PA accuses Hezbollah of undermining peace process

[GePap]

Originally posted by Lord Nuclear
Are there any main differences between Hamas and Hezbollah, other than the country they originate from?

Yes. The most basic, Hizbullah is Shia, Hamas is Sunni.

Well, its been a more than a week, and maybe Hizbullah is slacking, cause they haven't killed Abbas or blown up Israelis yet. Damn lazy Hizbullah! Is this how you undermine a peace process??

[dannubis]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Hope died.

witty comeback

[Sirotnikov]

Originally posted by GePap


Yes. The most basic, Hizbullah is Shia, Hamas is Sunni.

Well, its been a more than a week, and maybe Hizbullah is slacking, cause they haven't killed Abbas or blown up Israelis yet. Damn lazy Hizbullah! Is this how you undermine a peace process??

You are welcome to read interviews with top members of Al-Aqsa martyrs brigades, who say that ever since Abbas came to power, Hizbullah has began increasing the sums of money sent to Al-Aqsa terrorist cells, to perform terrorist attacks on Israeli targets and ruin Abba's agenda of getting a cease fire and including the al-aqsa martyrs back into the PA. By doing that, btw, increasing the already great tear between the Fatah institution and the Al-Aqsa martyrs.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by GePap


Yes. The most basic, Hizbullah is Shia, Hamas is Sunni.

Well, its been a more than a week, and maybe Hizbullah is slacking, cause they haven't killed Abbas or blown up Israelis yet. Damn lazy Hizbullah! Is this how you undermine a peace process??

They had some business to wrap up in Lebanon.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


Yes. The most basic, Hizbullah is Shia, Hamas is Sunni.

Well, its been a more than a week, and maybe Hizbullah is slacking, cause they haven't killed Abbas or blown up Israelis yet. Damn lazy Hizbullah! Is this how you undermine a peace process??

The israelis have stopped attacks from the West Bank. And apparently the Pal security have stopped some from Gaza. The fact that you try to undermine something doesnt mean you succceed. It would seem fair that those who are now mocking the threat from Hezbollah congratulate the IDF on its successes in blocking terrorist attacks. How about it?

[GePap]

It amazes me that people are still willing to listen to self-serving government announcements and suspicions anymore, specially from anyone in the ME. Nah, I wait until something happens, or someone has concrete evidence before getting my panties in a bunch. Ususally works better that way, less likely to, I don;t know, go nuts over things that end up not there, perhaps?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


It amazes me that people are still willing to listen to self-serving government announcements and suspicions anymore, specially from anyone in the ME. Nah, I wait until something happens, or someone has concrete evidence before getting my panties in a bunch. Ususally works better that way, less likely to, I don;t know, go nuts over things that end up not there, perhaps?

If it had come from the Israeli govt i wouldnt have posted it. I found it interesting that it came from PA officials. Surely they havent signed on to the agendas of either the Sharon govt or the Bush admin. If the PA is complaining, I think theres something there. How exactly is it self-serving from the PA POV, unless they see either Hezb, Syria and/or Iran as a thread of some kind, at least a political threat. (that it is consistent with what we have heard from Israeli and US sources is also interesting, but not the key fact here)


As for something happening, theres been Hezbollah support for terrorism in the territories for several years, according to sources I trust. Of course they dont issue press releases about it.

[lord of the mark]

The NYT

"In the past two weeks, the officials said, France has rebuffed appeals by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which would prevent it from raising money in Europe through charity groups. The United States has long called Hezbollah a terrorist organization, but the French, American and European officials said, have opposed doing so, and argue that making such a designation now would be unwise, given the new turbulence in Lebanon.

Israeli and American officials say that the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has told them that he, too, regards Hezbollah as a destructive force in the Middle East, one determined to undermine peace talks by supporting militant groups that attack Israelis.

The officials and diplomats interviewed would not give their names, saying they did not want to be seen as worsening tensions between the United States and Europe on the eve of Mr. Bush's trip.

The Europeans are not solidly opposed to listing Hezbollah as a terrorist group, the officials said. The Netherlands, Italy and Poland support the Bush administration's view, several officials said, while Germany and Britain believe the issue is moot unless the French change their minds. One European diplomat said other countries were "hiding behind" France on the issue.

So Mahmud Abbas versus Jacque Chirac. Whos more self-serving?

[GePap]

"who is more self-serving"? What kind of question is that?

Do you have anything, other than your own biases, to make a judgement? NO.

Answer: Both are self-serving- all pols must be to some degree.

The PA has a reason to blame Hezbullah for any problems that might come up, since it makes it the fault of some outside, non-palestinian group, and better even if its one of the other sides favorite nemesis, no?

