Israel/Palestine timeline (Its one of reasons you're in Iraq guys)

[Oceans11]

Found this pocket version.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/israel_and_palestinians/timeline/

 

[wilheim]

No doubt in my mind the root of all the various problems in the Mid-East since the end of WW2 stem from the Israel - Palestine conflict. I am not taking any sides here, just saying it is the underlying root of the lingering strife in the region.

wil.

 

[Oceans11]

If you read anything like this link, the overall impression is that both sides will betray any alleged 'peace/ceasefire' agreements with impunity.

Its an eternal war, with timeouts.

I also noticed that every country in the region that has given major support to the Palestinians has been fully or partly invaded in the last 50 years.

Jordan
Egypt
Syria
Lebanon
Iraq
Afghanistan?

Its a pretty risky cause to be rooting for if you're an arab dude.


Maybe that big huge Berlin wall the Israelies are putting up isn't such a bad idea.

 

[Phaedrus]

Interesting resource, eek.

I think many people underestimate (or just have never heard of) the significance of the American-sponsored overthrow of Iran in the 1950's and the impact that we still are feeling from it today.

We overthrow Iran's elected leadership, instill a pro-US puppet, who is turned overthrown. We then allow the Middle East and the whole world to think of the U.S. as spineless cowards during the Iranian hostage crisis, one of the only truly justified cases for major U.S. military action in the Middle East. Then we arm up Saddam Hussein and sick him on Iran. Then we betray Hussein, by selling arms to the Iranians on the side (and people wonder why Hussein hates America so much? "Because of our freedom and goodness, says Karl Rove ...)

And on and on. Fifteen years after that betrayal became officially acknowledged, and fifty years since we first started screwing around with the country, here we are treading water in Iraq and keeping an eye on Iran. There has to be a moral in there somewhere, something about playing both sides against the middle being a bad idea, or maybe minding your own goddamned business being a good idea, or something.


Phaedrus