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The Middle East in 2007Posted on Dec 22, 2007
It’s been a rough year for the Middle East, from Saddam’s hanging to mass killings in Iraq and the war of words over Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. The Mosaic Intelligence Report takes a look back and asks whether there is hope for the future. Watch it: For more, visit Link TV’s website. Advertisement Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
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A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved. |
By Howard, January 2, 2008 at 6:02 pm #
Racism,
Your name fits you !
Report thisBy Racism, January 1, 2008 at 6:17 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
lilmamzer.. you do not understand what it is a white man or Arab or humble asian sees when he looks into the eyes of the American or Middle Eastern Jew. It is something men have seen for at least four-thousand years. It is the frightful reflection of what any one of us is capable of becoming. It fills our hearts with shame. This is a truth known by Jews themselves, but a truth never spoken.
Report thisBy Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, December 31, 2007 at 11:55 pm #
Of course there’s hope!
Allah, God and their fellow supreme buddies are going to suddenly appear, fulfilling all those Dark Age predictions and correct a world gone amok.
No one will fight with anyone else, everyone will get a little piece of the world to grow his own food and build a little house, people will stop defiling the earth, all the world’s businesses will be run for the common good and everything will be hunky-dory. Best of all, everyone gets a Prius.
I just know, deep down, that Waiting for Guffman was a lie. You’ve gotta believe!
Report thisBy lastdaywatchers, December 26, 2007 at 3:14 pm #
I suggest you read the May 15th Prophecy if you REALLY want the truth of what going on in the Middle East and where it is headed.
But for those of you who cant handle the TRUTH, you better not go to that website
Please “STAY AWAY” from that website least you be scared to death!
The May 15th Prophecy can be found at
Report thishttp://lastdaywatchers.blogspot.com/
By nahida, December 26, 2007 at 1:20 pm #
Picture of the Day
http://www.crescentandcross.com/index.php?page=home
Report thisBy nahida, December 26, 2007 at 1:16 pm #
Occupation 101
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6530267942932462641&q=Occupation&total=10932&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6530267942932462641&q=Occupation&total=10932&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
.
Report thisBy jacob Freeman, December 25, 2007 at 7:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
#122449 by lilmamzer on 12/25 at 10:08 pm
You mean the Suicide Bomber Prevention fence?...they are treated just fine.
I lived in Israel for 4 years and I can tell the residents of Bethlehem: Muslims and Christians are NOT treated “just fine.” And the wall has nothing to do with suicide bombing or suicide bombers coming from Bethlehem. Israel built the Apartheid Wall on Palestinian land to grab more land. Even Israeli media acknowledges the abuses done to the Palestinians by the IDF. Let’s not kid ourselves. I am a Jew and Zionist too but I will not remain silent or live in denial.
Report thisBy nahida, December 25, 2007 at 7:46 pm #
Zionist thieves wake up to reality
you claim to be The Chosen above all nations
Yet cry isolation and worlds detestation!
You claim God promised you a land,
Whose people you dismiss
Their existence you deny
You kill, and expel dispossess and displace
Humiliate and torture
Ethnic cleansing and genocide
With multitude of evidence blatant and clear
You refute all facts
Lie with no remorse
Innocence you proclaim
climbing the moral higher ground
You exterminate and plead victim-hood
You seem to be unable to see
Anti-Semitics card is obsolete
Crocodiles tears work no more
You boast and brag and sing your own praises,
Then wonder why people are annoyed!
You claim you made the desert bloom,
While uprooting millions of trees
You claim civilization,
While destroying thousands of schools and homes
You claim to be the only democracy,
While gunning down elected leaders and supporting tyrannies
You claim your race is most intelligent,
When you are not even an ethnic group
How racist, how arrogant, your supremacist attitude
You claim your army to be most moral,
While breaking the bones of boys and girls
Shooting little ones in their mothers arms
And at check-points you stare at babies dying
The minute they are born
You claim your actions to be the most humane,
While you murder, persecute and maim
You claim to be the light unto nations,
While displaying malice as jet-black nights
Committing acts of evil of extreme proportions
Unprecedented and unmatched
Then on TV screens
with straight faces
and ghastly smiles,
Lie all about it
Under the watchful eyes of God and man
Can anyone surpass you with wickedness or mischief?
