Iraqi Leader Condemn Israel
Turning the microphone over to Matt Duss:
Of the various premises on which the U.S. invasion of Iraq was sold to the American people, one of the most bizarre was that a post-Saddam Iraqi government would be friendly to Israel. As with claims about WMD and Al Qaeda connections, this one has proved to be a work of imagination.
Just as they did during Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah, Iraq’s leaders are now showing where their true sympathies lie. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Da’wa Party “issued a statement condemning the attacks and calling on Islamic countries to cut relations with Israel and end all ’secret and public talks’ with it.”
He’s got more in this vein. It’s always been a bit odd that those most inclined to tout their credentials as would-be spreaders of democracy throughout the Arab world are also those least inclined to be at all sensitive to actual Arab public opinion.
69 Responses to “Iraqi Leader Condemn Israel”
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December 30th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Chalabi was going to be very friendly to Israel. Wonder how that pipeline to Haifa is coming along.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Matthew must have slept through his Philosophy classes.
See
“Plato, Noble Lie”.
See also “Leo Strauss, Influence on Neocons”
December 30th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
As always, Fox News has a fair and balanced description of what Bush is trying to accomplish.
Two words: Superheros Guild.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11312703&ch=4226713&src=news
PS Matthew, the Green Lantern slot may still be open.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
AIPAC forgot to give campaign $$$$ to Maliki.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
How long until FOX News start comparing Maliki to a new Hitler who needs to be deposed before he gives WMDs to Al-Qaeda?
December 30th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Iraqi Leader Condemn Israel
American Blogger Write Like Tonto
December 30th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
What? you were hoping Maliki to condone genocidal behaviour of the Zionist entity?
UN should speed up the process to bring these war criminals to international court to be tried for various crimes against humanity. Just like Nazi Germany officials.
Holocaust is not a monopoly of Jews … unless like the Zionist one racism is institutionalized in your religion.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
This is ridiculous. Do you actually know what public opinion is of Arabs toward Jews and Israel? How they feel about who perpetrated 9/11? Who Arabs think is the greatest threat to world peace today? And don’t give the excuse that opinions on Jews and Israel should be considered separately…because in the Arab street they are not. You need look no further than comment 7 to figure that out.
What credence or sensitivity should be given to overtly racist views? Post on that.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Most people are full of wrong ideas: but the existence of those opinions is a fact that any sensible person takes account of.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
“What credence or sensitivity should be given to overtly racist views? Post on that.”
Exactly! let’s disregard Israeli supporters because these scumbags believe a Jewish life is worthier than a Palestinian life.
Thanks for the comment.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
At one point, not lonf after anitial hostilities ceases, the CPA’s design for the new Iraqi flag looked suspiciously like Israel’s. People were retching in the street. I mean you’ve got a neo-colonialist, expansionist, military junta perpetrating Slow Genocide against a 3,000,000 destitute Muslims, yet the neocons convinced themselves that all it was gonna take was a little Shock And Awe, and mirabile dictu – the Iraqi Government and people would forget all about it and they’d be dancing the hora in the street shouting “L’chaim!”
December 30th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
At least he has balls unless our president-elect pussy who’s afraid of Israel lobby to say shit.
Fuck Obama.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
on some anti-semitic tripe published in Salon.
“anti-semitic” != anti-Likud/neocon policies
Just like criticizing Saudi Arabia’s nefarious regime doesn’t make you an Islamophobe, or deriding the latest fatwas from the Vatican doesn’t make you an anti-Christian.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I am surprised that we are surprised.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
“Most people are full of wrong ideas: but the existence of those opinions is a fact that any sensible person takes account of.”
This is absolutely true, and I agree that these views need to be accounted for. However, I think there is a big difference between acknowledging problematic views and lending them credence by not pointing out that massively widespread anti-semitism in the Arab world is relevant to the conversation.
Also, note that my point has nothing to do with the wrongness or rightness of Israeli policy. I am arguing that widespread anti-Israel sentiment in the Arab world is not primarily policy-driven, but rather is often driven by irrational and problematic views toward Jews in general.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Um, this is totally at Matt Duss’s expense. He’s trying to crack wise, but some of us knew that a more democratic Iraq, would … um … well democratically reflect the population? Duh.
