Armageddon in the Middle East?

[teddybear4play]

Reports are conflicting right now, but it appears Israel has once again surrounded Yasser Arafat's compound. Some things I've seen said they've backed off; others say Israel has asked for his resignation.

This latest action comes in retaliation for a bombing in Meggido, which some archaeologists and Biblical scholars believe will be the location of Armageddon. (Note: In no way do I think this latest event will trigger the apocalypse. But it is an eerie coincidence.)

This is a New York Times article I found. Here's a couple interesting passages:

"The extremist group Islamic Jihad, an opponent of any peace treaty that preserves a Jewish state here, claimed responsibility for the bombing [in Meggido]. Bent on continuing the conflict with Israel, Palestinian militants have repeatedly greeted high-level peace proposals by the Bush administration with bursts of violence."

"Nabil Aburdeineh, a senior aide to Mr. Arafat, called for deeper American involvement and a timetable for achieving a Palestinian state. 'This is the climate that can stop the attacks,' he said. He said he was not seeking to excuse the violence. 'If the Americans move away, things will deteriorate, or will explode,' he warned."

I see. So what are the Israelis (and the Americans) to do? Israel clearly cannot negotiate with a group that does not want them to exist. And the Americans can't reestablish the peace process without the Jihad reacting, and they evidently can't back off without further deterioration.

So let's have it! What's the plan? I see no other option than for Israel to destroy Islamic Jihad and their cohorts with all due haste, and for America to continue to be involved, but not push for negotiations until both sides are ready to talk.

I'd love to hear how any other plan can work.

TB4p

 

[punkrockpoet]

honestly... did we expect armageddon to be anywhere but the middle east?

 

[cybergirly]

NBC NEWS AND NEWS SERVICES

June 6 — Israeli troops broke into Yasser Arafat’s West Bank compound early Thursday and destroyed an intelligence service office building, one day after a Palestinian blew up a huge car bomb next to a bus, killing himself and 17 Israelis. Arafat, unharmed in the six-hour raid, emerged after the Israelis had retreated, flashing a V-for-victory sign to cheering supporters. “This will only increase the steadfastness of our people,” Arafat said, referring to the Israeli attack.

ISRAELI TANKS AND armored personnel carriers broke a huge hole in the outside wall of the city-block size compound, Israel Radio reported, and sent bulldozers inside to knock down structures.
Troops entered the compound just after midnight Thursday and began destroying intelligence offices about 200 feet from Arafat’s office, a senior Palestinian security official said. One security official was killed.
Palestinian sources, speaking by telephone from inside the headquarters, said the dead intelligence officer could not immediately be identified because his body was still buried under rubble. At least six other people were hurt in the incursion, they said.
The Israeli military said it acted amid “a wave of Palestinian terrorism sweeping the state of Israel,” and said Arafat’s Palestinian Authority was “directly responsible for terrorism that originates in its territory.”
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Bush administration did not give Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a green light to launch the incursion.

SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 17
The incursion followed a Palestinian attack on a bus in Israel’s north on Wednesday in which 17 Israelis were killed. A Palestinian drove a car loaded with explosives next to the bus and exploded the bomb, hurling the bus into the air and setting it on fire.
On Wednesday afternoon, several ministers in Sharon’s security cabinet demanded that Israel expel Arafat and strip him of his executive powers.

Just thought I should add this

I also see no other options, the two sides are not willing to talk and work things out, there is eventually going to have to be some sort of huge military action on one sides part.

 

[RastaPope]

If Armageddon could magically be limited to the middle east and not escape the boundaries, I would buy everyone a celebratory Orange Julius.