quote:

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Balousheh, a Fatah member, had been a leading interrogators (sic) in a crackdown against Hamas a decade ago and there was speculation the attack was a botched assassination attempt against him.

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But hey, if your sole purpose in life is vilifying Muslims and Arabs, I guess you might miss that paragraph.

[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: Cueball ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
Its amazing what convoluted incoherent acrobatics you will resort to in an effort to absolve your beloved Hamas of any responsibility for these atrocities.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
So does that mean that you support Hamas purposely targetting Palestinian children and murdering them in cold blood.

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According to the article you started the thread with, this isn't the case. Why do you keep saying it?

[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: B.L. Zeebub LLD ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
Everytime time children die from Israeli bombs, some people here keep claiming that they have been purposely targetted so i am just assuming that anytime that children die in a conflict zone - the perpetrators MUST have done it on purpose.

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[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: B.L. Zeebub LLD ]

No responsibility has yet been claimed. There is no substance to your pointing to Hamas. Anyone can open another thread titled "Israel murdering children in Gaza" and put insert the same link. It will have at least the same level of credibility as your title.

Please change the title of the thread, Stockholm.

[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: sidra ]

We've certainly had plenty of inflammatory threads accusing Israel of "purposely" killing people.

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
what do you think would be a better title?

We've certainly had plenty of inflammatory threads accusing Israel of "purposely" killing people.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
They can if they want...but I don't see why Hamas is purposely killing Palestinians. Aren't there enough Israeli civilians for them to target?

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[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
[QB]I was willing to start to give Hamas the benefit of the doubt, but when they do stuff like this it makes it hard to gtake them seriously as a partner for peace.

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So you've concluded - in absence of evidence, I'll add - that Hamas killed the children on purpose? Boy, that's really "giving them the benefit of the doubt."

Even if they did, how come Israel can assassinate people (and kill children while doing so) and remain a "partner for peace", but if Hamas attempts to assassinate people (and kills children while doing so) then they aren't fit to negotiate with?

Your purported aim of balance is pretty much out the window.

BTW, you - unsurprisingly - still haven't answered my question about foreseeable results of violent acts. I won't hold my breath. You talk about "moderation", but you aren't willing to discuss a more nuanced ethical picture. Too busy getting your point across to "some people", I guess.

[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: B.L. Zeebub LLD ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:

I think its all atrocious. I just wish the most moderate elements on both sides could take power and negotiate a settlement. But I'm not holding my breath.

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While above in your assertion that Israel has no "partner for peace" in Hamas, you imply that Israel is already a willing and able partner.

Do you ever hurt yourself flipping around like that?

[ 11 December 2006: Message edited by: B.L. Zeebub LLD ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
Why is Hamas purposely murdering innocent Palestinian children? Is this their idea of fun?

http://tinyurl.com/sac6x

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quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
Its amazing what convoluted incoherent acrobatics you will resort to in an effort to absolve your beloved Hamas of any responsibility for these atrocities.

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I think that Israel has long wanted to see civil war between the factions operating within the PA. How else to explain the recent arming of Fatah by both Israel and her big brother US?

All I've seen is that 'unidentified gunmen' shot three children.

quote:

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Originally posted by B.L. Zeebub LLD:

So you think Hamas should call the deaths "accidental and regrettable tragedies" and blame Israel?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
I was willing to start to give Hamas the benefit of the doubt, but when they do stuff like this it makes it hard to gtake them seriously as a partner for peace.

Hopefully they will have new elections in the PA, Hamas can get flushed down the toilet and then there will actually be someone to negotiate with.

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As far as the last 10 years are concerned the powers that be in Israel said there was "no partner for peace," among the Palestinians, and they were talking about the only other likely contender for leadership amongst the Palestinians, Fatah, not Hamas.

How convenient is the memeory hole when it serves the purposes of personal bias and ideology? Very!

I can imagine that when (and "if") Fatah assumes power again in the occupied territroies, Israel will question the legitimacy of the new regieme to represent Palestinians, as a whole, since Hamas is so powerful. You heard it here first.

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: Cueball ]

quote:

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Hamas denied involvement and denounced the bloodshed. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum condemned the attack as an “awful, ugly crime against innocent children.”

He said the assailants were undermining Palestinian interests by creating chaos and confusion.

While dozens have been killed in Gaza’ escalating lawlessness since Hamas defeated Fatah in January parliamentary elections, the death of the children was especially shocking and was likely to trigger widespread confrontations at a time Hamas and Fatah were at loggerheads over the creation of a national unity government.

In response to the attack, Fatah’s parliamentary faction issued a statement calling on Abbas to dismiss the Hamas government, “which is pushing us with its policies and programs to civil war.”

Abdel Karim Kahlout, Gaza’s mufti or top Islamic authority, issued a religious ruling demanding death for the assassins.

“I ask the rulers to carry out an execution against the killers,” he said. “No punishment is acceptable but execution.”

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Stockholm,

Please change the title of the thread. You are creating a precedent that could discredit the whole forum.

You know that in previous cases, moderators -rightly- rebuffed misleading titles.

This is not a case where temper flared and moderators would have to intervene. It is a wilful and calculated distortion on your part;
please conduct yourself properly and show that you do not need to be baby-sat.

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: sidra ]

If there is a policy that we are not to ever say that ANYONE is purposely killing innocents then I am happy to live by it.

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: Stockholm ]

It's simply an invitation to a flame war.

In fact, it's eerie how it parallels the real-world tactics of Israel....

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: M. Spector ]