communismkills:

1. The fifty-year-old Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is the core cause of Middle Eastern violence. It is wreaking tragedy on the region and creating increasingly dangerous destabilization for the entire globe.

2. American taxpayers, without being consulted, are giving Israel over $10 million dollars per day of their tax money - far more than to any other nation on earth. This enormous disbursement abroad of American money is rolled over year after year, and is often increased - without any debate whatsoever by our governmental representatives.

3. With this money the Israeli government is maintaining an occupation that has been decreed illegal according to the United States government and international law. This occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights is engendering escalating violence, which is costing the lives of numerous innocent civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian.

4. A multitude of international observers and organizations - from the International Red Cross to UNICEF to Israeli nongovernmental organizations - have reported systemic and continuing violations by Israel of the Geneva Conventions. These violations create desperate reprisals by Palestinian resistance organizations, causing a tragic and growing cycle of violence that inflames the entire region.

5. In 1967 Israeli forces attacked an American naval ship, the USS Liberty, killing 34 American servicemen and injuring 172. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas Moorer called this attack “an act of war against the United States of America.” For over 30 years the surviving crewmembers of the USS Liberty have long called for a thorough, honest, and open Congressional investigation of the attack that killed their crewmates and maimed many of them. To date, Congress has failed to give these American servicemen the respect of its attention.

6. In 2004 an Israeli military bulldozer crushed to death 23-year-old American Rachel Corrie, who was sitting on the ground in front of a Palestinian family home in an attempt to prevent it from being bulldozed. Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, are asking that the United States investigate their daughter’s death by America’s close ally.

It is time for the United States to work toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians through the implementation of policies of rationality, morality, and practicality. It is time that American funding be contingent on adherence to international law and American principles. Only through justice and firm resolve will peace be achieved. It is unacceptable for Israel to take American money while disdaining American needs.

THEREFORE

1. The United States must end all aid to Israel until it obeys international law. By doing this, Israel will finally take the road to peace that many of its citizens have long called for. In addition, the United States will demonstrate the principles of fairness and democracy that will begin to earn back the respect that our nation traditionally enjoyed in the region.

2. The United States Congress must immediately undertake a fair and thorough investigation of the USS Liberty. This will bring the justice these Americans deserve, and demonstrate to future American servicemen that they will not be abandoned.

3. The United States Congress must call for an immediate and open investigation of Rachel Corrie’s death. The Corries, and all Americans, have the right to learn the truth. When Daniel Pearl was killed in Pakistan, American investigators were there within days. Rachel Corrie deserves the same.

For many years, Israeli and Palestinian civilians have been living in tragic fear and violence. As the United States Congress sends more and more aid to Israel, Americans are becoming increasingly embroiled in this conflict and imperiled by its violence. Peace can only come through justice. It is time that America stand up for our principles of equality, inclusion, and fairness. It is time that American policies ensure the right of Israelis and Palestinians to exist in peace. By doing so, we will not only bring peace to this sacred land, we will bring it to our own as well.

Source: http://www.judgejimgray.com/grayarticles4.php

Wow, for someone who “doesn’t want foreign intervention”, he seems to want a lot of “do what America wants or else”!

I would consider most of this post to be honest. Not all of it, mind you; some of it pushes for too much/is untrue.

But requesting that aid to Israel/other nations stop and that we actually investigate the USS Liberty’s sinking is pretty non-interventionist. If we were attacked, we ought to know by whom we were attacked. It’s not at all a pressing foreign policy.

The U.S. proposed plan is very well-standing with Mohamed ElBaradei, but he also suggests the details move too swiftly. The details provide the transitional government 5 months to amend the constitution of Egypt. ElBaradei suggests at least a year is needed to show that the regime is serious about democratic reform. He also justifies the time limit by saying that a longer time is needed so that the ruling party (Mubarak’s party) can loosen up and fade out of Egyptian politics. Revolutions take time, even in reconstruction, to be successful on behalf of the people. Otherwise the same problems recur or, as a worry from before, a radical person or a radical group could come out of the grassroots and become just as autocratic to the people or hurtful to the U.S. and Israel.

As opposed to the chaos now? President Hosni Mubarak refuses to resign early because he is worried about the state of his country. That being said, the anti-government protesters do not trust him to leave office when the end of his term comes. They say he will simply say, “Well look at the turmoil! You all need me! I’m staying.” The protesters also say that he payed thugs to start the violence of yesterday and the night before to show that statement. That notion is still unconfirmed.

Fortunately, ever since the military intervened yesterday, the protests have been mostly peaceful (notice the word mostly). The military has lined core areas with tanks and anti-government protesters have built barricades all over to ensure safety.

The biggest thing to worry about still is the worry I expressed early on in the protests: radical groups coming out of the grassroots. Even neutrality with the U.S. could mean a near-end to Israel and its people. Riots have continued and will continue consistently until they feel it’s all a success.

I have long been saying that the revolution in Egypt could and, in probability, would end with an Islamic-militancy regime against Israel and the U.S. So, as I stated in one of my previous articles, the Obama Administration is trying to gain an ally out of the people or at least neutrality. We may lose a great ally but gaining an enemy launching pad for Al Qaeda would be a nightmare. He now backs the people as the now-facts show that they will overcome.

That being said, after the revolts bring success, it comes time for reconstruction. This is where, another thing I said in previous articles, an outcome like Cuba, Russia, France, or Iran could come. Progressive liberals have been for the people, and in time of reconstruction, have taken over with power and support. In 1979, we saw it with Iran, and the outcome was disastrous.

