By Rami G. Khouri
The Daily Star

STORY SUMMARY

For anyone who wonders why so many people around the world criticize American and Israeli foreign policy and militarism, this has been a valuable learning week. I refer to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be the next U.S. defense secretary, and the twin Israeli attacks against military targets in Syria.

The manner in which some Republican and Democratic senators hammered away at Hagel for his past statements on the Iraq war, Israel and Iran only exacerbated long-held and widespread worldwide concerns, which I share, about how the U.S. unilaterally uses its military power around the world.

Israel, like the U.S., claims the right to use its military or assassination squads to attack, destroy and kill any person or facility anywhere in the world, if it feels that such actions would enhance Israel’s security.

Such American-Israeli behavior tends only to generate new and greater political opposition to the U.S. and Israel, and active resistance to them in some cases, while badly denting their respect among large swaths of people the world.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2013/Feb-02/204695-why-hagel-must-pay-for-bad-us-policy.ashx#ixzz2KO7MnvvI
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