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that his triumphant cry has less to do with the operation's formal
objective -- the extra-judicial execution of Hamas leader Salah
Shahada -- than with the successful annihilation of a unilateral
ceasefire agreement formally finalized by the different Palestinian
military factions a day before the massacre. Hamas and Islamic
Jihad will most likely retaliate, which will justify, in turn,
Israel's further reoccupation of Palestinian territories
A few hours after the F-16 jet dropped a 1-ton bomb on a crowded residential area in Gaza, killing 17 people -- 11 of them children -- and wounding over 140 more, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon exclaimed that the attack had been one of Israel's "biggest successes."
Israeli spin-doctors immediately understood that the massacre would generate bad PR and changed the official line, using apologetic adjectives like miscalculation, mistake, error, and oversight to describe the deadly assault. Noble Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres took it upon himself to lead the remorseful choir, hoping to suppress world censure.
Despite harsh international criticism, Sharon remained unrepentant. The Israeli press has suggested that his triumphant cry has less to do with the operation's formal objective -- the extra-judicial execution of Hamas leader Salah Shahada -- than with the successful annihilation of a unilateral ceasefire agreement formally finalized by the different Palestinian military factions a day before the massacre. Hamas and Islamic Jihad will most likely retaliate, which will justify, in turn, Israel's further reoccupation of Palestinian territories.
In other words, Sharon added fuel to the dying fire because he does not believe in a diplomatic solution to the bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but rather in a military one. His objective, though, is not to wipe out the Palestinian Authority, as some commentators seem to suggest, but rather to forcibly change its role.
Regardless of whether or not Yasser Arafat remains in charge, if Sharon gets his way, the "reformed" Palestinian Authority will no longer serve as the political representative of an independent state. Rather, it will operate as a civil administration of sorts, responsible for education, health, sewage and garbage collection. The strategy is clear: confer on the Palestinians the costly role of managing civil life, but eliminate their political freedoms. South Africans called it Bantustans.
To accomplish this vision Sharon needs to break the spirit of the Palestinian people. This, it seems, is exactly what he has been trying to do. Following the brutal Israeli assault dubbed "Defensive Shield," he has held almost 2 million Palestinians under tight military curfew. These people have been imprisoned in their homes for over 6 weeks.
Sharon will continue the strangulation and humiliation of the Palestinians, hoping that at a certain point they will bow down. A reprisal attack by the Hamas will only give him more ammunition, which is why he considers the Gaza massacre a feat worth celebrating.
http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon0730.htmlwho will be courageous enough to hold them accountable? the palestinian people? the countries that fund them (iran and syria)?
remember, a daring israeli prime minister offered the palestinian authority the best deal they could imagine coming from an israeli leader. the response? violence and carnage.
i'll concede ariel sharon stoked the flames of this conflict with his temple mount appearance.
all the same, you can count on "brutal assaults" (does anyone expect israel to roll over?) on the Palestinian citizenry as long as the likes of Hamas, Al Aqsua and Islamic Jihad continue to target israeli civilians.
ariel sharon's long history has led me to believe, purely as a personal opinion, that he is a clinical psychopath, who enjoys stoking fires, who loves playing games, who loves more than anything else pushing the buttons of the palestinians, who enjoys military violence, and who, because of an absolute lack of empathy, could never say he was sorry, or admit to any mistakes. one could say he was sick.
professional psychopathy, the new demeanor of 21st. century leaders. it really doesn't matter what country.
he didn't say this, but he might as well have:
secretary of defense, donald rumsfeld - "we didn't mean to hit that damn wedding. but you're not gonna hear me say, on behalf of the american people, we are terribly sorry for making such a horrible mistake. you see, there's this new way of doing business here in washington, in fact anywhere in the world where powerful people make the rules. it's called professional psychopathy. it means that i, along with almost every other political leader in this administration, with the exception of colin powell, has absolutely no empathy. we don't give a shit! we can't feel pain! we'll do anything we want, and we'll lie about it, and we'll use violence, we'll use threats and coercion, and we won't feel an ounce of sorrow or remorse! that's psychopathy, everyone. thanks, and fuck you all. i've got to go."
Yes. It's called the occupation.
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