Army of zion, be prepared
A genuine advice from a heart that cares
What evil you do
harms no one but your own poor souls
Either wake up and heed the call
Make a U-turn
give back what youve stolen
and ask for forgiveness
Then maybe therell be hope
Or carry on planting seeds of your destruction
Report thisRest assured choosing that way
Only brings closer the day of your fall
By nahida, December 25, 2007 at 7:39 pm #
Palestine was occupied time and again, through out history, many kings, and many empires; Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Roman, Byzantine, Crusaders.
They all came they all gone
And who ever stayed in peace was absorbed and embraced
And Palestine and its people remained
Todays occupiers will face the same fate
They all came
They all will go
And whoever stays in peace will be absorbed and embraced
And Palestine and its people will remain
The inevitable ruin of the Zionist entity does not and will not mean the destruction of the Jewish people.
The Zionist entity with its racist supremacist attitudes and unjust oppressive policies has the seeds of its own destruction within it.
Its what will cause its final collapse.
The occupation has caused us much material and physical damage, but it caused the oppressors much much more their ethical decay, their sinking in the abyss of immorality, and their loss of human compassion.
So, on the long term we are the victorious as history taught us.
And even in the short term their loss is indeed greater than ours, our loss is only superficial and physical, theirs is the loss of the essence of their humanity. our bodies might be imprisoned and tortured, but our spirit is free, untouchable, and unbreakable.
They have accumulated all the weapons that anybody could amass, but it cant buy them one single fear-free moment.
They have ghettoized themselves behind concrete walls, surrounded themselves with huge tanks, guns, bombs, but that has been futile in providing them a moment of security or tranquillity.
You can see it in the eyes of a Palestinian child while looking into the eyes of an Israeli soldier.
It is evident.
so
we are still victorious despite our apparent fragility and vulnerability; for our inner strength is greater that their outer might.
.
Report thisBy nahida, December 25, 2007 at 7:36 pm #
To the criminals racist Zionists
The truth is out now, and no amount of hasbarah is adequate enough to conceal your crimes
Your days are numbered, so better think of how to be good neighbours and learn to join the family of humanity
Zionists thieves
You will never find peace in Palestine because its a stolen property, a thief will forever be watching over his shoulder, fearful and anxious… its your crimes that causes your insecurity not Hamass fireworks
Zionists thieves
You dont have many choices really, its one of two:
1) you either carry on with your crimes: lying, killing, stealing, abusing and oppressing an entire people, isolating themselves further, and sinking deeply into the abyss of immorality; then frantically searching for peace and security, which you will never be able to find as oppressors, aggressors and occupiers.
2) Or you take a good look in the mirror and see what monsters you have become, and admit the crimes they committed against innocent people who had nothing to do with the anti-Semitic crimes of Europe, but they have been made to pay the price of those crimes.
If you go for the first choice, you should blame no one but yourselves for a bleak, desolate, dire, and awful future that awaits you, a future in which you can no longer afford to keep living in constant fear and endless wars, a future where it’s only enough for you to lose ONE single war, and it will be over then.
We can afford to lose many wars; there are millions and millions of Arabs and Muslims that surround the criminal Zionist entity. And you cant afford to lose any war, but when you do (its inevitable) you lose everything.
Now, if you open their heart and mind to the second option; which is acknowledging the wrongs youve committed against us, and recognizing that youve been unfair and unjust by stealing our country and denying us our natural human rights.
Then if you start by trying to address and correct those wrongs, and giving us our rights back, the right to live peacefully and move freely with dignity without humiliation and oppression, and with our humanity respected as your equals not your inferiors, and if you give all our refugees the right to return to their villages and towns; then and only then; well be able to say to you: we will forgive you.