The worst thing to do at this point is get the people more and more angry. The Egyptian military has told the protesters they can return to normal life, but seeing that this was not enough for them, their anger builds. All it takes is one person out of the grassroots to “save them”.  The Islamic Brotherhood has vowed to non-violence and are not looking for a military approach. The Christian Science Monitor cites Mr. Rubin, an author of books in the Middle-East, saying that they simply have not used violence because it was not the right time.

Very unlikely. But I agree with him saying that it could boots the Arab-Israeli conflict and cost “tens of thousands of lives”. The Islamic Brotherhood has been peaceful for decades. It’s unlikely, but possible that they would become violent at the right time. Though, it’s very likely that another group would come out and become violent on behalf of the people. Most of the country is filled with fundamentalists, so it’s not an empty thought.

The Obama Administration, as well as the world, knows that Mubarak’s regime is the only thing there to stop Islamic-militancy. At the end of the term, chaos would ensue. The U.S. urges him to leave office quickly so that there can be an orderly government reform with aid from other countries. But the fact is, the people want a democratic reform: one that stands up for what they want. The U.S. needs the new Egyptian administration to be a friend of Israel and a combatant of terrorism, when the people are in favor of those exact things. Anything promoting Israel’s or the U.S.’s mission would be just as disliked. The best case scenario is they become neutral or inactive against Israel and not a home for Al Qaeda.

Reform should be done quickly and within months. Otherwise it could be another Cuba, Russia, France, or Iran. When you add Israel into the mix with that outcome, the scenario is very grim.

Hosni Mubarak, after being on the phone with President Obama for some time, gave a televised speech at about 10 minutes in length. He stated he would not run for yet another term. This was good news for the Million Protester March in Cairo today.

However, he stated he was going to serve the rest of his term to meet many of the demands for democratic reform. This made the people angry and upset. They were again unmoved by his announcement. While the Obama Administration urges him to swiftly leave office orderly to set up a new government, Hosni Mubarak believes he should finish his time in office.

He also stated he will not flee Egypt as Zine El Abidine Ben Ali did with Tunisia. “I will die on Egyptian soil.” The anti-government protesters became more aggravated. This was especially so as Mubarak supporters took to the streets. The two groups were throwing rocks at each other. The peaceful protests of the anti-government democratic reformers had ended until the military shot rounds in the air to break the groups up.

The Islamic Brotherhood has vowed they are not looking for leadership positions and are vowing to the vow of peace they took decades ago. But what about other radical groups possibly emerging from the grassroots? In a national survey, over 50% of Egyptians consider themselves fundamentalists. This is not counting the fundamentalists who don’t believe they are fundamentalists.

The protests will surely continue, considering the masses demand Hosni Mubarak leave office prior to his term ending. The United States is trying to usher in the same ally they would have had against Islamic-militancy and terrorism and the same ally for Israel while also ushering in the democratic reform. Though, with most Egyptians considering themselves on the side of Palestine, that is unlikely, and any form of government supporting the United States would be very disliked.

This is why the United States, partly, wishes to usher Hosni Mubarak out quickly: to appeal to the people and to orderly set up a new government structure. Peaceful protests possibly have temporarily ceased, but any violence would consequentially bring military involvement. The Egyptians have forced Hosni Mubarak to end his terms and go back to their constitutional laws, but they are pushing for more reform and quicker action.

Articles over the past few days have shared my awareness of the Islamic Brotherhood. The Huffington Post has scoffed at the thought that they could pose a threat, as they renounced violence decades ago and are not looking for leadership positions. But there are other powerful radical groups that back the people.

Egyptians still consider Israel their archenemy, and so if a democratic overhaul succeeds, we may gain no threat, but we lose a key and powerful ally against Al Qaeda and defender of Israel.

The Obama Administration is trying to back the people slightly more and more. I believe they see success on the peoples’ behalf and are trying to make allies with the people to keep the country as a key ally. This is shown by the change of neutrality in the beginning stages of the protests to the rejections of government reform under Mubarak.

The U.S. will continue to try and make an ally among the people as they push. Their own reform is underway.

The U.N. is expressing fears of the Egyptian Revolution. Hosni Mubarak has been an ally of the United States and has been a very powerful force against international terrorism. His administration, over the past 30 years, has also been a key defender of Israel. That being said, he is without-a-doubt autocratic. If the people succeed in overthrowing his government or in forcing him to resign, there could be a huge threat to other moderate countries.

In a national survey of Egypt, over 50% of the population considered themselves to be fundamentalist and not fond of the U.S. government and people. With the Islamic Brotherhood, a radical Muslim group, backing the people and their protests, a possible new form of government could emerge with the military. The military may not be stopping protests, gatherings, or curfew-breakers, but they are not object to using force to stop an overthrow in opposition to their wants.

The Islamic Brotherhood has been repressed by Hosni Mubarak despite their power and will. These events in the Middle-East and Northern Africa is an opportunity for them to emerge. Their power has potential to lead them to claiming the reins of the revolution. Examples from history prove it to be possible: Lenin and Stalin with Russia, Castro with Cuba, Napoleon with France, etc. The arguments against that are the examples of most of Europe and the U.S.

Both outcomes are possible, but the worst is being expected by some. The citizens of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and other countries have been oppressed and kept in poverty by those in power; them settling for anything better or a majority opinion which could be radical is legitimate (according to the national survey).

With our very powerful ally on the teetering point, the U.S. watches carefully, torn between the democratic ideals of the people or the power of the government. It offers no ability for an accurate assessment as to which direction either side could lean towards.