One can't really cover up chatting with Israeli bloggers during wartime when it appears on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, 28 July 2006.
It's very difficult being moderate. I'm battered for fraternizing with Israelis. I'm assaulted for having friends who actively support Hezbollah. Both sides know where I stand. I don't lie to anyone, and I hold my ground in argument (sometimes - okay, most of the times - a bit too vociferously).
Months ago, I wrote a post on my personal blog, In Lebanon, attacking Arab governments for de-humanizing Israelis. Arab governments intentionally distance their citizens from having any contact or understanding of Israelis. Israelis becomes an abstract construct. When one hates Israelis, one doesn't hate people, one hates a concept, and that is one of the most dangerous things the human mind is capable of doing. One no longer sees a living, breathing member of one's species.
A few days ago, a close Sunni Lebanese friend of mine, we'll call her Yasmine, developed a close relationship with an Israeli in Athens. Her family is under constant attack and is providing shelter and aid to many of Lebanon's internal refugees, most of whom probably voted for Hezbollah. His family is under attack. He has relatives serving in the Israeli military participating in the campaign against Lebanon.
Yasmine and her Israeli friend kissed one night while dancing. Afterward, she broke down crying. What had she done?! It took awhile for me to explain that she is not a traitor. She is not aiding the destruction of Lebanon. She is not directly harming her family (although her father would probably have a bit to say about the drinking, close dancing, and kissing). She did what was natural. She created the kind of bond that will prevent violent action from occurring again. Israel now has a face. How could she wipe it off the planet?
Hezbollah Supporting Friends
Michael Totten wrote a telling piece about Hezbollah. In the article, he writes about his horrible encounter with them and how their press spokesman threatened him. However, he's quick to point out that Hezbollah is not al Qaeda.
In fact, for all of the party's rhetoric, many Hezbollah supporters do not want "Death to Israel! Death to America!" I just spoke with two Shia men, Muhammad and Rida, in the United States who are proud American citizens. They rhetorically support Hezbollah, but are smart enough not to send them any money or officially lobby on Hezbollah's behalf.
Muhammad and Rida support the war in Iraq. Rida's brother is serving in Iraq. Muhammad is actively involved in his union's activities, and his wife is on the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of their children's school. She's thinking of running for the school board.
Yet, they support Hezbollah.
How can this be, you might be asking? It's because of the sectarian nature of Lebanon. They support the political party that supports their people. Rida's village, Bint Jbeil, has been razed multiple times. Hezbollah took care of them financially. Hezbollah provided medical aid when they needed it. Hezbollah fought against the Southern Lebanese Army (SLA), which tyrannically ruled over south Lebanon while Israel controlled it. The SLA had members of multiple sects, but was led by Maronite Christians.
The Lebanese government didn't help the people in the south when their area was controlled by Palestinians. The Lebanese government didn't protect them when Israel occupied the area. The Lebanese government did nothing to try and shut down the Khiam prison camp. Neither the Syrian or Lebanese governments tried to liberate the south from SLA and Israeli rule.
Hezbollah's supporters stand by the people who took care of them.
Most of them don't want the utter annihilation of Israel. They want the defense of Lebanon. I would say the majority are anti-semitic, but their anti-semitism isn't nearly as virulent as that I've seen in Europe and other Arab countries.
Hezbollah supporter and her Jewish boyfriend
To give you an example, my friend Zeina is brilliant and gorgeous. She was the number one student at every institution she's ever attended, including where she did her graduate studies at one of Europe's most prestigious schools.
Her boyfriend is Jewish. She talks with him on the phone daily.
One of her relatives died fighting Israel during the occupation of the south. He's considered a martyr, and his picture hangs throughout southern Lebanon.
She is no anti-semite. She aggressively challenges those around her who make anti-semitic remarks. She doesn't hate Israel. Yet, she supports Hezbollah. They provided aid to her family. They liberated her land.
She knows Christians, Sunnis, and Druze will never come to her aid. They didn't before. The utter racism of many other Lebanese political parties also makes it impossible for her to support any of them. They make it known that she is not wanted. They don't even want her in the country.
