From: bx573@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Alan H. Stein)
Subject: Re: Israel Cancels Building in the West Bank
Reply-To: bx573@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Alan H. Stein)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 18:54:41 GMT


In a previous article, hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem) says:

>
>Correction: It has left those who are fighting to expell Israeli troops
>from Lebanon alone. It has disarmed the Palestinians who have in the
>past attacked Israel (as opposed to attacking Israeli troops in
>Lebanon). Furthermore, it has brought a degree of control over the
>militias in Lebanon which was not present there prior to the
>implementation of the Ta'if Agreement.

Since the only reason Israeli troops are in Lebanon is to prevent attacks
on Israeli civilians, those "fighting to expel Israeli troops" would be far
more effective if they simply ceased their attacks and signed a peace
treaty.
>
>If you know of any Palestinian launched rocket or artillery attacks on
>Israel which have occurred since summer of 1991 (when the Palestinian
>fighters in Lebanon were disarmed) I would be interested to know your
>source of information.

I confess that I have not kept a database of the numerous rocket attacks on
the Galilee launched from Lebanon recently.  One particular attack in the
last few months that comes to mind, although I forget the names,
thoughtfully killed a very young (I believe pre-school) girl as she ran to
greet her father when he came home one day.

> I have heard of none. Some people (yourself,
>perhaps) have trouble believing things that they don't want to be true.

I would suggest you look in the mirror when you make such statements.
 
>
>Actually, Israel can NEVER be "reliably assured" of this just as no one
>can ever be reliably assured that they will never be the victim of an
>assault or murder. 
>A country which creates enemies by killing its neighbors is questionably
>more secure than a country which tries to cultivate friends rather than
>destroy potential enemies. I believe that sufficient justification
>exists for the belief that Israel's northern border is controlable and
>will be controlled when Israel pulls out.

You show an ignorance of history.

>I question the assertions that Israel has no interest in Lebanon.

On what basis?  Certainly Israel has made it abundantly clear that it has
not interest in Lebanon other than the security of Israeli citizens.

>
>Anyone with the ability to kill people and destroy property has the
>obligation to everyone to control that ability. 

I hope you'll convey that to the PLO, Hezbollah, and other terrorists.

>Since most of the victims of the "terrorists" in Lebanon are Israeli
>soldiers and many of the victims of Israeli rocket and artillery attack
>are civilians (villages are directly targetted as a standard procedure
>for "retaliation") I find your description of the situation rather interesting.

Have you ever noticed the PLO strategy for basing terrorists within
civilian areas, in order to ensure that Israel cannot defend itself without
also hurting civilians?  If the PLO and its fellow terrorist groups were
really interested in the people they claim to be,  they would relocate
their terrorist camps elsewhere.
>
-- 
bx573@cleveland.freenet.edu----Alan H. Stein----stein@uconnvm.uconn.edu