reposted by popular demand
At noon on Friday there were a series of small explosions high in the air above the city of Tyre and thousands of little pieces of cheap yellow paper came fluttering to earth. ‘To the inhabitants of villages situated south of the Litani River,’ the leaflets read. ‘Because of terrorist attacks against the state of Israel, which come from your villages and between your houses, the Israeli army is forced to respond to these attacks even inside your villages. For your security you must immediately leave your village and go to the north of the Litani river.’
But most of Tyre’s 80,000 people had already gone by then, driven from their homes by days of Israeli shelling and bombing that has killed more than 330 innocent civilians and a handful of Hezbollah militants.
By yesterday afternoon, Tyre, cradle of the Phoenician civilisation, one of the ancient Mediterranean’s mightiest cities, a world heritage site and an archaeological jewel was almost a ghost town. Among those refusing to flee was the 70-year-old mayor, Abdul Musa Husseini, who defiantly remained in his office along with a group of aides and policemen.
‘I would rather die with dignity and honour in my own home than die fleeing on the road,’ he said. ‘This is much worse than in 1982. Then they attacked the Palestinians, Syrians, fighting men. Now they are just targeting civilians.’
‘The Israelis are treating us like meat in a butcher’s shop,’ shouted Sabah Safiabddin, 45.
The shells and bombs continued to rain down on Lebanon yesterday, targeting roads, bridges, buildings, homes, vehicles and people. Last week, a leading Israeli hawk coined a new euphemism, describing the Israeli Air Force’s targets as Lebanon’s ‘material and human infrastructure’.
With no real aerial defences, the Lebanese are powerless to resist the onslaught. Yesterday, it was reported that the US is speeding a fresh consignment of bombs and missiles to Israel to replace the ones it has already expended.
The whole world knows how one-sided US government policies have always been in the Middle East. Oh, yes — and 9/11 will be quoted somewhere to justify it all.
It seems almost laughably ignorant to call attention to the civillian deaths in lebanon while the civillian death toll in iraq is reaching unimaginable heights.
Isreal has been suffering rocket attacks for years from southern lebanon.
Somehow I don’t think that if terrorists who were part of the canadian government started lobbing rockets at us from our northern border we would be “patient” and sit tight like everyone seems to expect of isreal.
They are responding to an attack and kidnap of soldiers by a group which makes up a significant part of the lebanese government.
From here, they are just bodies. In Lebanon, however, they are families. They are brothers, children, mothers, aunts, cousins, …
But, it is only the Palestinians that target civilians. The Israelis are above that.
And get ready for $100 / barrel crude oil.
Why is terrorism demonized when it is used by a small group of dedicated individuals with limited means and goals, while at the same time tolerated by a well armed nation state like the Israeli government? I consider the Israeli govenrment a terrorist organization with little to distinguish it from Hamas or Hezbollah. They are better at softening their words to sound reasonable than Hamas or Hezbollah, but their goals and tactics are no different
I see little difference between their actions except the scale of what each side can achieve. In the end, civilians always lose.
@Nik Carrier
“their goals and tactics are no different”
their goal is to stop the daily rocket attacks coming from southern lebanon.
Somehow I think that if your town was under daily rocket fire you might feel slightly different about their actions.
But go ahead and condem them while you sit at your computer safe and sound.
Where is the article condemning Hezbollah for randomly targeting civilian centers? Just curious.
This is an opportunity for Israel and Lebanon to work together. Form a joint task force to seek out and destroy whatever terrorist cells that reside within Lebanon, both countries win in that it eliminates Lebanon from being a country under siege between the terrorists and Israel and Israel from being a target from terrorists in Lebanon.
Also, it could be a good working example for some coexistance.
Coming from the similar waring situation, I’d have one question to ask affected Lebanese villagers: “What have you done to oust Hezbola from your town?”…
The Syrian-dominated Lebanese government had promised to prevent Hizbullah from attacking Israel, when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Since that time, the Syrian-dominated goverment has done nothing to discourage Hizbullah, and has in fact encouraged them.
Why should this leopard suddenly change its spots, forrest?