The Evil of Hezbollah
Obviously, Hezbollah hardliners are just as bad or worse than Iranian fanatics. Even Shia Lebanese are frightened of these guys, which is why they are not the face Hezbollah shows to the outside world. Hezbollah recruits young, attractive, intelligent, professional, moderate candidates to run for office. These people are the public face who publicize all of Hezbollah's humanitarian projects.
Sadly, the Shia population of Lebanon has few other choices in Lebanon's sectarian framework.
As can be seen in the archives on this blog, I cannot stand Hezbollah. I marched on 14 March and started this blog to counter the message Hezbollah, Syria, and pro-Syrian Lebanese parties send to the rest of the world. I hate religious politics. I don't want to be led by men with beards (although, David Obey is okay). I believe in coming to peace with Israel.
I write this to show the complexity of the situation in Lebanon.
There are those in Lebanon whose sectarian racism comes out often. Readers of this blog who are disgusted with me for associating with people who support Hezbollah will be happy to know that there are people in Lebanon willing to kill Shia on sight. But that's exactly what I'm fighting against. There are tens of thousands of good, innocent people who support Hezbollah for internal sectarian reasons who deserve another option.
This is the tragedy of moderation. For all that I have said above, I will be hated by everyone. It will be said that: "I support terrorists. I'm an anti-semite. I'm a traitor. I'm a limp wristed idealist." All of this is far from the truth. Anyone who knows me or has read this blog long enough knows that I believe strongly in imposing myself on others and pushing for what I believe in. Most of the time, to accomplish one's goals and to further what is good, just, and honorable, one must begin with knowledge.
One must know the Lebanese system. It's impossible to negotiate with al Qaeda. I take aggressive action any time I encounter anything that comes close to support for that evil organization. It's impossible to befriend a supporter of al Qaeda. I've encountered them before. They no longer walk on the streets.
For Israelis and Westerners, the situation with Hezbollah is different.
For Lebanese and Arabs, the situation with Israelis is different.
Erecting barriers of ignorance only escalates the conflict. Yasmine, Muhammad, Rida, and Zeina are good people confronting a whole slew of issues thrown at them. I'm doing my best to navigate and find a solution.
Friday, July 28, 2006
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121 comments:
Wow, fascinating ! I should come back to this blog...
This post gave me a serious insight of what's going on in Lebanon. It is so complex...
I hope that the world will push for a ceasefire soon.
HEy, thank you so much. I love the complexity of your thinking.
I wasn't sure at first if you were one of those Lebanese I call right-wingers - I'm related to alot of them! - who wants to exterminate Hizbullah right now. I'm really, really glad to read your comments.
As a Lebanese-American with a history of sympathy for the Palestinian cause (but not unconditional sympathy), who is also married to a Jew - well I get a lot of the same sort of comments. I'm a Jew-lover, a Zionist appeaser, a mouthpiece for Hizbullah or an Islamonazi. Etc. etc. People call names without any knowledge of who they are addressing.
Keep up the good work, unknown person, and be well.
i just got my wall street journal. good job man. it's even better since it's on the first page!
www.elasmar.blogspot.com
LP. You are not alone. You will not be "hated by everyone". (ok, some, I'm sure).
Here's from one man who understand everything you wrote and wholeheartedly agrees.
I think you hit it right on the head there, when you explained how dangerous it is to de-humanize another group into an abstract concept. It is ESPECIALLY easy to fall into that trap when bombs/missiles are falling over one's head. "Us and Them" becomes the norm.
Again, great write-up!
PS: I assume you've made it to the US now? Or are you still in Syria?
israeli's are a concept, yes, and so is every civilian a concept.
However hezbollahs are also a concept. And they and the concept of lebanese? are equally not treated properly.
All of the middle east is and has been very much treated as some 'terrorist organisation'
beyond doubt, in the realms of media, general public consciounce,
i hate the israeli version of it, i hate ours, and i think were i in lebanon, i might hate yours an exactly equal bit, but from here that is not the looks.
is it strange it is all a bit weird?
"(sometimes - okay, most of the times - a bit too vociferously)."
