Middle East crisis: equal weaponry equals less war

[Dom Tuk]

Do you think that if there was equality in range and quality of weaponry among all sides then the middle east crisis would not escalate as quickly as it does.

[Drusilla1S]

I'm all for a viable Palestinian state and am often enraged by Israel's behaviour towards the Palestinians and her neighbour, Lebanon.

However, I'm not so so naive as to assume Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt would be tolerant of an independent Jewish state if they had the equivalent military and technological reserves of Israel.

[Lonnie]

I guess, if they were equal in weaponry, (another hyperthertical question), it woul be total war from the beginning, because, Israel would have planned better from the start, and blitzed Lebanons airfields, military bases etc, without warning.

Because, no matter what anyone says, or who you support, if any, in the end, it all comes down to the mandates of various Middle Eastern States.

That what I think, but as its a hyperthetical question, we'll never know.

[jake-the-peg]

Well we know Israel has nuclear weapons everybody seems to think that Mutually Assured Destruction was a good policy that gave Europe 50 years of peace.

Lets give Lebanon nuclear weapons!

Or doesn't it work like that?

[Lonnie]

You can give whichever country you like, Nuclear weapons, they are not the problem, the real problem is the avowed intention, written in the various states mandates.

[Loosehead]

I have no doubt that Islamic fundementalists would use any weapons at their disposal regardless of what the enemy has. If they had nukes they'd use them on Israel without hesitation regardless of the inevitable obliteration that would follow. They have a place reserved in heaven remember, the rest of us are infidels to be slain.

[Lonnie]

And that, Loosehead, is something that shouldn't be forgotten, but too often, its conveniently brushed under the carpet.

[Dom Tuk]

And that Lonnie and Loosehead is called 'having fallen for your govt propaganda'. I hope i dont have to waste my time with you 2 insular and maybe misguided excuses for homo sapiens in any part of my life on this earth. And by the way Lonnie it is hypothetical not hyperthetical.

[Loosehead]

I think we touched a nerve their Lonnie.

So dom are we not the infidel then?

So we are worthy of your labels because we don't agree with your rose tinted view of islam! After all they're such a wonderful bunch aren't they?

[Loosehead]

before you correct me I know it should have been there in the first sentence.

[Dom Tuk]

Pakistan is a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism. The taliban and most of the Al qaeda training camps are based there. the ISI is considered the most radical of govt sponsored intelligence agencies in the sub continent. AND THEY HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

DONT SEE THEM BLOWING ANYONE UP HAVE YOU.

What looshead and lonnie are regurgitating is the doomsday scenario that their govts have fed them to suit their purposes. Everything is portrayed as anti islamic. the Islamists are bad...bad...bad...and these people actually believe it.

[Loosehead]

New York
Bali
Madrid
London

who's next

Nice chaps eh?

[Dom Tuk]

Cuba
Nicaragua
Venezuala
Cambodia
Vietcong
Palestine
Afghanistan (mujaheedin in the 80s)
IRAQ

the list is endless. I like the company you keep.

[youngmafbog]

Dom Tuk, you seem to think that Loosehead and Lonnie are referring to all Isalmic people. If you look closer you will see Loosehead refer to the fundamentalists. Most Islamic believers are good honest citizens, however fundamentalists dont want any one outside of them to have a say,believe or an opinion that does not agree with theirs (Somewhat like your good self by the looks of things).
Islamic Fundamentalists do have a twisted view of life/death, they do believe good things will happen to them as they are brainwashed.
And re: your list, there is a good deal of difference between war and the cowardly act of suicide bombings on deliberatley innocent civilian targets

[Dom Tuk]

I refer you back to my point about Pakistan. It is ruled by a military dictator masquerading as a democrat. Almost all the atrocities in the western world in the past few years (the list given by Loosehead) have had links with training camps in pakistan. Yet however, despite their nuclear power status they have not used or lent their bomb to other Islamic nations.

The notion that islamic organisations wish to wreckmhavoc on this earth is a false notion. Our governments play a clever game of inciting fear among its populus by showing images of recruiting videos of these organisations. The content of these videos is designed to be extreme as they wish to garner support for their cause. The notion however that it will be carried through to its extremis is bizarre.

as regards my list, i dont see that the acts of barbarism inflicted by the coalition armies is in any way different to the acts of violence by the islamic fundamentalists when seen from the point of view of the family of the person killed. You cannot hide behind a phony war to wish away your crimes.

[maxximus]

loosehead there has never been any unrefutable evidence as to who the guilty party truly was with your list on the other hand there is with dom's, i know what you are trying to say, but...

[jump79]

Having equal weaponry would put all of the countries in the middle east on an equal scale... so these countries would perhaps, be more willing to compromise.

What would be much more effective though, IMO, is active intervention from other countries, especially the USA, acting as a conciliator rather than a sympathizer for only one side.

[maxximus]

yes jump79 logic would dictate that, agree with you totally this could have been dealt with years ago if the u.s. truly wanted to deal with it, but it would seem they have always wanted a strong military extension of themselves in the region due to their oil interests and israel provides this, and human rights are secondary.