Anti-war people would prefer Saddam who during Gulf War I lobbed Scuds at Israel and rewarded suicide bombers’ families. (I remember thinking at the time Israel would freak out and nuke everyone but they didn’t. The US restrained them.)
Again, this is said to be at the expense of the neocons but it’s at the expense of anti-war folk. If the region goes democratic, it won’t be good for the expansionist Zionists. I think this is part of the pressure Israel is feeling along with the turn against them in Western opinion. Obama will need to walk a fine line.
Iraqi Leader Condemns Israel? Who doubted that he wouldn’t? Really…
December 30th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Re Dave
Case in point, fatuous fuckface Farid.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Somewhat a chicken and egg question though. Did Israel’s policies lead to a general hatered of Jews, or did a general hatered of Jews lead to a hatred of Israel’s policies?
Anyway, that line of reasoning is a little too close to the “they hate us for our freedoms” stuff for me to take seriously. Not that there isn’t anti-semitism out there, but I don’t think it’s the primary driver behind Arab opinions.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
“but rather is often driven by irrational and problematic views toward Jews in general.”
It’d help if Jews stopped being insufferable racists and don’t fuck up everything they put their hands on.
Happened in the last month:
50 billion dollars theft by a Jew
Genocide by an illegal Jewish regime
A rational mind knows how to deduct the events. Can you?
December 30th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I think the biggest lie was that we intended to bring democracy to Iraq. The new and improved government of Iraq was going to be friendly to Israel because the U.S. was going to install a friendly govt (see comment above re the first Iraqi flag design). It was always, always, total bullshit, the idea that the most authoritarian people on the planet wanted to bring democracy to Iraq. Maybe a lot of neocons were really that stupid but I don’t think so. There was never going to be a way to have a democratic, pro-Israel, pro-U.S., pro-give-all-their-oil-to-us government in Iraq.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
RE: DaveNYC
It’s a difficult point to prove I guess. Ask yourself this though: Other than uniformly condemning every Israeli action, what are the governments of Arab countries in the Middle East doing for the Palestinian people? Are they condemning Egypt, for the blockade and tacit support of current Israeli policy regarding Hamas, or is Egypt artfully left out? Are they advocating for a two-state solution, or are they calling for the elimination of Israel from the planet? Are these governments really helping the Palestinian people achieve peace, or do they really not give a shit at all and are they using the issue for political reasons?
December 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
“Other than uniformly condemning every Israeli action”
So in essence we should turn a blind eye to Israel’s genocide because some Arab states are not doing enough?
Are you aware how ridiculous you sound?
December 30th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Israel is repeating Lebanon 06. They have no idea what to do now. I’ve heard the Israelis talk all day about their perfect intelligence network and how careful and sneaksy they are….Except all they managed to kill was a bunch of police cadets and schoolkids. Not a single Hamas figure (one IJ guy probably by accident) killed.
They said they quit because of weather. Notice how long ago it stopped raining? They quit because they have no idea what the hell to do now.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
“They quit because they have no idea what the hell to do now.”
Israel’s idea of victory is to kill Palestinian children. I mean why is it surprising for some people to learn that Israel is the most hated country in the world.
Well deserved title for an apartheid regime.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Dave, yer fucking paranoid. If that conforms to some anti-semitic stereotype I apologize but it doesn’t mean that isn’t a nuts formulation. Like it’s a big fucking conspiracy and a non-Jewish, racist, expantionist, settlement enterprise would just be hunky dorry with everyone in the Levant.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Israel’s idea of victory is to kill Palestinian children.
Nah, they wanted something. It’s worth keeping in mind that if you wanted (or thought you could get away with) eliminating the population of Gaza a solid couple days of b-52 runs 20-ton bombs would do it.
This whole narrative gets cranked out every time Israel cranks out a war. All this triumphal talk is the politicians trying to pretend they pulled off a 1967 insta-strike victory and that’s not what happened here at all.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
“eliminating the population of Gaza a solid couple days of b-52 runs 20-ton bombs would do it.”