As you mention, it is much harder to hate when there is a face to the 'enemy'. Thanks to Michael Totten, Carine, Lisa, and you , among others, I feel as though in some way I have Friends over there. MJT is a friend of mine and his regard for you is obvious. I hope that thanks to the efforts of you and others like you the human side of the issue will remain in the light where others can see it. I am not qualified to opine on the situation (not that that stops many) but I will say that I believe that the information and perspective your writing lends to the subject are very valuable to the rest of us. Educating others is often a thankless job, but a very neccessary one. Please keep up the good work, don't let the trolls get you down.
Lindsey
I have to say that as an American Jew who married a American Lebanese man, I am appalled at the lack of true support our government has shown towards Lebanon. My brain cannot process the sheer horror shown in photograph of the Lebanese that have been killed, injured or hurt. So, as a jewish person I must offer my apologies for the atrocities inflicted upon your innocent people. I know, as a culture the Lebanese are a proud people, with a rich heritage full of life. I also believe that Israelis are entitled to live in peace as well, but I do not think that Hezbollah represents every single Lebanese. Right? Before all of this horrible fighting began do you think that every Lebanese thought every jew was a bad person? All I know, is from experience- Jews and Arabs are a very similar people- the food is the same, the importance of family is the same, they argue with each other in the same way, both jews and israelis have mothers that can make a person crazy...aside from each other's political and war-time errors, land problems, invasion, occupations,etc, etc. the biggest difference is that they have different phone numbers they use when they call upon god. I know this is a gross over-simplification, but could'nt the Jewish and Arab peoples find a way to rejoice in their commonalities instead of their differences? By the way, Mr. President- you suck!
Thanks for the helpful blog. Would most HA supporters insist that it remained armed or would they be ok with it being just a political party?
Probably anything you say can be said about anything else in the world from communism to nazism and even the same el kaida you mentioned. Of course hezbollah is more than a rocket firing brigade , they are running social programs and other stuff. And i bet there are even sunnies and christians among nasrallah supporters.
But concentrating on individual trees makes people lose the idea of the forest. Practically what you posted means very little. It all boils down to the question the poster before me was asking: 'Would most HA supporters insist that it remained armed or would they be ok with it being just a political party? '
what about amal by the way?
Excelent article.
your rhetoric sounds nice.
..but when I hear about all the the missiles that the hezbollah are shooting at israel, the part about them being good people just doesn't sink in.
sun zhu states - "to win the war, use confusion to your advantage."
So if I read this correctly, it goes back to the issue that the Lebanese government is a fiction and that Hezbollah is the real "state" in the southern area. You realize that that takes away some of the Shia's claim to victimhood. They're loyal citizens of their government (Hezbollah) supporting its war effort, and liable to become casualties of it.
I don't say that to justify killing more civilians, but to lay out how your post modifies my understanding of the internal structure of Lebanon. Please correct me if I have misunderstood.
Ah, this article was exactly what I've been looking for. It IS confusing for many Americans to understand this, and I was one of them, but not anymore thanks to this article. Thank you for taking the time, while your beloved country is falling apart before your eyes, to try to help others understand. It really explains so much to me, and not just about your relationship with HA.
"Yasmine" living with such incredible guilt because she kissed an Israeli, good grief! You folks in Lebanon have so very much to recover from. So many incredibly deep wounds that must be encouraged to heal. You really truely need, somehow, when this is all over, to get a strong government representing all the needs of all the people, and it seems like such an out of touch dream at this point. But it will happen because you have such a strong love for your Lebanon. I'm rambling I guess. But now I understand when you talk about how it is so hard to explain.
LP, keep doing your best to navigate and you'll eventually find that solution! Thank you!
Finally I found Lebanese blog that not one sided and think about bigger picture, thank you!Just one question, you wrote:” many Hezbollah supporters do not want "Death to Israel! Death to America!" may be so but they support those who want death to America and death to Israel. Hezbolalah are Islamic radicals , would agree with that definition? And as Josef Farah formulated: ”the conflict between Islamic radicals and Jews in the Middle East is really very simple. The Islamic radicals want all the Jews dead. The Jews, meanwhile, want to live.” So supporting those who want Jews dead but do not want them dead in the same does no make a big sense to me. I am asking as a friend, please explain it to me I want to understand
Nobody and Al,
You make excellent points. The truth of your statements also hits pretty hard, because you're right that most of the Nazi and al Qaeda supporters are probably similar to the Hezbollah supporters.