@David
Israel’s goal is to cow the Arabs in the region and force them to bend to their will. Israel continues to mount bombing offensives that largely kill the innocent civilian populations and do nothing to hurt Hezbollah militant. Nor does Israel care. The attacks are not about killing militant, but are about punishing Lebanese civilians for allowing miltants to be there in the first place.
As for the daily rocket fire, sure it is a nuisance, but look at how many Israeli civilians have actually been killed by these attacks in the last few YEARS, 1, 2, maybe 3 people at the most have been killed. Now compare that to the number of Lebanese civilians killed in the last few WEEKS, and maybe you’ll see what I am getting at.
If Israel’s real goal was to stop militants, why don’t they resort to smal scale infiltration tactics to eliminate these people? Mossad has had no problem with operations like this in the past. Use satellites to pinpoint launch sites and take them out – every nation can use corporate owned satellites for this purpose.
The fact of the matter is Israel has other options, but the only one they seem to rely on is retaliation against civilians. 10 to 20 Arabs must die for each Israeli citizen before any thought of reining in their power. These mass killings are more disturbing than any militant groups actions that I have seen in the region thus far.
Hezbollah = small miltant faction supported by thrid world dictatorships, armed with 30-40 year old rocket designs – performing terrorist acts to further their goals and Islamic dogma
Israel = modern industrial nation state armed with modern weaponry supplied by the world superpower US – performing terrorist acts to further their goals and Zionist dogma
I find them both offensive, but which sounds scarier to you??
To be honest, the article you quoted is true and very heart-breaking. But, but, in Israel, more than a million people flee out of their cities because of the 1000+ rockets and missles sent by terrorists.
The media is far more one-sided than the US, and some part of it, that reporters in the arab countries are afraid to report the truth. If that’s hard to understand, imagine a reporter in Time Square New York standing and showing how bad the american culture is compared to the arab countries. And there’s more to it, you know that yourself that the media is very very one-sided.
Think of the terrorists as the bad gang in little village, it’s nothing more than than, a few people that don’t want much, just a little fun, but if the whole village will cultivate and foster the gang, everyone will be hurt.
When you must get rid of the mice in your house, you might need to leave the house and the the experts do the job.
Bruce
I find the Aab-Israeli ongoing conflict entirely ironic. Islam, Judeism and Christianity all trace their existence to the same person: Abram. Isn’t this the aftermath of the Israelites’ invasion of Caanan and the ousting of the Arab inhabitants thousands of years ago? How do you end a conflict with thousands of years of history?
Of course, Nik Carrier and others don’t bother to acknoledge that Hizbullah has prevented civilians from moving to safer areas, at gunpoint, and instead is using them as human shields.
Mark –
What are you babbling about?
There were no Arabs in what is now Israel until 750 AD, when the armies of the Caliph entered that region, 100 years after the death of Muhammad (who had never actually been to Jerusalem).
#8
I don’t expect the Syrian-backed Lebanon to change it’s position over night. However, there are still other political groups within Lebanon that do not share the same political views as Syria. This is an opportunity for Israel to make a plea with the international community, to end the useless killing on both sides, especially within the region.
Motivate the citizens of Lebanon to do something about their government, if they feel like the government is not doing what is best for their interests. This is based on the assumption that the people’s best interests do not include getting killed because of the agenda of the minority population of Hezbollah.
Israel has to stop aimlessly shooting into Lebanon and be involved with the Lebanese and the rest of the world in using precision tactics that eliminate the terrorists threat. This would not be a short process and would require all parties to make some concessions.
Mark D. VandenBerg –
I believe the Canaanites were most likely Phoenicians and not Arabs. Arabs as we know of them today did not really emerge from the Saudi Arabian desert until the adoption of Islam united warring tribes – early middle ages from a European persective.
Ironically, for people who refer to some Arabs as being anti Semetic, Arabs are a semetic people as well. The Hebrews were originally an Arabian tribe that emerged from the Saudi peninsula prior to Islam. Genetically speaking, the Hebrews and Arabs are the same people. It is amazing the power that religion has to divide people.
How do you end a conflict with thousands of years of history?
