More terrorism in Israel -- Israel bus bomb kills 15

[s4]

[QUOTEURL=http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/12/02/mideast/index.html]
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A powerful bomb ripped through a bus in the port city of Haifa Sunday, police said, killing at least 15 people and injuring about 35 others.

The explosion, believed to be caused by a suicide bomber, happened shortly after noon at a busy intersection in downtown Haifa, just 12 hours after a series of three deadly terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.

[/QUOTEURL]

We Americans may not think this will have any effect on us, but if war breaks out you can better believe our country will get involved if not directly then indirectly. This terrorism shit sucks.

 

[Shadowfax]

I'm really nervous about the current situation over there; it seems that these last acts are the beginning of a very ugly situation.
Not only is the US bound to get involved there, but also The Netherlands are really likely to get involved when a national war starts in Israel. There has been a strong bond between the Netherlands and Israel for quite some time now.

It would be a very strange situation for a small country like mine to have soldiers operating in various countries at the same time.
A bill just passed which allows the deployment of 800 Dutch soldiers and various other military equiptment in Afghanistan.

I really hope the current situation in Israel cools down, but I'm afraid that's not really likely...
There has been war going on there for almost three decades now, if I'm right...

 

[Shadowfax]

Wow! I'm really surprised: I say the current outcome of a poll held on CNN (which can be found HERE) which shows that most people who have taken that poll think Israel should respond with military action!

I think Israel would make a great mistake by doing that. I realize that it is easily said from here, but if Israel continues peace talks at the current moment, I think this would be a great gesture towards Palestina.
They could demand from Jasser Arafat to tighten his grip on the Palastinian terrorist groups operating within Israel (if he has the power to do so....). I think that the foresight of retalliation by the Israelian government could be just the motivation for Arafat to improve the situation in the Middle East.

 

[s4]

I hope war doesn't break out but I have doubts that Arafat really wants peace. I think what he really wants is to rule Israel and have all the land it occupies. I've seen him on tv many times and often thought..."there is a guy that can't be trusted". I agree that if Israel responds with military action that any progress made in peace talks will be forsaken. However, it's just like what happened in NY. The US didn't stand by and take what the terrorists dished out, and I don't expect Israel will either.

The whole thing really depresses me. I want peace not war.

 

[Shadowfax]

Israel has to make a decision they had to make many times before; how many times have they seen their citizens being killed by terrorists, and how many times had they to respond to those actions? I've already lost count the last two years.
Of course I see and understand the (suposed) military respond of Israel, and I don't think anyone can blame them.
They are defending their citizens, and I don't think that there are much Israelians who DON'T want retalliation.

But I think the Israelian government has to think carefully before starting a full counter-strike against Palestina.
History shows us that those strikes never helped in any form of peace; the Palestinians will always continue their war for their cause: their own country.
And I strongly doubt that any invasion or war by Israel, how heavy that may be, will change the ideology of the people in Palestina.

A frightening situation

 

[s4]

I fear that this attack might the justification needed for Israel to respond. Before they had to be concerned with public opinion in the US and abroad. I think they are going to appear justified in doing anything they want to get back at those behind the attacks. I would not be at all surprised to see heavy forms of retaliation in the next few days.

 

[Gonzo]

In my never humble opinion, after Arafat was given more than was asked during the "real" peacetalks, and he refused, coinciding with the mass resurgence of attacks these last few months, Israel should declare open war on Palestine & any country that helps them. The US will be there to assist, eventually. It has to stop. Syria & Lebanon are mostly Palestinian anyway, so let them live there.

 

[BigDadday]

Something else is at play here as well. The US has stated it's going after all terrorists and terrorism so maybe this is a test of the coalition that we have and a big test at that.


Condsolences to all of those families as well who have been victimized! BD

 

[Noite Escura]

Originally posted by Gonzo
In my never humble opinion, after Arafat was given more than was asked during the "real" peacetalks, and he refused, coinciding with the mass resurgence of attacks these last few months, Israel should declare open war on Palestine & any country that helps them.

More than was asked? What do you mean by that?

 

[patweb]

I don't think it was 'more' than Arafat asked for, but it was 92% (approximately) of all of the CONTESTED land. There has been endless debates about what that agreement actually would have provided the Palestinians.

My fear is that Israel is going to strike hard, perhaps this week. When Israel hits Palestine, children are the first casualties. That makes the terrorists acts even more despicable. When they know they (the terrorists) are damning children to death.

The problem is that no matter how the situation is played out the Arab Nations will eventually turn on the USA and Israel because they stand togather. America's only hope is to keep Israel in check until we are ready to deal with it. Well, the Arabs (in General) are making it almost impossible.

 

[Gonzo]

Ehud Barak promised so much land to the Palistinians that, at points, Israel would be only 9 miles wide. And, he conceded almost all other demands from the PLO. Yassir, said no sir. That is when I decided that the PLO & Hamas & others in the region did NOT want peace with Israel. They want it DESTROYED. If you doubt that, look at the actions taken over the last 50 years. Every time the Israelis try to come to agreements, there is more violence. SOme people bitch that Israel has more land now than was given in the 1947 UN Charter. Well, it's true. What is not said aloud is that it was taken from INVADING forces, which were, relatively quickly, defeated, as a concession. The Palistinians have 98% of the Middle East to make a home, let them go there.

 

[Noite Escura]

The Israelis had much other places to live too. They have chosen to live there. I say let them all (jews and pallies) fight alone.