I guess what I was really trying to capture was that the most significant force mobilizing the masses around Hezbollah is the Lebanese sectarian issue, followed by defense of Lebanese national territory.
The destruction of Israel part is there. I'm not denying it. But I don't think this is where the majority of their support comes from.
Then again, this could all be anecdotal evidence. Hezbollah supporters who want the destruction of Israel would probably steer far away from me, and I would most likely argue with them and then discard them as someone not to become involved with.
Good points. Hard to deal with.
Anon 5:39,
Hezbollah's followers strongly believe in their "right" to "resist" Israel.
Hezbollah calls itself "the resistance." They don't want to be known as the annihilators or the anti-semites or whatnot. They want to be seen as the defenders of Lebanon. But so as to distinguish them from the Lebanese government, they make their movement proactive.
It was a proactive movement to begin with. They began by resisting, and now falsely continue the battle.
The Shia community believe that Hezbollah protects them. They've been taught by years of intentional Syrian neglect of the Lebanese Army that their Army cannot protect them.
Memories of the Lebanese civil war when the Army broke apart and joined the militias doesn't help either.
Lebanese have a lot to deal with other than the Hezbollah crisis.
There are so many memories of war.
Hezbollah's weapons are as much an internal issue as they are an international issue.
As Michael Totten wrote, maybe Lebanon was destined for another war. Either Israel was going to do it or Syria or Lebanese factions marching against each other.
Not to compare apples and oranges, but Renee's use of the world "guilt" and her alluding to "incredible wounds" got me thinking about something here.
The jewish people as a whole, have had their own set of deep rooted "wounds" (The holocaust, various arab-israeli conflicts, and countless pogroms throughout the ages). I speak here of collective wounds, communal wounds, trauma experienced as a people (not at an individual level), which shapes a people into what it is today.
And I can't help but think that there is a certain common ground there (like I said, apples and oranges, I'm not comparing the Holocaust to the Lebanese civil war, not by a longshot).
There are certain deep seeded feelings we share as peoples that many people in the west today don't "get".
I'm not sure where I'm going with this. So I'll stop my rambling now.
Peace.
World News
The Times July 28, 2006
Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers
From Yonit Farago in Jerusalem
WHILE Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.
Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.
In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.
Jonny Cline, of the international student group, said that Jewish students and youth groups with their understanding of the web environment were ideally placed to present another side to the debate.
“We’re saying to these people that if Israel is being bashed, don’t ignore it, change it,” Mr Cline said. “A poll like CNN’s takes just a few seconds to vote in, but if thousands take part the outcome will be changed. What’s vital is that the international face of the conflict is balanced.”
Doron Barkat, 29, in Jerusalem, spends long nights trawling the web to try to swing the debate Israel’s way. “When I see internet polls for or against Israel I send out a mailing list to vote for Israel,” he said. “It can be that after 15 minutes there will be 400 votes for Israel.
“It’s very satisfying. There are also forums where Lebanese and Israelis talk.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry must avoid direct involvement with the campaign but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs.
Amir Gissin, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s public relations director, said: “The internet’s become a leading tool for news, shaping the world view of millions. Our problem is the foreign media shows Lebanese suffering, but not Israeli. We’re bypassing that filter by distributing pictures showing how northern Israelis suffer from Katyusha rocket attacks.”
Click here for more on the blogs of war
Interesting...
I wonder if some of the trolls we've seen lately have anything to do with this.
very very nice article.
go on! our region needs people like you, like me, like my friends.
our voice should be heard right out loud.
let's stop the madness
may peace come upon as and upon the whole world
inshaala amen
As someone with no first hand knowledge about Lebanon I must say this is one of the most illumination explanation I've read. Thank you for that. It is clear to me that even if Israel manages to blow up every last Katyusha, HA will still remain a major player in Lebanon, if not by the force of arms, then by the weight of numbers. The connection you describe between HA and the Shia is too strong and genuine to be destroyed or replaced.