We will NOT say as some do; never forget, never forgive
We will forgive you.
We have a culture that has hospitality and forgiveness at its heart.
you either make friends with your neighbours, and give them their due rights to get peace and security, or continue to create enemies by your incessant oppression until the inevitable falls upon you
The choice is yours
Report this.
By nahida, December 25, 2007 at 7:24 pm #
Israel wants to annihilate Palestinians, not reach peace with them
by Khalid Amayreh
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m39467&s1=h1
Report thisBy lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 7:08 pm #
#122441 by randyha on 12/25 at 9:06 pm
How many of you been to Bethlehem or know a Palestinian Christian? Most Christian migration from Palestine is due to socio-economic conditions as well as the Israeli occupation.
Yes, I’ve been there. Socio-economic conditions with an emphasis on “socio”, meaning, the overwhelming support of the Muslim Arab population for incessant terror attacks against Israeli (read: Jewish) civilians.
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Arafat thugs or other militias affect peaceful Palestinian Muslims as well as Christians. This has nothing to do with religion.
Arafat co-opted Islamism when it suited his purposes - witness his creation of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, responsible for hundreds of murders of Israeli civilians by design, as a matter of official Palestinian policy.
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Then there is the on going migration that has been happening since 1967 due to the Israeli occupation and the destruction of Palestinian economy.
What “destruction” of the Arab economy? As if they had one to begin with during the Jordanian occupation and before that? What destroys any chance for the local Arabs to thrive economically is Arab corruption and unceasing support for terror against Jews. These Arabs would rather suffer economically than live in peace with the Jewish nation next door.
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How can Christians live in Bethlehem when they cannot even travel to Jerusalem due to the Israeli Apartheid Wall?
You mean the Suicide Bomber Prevention fence? The one erected specifically to deal with the Palestinian Arab terror war against the Jews - men, women and children? Arabs have only themselves to blame for that.
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Before making judgment visit Bethlehem and see for yourselves how the Israelis treat the Christians.
I have, and they are “treated” just fine.
Report thisBy nahida, December 25, 2007 at 6:30 pm #
Bethlehem Chistmas cancelled…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMyjywN-8Ac
Report thisBy randyha, December 25, 2007 at 6:06 pm #
How many of you been to Bethlehem or know a Palestinian Christian? Most Christian migration from Palestine is due to socio-economic conditions as well as the Israeli occupation. Arafat thugs or other militias affect peaceful Palestinian Muslims as well as Christians. This has nothing to do with religion. The first wage of Palestinian Christians immigrated to the US in the 1930’s with the help of Christian organizations like the Friends Society and settled in the Detroit area to work in the auto industry. Another wave came after the creation of Israel 1n 1948 and they came from the Christian towns in the Galilee where driven out by the Haganah. Then there is the on going migration that has been happening since 1967 due to the Israeli occupation and the destruction of Palestinian economy. How can Christians live in Bethlehem when they cannot even travel to Jerusalem due to the Israeli Apartheid Wall? Before making judgment visit Bethlehem and see for yourselves how the Israelis treat the Christians.
Report thisBy lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 5:45 pm #
Large group of Jewish immigrants from Iran arrives in Israel Tuesday
December 25, 2007, 7:07 PM (GMT+02:00)
The group of 40 traveled secretly through a third transit country to evade Iranian restrictions on travel to Israel. A Jewish Agency official said the immigrants, most from Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan, had abandoned their property and possessions in Iran to conceal their departure. More than 200 Iranian Jews moved to Israel in 2007, up from 65 in 2006. Irans Jewish community is estimated to number 25-28,000.
Sasson Zargari met his sister who arrived from Iran alone after they have been apart for the past 15 years: “We waited for a long time to have the family reunited. My sister will meet my daughters for the first time, “he told ynet.
