the past four years, severe cases of 'lack of meticulousness,' to say the least, have been exposed regarding the organization's neutrality.  Eventually, the aggressive attempt to find the organization guilty of direct intervention in terrorism has brought the opposite result: grave PR damage to Israel, while UNRWA is being portrayed as an innocent victim on the occupier's disinformation altar.  It appears that this is the best time to once again raise harsh allegations about Israel's public relations, which has produced a colossal fiasco.  On the other hand, one should remember that Israel's key problem isn't marketing.  The product, my friends, is what is called 'the occupation' abroad.  It's the problem of an absolutely unmarketable product."

"Arafat's Rejection Syndrome"

Dan Margalit wrote in popular, pluralist Maariv (10/6):  "Qassam terrorism isn't the victory of chaos in Palestinian thinking.  It expresses practical recoiling from peace-making.  It isn't because Ehud Barak offered him too little that Yasser Arafat fled Camp David, but actually because he offered him a lot and asked for a lot in exchange.  Now, this response pattern is repeating itself in the Gaza Strip.  The extremists fear that full disengagement hints at non-belligerence in the final status....  Israel will get no strategic gain from its 'Days of Repentance' operation.  It could even be harmed from it....  But what is the alternative?  It could be to shorten the process: immediate disengagement."

"This Is How We Won -- And Have Been Beaten"

Ben Caspit stated in popular, pluralist Maariv (10/6):  "In the final analysis, Israel has failed--definitely and painfully.  Israel is the strong, powerful party, which has responsibility and dictate the agenda of the entire region.  In this neighborhood, we are the 'adult in charge'....  When the Oslo process started, Israel faced...a secular Palestinian society.  Hamas enjoyed marginal support and wasn't viewed as an element of political rule....   The flags being raised were the PLO's, and the men's faces were shaven.  Eighty percent of the Palestinians supported the peace process, dialogue and an agreement with Israel.  Today, 11 years later, everything has turned around: Palestinian society has become more extreme and has been dragged in the direction of the crazy margins."

WEST BANK:  "Why Fire On Children?"

Independent Al-Quds editorialized (10/13):  "Tearing apart little Iman Hams’ body with 20 bullets a few days ago was inhuman and belied the Israeli authorities’ claims about the ‘purity’ of its forces’ weapons.  Reports by Israeli papers, quoting soldiers who witnessed the shooting, make are spine-tingling: How could a child on her way to school constitute a danger to Israeli forces?....  Sadly, in place of an investigation into the horrifying incident and appropriate judicial measures, the perpetrator or perpetrators have been provided with defense and protection at the highest levels.”

"Dov"

Abd al-Rahim Maluh wrote in independent Al-Ayyam (10/12):  "Dov Weisglass’ statement to Ha’aretz last Wednesday saying, ‘We initiated the disengagement plan to freeze the political process with Palestinians.  We dropped the issue of a Palestinian state from our agenda for a limited time, and Sharon can honestly say that there’s a serious process to leave 190 thousand settlers where they are’ concurs with the Americans on the reality that some settlements will not be subject to any negotiations....  In tracking the policies and practices of Israeli decision makers at this particular stage, we find that they behave as if they have the power to impose facts on the ground by force and to build upon them to create new realities.”

"Sharon's Plan:  Two Wars In One"

Ashraf Ajrami commented in independent Al-Ayyam (10/8):  "The strategy followed by Sharon to prevent the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement is based on two pillars.  The first is proposing and supporting a political plan, such as the Roadmap, in order to counter any other plan....  Sharon succeeded in doing that by proposing the disengagement plan, which has become almost the only plan on the regional and international agenda.  The second pillar is based on the idea of keeping the violent conflict open-ended, simply because quiet would hinder Sharon's objective of building the separation barrier and intensifying the settlements in the West Bank."

"In Their Own Words"

Independent Al-Quds editorialized (10/8):  "There is absolutely no Palestinian who has any doubts about the real Israeli intention behind its so-called disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip....  It is impossible for anyone to take Weisglass's remarks lightly or consider them just a personal view....  It is clear that Weisglass's mission to the U.S. has been a huge success.  The evidence of that is President Bush's remarks, which he stated following a meeting with Israeli PM Sharon a few months ago, in which Bush expressed his desire to abolish the Palestinian refugees' right of return and to legalize the large Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank."

