News- no, it's propoganda

[scaeagles]

It's all over, and in fact much of it is Muslim sect against Muslim sect.

A very recent article from Janes talking about what is happening in Somalia and the Sudan and how Bin Laden definitely has designs on large portions, if not all, of Africa.

The Sudanese conflicts are largely the Northen Islamic peoples against the Southern Christians.

There is Muslim/Christian conflict all over Nigeria (though there are arguments that this is primarily over resources and that the battle for those scarce resources are bringing people together by religion to fight for them).

And an interesting find on Ethiopia from Time.

While the roots of the conflicts are not always (or even usually) religious, Islamics leaders have oft been quick to latch onto the geopolitical situation and turn the ide into an effort to expand their influence through violence and intimidation.

[scaeagles]

I would post a link to Charles Krauthammer, but it is a (free) subscription site, and I realize most don't like links to subscription sites. It discusses the efforts made by Israel to avoid civilian casualties, usually at an expense of their soldiers facing greater danger. The last four paragraphs from a recent column -

"On Wednesday CNN cameras showed destruction in Tyre. What does Israel have against Tyre and its inhabitants? Nothing. But the long-range Hezbollah rockets that have been raining terror on Haifa are based in Tyre. What is Israel to do? Leave untouched the launch sites that are deliberately placed in built-up areas?

Had Israel wanted to destroy Lebanese civilian infrastructure, it would have turned out the lights in Beirut in the first hour of the war, destroying the billion-dollar power grid and setting back Lebanon 20 years. It did not do that. Instead it attacked dual-use infrastructure -- bridges, roads, airport runways -- and blockaded Lebanon's ports to prevent the reinforcement and resupply of Hezbollah. Ten thousand Katyusha rockets are enough. Israel was not going to allow Hezbollah 10,000 more.

Israel's response to Hezbollah has been to use the most precise weaponry and targeting it can. It has no interest, no desire to kill Lebanese civilians. Does anyone imagine that it could not have leveled south Lebanon, to say nothing of Beirut? Instead, in the bitter fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, it has repeatedly dropped leaflets, issued warnings, sent messages by radio and even phone text to Lebanese villagers to evacuate so that they would not be harmed.

Israel knows that these leaflets and warnings give the Hezbollah fighters time to escape and regroup. The advance notification as to where the next attack is coming has allowed Hezbollah to set up elaborate ambushes. The result? Unexpectedly high Israeli infantry casualties. Moral scrupulousness paid in blood. Israeli soldiers die so that Lebanese civilians will not, and who does the international community condemn for disregarding civilian life?"

[Prudence]

I don't disagre that Israel is a focal point now, but I also don't necessarily think that removing Israel entirely will significantly reduce support for radical Islam. Israel might be gone, but "the West" will remain as the boogeyman to be blamed for economic failures. And as long as governments can retain power by keeping the people relatively poor and focusing the blame elsewhere they will.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Prudence

I don't disagre that Israel is a focal point now, but I also don't necessarily think that removing Israel entirely will significantly reduce support for radical Islam. Israel might be gone, but "the West" will remain as the boogeyman to be blamed for economic failures. And as long as governments can retain power by keeping the people relatively poor and focusing the blame elsewhere they will.

Yes, but I think you'd see a big difference in world response if they act as agressor towards someone other than Israel, against which they have a semi-legitimate gripe.

[Prudence]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Yes, but I think you'd see a big difference in world response if they act as agressor towards someone other than Israel, against which they have a semi-legitimate gripe.

I don't know. I mean, I'm sure there would be more world indignation, but the terrorism model changes things. I'm already uncomfortable with the steps we are allegedly taking to prevent terrorist attacks here. If we became the focus, I'm not sure "here" would be some place I'd want to stay. Islamic states will fund the terrorists, the west will retaliate by attacking the Islamic states, which will retaliate with direct attacks on the west.

Yes, it's total speculation. No this isn't an area I know much about. Yes, I'm sure my "re-education" will begin shortly. Doesn't change that I personally believe that much as Isreal is a thorn in the paw of Islam, the radicals draw strength from the have-nots, and removing the thorn won't remove the underlying problem.

[scaeagles]

Where is the outrage in Africa with respect to the specific (and undoubtedly others) situations I mentioned? The world response has been pathetic.

Where is the outrage in Indonesia, where Al Qaida is very active? What was the world response to embassy bombings in Africa or the Kovar Towers in Saudi Arabia? Or the train bombings in Spain? There was no response, with the recognition that strongly worded condemnation is not a response. That means nothing to radical Islam. I would suggest they simply laugh at attempts at diplomacy when their goal is not to get along or live in peace.

[Nephythys]

Link- Israel deaths ignored

Reuters admits to using altered photograph (yes, they pulled it and apologized...)

[mousepod]

What I found sad and ironic about yesterday's report on CNN is that the people that were killed in yesterday's Hezbollah attack on Haifa were Israeli Arabs. It was several minutes into the story before someone pointed out that the people racing to help the victims were shouting in Arabic. This is an ugly ugly war, and the propaganda machine only blurs it further.

[Nephythys]

On Monday, it added further charges, saying he had manipulated at least one other photo -- and that all of his recent pictures had been deleted from the news agency's data base.

Reuters dismisses photographer

additional link with photo at issue

[Nephythys]

The lie

The truth?

The Lebanese prime minister says only one person died in an Israeli air raid on the southern village of Houla, lowering the death toll from 40...

Will add link when I find it-