Zargari’s parents are still in Iran and he hopes they too will arrive shortly. “They missed my wedding. I hope we will be reunited soon”
Ariel and Eli Shefayim will meet their parents “they decided to come because they miss the children,” Ariel said. “They have a very good life in Iran. The Iranian government protects them. I am afraid they will not adjust to life in Israel.”
Ariel said that when he made aliyah six years ago, he had a difficult time: “The state’s assistance is not sufficient. We wanted our parents to be with us in Jerusalem but we were told they will be sent to Beersheba. They do not know a word of Hebrew so I am afraid they will not make it.”
Yehiel Eckstein, a rabbi who founded the Jewish-evangelical International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said each immigrant receives $10,000 from the group to help get them started in Israel because they ‘‘start in Israel with nothing,’’ leaving behind all their possessions.
Eckstein said he believes Iran’s 25,000 Jews are in danger from Iran’s hardline regime. Iran’s hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction and called the Holocaust a ‘‘myth.’‘
‘‘Many of the Jews there think that this too will pass, meaning Ahmadinejad and the mullahs. But our feeling is that this is very similar to the situation of Jews in Germany in the 1930s. By the time they realize it’s not going to blow over, it’ll be too late,’’ Eckstein said.
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Report thisIsrael has absorbed and resettled more than 800,000 Jewish refugees from Arab and Muslim lands in the past 60 years, fulfilling her promise as the Jewish national homeland as a haven from Muslim and Arab persecution for Jewish minorities.
By lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 5:39 pm #
A Creche Without Christians - Nina Shea (National Review)
Lands that once were the cradle of Christianity have turned distinctively inhospitable to the faith.
Fiercely intolerant variants of Islam are taking hold in the region, many of them fueled with ideology and funds from Saudi and Iranian extremists.
From Morocco to the Persian Gulf, we are seeing the rapid erosion of Christian populations, thought to now number no more than 15 million.
The new survey, Freedom in the World, produced by the Center for Religious Freedom, shows that while some Muslim governments do respect religious freedom, none are to be found in the Middle East.
Israel is the only “free” country, and its Christian numbers are increasing.
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Report thisThe Religion Of Peace on the march, destroying the infidels all along the way.
By lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 5:37 pm #
Muslims Driving Christians Out of Bethlehem, But Media Blame Israel
The mainstream media descend upon Bethlehem every year to ignore rampant Muslim intimidation of Christians and instead blast Israel - often with completely inaccurate information - for ruining Christmas. In fact, Bethlehem’s Christian population started to drastically decline in 1995, the very year Arafat’s PA took over the city. Bethlehem was 80% Christian in 1948, but since Arafat got his hands on it, the city’s Christian population dove to below 25%. Some Christian leaders said one of the most significant problems facing Christians in Bethlehem is the rampant confiscation of land by Muslim gangs. “There are many cases where Christians have their land stolen by the (Muslim) mafia,” said Samir Qumsiyeh, a Bethlehem Christian leader.
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Nablus’ ancient Christian community has been dwindling for decades
- from about 3,000 in the 1960s (before the Arabs used Nablus and other cities to attack Israel in 1967, and before the Israelis counter-attacked and won the territory in a defensive war) to a mere 700 now - and those who remain had all but gone underground in recent years, in the face of increasing violence and ascendant fundamentalists. Four churches were firebombed 16 months ago following comments made by the pope about the Prophet Mohammed. Half of the city’s Christians are Greek Orthodox. The others are Roman Catholic or Anglican. (Christian Science Monitor)
Report thisBy lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 5:32 pm #
Poll of Saudis: Don’t Like Jews and Christians, Want Israel Destroyed and Saudis to Have Nuclear Weapons - Tom Gross (National Review)
A telephone survey conducted in Saudi Arabia in Arabic for Terror Free Tomorrow found:
Opinion of Jews: Favorable 6%, Unfavorable 89%; Opinion of Christians: Favorable 39%, Unfavorable 54%.
51% agreed that “I oppose any peace treaty recognizing Israel, and I favor all Arabs continuing to fight until there is no Israel in the Middle East”
30% agreed that “I would favor a peace treaty recognizing the State of Israel, if an independent Palestinian state is established.”