"Damn The Veto And Those Who Used It"

Fuad Abu Hijleh opined in official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (10/7):  "For the one thousandth time, the offensive American veto did not surprise us.  [The U.S.] support [of Israeli] terrorism is evidence of its affection for evil.  But this veto has placed the Arab and Palestinian 'pens' and 'tongues' in a very embarrassing position.  The friends of America can no longer speak about the trivial peace."

"Between Darfur And Gaza"

Independent Al-Quds asserted (10/6):  "There is absolutely no comparison between what has happened in Darfur...and what is been happening in the Gaza Strip this week.  The Israeli army--equipped with the most sophisticated weapons and electronically-developed airplanes--is spreading mischief in the world's most population-dense area, killing innocent civilians, destroying homes and spreading fear and terror amongst children, women and elderly people....  But why has the whole world been so concerned about the situation in Darfur...while looking the other way when it comes to the suffering of Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip, leaving the whole Palestinian people under the mercy of the monster Israeli military machine?  Is there any explanation for this contradiction and double standard?"

"The Jabaliya Battle And The Media Power Factor"

Hani Habib commented in independent Al-Ayyam (10/6):  "As the [Gaza Strip] battle enters its second week, Sharon seems to be telling the truth this time when he says that the battle will continue and expand, taking advantage of the utter Arab and international silence....  I believe that the Sharon government has managed to achieve an unprecedented success in its media campaign, especially in justifying its bloody operation.  However, Sharon's attempt to distort the facts collapsed when the Israeli videotape showing a group of fighters transporting a missile in one of the UN's ambulances was later proved to be phony."

SAUDI ARABIA:  "For This Reason The World Hates You"

Jeddah’s moderate Okaz editorialized (10/7):  "It would not be very difficult for an ordinary American citizen, who sees his country’s representative at the UNSC using his country’s veto against a resolution that asks no more than the ending of brutal aggression by the Israelis against the Palestinian people, to understand why the world hates them."

"A Green Light To Escalate Tension"

Riyadh’s moderate Al-Jazira maintained (10/7):  "Israel will continue its crimes against the Palestinian people, enjoying the full blessing of the U.S., which undertook the responsibility of protecting Israel even from mere criticism....  It is very clear that Arabs are mistaken when we they talk about two states one named Israel and the other the U.S. we ought to talk about only one country divided into two states."

"American Against America"

Jeddah’s conservative Al-Madina stated (10/7):  "The U.S. veto sends a message to the world that the international system has become entirely American, and the era of the UN has gone with no return....  The twenty bullets that killed a Palestinian school girl were not enough to convince the U.S. that what Israel is doing is nothing but terrorism.  Despite all that, the U.S. representative stood before the UNSC and challenged the whole world by announcing that the U.S. is using a veto against a decision that condemns Israel and asks for immediate cease of killing in Gaza.  After all that U.S. politicians and writers ask why do Arabs hate America?  The answer to your innocent question gentlemen, is in the announcement of your representative, at the Security Council.  But Washington still insists on a stop to the hatred campaigns against the U.S....  If you would stop ridiculing the justice system, the hatred against you would stop.  Stop allowing the killing of children. You are the ones who are provoking the hatred against yourselves."   

"29 Provocations To Shed Blood"

Jeddah’s moderate Al-Bilad noted (10/7):  "This is the 29th veto that the U.S. uses against U.N. resolutions that condemned Israel.  During the presidency of President Bush the U.S. used that right 6 times....  When the U.S. uses the veto it encourages the Zionist occupation to continue its aggression against Palestinians and to commit additional massacres against innocent people.  On the one hand the U.S. claims to be defending freedom and human rights in the world, and on the other hand it gives unsurpassed support to Israel in its continued crimes against humanity.  There is an exact copy to what is happening in Palestine but in a different place, with different victims, and different assailant.  The Arab nation did not expect the U.S. to protect Palestinians because America is eradicating another nation in Iraq using the same tools.  Arabs will always hate the U.S. and its ugly image will only get uglier by the hour.  The U.S. is the enemy of peace and humanity.  History will record dark pages about the U.S. crimes in Iraq, and its support to Israeli atrocities against Palestinians."