They would if the could. Never underestimate the genocidal tendencies of Israelis. Remember 6 billion people should bend over backwards because 13 million of these were told in a fairy tale harry potter level nonsense that they are the Chosen Ones.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
“Did Israel’s policies lead to a general hatered of Jews, or did a general hatered of Jews lead to a hatred of Israel’s policies?”
I’d frame it differently. If you go back 100 years, Muslims treated Jews a lot better than Christians did. There was some hatred, of course, but not the kind that would lead to genocide. Over time, Christians became more tolerant of Jews and Muslims became less tolerant. The creation of Israel out of Muslim lands and the subsequent behavior of Israel prevented the Muslims from becoming more tolerant. They feel they got ripped off by the Jews at first, and are now being screwed over even more. Of course, there are exceptions. The Turks get along pretty well with Israel and actually conduct joint military exercises with them. The Indonesians don’t seem to care at all about Israel, and are generally tolerant people.
I’d also take issue with Farid’s ‘genocide’ claim, but maybe that’s because we need a new word for it. What’s happening is a slow motion destruction of Palestine. They aren’t necessarily killing the Palestinians off. But they are taking actions that will prevent a viable Palestine from ever emerging. The construction of settlements that dot Palestine, connected by “Jew Only” roads that crisscross Palestine, create a situation where Palestine can only become a series of non-contiguous city states. Such a nation will inherently fail, which is exactly what Israel wants.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Fostert,
Killing 320 people in one day and wounding more than 1500 is not genocide.
Do they have to setup gas chambers so you could label this a genocide?
Shattering school kids brains is not genocide?
December 30th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Ed,
I don’t think you’re an anti-semite because you think I’m paranoid.
Dave
December 30th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Up until recently they weren’t helping at all. But that doesn’t go one way or another as far as whether the general populations are riled up over policies or Jews in general.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Re Ed Marshall
B52s? Mr. Marshall must be smoking lefty luckies. The only country in the world that has B52s is the United States of America. That is one weapon system that we have never sold to another country.
As for using 20 kiloton nuclear bombs on the Palestinians, Mr. Marshall must be totally raving bonkers. The amount of damage through fallout that would accrue to Israeli installations would end up killing 100 times as many people in Israel as Hamas could ever dream of. I suggest that Mr. Marshall take a look at a map sometime and note how close Palestinian cities are to Israeli cities.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Yeah, I was at work and tossed that off. I didn’t check my current IDF order of battle before I wrote that. They did field B-17’s at one point which would take a good deal longer to level the Gaza Strip. No current straight bomber models in operation.
Regardless, the point remains, if the object is extermination they could flatten the place with artillery and tanks from distance. I’m sure this has SLC tearing his hair out in frustration with his weakling, soft-hearted brethren who are content with 300-1 kill ratios of the random, Arab enemy.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
And another thing. For those on this blog who maintain that the only thing Israel is trying to accomplish is to kill as many Palestinians as possible, that has to be the absolutely dumbest thing ever asserted here. If the only objective was to kill as many Palestinians as possible, the IDF wouldn’t be using expensive aircraft and very expensive precision munitions. That would be about as cost ineffective as could be imagined. They would be doing what Hafaz Assad did to the City of Hama. They would line up several hundred artillery pieces along the border with the Gaza Strip and make it a free fire zone. A far greater payoff for a far smaller outlay. A look at the map will show that every square inch of the Gaza Strip is within range of Israeli artillery.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Well, yeah, SLC, I’m glad I got the Hama Rules riff you ripped off out of Kroutthammer to cough out of you.
So, what did all these highly accurate weapons and brilliant intelligence do the last few days? I’m sure that YNet or Israelinsider.com or wherever you skulk off to fill your head with nonsense is going to be chock full of how every last thing targetted was really full of death. I’ve watched this dance more than once. What happens when after they have apparently run through the target list and they didn’t get anything? All the bullshit in the world isn’t going to make a difference when the rockets don’t stop.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
“A look at the map will show that every square inch of the Gaza Strip is within range of Israeli artillery.”