So, if in the end HA is disarmed (as I fervently hope they will be), the rest of Lebanon will still need to engage them constructively.
Not so seriously now, when you say:
"It's impossible to befriend a supporter of al Qaeda. I've encountered them before. They no longer walk on the streets."
It sounds like you have the chopped-up remains of Zwahiri and co. under your floorboards, the result of a chance encounter in a Beirut back alley... Not that I would mind if you did.
Lebanon Profile
I am glad I found your blog. It does explain somewhat complexity of Lebanon politics and Lebanon life. And most important, it tries to see all points of view.
Bad Vibel
I am not surprised. People, particularly young people interested in what's going on, do read blogs and post their opinions on forums. I think that other side (if one can talk about other side) is not quiet either.
From my own experience on non-english forum I found that in the last couple of days there appeared a lot of new people both pro- and anti-israeli.
Another point. I found article quoted by anonymous translated already on that polish forum I am on, and on couple of other blogs. It does seems that someone wants everyone to pay attention.
Great post -- I have one question --
From an Israeli point of view, what does it matter practically if not _all_ of HA supporters want to kill all the jews if those supporters channel their resources and political clout towards those that do?
This is not a rhetorical question. The leaders of Israel have a pretty heavy charge--to ensure their folks are not killed. In light of that what can they practically do to separate the genocidal HAs from the others?
Thanks again and be well!
Marc
Interesting post. However, your post mentions nothing about how the Palestinian situation drives all politics, policies, view points, hatred, etc in the middle east. Until the Palstinian situation is not resolved, reactionary ideoligies like those of Zionism and Hizbollah will haunt the middle east for years to come.
Great post! Keep navigating :)
Thoughtful post.. There should be a way to acknowledge the Hexbola in
how they seem to amke great strides in social welfare..I was listening to a tv (journal) taking calls from across the country. I was touched by a caller who thought
she had a good idea (she seemed so excited that she had thought of this.
I'll mention that she was an african American (just to acknowledge her own historical oppression) She thought why doesn't everyone all different continents chip in 1 dollar and buy
Golan Heights and give it to the Palestinians.. The point was that
she was trying to help with a suggestion for a solution.. Maybe the blogoshpere can begin to think of solving some issues..She gave her "best intentions". sheril
You do a pretty good job of insulting yourself and explaining Hezbollah supporters, but you miss the essential problem with such support. You describe what is essentially Hezbollah's economic support for unfortuate people. Basically, you describe the buying of people's support and you see no problem with this. If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
lebanon.profile said...
Nobody and Al,
You make excellent points. The truth of your statements also hits pretty hard, because you're right that most of the Nazi and al Qaeda supporters are probably similar to the Hezbollah supporters.
I guess what I was really trying to capture was that the most significant force mobilizing the masses around Hezbollah is the Lebanese sectarian issue, followed by defense of Lebanese national territory.
---------------------------------
The thing is that as a fundamentalist movement hezbollah has a very high ability to sustain casulties without blinking. IDF can kill their soldiers by hundreds , hezbollah does nt mind this. The only way in which IDF can really make them hurt is by targeting their shiite support base.
Even if israel would nt think in terms of collective punishments (and it certainly thinks in these terms) it will anyway end up doing something like this if only because of hezbollah tactics of locating its bases in places like bint ajbel. Even before it can fight hezbollah properly IDF should drop leaflets telling people to move away and wait a few days before they can move in ground forces. So however IDF approaches the matter it will always end up by manufacturing some humanitarian disaster.
Given the uneven distribution of IAF attacks in this war i understand that israel indeed moved the clock back by a few years in lebanon as a whole but the clock went back by the whole decade in places like dahiya and south lebanon.
The question is how much hezbollah itself is committed to the development of the regions which serve as its support base. I understand they were investing millions of the iranian money there. Now IDF in three days has undone the work of the decade. Does hezbollah mind this at all?
The main problem, as you say, is a lack of choice of Shia, who want to support the development of the Shia community.