"The American Veto"

Makkah’s conservative Al-Nadwa concluded (10/7):  "It was not surprising for the U.S. to use the veto against a decision that condemned Israel.  But Washington let down all hopes by not allowing the world to stop Israel from continuing its aggressions....  If the U.S. is truly honest about its claims of democracy, freedom, and peace why then does it let Israel get away with its crimes at the UNSC?  U.S. credibility is at stake here."

"Days Of Reckoning Might Not Be Limited To Only One Nation"

Business-oriented Al-Iqtisadiah editorialized (10/6):  "It seems that killer Sharon was aware of the international protection he would get.  Thus he wasted no time to use all kinds of forbidden and permitted weapons....  Washington was satisfied by asking Israel to use appropriate power only in its military operations, without any attempt to stop the Israeli terrorism war machine....  Sharon will continue his military operations in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestinian territories to pave the way for more violence and terrorism.  This in turn will increase hate and produce more violence and suicide bombs.  The days of reckoning might not be limited to only one nation."         

"Insistence On Violence"

Riyadh’s moderate Al-Jazirah opined (10/6):  "The insistence on using violence allows Israel to kill the peace process.  Israel is confident of American blessing and support.  America thinks that Israel has all the rights to defend itself in its own way....  Each time Israel commits crimes, it makes certain that the raids are crueler than ever in order to frighten the Palestinians by giving them an 'unforgettable lesson.'  Palestinians respond with another lesson, but in their own way, which is always surprising and unexpected.  But Israel never gets the lesson and nobody is helping her to comprehend reality.  The reality is that the Palestinians will never give up their rights no matter how Israel uses violence and raids."   

"Real Disaster"

Jeddah’s conservative Al-Madina declared (10/6):  "The Kingdom has called upon the Quartet Committee and the Security Council in the UN to take a firm position against the crimes of Israel in Palestine.  The kingdom’s appeal to the UN is a reflection of its worries about the deterioration in the security situation in Gaza.  The condition has gotten worse after the loss of any chance for a Palestinian State to co-exist side by side with Israel. The vision of President Bush, which was expressed in the Road Map for Peace Plan, does not hold any more, especially after the latest Israeli mission that aimed at destroying the infrastructure in Gaza and all the Palestinian territories."

"Why Is The International Community Silent?"

Makkah’s conservative Al-Nadwa noted (10/6):  "At a time when Israel escalates its military offensives in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the U.S. gives Israel an additional green light to proceed with its aggression.  The UN Secretary General has cleared his conscience by asking Israel to stop its aggression.  But the position of the U.S., which was reflected in the statement of the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, is not an appropriate stance to be taken by the country that has assumed the role of the world’s peacekeeper.  Rather than exerting pressure on Israel to stop its offensives immediately, we hear the Secretary of State expressing his hopes that these 'attacks would be compared to the threats that face Israel!'....  Regrettably, the world’s peacekeeper still considers the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation a terrorist act.....  That is why the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has urged the UN, and specifically the Quartet Committee, to take firm action against Israel’s offensives in the Gaza strip.

"Sharon’s Courage Comes >From Targeting Innocents"

Abha’s moderate Al-Watan declared (10/6):  "The position of the U.S. representative at the UNSC yesterday indicates that America is no longer just an ally to Israel, and a supportive force of its interests when needed. Rather the U.S. has become a partner in the systematic genocide that Israeli forces are committing against innocent Palestinians....  The U.S. representative was not satisfied with just using the regular veto to abort the Arab request, and he did not stop at the lines of diplomacy when defending Israel’s repeated crimes; instead he criticized the General Assembly in the UN for being biased....  Sharon’s courage is nothing except his ability to infringe on every norm that has been respected by humanity.  It is a reflection of his persistent quest to use any means of power to kill anything that could pose a threat to Israel’s existence....  The issue is no longer a conflict between two parties, as the U.S. thinks.  It has become a part and parcel of the whole region, and a key factor in the world’s peace.  If the U.S., with its unlimited power, wanted peace in the region, it would have found the way to bring peace....  It is embarrassing to always see the UNSC incapable of helping innocent people whose only dream is to live in peace."

JORDAN:  "No Peace"

Semi-official influential Al-Rai noted (10/8):  "It is not right to say that the Bush administration is working for peace while it is using the veto against a resolution calling upon Israel to stop killing civilians and destroying their houses."
  