While the middle east has seen conflict repeatedly over the past 5000 years, due to its strategic location between Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Arab-Jewish conflict only started in this century. The region actually had several centuries of peace while the Ottomans occupied it.
Nik –
The term “anti-semite” has a very specific meaning – it means someone who is prejudiced specifically against Jews, and refers to no other “semitic” group, not to Arabs, not to Akkadians, not to Sabeans, not to Phonecians.. The term was actually coined by a Nazi – personally I prefer to use the term “Jew-hater” instead.
People who claim, “but the Arabs can’t be anti-Semites, as they are semites themselves” are engaging in diversionary tactics.
Nik –
This is the first I’ve heard anyone suggest that the Hebrews “were originally an Arabian tribe that emerged from the Saudi peninsula”. What is your source? I’ve never heard anything but that the ancestors of the Jews and Arabs came from Mesopotamia and from there through Syria.
I always find it funny to read posts from anyone here in the US arguing centuries-old land-rights issues.
Do those that support anyone’s claim for that land, Arab or Israeli, also suppor the claims of Native Americans?
Of all the reasons to fight there, who owned the land first is the most idiotic.
Both sides are in the wrong here, IMHO. Arab extremists are a bunch of crazy, dangerous thugs, but Israel is famous for disproportionate response. Each side has to acknowledge the other’s existence for anyone to make any progress.
Coming from the similar waring situation, I’d have one question to ask affected Lebanese villagers: “What have you done to oust Hezbola from your town?”…
Uh… the same thing that Bostonians do to rid themselves of the Mafia? The same thing that Cubans do to rid themselves of Castro? The same thing that Russians did to rid themselves of Stalin?
Who bells the cat? Ever?
How does one distinguish soldiers wearing civilian clothes from civilians? Answer: You can’t. Therein lies the problem with trying to seperate casualties (civilian vs military) with an army that doesn’t distinguish itself from the civilian population.
xrayspex –
I don’t blame the villagers (many of whom have been used as human shields by Hizbullah), but I DO blame the Lebanese government.
#9, Nick,
“I find them both offensive, but which sounds scarier to you??”
Tell me something. 9/11, Madrid 3/11, Lockerbie, the Bali bombing, etc.. Were those all done by Israelis??? For pete’s sake, do you live in the western world? If so, have the Israeli’s ever attacked the western world? Why should we be scared of the Israeli’s when they’ve never attacked the US or Europe, nor show any reason to do so???
Well, this might come as a shock for you, but arab groups have already attacked Europe and the US! How can we not fear them???
As for the comparision you make between both sides’ military power, well, here’s some more news. Wars are not championships where you either compete with similar equipment or have handicaps to make them more fair. It is a war going on there, in case you haven’t noticed.
#23, Miguel 9/11, Madrid 3/11, Lockerbie, the Bali bombing, etc.. Were those all done by Israelis???
Well let’s see. 9/11 is blamed on El Qaeda, mostly from Saudi Arabians, a staunch American ally.
Madrid is blamed on first Basques and then Moroccans. Neither of whom are Arabs.
Lockerbie was blamed on Libyan Intelligence.
Bali is blamed on Indonesian extremeists.
So what is your point? They weren’t done by Palestinians or Lebonese either.
As for the comparision you make between both sides’ military power, well, here’s some more news. Wars are not championships where you either compete with similar equipment or have handicaps to make them more fair. It is a war going on there, in case you haven’t noticed.
So does that justify Israelies murdering Lebonese and Palestinians yet allow them to complain when Israeli civilians are killed?
Do they come any more hypocritical then you?
…have the Israeli’s ever attacked the western world?
The King David Hotel Bombing. 92 people died.
There was even a celebration by right-wing Israelis.
You did ask.
Of course, Nik Carrier and others don’t bother to acknoledge that Hizbullah has prevented civilians from moving to safer areas, at gunpoint, and instead is using them as human shields.
Comment by Frank IBC — 7/24/2006 @ 8:53 am
And where has that been documented? Fox Spews Network? That is something the Israelis have been doing to the Palestinians for almost 20 years now, you didn’t write anything about that. As I recall, the last time this topic came up, you denied the Israelis mistreated the Palestinians.
