Apolitical Staples

I’d be pretty impressed if anyone could effectively explain how Harper’s actions improve middle east stability and benefit Canadians.

If there is some kind of ceasefire Lebanon and Hezbollah might be opposed to Canadian participation in any kind of international force due to Harper’s uneccesarily staunch backing of Israel.

There is already an international force in southern Lebanon. Howse that working out?

Seriously, does Graham actually think you can negotiate with a terrorist criminal gang?

Criminals are prosecuted by the state, which is what Lebanon had a right and obligation to do. They have not, that means they have lost control of their own country to a criminal gang, Hezbollah. Israel is being a good neighbour by doing what Lebanon is too intimidated to do on its own.

Hey Dan…I’d be impressed if anyone could explain Middle East stability. When Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to set up at the border and aim thousands of missels at Israel what kind of stability was that?? What people like you dont want to admit is an ugly truth, and that is the death and destruction of the State of Israel is the goal of Hezbollah and Hamas and Iran and Syria. Lebanon has 18 parliamentarians who are from Hezbollah and 4 are cabinet ministers, and they are growing stronger and stronger. The govt of Lebanon is not innocent in this. And one final absolute truth, if you leave Israel alone, if you dont point missels at her, if you dont reward suicide bombers to hit market centres, if you follow those 3 simple rules, there will be Middle East Stability. Seems simple to me, but then, if all that was to happen, who would the world blame poverty on and stage jihad’s with?? Harper has no regrets.

What I’d like to know is exactly how Canada has ever had a role as an ‘intermediary’ in the Middle East? Did I miss something? Have we ever brokered a deal? Hosted a summit? Done anything but pretend to be important?

And I wonder, is there a middle ground when Hizbollah’s idea of winning means the evisceration of Israel? Thought not.

Oh, someone’s asked us to be an “intermediary?”

Tick . . tick . . (BOOM) . . tick …

Didn’t think so.

More delusion from the Liberals. The Suez crisis was 50 years ago, and we are around 35th on the list of “peacekeeper”-supplying countries. Stop milking it.

I’m talking recent history BTW … not the ‘60’s and I really do want to know.

I laughed out when I discovered that Canada has always been an intermediary in conflicts. How can a person be in charge of the defense of the country if they don’t even know the country’s history.

It is time to support Israel and finish off the terrorists once and for all.

“There is already an international force in southern Lebanon. Howse that working out?”

Well I don’t think Canada’s really part of UNIFIL for one thing. It’s underfunded and mostly limited to humanitarian work. But just in general how can the arab world trust Canada to be a fair negotiator if we’re so blatantly, and staunchly backing Israel. Seems unnecessary to me.

“It is time to support Israel and finish off the terrorists once and for all.”

good luck with that

Here’s a brief synopsis for those just tuning in: Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and radical Muslims everywhere want to wipe Israel off the map, and they’ve been trying since, oh, roughly 1948.

“Hamas-bollah” launched rockets on Israeli towns, entered Israeli territory and kidnapped Israeli soldiers. Israel is fighting back, attempting to isolate Hamas-bollah with precision airstrikes, trying very hard to minimize civilian casualities. This is hard to do when Hamas-bollah stashes rockets in residential areas, but they are trying (via pamphlet drops and call-aheads).

The world condemns Israel for being the victim and since this conflict was clearly started by Israeli-haters, France makes up a ridiculous excuse such as “disproportionate” force, a new foreign affairs concept that would have dragged out WW2 until 1995.

“Well I don’t think Canada’s really part of UNIFIL for one thing.”

That is completely besides the point Dan. Having a Canadian wearing a blue beret or helmet marching around Beirut is not going to solve this conflict.

The point is that UNIFIL works about as well as most UN sponsored initiatives. Ask Dallaire about that, if you can fish him out of the river.

NO peacekeeping force in the world can stop hezbollah and Iran. They want to become martyrs. Realize that and things might become a little bit clearer. There is no peace to keep and certainly no way of making one stick when both sides fervently desire the destruction of the other.

Iran has started this conflict by kidnapping the Israeli soldiers in order to deflect some heat off of their nuclear program. And guess what, it worked…

Iran and hezbollah started THIS round and they are to blame. If Israel starts one they are to blame. Its easy when you stop listening to Axworthy.

This really isn’t tough to figure out: if Israel were to act unilaterally to stop military action, would there be peace in the region?

If Hezbollah were to act unilaterally to stop their current action, would there be peace in the region?

Clearly, if Hezbollah stops attacking Israel and the captured Israeli soldiers are returned, Israel would be expected to stop their military action (as they have said they would do). In the meantime, Israel have the right (and the duty) to defend themselves, and to respond to these attacks with force.

Well I sort of agree with most of what you’re saying Colin. Well except for that comment about Axworthy.

“Israel have the right (and the duty) to defend themselves, and to respond to these attacks with force.”

I think it’s difficult to argue that part of your duty as a sovereign nation involves actions resulting in the deaths of another country’s civilians and foreign citizens to create a temporary buffer. Perhaps, a difficult decision, but not a duty.

Dan. Ask yourself what you would expect Harper to do if the US snuck across the border, captured two of our soldiers and refused to surrender them unless we, oh, I dunno, gave them our oil?

OK, put it on an equal footing, people for people. If the US snuck across the border, captured two of our soldiers and refused to give them up unless we… returned all the draft dogders and the current deserters and any/all American criminals in our jails for various & sundry crimes (including pedophilia).

What would you want Harper to do?

Probably EXACTLY what Israel is doing.

Dan, seeing as how the Arab League met this past weekend and condemned Hezbollah in this I am not too worried what they are thinking of Canada. Perhaps they think we are being honest, like they are? It should be noted that Syria, Iran and Lebanon were the only defectors, what a surprise! Egypt even stated that Lebanon must make peace with Israel, like they have, and end this type of behaviour.

Candace, was thinking along the same lines as you.

Candace I thought it was pretty obvious by now that this conflict has little to do with a couple kidnapped soldiers.