"U.S. Veto"

Center-left influential Al-Dustour remarked (10/8):  "There is an implicit recognition which has almost become a fact emanating from more than one international quarter which says that the Palestinian issue without a solution constitutes the source of about 80 per cent of the so-called 'terrorist' acts in the world, but no-one seems to think--not even those who have a minimum sense of humanity--that the U.S. veto against a resolution calling for a halt to the Israeli massacre in Gaza constitutes unlimited support to the daily Israeli killing and terrorism." 

"Yet Another Veto"
    
The elite, English-language Jordan Times held (10/7):  "The U.S. decision to use its veto power in the UNSC to block a legitimate and straightforward resolution calling on Israel to stop its deadly military incursions in Gaza sends the wrong signal both to Israel and to the Palestinians.  Israeli military tanks numbering in the hundreds have dug deep into Gaza....  The U.S. explained its veto by claiming the resolution was not balanced. By not balanced, Washington meant that the resolution did not contain language that also condemns the Palestinians' deployment of rockets against Israeli targets.  If what bothers Israel and the US is really the Palestinians' use of their homemade Qassam rockets, they should have lodged an immediate complaint with the UNSC...instead of Israel exerting undue force by deploying thousands of its troops inside the Gaza Strip.  The only issue before the UNSC was Israel's offensive into the Gaza Strip and the killing of scores of Palestinians, most of them women and children. The sponsors of the aborted resolution were interested solely in immediately stopping the unjustified Israeli operations....  Danforth's rejection of the UNSC resolution could have been expected. But his vitriolic attack in vetoing the resolution smacked of self-righteousness and arrogance....  How can the Palestinians be assured of attaining justice through the international community when the world's superpower and its spineless minions systematically approach this conflict with blinders....  How can other peoples suffering conflict trust that their plight will be given due attention and action?  The risks have been clear. The oppressed are driven to desperation.  And we all know the cost of despair."

LEBANON:  "Sharonian’ Terrorism And The American Security Council!” 

Yahya Ahmad Al-Ka’aki remarked in pro-Syria Ash-Sharq (10/7):  “We are witnessing the twenty second (22) American veto to protect Zionist terrorism in the occupied Palestinian territories....  Obviously this latest U.S. veto against Arab efforts at the UNSC to stop the war of Sharonian annihilation of the Palestinian people was no surprise, particularly in these current international circumstances....  Again, it was confirmed yesterday that the U.S. would continue to adopt a double standard policy...which it implements against the Arabs and in the interest of the Israeli occupation.  The U.S. has transformed the UN into a mere bureau.  All the important international resolutions are issued by the Congress first.  The UN has only to acknowledge these resolutions....  Following this latest U.S. veto, we wonder--how can the U.S. say that Arabs are terrorists and the Israeli occupation is not?"

QATAR:  "Middle East Conflict"

Abu Bakr al-Hasan stated in semi-official Al-Watan (10/8):  "America will not be able to play a mediating role in the Middle East as long as its decision-making process is dictated by a minority of American Zionists who are even more extremist than Israel's Likud party itself."

"Excuse For Gaza Raid Lacking In Credibility"

The semi-official English-language Gulf Times declared (10/5):  "More than 70 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza....  Among the victims are a teenage girl, who was deliberately shot while she was in her home, and a four-year-old who was killed by a tank shell....  Air strikes and the ground assault continued yesterday, claiming the life of Hamas field commander Faris Masri. However, Hamas continued to defy the Israelis, firing more rockets into an Israeli border town--the very action that the Israeli attack was supposed to stop.  UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Israel to halt its massive onslaught in the Gaza Strip, but Sharon is not interested in the opinions of the outside world except, perhaps, for the U.S., which on Friday repeated its old formula...giving a green light to the offensive.  About half the Palestinians killed have been civilians, so Israel has avenged the death of seven of its people, four of whom were in uniform, by taking more than 30 innocent lives. The excuse--that the attack is to prevent rocket attacks on Israel--might be more credible if he had not also launched attacks on Nablus, Jenin, Tulkaram and other West Bank cities....  Every day the Israeli army attacks various places in the West Bank; it is part of Ariel Sharon’s policy to quell the Intifada and try to bring the Palestinian people to their knees.  Sharon also wants to pull all Israelis out of Gaza next year, in order to lay claim to even more of the West Bank as 'compensation' but he is anxious to avoid giving the Israeli public the impression that Israel is fleeing under attack from Hamas.  Amid all the violence, the Israel army as usual accused Hamas of using UN vehicles to transport weapons, a claim that was dismissed outright by the UN Commissioner Gen Peter Hanson."