Should Saudi Arabia develop nuclear weapons? Favor 52%, Oppose 31%.
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Scary shit. Saudi Arabia AKA “The Saudi Entity”, home of the Royal Family Oil Ticks, is perhaps the most dangerous place on the planet, and it is no coincidence that it is also the seat of Islam and the locus of the “Arab” identity.
Scary shit indeed.
Report thisBy lilmamzer, December 25, 2007 at 5:26 pm #
#122232 by nahida on 12/24 at 8:15 am
The Ten Commandments of NWO:
1) Thou shall not criticise Israel
That’s bogus. What supporters of Israel object to is unfair criticism of Israel.
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2) Thou shall revere the holocaust with all thy heart
As a historical fact unlike any other in human history, it will never be forgotten or the memory of the victoms demeaned, even by Jew-haters like you, Nahida.
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3) Thou shall have no doubt in your heart of the number 6 million
It’s not about doubting hearts, it’s about documented fact. You cannot wish away the ugly stain of genocide. Why you would want to is the real question.
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4) Thou shall not compare the unique suffering of the Jews with any other
Actually, the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews (aided and abetted by Haj Amin Al Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem - pesonal friend of Hitler) was and remains unique, in its scope, purpose, and execution.
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5) Thou shall honour Israels right to exist as a Jewish state
Yes, of course. It’s called self-determination, and it is both moral and righteous to support it. Because the Jews are also a nation, and no matter how much you deny that reality, it will always be so.
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6) Thou shall adore the sinless Israel, regardless of allegations of sins
No, when the government of Israel errs, as it does (and as all governments do from time to time) the Jews are always the first to criticize.
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7) Thou shall believe that Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its security by all means (but not Muslims)
Yes, when the lives of Israeli citizens are threatened, any means to protect them are justified. That holds true for any nation, and Israel can be no exception.
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8 ) Thou shall not kill (except Muslims)
Muslims kill all the time. Just look around the world.
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9) Thou shall not lie (except about Muslims WMD)
Pakistan doesn’t have a bomb? Since when?
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10) Thou shall obediently share your earning with Israel (through your tax money)
When it serves US foreign policy objectives, politically, militarily, strategically, economically, and morally, yes, I gladly support US foreign aid to Israel.
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And there is a bonus eleventh commandment:
11) Thou shall sacrifice as many humans as humanly possible (specially those who dare to say NO) on the alter of greed and security of the Jewish state
That last statement is moronic. “Alter of greed”?
Sacrifices? Blow it out your hairy Muslim ass.
And have a Merry Christmas! But not in Gaza, where the Muzzies are persecuting the Christians.
Report thisBy nahida, December 24, 2007 at 1:15 pm #
The Ten Commandments of NWO:
1) Thou shall not criticise Israel
2) Thou shall revere the holocaust with all thy heart
3) Thou shall have no doubt in your heart of the number 6 million
4) Thou shall not compare the unique suffering of the Jews with any other
5) Thou shall honour Israels right to exist as a Jewish state
6) Thou shall adore the sinless Israel, regardless of allegations of sins
7) Thou shall believe that Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its security by all means (but not Muslims)
8 ) Thou shall not kill (except Muslims)
9) Thou shall not lie (except about Muslims WMD)
10) Thou shall obediently share your earning with Israel (through your tax money)
And there is a bonus eleventh commandment:
11) Thou shall sacrifice as many humans as humanly possible (specially those who dare to say NO) on the alter of greed and security of the Jewish state
Report thisBy cyrena, December 24, 2007 at 12:33 am #
#122102 by rage
He and Cheney Vader are going to come up with some scary flimsy excuse to drive a preemptive Iranian strike down the throat of the whimpy 110th Congress.
Rage,
On this, they actually dont even have to come up with anything to shove down the throats of the whimpy 110th Congress. They can (and probably will) use the original resolution that they got to do Iraq. It has since been strengthened with the Kyle/Lieberman bill to designate Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. (Hillary was all for it).
