Remember Article 5 of the NATO charter, the reason we're still bogged down in Afghanistan, the "attack on one is an attack on all" trigger?
So, Israel committed an act of war by attacking a NATO member-flagged ship in international waters, an attack to which the entire alliance - Canada and the US included - is obliged to treat as an attack on all.
So, what's it going to be? Air strikes, cruise missiles, unmanned drones to target the Israeli leadership, a land invasion to oust a criminal regime? We've got quite a menu of options and plenty of recent experience in how to use them.
(h/t consortiumblog.com)
So, Israel committed an act of war by attacking a NATO member-flagged ship in international waters, an attack to which the entire alliance - Canada and the US included - is obliged to treat as an attack on all.
So, what's it going to be? Air strikes, cruise missiles, unmanned drones to target the Israeli leadership, a land invasion to oust a criminal regime? We've got quite a menu of options and plenty of recent experience in how to use them.
(h/t consortiumblog.com)
10 comments:
Sad. Extremely sad. That buffoon, jackass Nutnayahoo will get away with all and more.
That is exactly the reason that there is no peace in the world. Too much hypocrisy and double- standards.
Expect, because this is Isreal, that it will only be exceptions....
Of course NATO will do nothing. Even Washington didn't retaliate when Israeli forces brazenly and repeatedly attacked the USS Liberty with torpedo boats, strike fighters and attack helicopters during the 1967 "6 Day War."
Israeli defence forces murdered 34 American sailors in that sustained, entirely deliberate attack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
There's a great book written by some of the survivors "Attack on Liberty."
There was another incident around this time when two Israeli, American-made Phantom jets fired American-made Sparrow missiles at a US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird recon jet. The super fast Blackbird safely outran the missiles.
With America repeatedly showing its willingness to tolerate this sort of crap from Israel, who can expect anything else from the Israelis?
Sticky wicket coming up tomorrow with the Rachel Corrie and the Irish PM telling Israel it must be allowed into Gaza.
Things got pretty heated Thursday in the Knesset too;
"Jewish and Arab lawmakers traded accusations, threats, and nearly came to blows. The focus of the row was Arab legislator Hanin Zuabi. She was mercilessly heckled by right-wing members for having taken part in the ‘End the Gaza Siege’ flotilla.
Go to Gaza, you traitor," said one. "You’ve no right to be called an MK (Member of Knesset) because you spilled the blood of other Israelis," yelled another. One inflammatory statement followed another, and not just from right-wing nationalist Jews.
Knesset guards surrounded the Arab-Israeli MK for fear someone would try to cause her bodily harm."
http://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/06/03/5866
There was a terrific item in one of the British papers this morning about how efficiently Israel went about waging the public relations war while it had the flotilla people confined. They used the time well, releasing heavily-edited video to the Western media that got played, repeatedly and without question, on most television outlets. The video was edited to conform to the Israeli narrative that "they" were being attacked by the protesters as though armed soldiers forcing their way aboard foreign flagged ships in international waters are not the attacking party.
Israel was right.
Might have botched the operation with too few commandos but don't let the trees obscure the forest.
That shipped had to be stopped. No guns, no munitions for Gaza.
Israel has every right to inspect every transport headed to Gaza.
Canada, USA, Britain and NATO agree.
A blockade is absolutely required to prevent Hamas from obtaining guns and missles.
Anon, I understand your point - in one level. In others, however, it comes down to Israel having become a thug, rogue state undeserving of any nation's support. For too many decades Israel has gotten away with playing the West for a sucker.
Israel is no rogue.
"Canada, USA, Britain and NATO agree."
Anon if you are still about, did you mean to say AIPAC agrees?
Nato has become the means the US uses to involve other countries in it's Imperial ventures and has little to no legitimacy now.
The UN on the other hand, the organization that Israel alternately ignores and scorns, then goes to for sanctions against Iran, does not support nor legitimize Israels blockade.
Israel has become a pariah state, and they manipulate everything they possibly can including International agreements and agencies. Cherry picking laws and agreements as it suits them.
Well Anon, we disagree. Israel is indeed a rogue state, from its nuclear arsenal to its illegal occupation of territory. You can rationalize that away until your eyeballs bleed but you can't change facts. I support a viable Israeli state but I do it with some hesitation and in a very limited context. I do not support today's Israeli state nor do I accept Israeli dogma and propaganda. Enough.
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