SYRIA:  "U.S. Democracy, A Price Paid For Israel"
 
Muhammad Ali Buza contended in government-owned Al-Thawra (10/10):  "Israel finds in US elections an opportunity to blackmail the two rival candidates and obtain the widest possible American cover for its aggression, constant rejection of peace, and violation of the international law....  Under the cover of the US veto and the umbrella of American military in Iraq, the Israeli policy continues to push the region toward fires and bloodbaths....  Washington is sacrificing Arab rights, the cause of peace and security, and the UN prestige and resolutions for the sake of the Jewish lobby. This, naturally, exposes the democratic game and shows how low it sank, where U.S. treasury and weapon warehouses are opened fully for Israel to scoop up as much as it wants, whetting its appetite for more killing, aggression, and terrorism....  Annihilating the Palestinian people, trampling on their remains, legalizing Israel's massacres, and legitimizing the burning and destruction of the region has become a program, a deal, and the laissez-passer to the helm of power in the U.S."

"Unstable World"

Haidar Haidar commented in government-owned Al-Thawra (10/8):  "The U.S., through its support for the Israeli aggression, adds fuel to the fire and, consequently, fans the flame of hatred toward it....  How would Washington react to Israeli statements saying that the Gaza incursion seeks, among other things, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state?  The latest U.S. veto in the UNSC is enough to prove for the world, before the Arabs, that the US Administration is not only turning a blind eye to the Israeli occupation and its heinous crimes against the Palestinian people, but also blessing and encouraging them....  The way to improve the U.S. image abroad lies in changing the current American policies, which are blundering on both domestic and foreign fronts....  The world is apprehensive about the current approach of Bush's administration. As for the Americans, they are increasingly worried: the declared war on terrorism went astray and turned into aggressive wars against nations. Afghanistan and Iraq are the best examples. US economy is getting worse; US debt is growing, and the social security system is declining.  The world is unstable. It really needs a new vision to save it from the evils of aggression, war, and occupation."

"Who Saves The International Resolution?"

Hanan Hamad held in government-owned Tishreen (10/7):  "It is useless to go to the UNSC to save Gaza from the Israeli attack....  Selectivity has become an integral part of international decision-making, rather than just a passing and exceptional case....  Israel's genocide and massacre against humanity is seen by international decision-makers as self-defense; the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, which is a fraternal duty to stop the bloodshed of Lebanese brothers and to maintain their civil peace, is seen as occupation; and the Iraqi and Palestinian resistance is seen as terrorism."

"Confessions Intended For The U.S. Administration"

Muhammad Ali Buza commented in government-owned Al-Thawra (10/6):  "The U.S. is defending Israel's massacres and atrocities against the defenseless Palestinian people and their establishments and infrastructure....  Americans declared their bankruptcy, and failed to honor the commitments of a state sponsoring the political process, washed their hands of this process, slid into the labyrinths of the Zionist policy and its wars and plans, and began falsely and misleadingly accusing Arabs and Palestinians of responsibility for the obstacles and setbacks to the peace process and for the violence and deterioration in the region....  This wrong and shortsighted policy will only open further volcanoes of anger and hatred toward the U.S. and cause more wars, disasters, and threats to peace, from which no one benefits."

"Where Are Arabs?"

Umar Jaftali asked in government-owned Tishreen (10/5):  "The open Zionist aggression in Gaza is not only a crime, but also a flagrant violation of all the laws and conventions that civilized countries claim they are eager to implement....  The world community is not taking any measures to stop the Israeli attacks, and it wonders why the Arabs are also not doing anything. The policies of denunciation and condemnation are no longer useful in the case of terrorists who have freedom from any controls and who understand nothing other than the language of killing, perpetuation of the occupation, and usurpation of rights.  This is an Arab issue.  There is no alternative to a serious and unified Arab effort to redress the balances of the conflict. And the UN and the world community must know that the only way out of the tense situation in the region is the removal of the Israeli occupation, which is the cause of all problems." 