Does this mean Hezbullah is not doing anything? No. It means I have no reason to get my panties in a bunch about claims of Hezbullah actions, as opposed to, I don;t know, proof of Hezbullah intentions, or actual hezbullah financed actions.

[lord of the mark]

Abbas also has abundant reason NOT to get on the bad side of Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran. Unless of course he thinks their already gunning for him.

[lord of the mark]

Sydney Morning Herald

Hezbollah fighters may target Abbas
By Inigo Gilmore
February 14, 2005

Palestinian security officials have received threats that the President, Mahmoud Abbas, could be killed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists if he continues moves towards reconciliation with Israel.

Mr Abbas agreed to a ceasefire with Israel and shook hands with its Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, at last week's summit at Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt.

Palestinian officials sounded the alarm after hearing that Hezbollah is urging Hamas militants in Gaza and the West Bank to continue to attack Israel.

The threats to Mr Abbas came indirectly, via Palestinian Hezbollah contacts, but were being taken "very, very seriously", one official said.

Well I suppose they COULD be making that up. Presumably they CANT name the contacts in public.

[q]"Many groups both here and outside do not want a ceasefire because a ceasefire means they will be without power," he said.

"As in Iraq, a lot of different powers and groups in the region are involved here and are trying to manage the resistance in our territory. Abbas is challenging their power, and so it is a dangerous path for him."

Hezbollah emerged as a dangerous force in the 1980s while fighting Israel in southern Lebanon and has since evolved into a chief financier and supporter of terrorist action in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The militia, which is also backed by Syria as a proxy force in its struggle with Israel over the Golan Heights, has apparently increased its influence as other sources of funding for militant groups have dried up.

Mr Abbas acknowledged that Hezbollah might threaten his life during a private meeting with two US senators just before last month's Palestinian election, Newsweek quoted an unnamed congressional official as saying. "He said the main threat might be less Hamas and more external."

Okay, self serving, maybe.

Palestinian officials claim to have intercepted email and other correspondence showing the bank transactions through which Hezbollah has provided funds for Palestinian terrorists.

I guess sources and methods reason NOT to show the emails, etc. Would they be believed without details of how they did the interception?

Reports last week suggested that Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon have been offering up to $US100,000 ($127,000) to any Palestinian willing to carry out a suicide attack against Israel.

I need to check the source on this.

Hezbollah denied on Saturday it was attempting to wreck the truce and said the Jewish state had accused the Islamic guerillas in order to mask its own plans to destroy peace efforts.

Well, I suppose many would give credence to that motivation for Israels accusations (I await Hezbs statement on Abbas motivations) My sense of Israeli politics, including of Sharon, as indicated by his recent actions, would tend against Hezbs interpretation. But thats me.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Abbas also has abundant reason NOT to get on the bad side of Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran. Unless of course he thinks their already gunning for him.

Which are? Its obvious he decided to try for peace with Israel, which would instantly put him on the bad graces of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, period. He must have known that-the man is not an idiot.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


Which are? Its obvious he decided to try for peace with Israel, which would instantly put him on the bad graces of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, period. He must have known that-the man is not an idiot.

theres bad graces and theres bad graces. Calling Hezb and Syria and Iran on support for terrorism, thus lending support to US and Israeli accusations, which are now being used as grounds for sanctions, and which could become part of a case for war, is certainly a dangerous path, more dangerous than even making peace.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


theres bad graces and theres bad graces. Calling Hezb and Syria and Iran on support for terrorism, thus lending support to US and Israeli accusations, which are now being used as grounds for sanctions, and which could become part of a case for war, is certainly a dangerous path, more dangerous than even making peace.

"supporting terrorism"?

He claimed Hezbullah is trying to undermine the peace process by paying people to conduct attacks- that is not the same as "validating the evil claims of other people", anymore than it is him invalidating the entire Intifadah or saying that the "martyrs" were not really martyrs but terrorists.


On a bit of good news, Israel has announced it will stop the deplorable tactic of home demolitions as collective punishment to deter further militant attacks, after doing and study and finding it had little effect, specially since many Islamic groups stepped in to help the families recoup.

So, good news that this practice is ending

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


"supporting terrorism"?

He claimed Hezbullah is trying to undermine the peace process by paying people to conduct attacks- that is not the same as "validating the evil claims of other people", anymore than it is him invalidating the entire Intifadah or saying that the "martyrs" were not really martyrs but terrorists.

Ok, he validated that Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are paying people to kill civilians, and are trying to kill him, acts which some others have called terrorism, which he is not attacking in the context of the intifidah, but presumbly does oppose in the current context - but the key fact is that hes supporting that Hezb is paying for attacks.

Is that lawyerly enough for you?