April 23, 2004
PLUS, THOSE AL-AQSA BOYS NEVER DID THE DISHES
Yasser’s getting jumpy:
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expelled a group of 21 members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades from his West Bank headquarters overnight, a leader of the militant faction said.
"Yasser Arafat forced me and 20 of my comrades from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to leave the Muqataa," Ali Barghuti, one of the leaders of the organisation in theWest Bank, told AFP.
"Arafat has abandoned us. It's a crime, because we are above all members of Fatah and he should protect us.
"He has also caved into Israel which has threatened to attack the Muqataa."
The IDF's attacks seem to be working on a whole bunch of levels.
Posted by Tim Blair at April 23, 2004 01:34 AMFor the love of God, can somebody please explain to me why there are 21 members of Al Aqsa in his headquarters?
Posted by: Alasdair Robinson at April 23, 2004 at 01:49 AM"For the love of God, can somebody please explain to me why there are 21 members of Al Aqsa in his headquarters?"
Because Alasdair, thats how many Palestinians it takes to change a light globe.
Posted by: Dead Ed at April 23, 2004 at 01:57 AMThe rats are starting to bite each other already. It does my heart good.
Posted by: Rebecca at April 23, 2004 at 02:03 AMThe rats are starting to bite each other already. It does my heart good.
Posted by: Rebecca at April 23, 2004 at 02:03 AMSo where do they go, and what do they do now?
I gather Hamas has numerous openings in Gaza for driver and bodyguard positions for the upper- level leadership.
Good earthly pay and perks; guaranteed reward in Paradise. Ear protection provided, due to need for attendance at numerous shrieking demonstrations with loudspeakers as well as the probability of loud, close-proximity blasts.
Posted by: Paul H. at April 23, 2004 at 06:23 AMStupid Israel.
The al-Aqsa guys and Arafat can no longer have slumber parties, can no longer stay up late and watch movies and talk about boys and do each others nails...
Stupid Israel ruined all of that. I hate those zionist pigs.
Posted by: Oktober at April 23, 2004 at 08:06 AMSo now we know what they mean when they call something a "crime." It basically means something they don't like.
Posted by: DAvid at April 23, 2004 at 08:29 AMSo Yassar doesn't like bunking with the lads anymore, now that they're rocket magnets? What a wuss! Show some spine Arafat, show some guts... and a little brain matter. Yeah, that should do it.
Posted by: fidens at April 23, 2004 at 09:47 AM"For the love of God, can somebody please explain to me why there are 21 members of Al Aqsa in his headquarters?"
Because Alasdair, thats how many Palestinians it takes to change a light globe
Makes sense. One to change it, and 20 to fire automatic rifles in the air as they carry the old one away.....
Posted by: Johnny Wishbone at April 23, 2004 at 11:12 AMDead Ed and Johnny, that is the best laugh I have had all day. You two should take your act on the road.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. at April 23, 2004 at 01:22 PM"The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is an armed offshoot of Arafat's Fatah movement although its suicide operations have often embarrassed Arafat's Palestinian Authority."
What is wrong with this statement - "embarrassed" by suicide bombings? Embarrassed - I musn't be as culturally attuned - I am usually outraged not embarrassed but that is just me.
Posted by: Rob at April 23, 2004 at 01:30 PMIt is good that the IDF is attacking rejectionist Islamo-fundie terrorists like Hamas. Those people are committed to the extermination of the Zionist entity, which would be a bad thing to do.
But the main cause of terrorism against Israel is the recalcitrance of the West Bank Judeo-fundies who are occupying land taken by force from the Palestinians, in the aftermath of the 1967 war.
If people want to stop Islamo-fundie terrorism, there is no more effective means than getting the Likudniks to escort the West Bank Judeo-fundiesback to the Israel borders, in compliance with UN Resolution 242.
Law-Law is better than war-war.
Posted by: Jack Strocchi at April 23, 2004 at 02:04 PMJack, it would also be nice if the Palestinians (in general) followed one of the several peace plans brokered over the years, and not keep on veering back to the same old cliche.
You know, following the plans with the two state solution, versus the avowal of the Palestinians to destroy Isreal, their one state solution?
That way the Law Law would prevent a war war.
Posted by: JeffS at April 23, 2004 at 02:25 PMJack,
Cribbed from Mideastweb:
"Following the June '67, Six-Day War, the situation in the Middle East was discussed by the UN General Assembly, which referred the issue to the Security Council. The key issue was the insistence of the Arab states on a provision for total Israeli withdrawal. After lengthy discussion, the wording "withdrawal from territories conquered.." rather than "withdrawal from the territories conquered" was adopted. Advocates of the Arab cause chose naturally to interpret the two as equivalent. The United States, advocates of this wording, chose to interpret it as allowing for minor border adjustments. The Israeli government interpreted "minor border adjustments’ in a rather liberal way. The Palestine Liberation Organization chose to reject it entirely."
I think this represents a cogent argument as to why, in the context of Resolution 242, the settlements in the West Bank are not the primary barrier to peace. Whilst ambivalent regarding the issue of borders and territories, Resolution 242 explicitly requires protagonists to recognise the legitimacy of Israel. I, and many Israelis, do not consider the PA to be a partner in the peace process. Every step that Israel has taken toward the establishment of a Palestinian state has be used as the lauching pad for more terror attacks. Until they can demonstrate that they negotiate in good faith the PA deserve to be marginalised.
Posted by: fidens at April 23, 2004 at 02:56 PMCould you imagine what he toilet must be like in the Muqata with these pigs all sharing one bathroom?
Posted by: Joel at April 24, 2004 at 12:03 AM