"Resistance To Avert Aggression"

Ahmad Dawwa contended in government-owned Al-Thawra (10/5):  "There is no indication that the aggression will stop if the resistance abandons defending its people against the Israeli war machine, as some people inside and outside the occupied Palestinian territories believe.  The impotence that some people are showing vis-a-vis the Israeli terrorism must not, under any circumstances, be expressed through attacks on the resistance and accusations that it is responsible for the Israeli aggression. Never has the resistance, since the occupation of Palestine, been the source of aggression and terrorism; resistance has always been a natural and legitimate activity to ward off aggression and end the occupation....  Israel is undoubtedly taking advantage of the American and international circumstances to escalate its aggression on the Palestinian people. But this is not an excuse for anyone to ask the resistance to abandon its legitimate right to resist the occupation. This exactly is what Sharon has been seeking to achieve and trying to turn into a fact on the ground, through terrorism and aggression, since he came to power."

YEMEN:  "For The Palestinians, It’s Endless Suffering"

Hassan Al-Haifi thundered in the pro-government English-language Times of Yemen (10/8):  "This observer is flabbergasted by the obvious closed-eyed attitude of the international community to the mass suffering that is being inflicted on the Palestinians....  While the killing of two Israeli children reportedly by Ghassan rockets fired by Hamas, may not be viewed, from a humanitarian point, as an applaudable act, the furious attack launched by Israeli troops on the squalid refugee camps of Gaza surely is not blessed with a civilized rationale....  After years of mere observation by the international community, while the Israelis continue to swallow up the Holy Land by forced removal of the original Christian and Moslem Arab inhabitants...the Palestinians have been compelled to turn to armed resistance to try to salvage what they could of their remaining homeland. Yet, thanks to the crude efforts of resistance by some of the frustrated Palestinians, the Israelis mercilessly take advantage of world silence and unleash their state of the art killing machine without regard to the victims....  The Israelis still insist that it is their God-given right to steal land and push out anyone that stands in their way....  It is terrorism, when a fully mechanized army storms barbarically into a largely civilian enclave....  The right to counter an illegitimate and cruel occupation and the outright plunder of land is not self defense but terror in the expansive Likudnik mentality that is now reigning in Tel Aviv and Washington, DC....  In addition, the emphasis is on targeting children...dictated by the Ariel Sharon Zionist mentality, which sees the best way to serve the Zionist cause is by eliminating as many Palestinian children....  This is self defense in Likudnik mentality. But, in the end, one must ask: what mentality is it of the Arab states...the Palestine tragedy is every Arabs’ tragedy."

EAST ASIA

INDONESIA:  "Genocide Of Palestinians By Israel"

Muslim-intellectual Republika observed (10/6):  "That is what is happening now and in the future in the Palestinian land.  With all the possible means, Israel is conducting operations to annihilation of a people, the Palestinians, so that Ariel Sharon and his band could control ‘the promised land.’ Even in the absence of attacks from the Palestinians, Israel is always full with initiatives to kill the Palestinians, children included.  Uncounted numbers of Palestinian houses has been demolished without any reason....  The Israel Zionists have tried to annihilate the Palestinian from the earth for good. While the world should always recall the brutality of Hitler's Nazis over the Jews, the brutality of Sharon and his regime over the Palestinians must not be forgotten.  The Israelis always have made up excuses that they are the attacked party, and their operations are conducted as mere retaliation.  In fact, what have they not done to achieve their objective? Even such superpower like the U.S. has been ‘tricked’ by Israel, resulting in the massacre of the Palestinians.  The world is aware of this already, but not a single U.S. officials has the guts to criticize, let alone punish, the provocateurs [Israel]....  That’s what the Zionists are, who keep yelling out about the brutality of Hitler's Nazis.”

MALAYSIA:  "Heartless In Gaza"

The government-influenced English-language New Straits Times editorialized (10/9):  "Israel has not codenamed its bloodiest assault in years on the Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip...for nothing.  This is not the first time, nor is it likely to be the last, that the Palestinians will be made to suffer for their past 'sins' of resisting the illegal Israeli occupation of their homeland.  The latest attack has, therefore, a familiar deadening ring to it, all the more so because those who believe in the just cause of the Palestinians can only protest and watch helplessly as Israel continues with its wanton massacre of Palestinians.  This impotence was underlined when a resolution in the UNSC calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces was vetoed by the U.S....  However, what is evident is that the lack of balance has come from Israel whose response has been disproportionate.  What is dangerously disingenuous is the American position that Israel has a right to defend itself, while denying that right to the Palestinians, and categorizing Palestinian armed resistance as terrorism.  While it seems that since Israel can continue to count on the diplomatic and military support of the White House, no matter who occupies it...there seems to be nothing that can stop Ariel Sharon's incursions. However, just as neither the brutal blitz in Gaza nor the decades of killings and violent crackdowns have extinguished the resistance of the Palestinians, those who support the Palestinian struggle must continue to make their voices heard and push for a peaceful settlement. Although the UNSC resolution was killed by the U.S. veto, 11 nations voted in favor. It is imperative for the Organization of the Islamic Conference in particular to translate this widespread support for the Palestinian cause into effective action."

