Weapons of Mass Discussion is a forum that challenges the liberal media and defends the honor and integrity of America.
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Israel Says It Has No Plan Kill Arafat
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom Monday dismissed comments by a cabinet minister that Israel could kill Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, but the remarks served to increase international pressure for caution. Vice premier and Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday "killing (Arafat) is definitely one of the options" also including exile or isolating him in his compound. The words, following an Israeli decision in principle to expel Arafat from the West Bank, drew anger in the Arab world and blank incredulity in Europe. This story is by Mark Heinrich of Reuters.
Matt's Chat: Arafat is part of the problem. He is definately not the solution. Contrary to his statements, Arafat has been responsible for terrorism against Israel, if not directly certainly by attrition. Assassination isn't the solution to the Arafat problem, but the threat must certainly is a serious indicator of Israel's commitment to getting peace done by any measure.
Mark's Remarks: Of course Europe would express incredulity at DOING SOMETHING, they have done nothing for years, and look where it has gotten us. Terrorist cells in France, Belgium, Netherlands, etc. Wow, doing nothing and sweeping problems under the rug really helps, eh? Well, back to issue at hand. Arafat is the main impediment to peace. Israel needs to get that message out loud and clear, not only to the world, but also to those Palestinians. I think most of them would be shocked by what Arafat has done, and how he simply is looking out for himself by justifying his continued control over the area. That was the problem with Abbas. He wanted to run the show and do it right. Arafat did not want to be upstaged, so he removed him. The time is coming where Israel may have to make that choice to kill Arafat, which I disagree with in many instances, but it might have to be done....We need to talk more to Israel, and quit being soe wishywashy on the Bush Doctrine on Terrorism. Arafat and his organization give haven to terrorists, we need to turn on them, per the Bush Doctrine. Nuff said.
Iran: Committed to Nuclear Treaty
Iranian vice president and energy chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh said Monday Tehran will go ahead with negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency about allowing unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities. This story is by the VOA
Matt's Chat: Sounds to me like Iran is trying to buy more time, but this is a step in the right direction.
Mark's Remarks: Send in the Israeli fighter/bombers to do what they did to Saddam back in the 80s. I am not buying this for a minute. Iran is playing the delay card, and we cannot stand for it. We must petition for unconditional immediate inspections or we risk further development of a weapons program in the hands of a rogue state. Not good.
Amanpour: CNN practiced self-censorship
CNN's top war correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, says that the press muzzled itself during the Iraq war. And, she says CNN "was intimidated" by the Bush administration and Fox News, which "put a climate of fear and self-censorship." This story is by Peter Johnson of USA Today
Matt's Chat: WHAT?! CNN, nor any other "news" organization was censored by the Bush Administration or Fox News (how could Fox do that anyway?) here's the most ridiculous statement of the whole thing, "On last week's Topic A With Tina Brown on CNBC, Brown, the former Talk magazine editor, asked comedian Al Franken, former Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke and Amanpour if "we in the media, as much as in the administration, drank the Kool-Aid when it came to the war." Since WHEN is AL FRANKEN a part of the media??? And since when is it the responsibility of the Bush Administration (or any administration for that matter) to ASK questions to themselves? The media asked (or failed to ask) whatever questions they wanted. I'm sorry, there is just no way to orchestrate a "do over" for the failure of and by the media to ask whatever questions they wanted to ask.
Mark's Remarks: I think CNN was intimidated by a little some thing called RATINGS!!! Instead of taking on the FoxNews model of being more toward the center than left, CNN cries foul and accuses the network of being 'in bed' with the Bush Admin. And Ms. Armanpour, I question her. She has always been on the sympathetic side to Hamas and other terrorist organizations in her reporting. I guess we should have been asking for more troop movement questions, so we could get more soldiers killed during the war? The media asked the questions about really needing to go, especially on CNN...the issue was that Americans wanted to go to Iraq, and as far as Kool-Aid drinking goes, I think Ms. Armanpour has drunk the Kool-Aid of the left apologists and also the more dastardly of the terrorist apologists. I am disgusted by this lack of ability to simply say, we didnt ask questions. Of course the media will blame it on Bush, because he was president. What about the de-humanization of Paula Jones? What about lack of questions about Clinton's Terrorism policy? Where were those? HMM??? This whole article proves the inherent bent toward the liberal side by the media at large. And, I agree wholeheartedly with the Fox Spokeswoman who said better to be a Bush footsoldier than a spokeswoman for terrorism.