So is every square inch of Israel within the range of long range Iranian Shahab III. Israel knows if they play it rough, Iran will bring the real holocaust to them.
Israelis bend over and take it up the ass like good ole’ Castro street when it comes to Iran.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
In fact Israelis have given new meaning to taking it up the ass that Castro street boys could learn.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
In case you are new to this game, Farid is the president of some Hillel campus organization. I give it a 3 in 4 chance.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Actually, Farid, I don’t think that Iran has any real interest in the Palestian or Israeli situation. I suspect that to the Iranians, it’s more closely tantamount to the plight of Tibetans or Hungarians for Americans in the 1950’s.
“Oh those dastardly Communists/Soviets/Israeli’s oppressing those poor beleaguered Tibetans/Hungarians/Palestinians something ought to be done… hmmm, wonder what’s in the sports section…”
Iran may have considerable empathy for the plight of Palestinians, but I don’t believe this translates into anything. Israel and Palestine are far away, there’s no economic or geopolitical stake, the Palestinians are arabs while the Iranians are Shiites, and the Palestinians are Sunni while the Iranians are Shia.
The Iranians have their own problems – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, rivalry in the Persian Gulf, economic and political engagement with Russia, combating heroin etc. etc.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
To some extent you are right skeptic but if Israel wants to pull a fast one, Iran will be engaged.
Have a look at this:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/29/conservative-iranian-clerics-call-volunteers-fight/news-breaking/
It was Iran who forced Hezbollah not to use long range missile in 2006. Iran has leverage to supply as many long range rocket as needed to turn Israel into a big pile of dust.
Whether they do it or not, depends on the insane criminals in Tel Aviv.
I personally think it’s a prime time to put an end to a cancerous regime of Israel. But hey that’s just me and I am slightly tipsy so bear with me.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:12 am
Yeah, that just moved to 99% probability of Hasbara sockpuppet.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:20 am
“Israel and Palestine are far away, there’s no economic or geopolitical stake, the Palestinians are arabs while the Iranians are Shiites, and the Palestinians are Sunni while the Iranians are Shia.”
Calling the shots both in Iraq and Palestinian and Israeli conflict will give Iran tremendous leverage in their nuclear program negotiation.
I am very much convinced now that Iran this time will be directly involved unless the Israeli criminals stopped bombing the fuck out of Gaza.
I, very much welcome, Iran’s involvement. Israel needs to be bitch slapped hard.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:11 am
“Fostert,
Killing 320 people in one day and wounding more than 1500 is not genocide.
Do they have to setup gas chambers so you could label this a genocide?
Shattering school kids brains is not genocide?”
Look Farid, I’m probably the only one other than you who’s actually been to the Middle East. But killing people on a mass scale is not necessarily Genocide. We killed a lot of people in Hiroshima, but we didn’t mean to kill their culture. That’s just effective war. Killing people because they are of a certain religion or ethnicity is, and that’s genocide. I don’t see that here, but I see a pattern that will be named in the future as something. And it will considered to be as evil as genocide. My point about Israel is that it is unique. We’ve tried words like ‘Apartheid’ and ‘Genocide’, but they don’t work. Both are certainly accurate to some extent, but there needs to be a unique word that describes this. I agree with you that what’s happening is an atrocity, but do you have a word for it? I don’t, I hope you do, and then all of us can talk about it. And I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m just saying that you should help us in understanding. You have a better perspective on this. Show it to us. There are real arguments from what you are saying, so say it that way. I will offer you this advice, and I can assure you it is meant in sincerity. Pray to Allah in your most humble position. And you will understand the most Perfect that can be. I’m not a Muslim, but I do know the Quran. You have the ability to come up with a word that can really capture what’s going on. Please, give us a new word.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:20 am
“My point about Israel is that it is unique. We’ve tried words like ‘Apartheid’ and ‘Genocide’, but they don’t work.”
My phrase is “slow motion elimination”, but that doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it? We need a special word for what Israel is doing, and it probably should be Yiddish. But if you’ve got an Arabic one, bring it on.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:53 am
Fostert, I am not a Muslim so I don’t know Quran better than you.
