Lugar: U.S. Troops May Have to Go After Hamas

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said American forces, either acting alone or as part of an international force, could be used to quell Israeli and Palestinian disputes, "and, maybe even more important, to root out the terrorism that is at the heart of the problem."

The Jewish state is firmly opposed to such intervention. Hamas has said it would reject any peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Asked if that meant such troops would go after Hamas, Lugar said, "That may be the conclusion."

"...It may not be just Hamas but clearly Hamas is right in the gunsights," the Indiana lawmaker added

Now this is interesting.  And I have two very different gut reactions.  The US citizen in me is disgusted.  I can not believe the bellicose rhetoric coming out of this administration and GOP.  We sound like high school bullies.  Constantly throwing threats of force out willy nilly.  I can not remember another period in my life where I have heard so many threats coming out of my government.  And it is embarassing and ugly.

On the other hand.  I am also an Israeli citizen with deep cultural roots there.  And as much as I have been utterly heartbroken and despondent and disgusted with the policies of the Israeli government vis-a-vis the Palestinians and Israeli settlement in the Occupied Territories, I am also disgusted with the fanatic radical extreme on the Palestinian side of the equation.  So, part of me feels -- hey, if the US wants to step in and come down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, etc... then be my guest.  Let the US take the heat there -- so both the beleaguered PA and the Israeli gov't can be off the hook in terms of this and then maybe they can concentrate on what they can agree on.

Given that I sit firmly on the left of both the US and Israeli political spectrums, it is interesting that this is one instance in which I have conflicting feelings...

I am looking forward to reading what others think ...