Is the Middle East going to war?

NetsNJFan wrote: ^ Blackie, I don't think the Int'l community should play no role in this, just not the UN.  I basically support the Quartet and the road map, which both sides scream about but neither follows.   If Sharon were still running things this operation would have happened months ago.  He was a military man who didn't care about western opinion -- Olmert is the opposite.

Does Olmert really care about western opinion? I dont know much about him, I must admit.

Why is all this happening now? Our media has not really given any coverage to the other points you mentioned; troops on Egyptian border etc. Now I read that, I'm inclined to think this may be the start of something bigger.

I always thought the road map was something of a red herring, even when Sharon ordered the dismantleing of the West Bank settlements last year, I assumed it was just political manouvering. Things seem to be going backwards.

According to our media, the kidnapping seems to be at the core of this. I wish no harm on this young soldier, but the Israeli reaction seems to be overkill.
    

This is a worrying development. As you say no reaction from the US or EU as yet, but they cant stay silent on this for much longer.

My hope is that this will cool off and not escalate into something far bigger. My gut feeling is that may be the case.

I hope the Palestinians release the young soldier they kidnapped, but I have a bad feeling about his well being. I feel also he may be being used as a politcal tool, and an excuse by the new Israeli PM to flex some muscle, and show how hardline he is in dealing with terrorism. I think this is a bad move by Israel, which could ultimately end up with this young man losing his life. The Israeli government must step back from the brink and pressure Mabbas - who has condemned the kidnapping - to work to secure his release.

Is the ME about to explode? Well, the propheteers claim this is the year where it will all 'kick off' Lets hope they're wrong. Things do seem to be moving very much in the wrong direction since Sharon left the shop. Not that I'm a huge fan of Sharon, but the new guy in town appears to be frothing at the mouth.

It's worth remembering that there is great deal of dischord among Palestinian factions. This must be capitilised on by Israel and the west to avoid further bloodshed on both sides.

I know wat you think of the UN, Nets, but I really think the international community should be doing everything they can to bring both sides to the table, and recognise how serious this could be.
    

Edited by Blacksword - June 28 2006 at 15:09

Crimson:  as of now, Israelis have not moved into any built up areas, only open areas, as a buffer with Israel proper.  Urban warfare is a nightmare for both sides.  So far no reported casualties, but that's so far.

What exactly, one wonders, are the Israeli tamks & troops to attack? All that the Palestinians have is people.....and houses. (Obviously they won't attack any of the major states in the region.) So, they'll look bad in the eyes of the world, kill a few Palestinians, destroy many houses, and perpetuate the hatred that the Palestinians have for Israel. Which is probably what they want, as it provides an excuse for never sanctioning a Palestinian state. Still, look on the bright side, it's US tax dollars that is paying for all the hardware on display........

The basic problem, though, is that Israel is making the same mistake as as the US currently is - using military tactics to deal with a few criminals.

Possibly:

Edited by NetsNJFan - June 28 2006 at 14:14