You implied, but didn't quite state, that only Hezbollah (Hizbullah?) was a choice on the ballot that Shia could vote for -- this is the main problem.
I suspect it is related to a lack of free speech, alternative and honest newspapers about what Hez is and does, and the willingness of Hez fanatics to murder other Shia who disagree.
I understand that in PLO controlled areas, those who publicly expressed opposition to Arafat or support for peace with Israel -- were murdered.
(Israel is doing a LOUSY job at protecting free speech in the "occupied territories controlled by the PA).
Please consider starting a pro-Shia development political group, without arms. The reasons such a group "won't work" are the Shia underlying problems that need to be addressed.
My free opinion, worth at least twice the price! Maybe 10 times.
Please keep up your own good work. Yet stay safe.
Brilliant post.
..A somewhat less vexed Israeli
One FATAL flaw with your reporting on what is going on with hezbollah.
You left out the driving supreme goal of the one who pulls Hezbollah's strings.
Iran's Ahmadinejad has stated loudly and often his determined goal of destroying Israel.
Just because a number of hezbollah supporters behave in a normal fashion dooes not make them 'good' or acceptable.
They are better described as useful pawns and idiots for the cause of the top leaders of Hezbollah whose goal is destruction of Israel.
The bottom line when all is said and done.
Better to destroy them before they destroy you Israel.
The propagandist and liars say hezbollah cannot be defeated.
The reality is Israel cannot be defeated even with the whole world aligned against this small country. In the end they will come out the head of the nations and no longer the tail.
Many Christian's like myself see the battle lines drawn and there are no longer any on the fence in the battle of Israel vs. Islam.
Israel
In this exerpt from the Guardian
Hezbollah is coming for Lebanese who speak freely their views which critized them.
Your Hezbollah reveals their Nazi like tendancies in their own words.
You put a human face on totalatarian rule by Islamic devils and that pig don't fly L.P
You keep you identity hidden out of fear ? or you alreadly know who this party of Satan really is ?
---------------------
'If Israel wins we will go back dozens of years'
Ali and his men said they see the current fighting with Israel as a war of survival, not only for Hizbullah but for the Shiite faith.
He says the struggle is not just against Israel but also against the Lebanese Sunni. "If Israel comes out victorious from this conflict, this will be a victory for the Sunnis and they will take the Shia community back in history dozens of years to the time when we were only allowed to work as garbage collectors in this country. The Shia will all die before letting this happen again."
He warned that even if the international community asks Hizbullah to lay down its arms in the frame of a ceasefire he and his men will keep their arms.
"This war is episode two in disarming Hizbullah. First they tried to do it through the Lebanese government and the UN. When they failed, the Americans asked the Israelis to do the job."
He refuted Israeli claims the Hizbullah has been weakened: "Things are going very well now, whatever happens we are winning. If they keep bombing us we will stay in the shelters, and with each bomb more people support the resistance. If they invade they will repeat the miserable fate they had in 1982, and if they hold one square foot they will give the Islamic resistance all the legitimacy. If they want to kill Hizbullah they have to kill every Shia in the south of Lebanon."
"The real battle is after the end of this war. We will have to settle score with the Lebanese politicians. We also have the best security and intelligence apparatus in this country, and we can reach any of those people who are speaking against us now. Let's finish with the Israelis and then we will settle scores later."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3282996,00.html
LP ,
You put a good face ,a human face on darkest evil.
The Germans lived in the midst of this same illusion ,but eventually woke up ,a least those who survived the reich of another Jew hater intent on a final solution.
He failed as will Nasrallah
You make evil look good,that makes you an instrument for the devil' deception.
22 July 2006
A Dream - A Warning to Israel
Subject: Revelation of [three] Islamic/Hezbollah plans to attack Israel
My friends in Israel, wherever, I hope it doesn’t take a N.W.O attack on the Queen Mary II, the Washington Monument, the President of the US, or the destruction of Florida and Alabama, before you take my friend seriously; particularly that which, if you proceed, are about to read. May God have mercy on Israel if you all wait that long. Nevertheless, I continue.
