Letters to the Editor, April 1, 2004

I sincerely hope that Prime Minister Qurie's plea to end suicide bombings will be heard by both the Palestinians and the rest of the world as well. I am an American with no particular political affiliation who deplores the violence in the Middle East. I realize that it is much easier for the extremists on all sides to control the agenda, but at some point those in leadership positions have to move away from extremism in order that innocent people can live in peace and try to improve their lives.

This is so self-evident that it should be unnecessary even to say it, but it is clear that those blinded by revenge motives are unable to move toward a better life. Hate is much easier than constructive behavior but it is a dead end street both figuatively and literally. I am a grandfather who fears that his children and grandchildren will have to live in a world full of unnecessary pain. I would love to see some of that pain reduced before I die. I hope that Prime Minister Qurie's plea is sincere and that it will be heard and reciprocated.

LONDON (AFP) - Labour MP Gerald Kaufman called for economic sanctions against Israel, including cutting off arms supplies, to force it back to the negotiating table with the Palestinians.

"It is not enough for the world community, including our own government, to condemn the Israeli government's brutal policies of repression," he said late Sunday while addressing members of his Manchester constituency.

"Only widespread economic sanctions on Israel, together with cutting off arms supplies, can make any impact on this government without a conscience".

Kaufman, himself Jewish, said President George W. Bush's father, the former president Bush, had "understood the importance of forcing the Israelis to the conference table by imposing economic sanctions on a previous Likud Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir."

Kaufman, once a front-bench Labour foreign affairs spokesman when the party was in opposition, criticised a decision by George W. Bush to receive Sharon in Washington.

"Bush has shown whose side he is on in this grossly unequal struggle by refusing to invite the Palestinian prime minister, even though the ostensible purpose of the invitation to Sharon is the Middle East peace process," Kaufman said.

"The constitution and laws of a State are rarely attacked from the front; it is against SECRET and GRADUAL ATTACKS that a
Nation must chiefly guard. Sudden resolutions strike men's imaginations; their history is written, and their secret sources made
known, but changes are overlooked when they come about insensibly by a series of steps which are scarcely noted. One
would do a great service to Nations by showing from history how many States have thus changed their whole nature and lost
their original constitution. The attention of the peoples would be awakened, and thenceforth in the realization of that excellent
maxim, no less essential in politics than in morality, principiis obsta, they would not close their eyes to innovations which,
though of little account in themselves, serve as so many steps to advance to higher and more disastrous undertakings."

The Law Of Nations Or The Principles Of Natural Law.
Book I, Chap. III, Sec. 30, by Emer de Vattel
First Published 1758

The US/Israeli Rules of Military Engagement

‘Civilised nations’

Casus belli

There is no need for UN approval. You only need to mention some suspicion that the intended victim may just possibly have, for example, WMD, and might conceivably pose some type of vague future threat. Mumble something about democracy and/or ancient text.

Pre-requisites

To play the game according to the rules you must possess a massive hi-tech army, naval and airforce and you may be ready to use these without mercy or compassion.

Rules

For full push-button glory and enjoyment :

· You may fire up to 8000 cruise missiles into any civilian town on any given day from a safe distance.

· You may engage in the relentless aerial bombardment of civilian towns and of any enemy troops providing these have virtually no defence and means of striking back

· You may test whatever weapons you like, as with napalm and Agent Orange. Do not worry about the consequences of enriched uranium or cluster bombs. Opponents are only ‘gooks’ or ‘fuzzy heads’ not human beings. Mumble some joke about ‘humanitarian aid’

· You may also use main battle tanks against unarmed stone throwers and shoot civilians, reporters and peace activists at will. It is important to shoot any protesters trying to exercise their new democratic rights.

· You may also fire rockets from helicopter gunships into densely-packed civilian areas for whatever reason

· You may demolish sets of houses as well as whole cities in fun acts of ‘collective punishment’

· Dress up the carnage in colourful language using phrases such as ‘lit up like a Xmas tree’, 'turkey shoot' etc. You can even borrow medical terms such as 'surgical strikes' but make sure the surgery kills not cures

· Dismiss the inevitable killing and maiming of adult and children non-combatants as ‘acceptable collateral damage’

· You may take out other nationalities at whim through friendly fire. Please note however that Canadians complain loudly.

· Seize the Oil Ministries and forget the museums (and the poor, sick and needy). Spend 50 US$ billion going to Mars!

At Goliath you will surely win all traditional battle confrontations. You will expect to be loved and respected as paragons of self-righteous virtue. You may be disappointed.

Others

Casus belli

You may notice foreign forces aggressively attacking your country, occupying it and even seizing the land and resources. This is obviously for your own good and you should be very grateful.

Pre-requisites

Since you only have a few rusting tanks and light armaments, you are expected to collaborate not resist. The French were quite wrong to resist the Nazis.

Rules

You have no advanced military technology and simply must not play. Please note:

· Any attempt to resist aggression by force will result in your disqualification from the game for ‘cowardly terrorism’ and ‘extremism’

· The (rather desperate ‘last resort’) notion of sacrificing one’s own life in order to resist oppression is particularly loathsome and obnoxious. The whole point of the game is to engage in sanitized killing without any danger to your own players.

· In respect to the above point, please note that IRA style bombings, supported and funded by many New York Irish Americans for years, did not involve loss of life to the bombers – only to the British.

As David fighting Goliath you realize your mighty opponent is actually far more vulnerable to attack than expected and has no real defence. However, rather than piecemeal military resistance the rules of your opponents’ ‘game’ might be adopted and turned to your advantage with a tactical switch to passive, non-violent civil disobedience in order to seize the moral high ground. This would make you the strongest player since you cannot then be disqualified for terrorism. This move would throw into sharp relief the hypocrisy of the ‘civilised’ B52 – type bombers. In fact the old game would end and YOU could make the rules of the ! new one.

Phil G Hong