The First American Jewish President

If President William Clinton was characterized as the first black president for his affinity for Afro-American people, GWBush has to be considered the first American Jewish president, because of his complete surrender of the US Middle East Policy to Israel.

As the bloody and barbaric war in Lebanon, Gaza and Israel proceeds with GW Bush's approval of ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF, let us make sure we understand the situation – if there is an American dog in this fight, see if it can be identified...

There are over 6000 Arabs sitting in Israeli prisons – Hamas captured an Israeli soldier in a military raid. A few days later Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia, in a military raid crossed the Israeli/Lebanese border and captured 2 more Israeli soldiers and killed eight. Best guess is Hezbollah raided Israel to aid Hamas under attack in Gaza and provide more leverage for a prisoner swap – this is no way a moral justification for the Hezbollah raid, but it puts the action in the context of mutual simmering hatred in the Holy Land.

Hamas is democratically elected and the Lebanese/Hezbollah is democratically elected – as a matter of fact, the GWBush Administration played midwife to both democracies. Recently, the US helped push Syrian troops out of Lebanon. So how is it that Bush so eagerly supports the destruction of both countries through unrestricted bombing? It is so bad in Gaza that the Israelis keep bombing destroyed buildings. Asked why, Israelis reply that terrorists may be meeting in them... Most of the Hamas legislature has been recently arrested and is in detention; in Gaza, so far over 160 Arabs, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's most recent mano dura there.

The unrestricted bombing of Lebanon is an atrocity – working class Hezbollah neighborhoods are targeted over and over. The people left days ago yet Israel, almost in a mad frenzy, attacks the same areas without respite – it makes as much sense as shooting a corpse. So far the rockets keep falling on Israel cities, despite the panic bombing by the Israelis. Israeli bombs are killing Arab civilians and Lebanese soldiers; destruction of Lebanese infrastructure has insured that the fragile pre-war coalition government cannot recover. The only force left standing will be Hezbollah and it will be financed from the outside. At this stage the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prefer not to invade on the ground and still go after them with bombs – easier to kill at 30,000 feet, especially if there is no effective air defense.

If the IDF figure they can destroy Hezbollah from the air, suggest they get copies of USAF bombing assessment after the recent Serbian Balkan war: after tons of bombs were dropped on them by NATO aircraft, the Serb army came out of Kosovo after the truce with their forces and equipment intact – most of the troops were happily drunk on slivovitz. Later, they could find no wrecked military equipment, but lots of bombed farm tractors – 30,000 feet is a long way from the ground and at that altitude, drills for wells appear to be missile launchers.

Israel is suffering from the war as well, but not nearly the magnitude of Gaza and Lebanon; however, you still wonder why Israel chose unrestricted bombing of Gaza and Lebanese civilian targets. They had to assume Hezbollah rockets would fly and kill Israelis. The Sunni Arabs and Christians in Lebanon are not on Israel's side and the bombing has driven in a deeper wedge, as each day it continues to destabilize the Lebanese government – now it is even making Sunnis nervous in moderate Arab countries, because of the pointless slaughter and destruction.

IDF, the fourth largest military establishment in the world, is actually an army with a country. This war is a classic case of the Napoleonic dictum, YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING WITH BAYONETS EXCEPT SIT ON THEM. Israel's new civilian leader apparently permitted the IDF's bad political judgement to dominate, either out of fear, stupidity, or inexperience; what you have now is just another installment on the brutal Arab and Israeli permanent war in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon.

Israeli's Gaza operations are naked colonization and cannot succeed in the long term. The counter-strike on Hezbollah could have been handled by a swift, focused, and deadly operation, directed solely against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon – destroy military installations and bring back baskets full of Hezbollah heads and put them on stakes along the border. In the old days, a variation of this operation would have been executed, but it looks like the IDF lost its groove; to destroy Lebanon's infrastructure and kill civilians was an act of hysteria and madness. The response was way over the top for the provocation – will just create more turmoil, making hatred of Israel deeper. Israel usually claims victimhood, but in this case, with 300 Arab dead and only 30 dead Israelis, it will be harder too pull off, but... there is a lot gullibility in the US.

Prisoner exchange was the obvious route to go, once Hezbollah was punished regionally. Israeli has exchanged prisoners before – it is a civilized thing to do. So, why not now? All Israeli prisoners were taken in battle and not pulled out of homes and offices as in the case of Arabs detained by Israelis. Israel did not attack to regain prisoners – either in Gaza or Lebanon – it is an outrageous attempt to change the balance of power in the region.

With GW Bush in the White House, the Israelis figure they have a super chump to sign blank checks and they can do what they wish under the umbrella of US forces. GW Bush stood by as the Israelis ripped up the negotiated road map to peace, destroyed Arafat, and built a large wall on Arab land with US aid to protect themselves. A few months ago GWB announced that an attack on Israel is an attack on the US. Do you remember that mutual defense treaty? I do not. It is a Bush concoction – but still, the biggest coup the Israelis made was to get the US to invade Iraq.

Former Deputy secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, an American Jew, was declared man of the year by the Jerusalem Post for promoting the war. Now he has been rewarded with presidency of the World Bank. Other Department of Defense neocons like Richard Perle and Douglas Feith, also with strong Israeli ties, played a major role in the invasion of Iraq, are now on the band wagon to make war on Syria and Iran. They are up to their eye balls in blood in Iraq and just want more. Based on GWB's recent comments and his failure to stop Israeli bombardments of Lebanon and Gaza, it would appear that he is inclined to support them with the full force of his office... What America gains by this is unknown, but expansion of Israeli influence in the region seems obvious. Using US blood and treasure for Israeli projection of power is nice work if you can get it.

Based on recent comments by President Bush, we can assume he is again listening to tendentious Israeli Mossad intelligence instead of the CIA for Middle East intelligence issues. He previously smoked that spurious Israeli product in the build up to the war in Iraq. As a result, he has lots of dead Iraqis and Americans, and an enhanced Iranian power in the region... Perhaps Bush has a learning deficiency or a strange morbid attraction to Israel. Look at the smiling Israelis soon to be welcomed by GWB in the USA for their quick resupply of more bombs, bullets and spare parts. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA RET