The Obama administration wants to reach out to the political elements of Hizballah, and by extension the Taliban. OK, sounds good on paper: deal with only the political, not the militarists. One big problem that is being ignored, political Islam is not doctrinally different from religious Islam. When we try to deal with the political arm and ignore the religious aspect, we doom ourselves to failure. We think when we speak of a political aspect, it is based in our concepts of how we see politics. not in how Islam sees politics. A fatal flaw in our perspective and one to which we will regret.
From Haaretz.com March 18
In an opinion piece appearing on the newspaper's online edition, columnist David Ignatius indicated that Washington was considering an effort similar to the one the U.K, implemented "during the 1990s with Sinn Fein, the legal political wing of the terrorist Irish Republican Army."
"That outreach led to breakthrough peace talks and settlement of a conflict that had been raging for more than a century," Ignatius wrote, adding that several U.S. officials were expected to endorse dialogue with political elements of both Hezbollah and the Taliban in an upcoming intelligence report.
Writing of the effect recent Mideast turmoil may have had on Obama's decision to accept these recommendations, the Washington Post writer said that the "political time bomb ticking away in the [intelligence report] is the question of whether the United States should seek some kind of direct or indirect engagement with Hezbollah — at least with its political wing."
"Officials who support this course argue that the organization is like the IRA or the PLO — with nonmilitary components that can be drawn into a dialogue," Ignatius added.
There is no comparison between the IRA and Islam. The IRA wanted life above all else, Islam demands death above all else. It is impossible to dialogue with an ideology which states clearly it is better to die for Allah than live under anything else, or nothing at all.
Read it all
From Haaretz.com March 18
Report: U.S. considering strategic outreach to Hezbollah
Washington Post says Obama administration weighing dialogue with Lebanese militant group's political wing, in an effort similar to that attempted by U.K. in its dealings with Sinn Fein in the 1990s.
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is considering reaching out to the political elements in Hezbollah, the Washington Post reported on Friday, stressing that the at this stage it was an intelligence effort, not a policymaking one.In an opinion piece appearing on the newspaper's online edition, columnist David Ignatius indicated that Washington was considering an effort similar to the one the U.K, implemented "during the 1990s with Sinn Fein, the legal political wing of the terrorist Irish Republican Army."
"That outreach led to breakthrough peace talks and settlement of a conflict that had been raging for more than a century," Ignatius wrote, adding that several U.S. officials were expected to endorse dialogue with political elements of both Hezbollah and the Taliban in an upcoming intelligence report.
Writing of the effect recent Mideast turmoil may have had on Obama's decision to accept these recommendations, the Washington Post writer said that the "political time bomb ticking away in the [intelligence report] is the question of whether the United States should seek some kind of direct or indirect engagement with Hezbollah — at least with its political wing."
"Officials who support this course argue that the organization is like the IRA or the PLO — with nonmilitary components that can be drawn into a dialogue," Ignatius added.
There is no comparison between the IRA and Islam. The IRA wanted life above all else, Islam demands death above all else. It is impossible to dialogue with an ideology which states clearly it is better to die for Allah than live under anything else, or nothing at all.
Read it all
1 comment:
First, the IRA did indeed have a martyr complex, though not as strong as some Islamic groups. "The fools, the fools, they have left us our Irish dead" (Pearse). Secondly, from a US point of view, it is just as rational to talk to Islamic groups as it was to armtwist the Brits into making peace with the boys of the old brigade. America's leading anti-Islam guy at the moment is Congressman Pete King. He once supported the IRA. So did Ted Kennedy. There was no 'British Lobby' to get them fired, no closet monarchists in the Supreme Court to make it illegal. It's illegal for Americans to talk to Israel's enemies, even about peace, the way the Clintons and George Mitchell talked to the IRA, and forced Britain to make peace. Another point is that this article amalgamates groups who only struggle against Israel and ones which the USA is fighting - they are different - but it is definitely in the USA's interest to talk to Hamas and Hezbollah.
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