SOUTH ASIA

INDIA:  "Patronizing Terrorism"  

Independent Urdu-language Awam contended (10/8):  "By the latest exercise of its veto power in the UNSC, the U.S. has only proved that instead of fighting terrorism, it is actually strengthening and patronizing the menace. The U.S. has not only always supported Zionist brutality against Palestinians, including the murder campaign currently in progress, but it has also made it always a point to stand in support of Israeli terrorism when the whole world should be denouncing it. With its history of biased and clearly anti-Palestinian approach, the US has no role to play in bringing peace to the region.  Rather, its support to Israeli terrorism has only deteriorated the situation."

"Enmity Against Arafat" 

An editorial in independent Urdu-language Inquilab read (10/6):  "What is best way of sympathizing with a victim of tyranny? It is to hold the victim solely responsible for the plight and force him to surrender before the tyrant unconditionally. This is what has been the practice in the case of Palestine. Those who occupied the Palestinian lands, usurped the rights of its people are never told to undo the unjust. But, Palestinians are routinely targeted with all kinds of advice and admonished....  Israel is allowed to murder as many Palestinians on a daily basis, to turn their habitats into prisons by erecting concrete walls around them and to force them to starvation. But, the Palestinian people are urged against resisting Israeli oppressive measures and only silently witness their own liquidation....  Latest in the series is pressure on Yasser Arafat to hand over the leadership to some younger elements....  Disguised in the garb of sympathy and considerateness for the Palestinian cause, the advice is actually based on the hope that Arafat may be replaced by someone who could be pressed into implementing the American and Zionist designs....  As for the criticism about his failure in stopping the violence, it is unrealistic and misplaced. How can the violent reaction be stopped when Israel continues with its atrocities and brutal actions....  Actually, the Americans and Israelis want some Hamid Karzai or Iyad Allavi in place of Arafat who could dance to their tune and lead the Palestinians into slavery. No such traitor has so far emerged and, we are sure, Palestinians will continue with their struggle against the tyrannical powers." 

PAKISTAN:  "U.S.' Vicious ME Policies"

An editorial in the center-right national English-language Nation read (10/8):  "Two reports appearing in the press yesterday bring out the stark reality of the unethical dimension of U.S. policies in the Middle East.  The veto of the UNSC resolution...and Washington's chief weapons inspector's acknowledgement that President Saddam did not possess a WMD stockpile nor had any concrete plans to make them, prove the point.  U.S. partiality can be judged from this being its 29th veto to prevent UNSC condemnation of Tel Aviv....  The scenario sends a wrong signal to the global community that U.S. friends can indulge in bellicose, ruthless policies with impunity.  At a time when the world needs a respite from bloodshed, the U.S. has chosen to side with a notorious aggressor.  Apparently, it has not learnt the lesson from the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan that military might has its limits.  The sooner it appreciates this glaring reality, the better for the entire world."

“Arab League’s Protest At U.S. Veto”

Lahore-based independent Urdu-language Din said (10/8):  "The Arab League has strongly protested to the U.S. over its veto of a resolution--aimed at stopping the continuing Israeli terrorist operation in Gaza--and said that this veto would  generate a new wave of terror in the Middle East....  This is not the first time the U.S. has supported Israel.  Let it be mentioned here that when the International Court of Justice gave a ruling against the construction of fence by Israel, the pro-Israel American and international media raised a storm of criticism against it....  However, it is also a fact that the Camp David Accord had created a hope that perhaps a peaceful path could be adopted to resolve the Middle East crisis.  Despite being a signatory to the agreement, Israel continued its atrocities against hapless Palestinians. All this is strengthening the belief among the people of the Middle East, and those in the rest of the Muslim world that peace will remain a distant and forlorn dream so long as the U.S. and British authorities keep condoning Israeli activities and providing it with weapons."