I don’t blame the villagers (many of whom have been used as human shields by Hizbullah), but I DO blame the Lebanese government.
Comment by Frank IBC — 7/24/2006 @ 2:30 pm
The Lebonese government that is too weak to have any authority. The Lebonese government that has only come out from direct Syrian control in the past year. The Lebonese government that has no military. The Lebonese government the US is encouraging and backing? Ya, right.
Hezbollah is wrong to fire their missles or attack Israelis. But the Israelis are just as wrong to shoot back KNOWING Lebonese civilians will be killed. Then, the Isralis are even more wrong to continue to fire high explosive weapons directly into civilian areas.
I just heard on NPR news today that the American government is rushing more missiles and bombs to Israel to replenish the munitions already used on the Lebonese and Palestinian civilians.
Way to go USA.
Mr. H. Fusion,
Yes they do and when they do they also come more ignorant than me. Let me quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_March_2004_Madrid_attacks#Responsibility):
“On 3 April 2004, in Leganes, south Madrid, four Arab terrorists blew themselves up, killing one special assault police and wounding eleven policemen. According to witnesses and media between five and eight suspects escaped on that day. [23]”
…
Nowadays, Judge Del Olmo assigns the responsibility to “local cells of Islamic extremists inspired through the Internet” [26], not Al-Qaeda, GIA or Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group. These local cells would be consist of hash traffickers of Moroccan origin, remotely linked to an Al Qaeda cell already captured. These group would have bought the explosives (dynamite Goma-2 ECO) from low-level thiefs in Asturias (North of Spain) using money from the small scale drug trafficking. [27]
According to El Mundo, “the notes on the Moroccan confident ‘Cartagena’ prove that the Police had the 3/11 leadership under surveillance.” [28] 34 of these 40 imputed were informers and / or controlled by the Police, Civil Guard and National Center of Intelligence before the attacks and contains weird coincidences like the Moroccan El Chino who distributed hash in the Basque country. A notebook of Carmen Toro, member of Asturian group, contained the cellphone number of the chief of TEDAX. The cellphones used in the bombing were purchased from a shop of Mausilli Kalaji, a Spanish police officer and former member of Al Fatah. [29]”.
A member of Al Fatah… very interesting link. And then I am the hypocrit.
About the murdering and complaining Israelis… what do you think the other side does? So why is everyone standing against the Israelis and for them, when Israelis represent no threat against US (us as in US, western world)!???
Once again, it takes an hypocrit to spot another.
I know how to solve the entire middle east problem:
1. Ask the palesteninians if we move Israel to Nevada and all americans leave the middle east if they will stop ALL terrorist activities. And if they don’t they agree to the “consequences”.
2. Move Israel to Nevada.
3. If the Palestenians start any more terrorist bullshit over there we exterminate their asses like a bunch of Crazy Daleks with missles and neutron bombs and fear of gid stuff.
4. In 400 years when the radiation has settled back down to livable levels we move Israel back to former location.
I imagine it would only take about a week for the palestenians to initate step 3 upon themselves….
#28, not only are you a hypocrite, but a blind foolish hypocrite at that. In post #23 you list four terrorist incidents, asking if the terrorists were Arab. (Actually, being Arab has little to do with the current situation, Israel is attacking Lebanese and Palestinians) You also claimed that we should automatically be against Arabs simply because we live in the western world. In fact, you wrote:
How can we not fear them???
Later, in post #28, you give a long dialog on some material that does not make sense. If you are posting a link, try TINY URL.
http://tinyurl.com/
A word of caution. Wkipedia is useful for a quick reference. It is not reliable with current events, especially where opinions are present.
Since I don’t believe you understand, I said you are a hypocrite simply because you suggest it is OK to kill Arabs and the Israelis are doing nothing wrong. The Israelis have killed many more civilians in the past week then Palestinian terrorists have killed Israelis in the past several years.
There can be no justification from either side for killing civilians. I truly get upset when people like you want us to hate a group simply because of what SOME in that group might have done. Maybe we should all hate the Spanish for their involvement in the slave trade in the 1800s.