So, Gaza can't manufacture the sophisticated components for rockets! That helps to prove Israel's contention that they nutcases in Gaza are being encouraged, supplied and supported by Iran.
So some of the rockets were without a warhead and some were armed with a shrapnel loaded warhead! A 10' piece of sewer pipe falling from 5,000 ft can do much damage, say nothing about a semtec/ball bearing loaded one.
I can visualize some kind of terrorists based in Niagara Falls, Canada firing various missles over the falls to Niagara Falls, NY..Do you think the US would mind such an activity? Suppose Canadian authorities explained that such missles were "only old, WW1 stuff and even a few old cannon balls left over from the Revolutionary war"..would that make any difference? The ordnance, no matter how old or ineffective, still kills people and destroys property. Likely we would give the govt there a certain amount of time to stop the missle launching terrorists, or suffer the consequences..and I bet we wouldn't wait 6 years to do so!
Fortunately, our neighbor Canada is a CIVILIZED country and would never allow such terrorist activities from their soil.
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Once again by the numbers:
1) no Israelis have been killed by the rockets as far as I know...right, that doesn't make it right to launch them, EXCEPT if there is provocation or intolerable injustice
2) the provocation seems to be the Israeli violation of the truce accords and non-recognition of the elected Hamas leaders, with US support in the UN using veto power, essentially winding up hostilites in this case.
3) the BLOCKADE, an act of war, has left the Gazans without supplies or redress; and they are essentially put in a prison/ghetto of slow genocide.
4) because of the slow genocide the Gazans are left with 2 choices: a) starve and die, or b) fight, take some enemy with them, and hope for international intervention .
5) regarding the curious international suspicions of rockets...thousands of rockets require supplies to manufacture by the carload. Curiously, the rockets are mostly ineffective. In the uber security state of Israel it is difficult to fathom tons and tons of pipe and fuel, semtec even, getting anywhere near Gaza. In a real war the Palestinians would use resources for a much more effective toll on their IDF enemy.
6) Iran...Biiingo...you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. The rocket show is likely an attempt to drag Iran into the melee
Remember, the motto of mossad: "War by deception". This is the new "equation" Livni is going around Europe pontificating about, which means we are on the move to consolidate our regional hegemony before Bush leaves office and the ineffective yes-boy Obama comes in, and now since your economy has been reduced to shambles, and before our main man in Washington__Bush__ is gone.
..TM7
OK TM, Let's look at your "by the numbers;
1) Some Arab girls living in Israel were hit a couple weeks ago and Israelis were hit over the past years. Still, by your reckoning, "it is ok to launch 10' drain pipes into my neighbors yard..until I hit somebody in the family"
2) Naturally, the Palestinians did not violate any truce accords..LOL Oh yes..and does the Hamas recognize the Israeli elected leaders as leaders of a soveriegn nation? Do they even recognize Israel as a nation? So the US did not side with the terrorists in the UN..should Israel have a viable reason to attack say, Jordan.. because certain nations did not vote in favor of Israel?
3) The BLOCKADE... If we were furnishing things to the Haiti and Haiti was taken over by a terrorist group, who then started firing explosive rockets into our country and refused to quit, should we perhaps BLOCKADE the island of Haiti?
4) You can't be serious, TM! Truthfully, there are 3 choices; 1) starve 2) fight and get hammered 3) Quit firing rockets and doing other hostile acts against Israel. I believe that to any RATIONAL mind..the 3rd choice would be the obvious 1st choice!
5) Not hard to smuggle explosives or hi-tech into Gaza..through Egypt or by sea. That is a moot point however, no need wondering HOW the nutcases came by the weapons. They have them and they are using them ; that is all that matters!
6) Drag Iran into the melee? Again; you must be joking..Iran is thrusting themselves into the melee worldwide. By continuing with their atomic project they are sticking their thumb in the eye of the UN and EU among others. Of course, using your logic in point 2b..the US not agreeing with most in the UN..
Iran defying the whole UN...is excuse enough to attack Iran..
It boils down to common sense..If the Palestinians would spend half the energy becoming hard working, productive citizens that they spend being a pain-in-the-a_ _ , they could have a wonderful country of their own, including their west bank and Gaza.