Weasel words on terror
By Melanie Phillips
"...Mr Livingstone had made a series of remarks about the causes of this terrorism that were anything but statesmanlike."Have you ever played the game of Clue Melanie Phillips? If Senator Lugar is for war what is Mr. Livingstone for? If you have played you would answer for living.
"...he did not support suicide bombings anywhere and opposed killing and all violence, in the next breath he blamed Britain for having practised 'double standards' in its foreign policy..."
Spin it anyway you like. A statesman is a person who will speak the truth no mater how painful. Mr. Livingstone does not support suicide bombings or bombings from the air on innocent victims.
"... '80 years of western intervention in predominantly Arab lands' and accused Britain of having betrayed the Arabs after World War 1 by denying them their freedom in order to obtain their oil. By this bizarre interpretation of history..."
The only thing bizarre here is denial. Who the colonizer and who the victims of colonization?
Mr Livingstone lined himself up alongside...enemies of this country..."
No, he did not. He does not approve their attacks. He wants the disease treated - not the symptoms.
"...he made a series of remarks which would have almost certainly inflamed that sense of grievance still further..."
Almost certainly perhaps in a westerner's mind. In an easterner's mind it may certainly have given them a sigh of relief in that perhaps there is at least one western mind that has some understanding of their grievance.
"...'given that the Palestinians don't have jet fighters, they only have their bodies to use as weapons'."
Call it the rich man's smart bomb vs the poor man's smart bomb.
"Now, Israel has done many controversial things which may justifiably be criticized..."
Now, Palestine has done many controversial things which may justifiably be criticized...the key word in both of these statements is "may". If instead, both of these statements used the word "did" we would be on the road to true negotiations.
"...while weeping (Mr Livingstone) over the victims of the London bombings, implies that the Jews of Israel are fair game for slaughter."
He implied no such thing. He was too busy weeping over Arabs et al slaughtered, raped, starving around the world.
"Terrorism can only be defeated if the country displays an unambiguous solidarity against all such deliberate slaughter of the innocents..."
And Britain came to terms with Northern Ireland how?
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