Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ut-ngp.UTEXAS Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!raju From: raju@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (raju bhatt) Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics Subject: Re: Protesting the Beirut Hostage Crisis Message-ID: <1918@ut-ngp.UTEXAS> Date: Wed, 26-Jun-85 13:09:48 EDT Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1918 Posted: Wed Jun 26 13:09:48 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 28-Jun-85 00:45:36 EDT References: <498@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: University of Texas at Edwards Aquifer Lines: 53 Keywords: Arafat, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Berri Xref: watmath net.followup:5020 net.politics:9603 From: carnes@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Richard Carnes) > They will do what they can to achieve their political objectives. If > the US govt. is serious about getting the hostages released, it can > pressure the Israelis to release the hundreds of Lebanese civilians > (including women and children) that Israel has imprisoned in clear > violation of international law, and that Israel was planning to > release anyway. But no, that would cause people to question Reagan's > manhood, which seems to be the bottom line for the Administration. > Reagan's tough talk about retribution only serves to show up the US > as a paper tiger, since everyone knows he isn't going to do anything. I don't believe that only those hostages (TWA flight) are the only consideration. How about the Navy man who they brutally killed? If their purpose was to release their comrades/people in the hands of the Israelis, then why kick the sh*t out of the Navy guy and then at point blank range put a bullet through/into his skull? He was not in the Israeli Navy, nor an Israeli citizen. The Shiites have every reason to be angry at both the US and Israel, as US ships bombarded Shiite neighborhoods during the Multinational Peacekeeping Force (or as the Warsaw Pact would say the NATO forces) occupation of Beirut. Israelis have in the past been willing to trade for Israelis in Palestinian, Syrian, and the local militias' hands. The killing of the poor Navy man signalled to the US that they were going to be tough. But was that display necessary? I don't believe so. I don't buy that the Israelis were going to release the Shiites that they had soon. This looks like a public ploy on their part and you know how the Israelis are with the American Media! A third party like the Red Cross (or in the Muslim World, the Red Cresent) could have helped to swap the passengers for the Shiites. Even though the US doesn't like to acknowledge, Arafat played clean. Prisoner swaps and when the civil war broke out in Lebonan broke out, Al Fatah was protecting the American Embassy. If the Syrians and Israelis didn't screw the guy, he could have helped in bringing to close the hijacking drama. And Nabih Berri (as Peter Jennings said, "The owner of several gas stations in the Detroit area"), has not been the Arafat that played it cool and won on the diplomatic scale. Berri has not done a service for his cause through his role in the drama. No matter how much the US State Department says that he is the 'man' who can resolve the drama, he (and his men) talk as if they are the hijackers and will kill them if the Shiites are released. The American Media has made such a play with his American affliation (another Peter Jennings favorite quote "He even has a green card"). And here is Berri the same man who is wiping the Palestianians in the refugee camps. Keeping the US Navy off the coast of Lebanon I believe is a good idea as Berri knows, Reagan (with US public opinion behind him) will do something when the drama gets resolved (either for the good or the bad). No Marines landing, but could do a number on the very same people he says he stands for with heavy bombing of the South Beirut neighbor- hoods for the purpose of 'getting even with the hijackers'. As swiftly as he took American forces to Lebanon, Honduras, and Grenada, he can do another 'trick' to Beirut especially when public opinion is behind him. The House Democrats/Liberals will not have the votes to stop him. Let's wait and see....