Tapdance

You know, there was a big push by the media back before the last election to call the situation in Iraq a "civil war". It is more than a little ironic in light of the desperate tapdance the media is performing right now to avoid calling the situation in Gaza a civil war. Let's see, you have dueling mortar attacks on the homes of the leaders of both factions involved, armed assaults of strongholds from either side, gangs of gunmen fighting one another and ever so much more. But the AFP reporters and editors call that "getting closer to" a civil war.

GAZA CITY (AFP) - Hamas fighters armed with guns and rocket launchers besieged two Fatah security headquarters on Tuesday as deadly clashes threatened to topple the government and drive Gaza closer to civil war.

Gunmen from the radical Islamist movement ambushed two seats of the Fatah loyalist national security — the main Palestinian security force — in Gaza City and Jabaliya provoking clashes with those holed up inside.

Security officials and witnesses at the scene reported heavy fighting but were unable to give immediate reports of any casualties.

The attack came after mortar shells slammed into prime minister Ismail Haniya's home and the seafront compound of president Mahmud Abbas in the latest bout of fighting that has killed 18 people in 24 hours.

The apparently no-holds barred conflict threatens the very foundations of a Hamas-Fatah coalition that took office less than three months ago in a bid to halt the feuding that has killed nearly 180 people since December.

Abbas's office called for an immediate ceasefire but accused leaders in Hamas of plotting a coup and leading Gaza toward civil war while his secular Fatah faction warned it could pull out of the shaky, Hamas-led government.

"All the information and all the facts point to a faction, to which political and military leaders of Hamas belong, who are plotting a coup against Palestinian legitimacy," the presidency said.

It charged that the Hamas leaders in question were "pushing the homeland towards the throes of a dreadful civil war" and issued a plea on behalf of Abbas for an immediate ceasefire and serious dialogue.

We'd hate to see what the AFP definition of a civil war actually is.

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  By Jaded, Tuesday, 12 June , 2007 @ 11:36 am

  The definition of civil war to the MSM is any one fighting us.

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  By curtis, Tuesday, 12 June , 2007 @ 1:41 pm

  I’d call it a breach of contract.The EU is paying them good money to kill Jews, but when the Jews go away, they kill each other. /s

Other Links to this Post

1. Public Secrets: from the files of the Irishspy — Tuesday, 12 June , 2007 @ 12:20 pm

2. Blue Crab Boulevard » And Finally — Wednesday, 13 June , 2007 @ 7:09 pm