So conceivably, they could just give the order at any time. Many are betting on yet another incident like 9/11. (maybe not to that magnitude) but since Im convinced that they will do it anyway, theres really no point it taking out thousands more citizens here, when they can twist the original authorization to do it anyway.
Not that that matters to Dick Bush of course, but I just thought Id make that point.
Report thisBy rage, December 23, 2007 at 8:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Another year wherein we are extending our thanks to the Chimperor for maintaining the hellacious unrest and mad carnage in the Middle East! Woo—- Hoo——!!!
I predict that Spring 2008 promises our bombing Iran. The Chimperor would literally die and go into perdition before foregoing that last opportunity to get that oil from under the sand in Iran. He has his permanent bases along his Iraqi pipeline. Now he needs to connect his cronies’ interests to his Saudi Arabian connections. Iran is holding up his progress and his profits. He and Cheney Vader are going to come up with some scary flimsy excuse to drive a preemptive Iranian strike down the throat of the whimpy 110th Congress. Dumya will have his legacy in the end, leaving a path of carnage for which he will never be prosecuted or even called into question. He’ll snicker and smirk glibly all the way back to his Crawford ranch while the weak pathetic Dems struggle to maintain their majorities in the Senate, the Congress, and possibly the White House. The legacy of the Dems is that they will never be able to fix the Bush43 Middle East oil mess because Pelosi and Reid won’t move to impeach this simpleton. America is going to own that flaming file of rancid crap Dumya bought on us from now on.
Report thisBy hazmaq, December 23, 2007 at 2:43 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
While both Lebanon and Palestine sit in the middle of bombed and charred ruins thanks the the US and Israel, and this Congress, the Palestinians and Lebonese get nothing until they kowtow and accept leaders hand picked by by Israel and the US.
We all know how well cronies have worked in the past.
While the Clintons used to work toward a balanced foreign policy. Hillary Clinton has taken the hard line neo con road.
There is a huge difference between how Obama and Clinton would handle the Middle East -and especially the Palestine and Israel conflict.
If the voters are worried about the future of their children I hope and pray they vote for Barack Obama.
Hillary Clinton is owned by A*I*P*A*C* -her Iran vote is just the last in a long line of votes benefiting their interests, not our. Both she and Steny Hoyer in the House advertised that they DID NOT believe in a ‘balanced hand’ in dealing with Middle East. While Obama clearly defines Israel as a valuable ally, Obama seeks a balanced solution. for the sake of all the world’s children. Not just a few chosen white ones.
The ultimate difference -and shock as to what Hillary COULD do if she were President- presented itself last summer. After Israel dropped over 400,000 child burning cluster bomblets over all of Lebanon, Senator Feinstein of California brought up legislation to place a moratorium on the use of cluster bombs- but only in civilian areas. Feinstein had the world behind her.
Hillary Clinton voted against the bill and joined with ALL of the Republicans to defeat it.
While Obama supported Senator Feinstein and the majority of Democrats.
We do NOT need more of Hillary Clinton’s kind of experience -but LESS.
Obama looked to the bigger picture, rather than the narrow view as defined by Clinton’s donors.
There can be only one candidate fitting the role as ‘leader of the free world’.
And it sure as hell ain’t Hillary Clinton.
Report thisBy marlaine Packard, December 23, 2007 at 1:16 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
So Bush and his cohorts have screwed up half of the world. Our foreign policy stinks but don’t think that a change in president or a new administration will change US foreign policy. Judging from the line-up of presidential candidates and their knowledge of the world we are in deep…you know what.
Report thisBy randyha, December 23, 2007 at 3:45 am #
Right on the money! I am also not hopeful with the outlook for 2008 in the Middle East. The Bush Administration has messed up things so bad that they are now in hurry to push a peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Iraelis to save face. This is not going to work and we are going to be stuck in Iraq for years to come.
Report this