"The American Approval For The Palestinian Massacre"

Taliban mouthpiece Urdu-language Islam asserted (10/8):  "To stop the Israeli operation in Gaza, the Arab league members passed a Resolution in the UNSC, initiated by Algiers supported by other Muslim nations.  The Veto of America came as an endorsement of Palestinian massacre at the hands of Israel.  And look at the Muslim Leaders who are standing by the side of America in its war on terrorism?  These countries include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim states.  Israeli atrocities have not left any corner unturned in its aggression on Palestine and the international community is turning a blind eye to its activities.  History teaches some lessons, but Muslim states have taken no clue from history, or the lessons of Quran, Sunnah or the Holy Prophet.  From Palestine to Chechnya, to Kashmir Muslims are victimized to the utmost and those responsible are the Muslim leaders who are still with the enemies of Islam."

"Resolution Against Israel"

Second-largest Urdu-language Nawa-e-Waqt noted (10/7):  "How hypocritical is the diplomacy the U.S. has resorted to.  On the one hand State Department spokesperson condemned the Israeli action in Gaza and on the other hand the U.S. opposed the UNSC resolution against Israel."

"The Sore Of Humanity"

Sensationalist Karachi-based Urdu-language Ummat said (10/7):  "For almost half a century, Israel's atrocities against Palestinians have continued, but just during the last one week the situation has been aggravated....  There is an ardent need for the international community to put economic sanctions on Israel, but the UN seems to be helpless in this case, as it works on the American agenda.  Pakistan and Saudi Arabia hold an important position in the Muslim World but they lack the leadership role, and not only that, these two Muslim states are slaves to American wishes. It is a time for a wake up call for all Muslims."

"Another American Veto Against The Islamic World"

Karachi based, right-wing, pro-Islamic Urdu-language Jasarat averred (10/7):  "The Resolution moved by the Islamic states against Israeli aggression in Palestine in the UNSC has been vetoed by America.  The Resolution had the backing of the Arab League and major Muslim States.  America called it an imbalanced resolution to call Israel an aggressor.  This is a traditional and stubborn role of America, which it has been using for the last forty years.  When the leaders of the Muslim world are standing by the side of America, they are themselves incapable of understanding this imbalance.  As a result the people of the Muslim world have realized that the real issues with the Muslim World are not with America, Israel, Russia or India but it is with the Muslim leaders who have no conscience, and that the Muslim world should get rid of them first."

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

CANADA:  "Bloody Pragmatism Isn't Working"

Lyn Cockburn wrote in the conservative tabloid Winnipeg Sun (10/6):  "There is no excuse for the killing of innocent civilians--regardless of whether those civilians are in Jerusalem, Madrid, in a school in Beslan, Russia, Or Gaza. Or the West Bank. And therein lies the crux of the problem. If it is wrong to kill a child in Haifa, it is also wrong to kill a child in Beslan or in Jenin, on the West Bank. It is equally dishonourable to kill a husband on his way to work in Tel Aviv or a wife on her way to the store in Ramallah. Take, for example, the recent killings in the Middle East. Palestinian rockets fired from the Gaza killed two Israeli children in Sderot in southern Israel. Horrific. There is no excuse....  At some point it doesn't matter who is right or wrong. If it ever did. At some point it all comes down to the mother and father, Jewish or Palestinian, grieving over the dead body of their child....  Palestinian extremists blow themselves and many innocent Jewish bystanders up on the streets, and buses of Israel and Israeli tanks immediately rumble into the area from which the bomber came and mow down a bunch of houses....  Pragmatisim is great when it works....  Pragmatism is useless, dangerous even, when it doesn't work. It isn't working in Israel. In fact, pragmatism in the Middle East has turned into stubbornness, if not stupidity. On both sides. For surely, the erection of a wall which will disenfranchise even more Palestinians has to ring in under the stupid banner. So does the Palestinian insistence on suicide bombings and indiscriminate rocket attacks. Do I have a solution for the situation in Israel? Lord, no....  There isn't one short of kicking all the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank or pushing all the Jews into the Mediterranean, two solutions touted by extremists on both sides. What I do know is that bulldozing houses and putting up walls serve only to create more terrorists. And suicide bombings serve only to create more bulldozing which serves only to..." 

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