I don’t think semantics matters here. But genocide is very likely the closest to what Israel has been doing since its illegal inception – ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.
Israelis are indoctrinated at school from the very beginning to see the death of even one Palestinian as a positive sign for Zionist movement.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:22 am
Fair enough, Farid. I made a mistake with your name. It’s a common Arab name. But some Arabs are Christian, and many are just agnostic. That said, I know the Quran better than most Muslims. I know the Hebrew Bible better than most Jews. And I know the New Testament better than most Christians. I’ve met very few Buddhists who even know the Pali Canon, but hey, most of them don’t believe it anyway (especially the monks). Welcome to religion: A bunch of people who will kill people over something they don’t even understand.
As for the Genocide concept, I really do believe that what Israel is doing is special. Nobody has really been so devious. It deserves a special name. And I really think it should come from Arabic. But it should imply the slow annihilation of a culture. I guess it’s a good thing that no culture has a word for this. But that we would accept a new form of cultural torture isn’t so good. But we still need a word for it.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:40 am
Nabka?
December 31st, 2008 at 2:42 am
“As for the Genocide concept, I really do believe that what Israel is doing is special. Nobody has really been so devious.”
Slapping my forehead … now I know what you mean. You’re right.
My name is in fact Arabic but my parents were Zoroastrians. And the name is fairly common among Zoroastrians. As for myself, I am a hardcore atheist with zero tolerance for bullies, in this case Israelis.
The best way to deal with Israel is to kick them out of the UN, demonize them, boycott them and boycott the countries that deal with them. TOTAL ISOLATION. Then we should dismantle that state and give it back to its rightful owners that is Palestinians.
European/American Jews should pack up their shit and go back home.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:38 am
Aahh, the Zoroastrians, one of the only two peoples with my burials desires. I’d actually like my corpse to be eaten by vultures, but being as white as snow, I can’t pass for Zoroastrian. But people will actually believe me when I say I’m Tibetan Buddhist. And I am. Fortunately, the Tibetans have almost the same burial technique. American law will certainly forbid it, but that won’t stop my friends. I suspect they may get into a little trouble, but my will has payments for their bail.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:31 am
You really have to be dead to be eaten by vultures, don’t you? That’s beautiful for you and the vultures.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:29 am
Re Ed Marshall
Actually, I ripped off Hama Rules from Thomas Friedman in his book, “From Beirut to Jerusalem”. In a chapter of that book, he described the actions of Syrian dictator Assad in the City of Hama and described those actions allocated the term Hama Rules to them. The late and unlamented Assad wouldn’t have bothered to use precision munitions if he had had them. He was a man who believed in the biggest bang for the smallest buck.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:32 am
Re Farid
I don’t believe that Mr. Farid is a Zoroastrian. The Zoroastrians have been all but wiped out by the Islamist regime currently running Iran and are more oppressed there then are the Jews, Christians, and Sunni Muslims. No real Zoroastrian would have anything good to say about that regime.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:38 am
Re Farid
1. Mr. Farid also seems to have a hard on for homosexuals to go along with his hard on for Israel. How does Mr. Farid feel about his boy, Amadinejad, claiming before an audience at Columbia Un. that there are no homosexuals in Iran?
2. I would remind Mr. Farid that Israel also has the Jerico II missile that can reach Iranian installations with nuclear warheads.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:32 am
The Zoroastrians have been all but wiped out by the Islamist regime currently running Iran and are more oppressed there then are the Jews, Christians, and Sunni Muslims.
This may be true for all I know, but the center of Zoroastrianism for the last couple of millenia has been India. They’re called Parsis, because they came from Persia. There aren’t very many of them, but their wealth and influence is out of proportion to their numbers.
Zubin Mehta is a Parsi. So was Freddie Mercury.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Re roac
Let me clarify my comment by referring it to the Zoroastrians in Iran. Obviously, the Parsis in India are doing fine.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I believe there are still a hundred thousand or so Zoroastrians left in Iran.
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