The real reason for the fence attack: Money. Ron ben-Yishai says Bedouins are ultimately behind the Sinai border attack, because their income from smuggling has dropped sharply as Israel builds the border fence. Gee, the poor things. They can no longer smuggle Africans, drugs, and weapons into Israel with impunity. Ben-Yishai says there will be a tough summer on the border.
Got another terrorist: The IDF got one of the terrorists who planned the border attack.
American bought and paid for terrorists: Gee, who could have predicted that by training Palestinian “police” officers in military weapons and tactics, they’d use that training to their own advantage, instead of trying to build a Palestinian state? Hm, let’s think. Did anyone think it was a stupid idea? Oh. Wait. That’s right, me.
More rocket fire, no condemnation from the UN: Nothing at all since the statement urging Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza. Well, except for this statement urging Israel to resume peace talks. It came out yesterday, after the terrorist attack, and while the rockets were raining down from Egypt and Gaza. Here’s what the UN thinks is the problem:
“The latest announcements related to settlements are an added setback. As we speak, there are ongoing intensive efforts to avoid a renewed deadlock,” he added.
And here’s what the UN has to say about the attacks by terrorists:
In addition, the relative calm that prevailed in Gaza since April was disrupted with a series of recent incidents. Overall, a total of 15 rockets and 27 mortar shells were fired from Gaza into Israel, while the Israel Defense Forces conducted seven incursions and 14 airstrikes into Gaza, resulting in nine Palestinian militants killed and nine injured, and 15 Palestinian civilians injured.
It is the next-to-last paragraph in the news release. Awesome job, UN!
And oh yeah–Hamas is claiming responsibility for the rocket fire now. Israel should totally lift the blockade and talk peace with Hamas, because they’re totally moderating, just like the New York Times and other mainstream media outlets said they would. Isn’t it great to be right?
Gee, who could have predicted that by training Palestinian “police” officers in military weapons and tactics, they’d use that training to their own advantage,</i.
Meryl,
At the time that Tenet was controlling the "security" arrangements for the PA the whole excercise of the US providing training was criticized but those critics were not Thomas Friedman nor Peter Beinart.
Not to worry though as the only people getting killed are Israelis, Jews and Arabs. Nobody in New York is feeling anything.
Don't forget Tenet had two shots at it, once under Clinton and then under Bush.
In the early part of the terror wave in 2003 it was apparent who was doing the terrorising, Arafat's police moonlighting; but then as somebody remarked during a discussion of Alice Walker banning the printing of her book in Hebrew, most diaspora Jews cannot read or write Hebrew which is more the pity because they might have learned something about the politics of the region.