Real World Event Discussions

US: Russia firing artillery at Ukraine military

POSTED BY: AURaptor
UPDATED: Sunday, December 8, 2024 00:03
VIEWED: 3142
PAGE 3 of 3

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
Quote:

Originally posted by AURaptor:
I'm guessing it was a strongly worded letter, hmm?


Well, the content hasn't been published yet, but inside sources say it contained a lot of "ers" and "ums".



I continually read in your jon boy and Archie's posts how poorly Obama is handling things with no suggestions as to what he should be doing. I always assume it is because you don't actually have a clue so you just post your hate.

I see the two of you express little else. There is a word to describe that kind of hate and as a matter of fact I used it recently to describe the both of you. You may look forward to seeing me use that word to describe you in the future again and again just as I see your bigotry posted for all to see again and again.

NOTIFY: Y  | REPLY  | REPLY WITH QUOTE  | PERMALINK  | TOP  | HOME

Wednesday, July 30, 2014 5:21 AM

Quote:

how poorly Obama is handling things with no suggestions as to what he should be doing. I always assume it is because you don't actually have a clue so you just post your hate



Blah blah blah...



WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry has made a significant mistake in how he's pursuing a Gaza cease-fire — and it's not surprising that he has upset both the Israelis and some moderate Palestinians.

Kerry's error has been to put so much emphasis on achieving a quick halt to the bloodshed that he has solidified the role of Hamas, the intractable, unpopular Islamist group that leads Gaza, along with the two hard-line Islamist nations that are its key supporters, Qatar and Turkey. In the process, he has undercut not simply the Israelis but also the Egyptians and the Fatah movement that runs the Palestinian Authority, all of which want to see an end to Hamas rule in Gaza.

A wiser course, which Kerry rejected in his hunt for a quick diplomatic solution, would have been to negotiate the cease-fire through the Palestinian Authority, as part of its future role as the government of Gaza. Hamas agreed last April to bring the PA back to Gaza as part of a unity agreement with Fatah that was brokered by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Kerry has been motivated by two understandable short-term needs: First, he wants to stop the horrific slaughter in Gaza, with its heavy loss of life among Palestinian civilians, including children. Second, he seeks to fulfil the instructions of President Obama, who wants an immediate cease-fire and has become skeptical about solving the knotted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Kerry's approach has ignited a firestorm in Israel, with commentators left and right accusing him of taking Hamas' side and betraying Israel. That criticism is unfair, and it prompted a complaint Sunday from Obama in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kerry's mistake isn't any bias against Israel, but a bias in favor of an executable, short-term deal. A case can be made for this "kick the can down the road" approach, as I did last week in discussing Kerry's recent diplomatic negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and with rival political leaders in Afghanistan.

But Gaza has suffered from a generation of brutal expediency. Any deal that reinforces Hamas' stranglehold — rather than building a path toward change of government, elections and eventual disarmament — is misconceived. In the name of stopping bloodshed this week, it all but guarantees it in the future. That's why public opinion polls show a strong majority of Gazans back the idea of returning to Palestinian Authority control — because they want an end to the cycle of intermittent warfare.

Israel has undermined its own cause with statements that appear to be insensitive to Palestinian loss of life. One example is Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer's claim that "the Israeli Defense Forces should be given the Nobel Peace Prize" for showing "unimaginable restraint," at a time when photos and videos provide wrenching evidence of civilian casualties in the densely packed cities of Gaza.

Kerry's initial plan was to support Egypt's demand that Hamas accept a cease-fire. When Hamas rejected what it viewed as surrender, Kerry turned away from Egyptian mediation toward Turkey and Qatar, which as friends and financial backers of Hamas were thought to have more leverage. That put the deal first, and a stable solution to Gaza's problems second.

By turning to Turkey and Qatar, Kerry also enhanced their position in the regional power game. That's contrary to the interests and desires of America's traditional allies, such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the moderate Palestinian camp headed by Abbas.

If Kerry has been shortsighted about seeking a path toward a more stable Gaza, so has Netanyahu's government. The Israeli prime minister denounced the Palestinian unity agreement forged by Abbas last

NOTIFY: N  | REPLY  | REPLY WITH QUOTE  | PERMALINK  | TOP  | HOME

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 2:50 AM

Ukraine says it is still advancing in Russia's Kursk region

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-says-it-still-advancing-
russias-kursk-region-4543881

NOTIFY: N  | REPLY  | REPLY WITH QUOTE  | PERMALINK  | TOP  | HOME

Sunday, December 8, 2024 12:03 AM

other forces arrive as Russia and Ukraine are busy destroying each other, the Saudi, Iranians, Israeli, Turkish make their play int he Middle East

NOTIFY: N  | REPLY  | REPLY WITH QUOTE  | PERMALINK  | TOP  | HOME