I called “Bob” just 30 minutes ago. He had told the Lord that I would have to call to “confirm” his most recent vision(s). He had held the visions since the evening of Wednesday the 19th, when he was admitted for extremely painful kidney stones. He was saying Lord, “If Al doesn’t call then these visions may not be from you, but maybe just pain-related hallucinations?” As he was eating corn, 40 minutes ago, my call came in. The Holy Spirit spoke, “There’s Al calling”. It was I.
There are three attacks being planned, by three teams; (1) attack against a secular target, (2) an attack against a religious target, and (3) one against a military target. All three teams are operating independently; and all three teams are now in-country as of 22 July 2006. Therefore, it will serve no purpose to look for them at any border crossing, port, or airport. The Lord spoke to Bob and said, “Come and see”, as in what is being planned against the State of Israel.
“ATTACK AGAINST A SECULAR TARGET”
[This is why I sent a query about a “fountain” located in a walking mall in Israel]
In this attack there was a large city “seen”, maybe Tel Aviv, if such a “scene” as follows exists. Bob saw a “European-looking city”, with a downtown walking mall, very upscale, and maybe even with cobblestones or a stone pavement in neat order. There were flower planters, benches, and shops on left and right sides of the mall. There was a fountain, and on the left side of the mall was a woman walking. [Note: This woman is a different woman than the/any female seen in earlier visions.]
She was a gorgeous woman, with olive skin, possibly of Lebanese descent, with deep auburn hair, with a reddish sheen. Her top was a sleeveless, light burgundy-colored sweater, with a mock turtleneck. She had on a light cream colored skirt, with a burgundy and brown print. The skirt was full and came to just about/above the knees. Her dark brown pocket book, which matched her hair, was slung on her left shoulder, and also matched her shoes, which had slightly elevated heels. Her beauty is such that it is “distracting”. Her entire outfit was high class, and could have cost from 700 to 1500 dollars, since it is actually her “martyr suit”. She is a hell-bent, suicide bomber.
This woman is ideologically on the radical the fringe of the Hezbollah. Moreover, she has compromised more than one Israeli sexually, with “pillow talk” to get the info she needs. Men will run after her; and she leads them as if she had “a ring in their nose”. This woman has an all-woman support team; all of which are Arabic women. This “concept” is very deceptive, since it is males who usually carry out such assignments.
Furthermore, she was also carrying a rope-handled shopping bag, the type that upscale stores use for expensive- taste shoppers. The bag was white with burgundy trim. The logo/emblem on the bag was from an upscale store or shop, and was styled in neat Hebrew letters.
She continued walking and when she reached a trash receptacle she dropped the shopping bag into the waste bin. She continued walking and shortly perished in the ensuing explosion. The explosion had all the effects of a tactical nuclear device, as it vaporized the mall. [Note: This technology is new, and although my “contacts” tell me there are now miniature nuke devices which are operational, they were not “on the shelf” in the mid 80’s when I served in DOD.] The ensuing blast was tremendous and the cloud of smoke boiled, volcano-like, straight upward.
“ATTACK AGAINST A RELIGIOUS TARGET”
This attack is “religious” in nature since it occurs near the Wailing Wall; as follows: Looking westward from some point on or near the Mount of Olives, toward the Eastern/Golden Gate, there arose a deep demonic growl. A figure arose, cackling over the expected defeat of Jerusalem. The figure spread its arms, which grew into jet black wings WHICH SIGNIFY a BIO-CHEMICAL ATTACK. The being’s eyes had blood red veins within them, and the eyes were as coals of fire. There were/are to be cries from within Jerusalem, since the attack is bio-chemical; and as such prevailing winds will carry the pernicious cloud across the Temple Mount; thus descending directly down upon worshippers at the Wailing Wall.
The current “leader” of the Hezbollah has an evil spirit of Hitler upon him; and will not accept defeat, and as such will demand a scorched earth policy, killing Arabs and Jews alike as he releases this device, in his attempt to destroy Jews. This attack can be defeated if known of in advance. Israel, you now know of this, up front, since I am sending it to many in Israel.
“ATTACK AGAINST A MILITARY TARGET”
This attack is planned against a military base somewhere in Israel. Hopefully the description herein will identify the actual base or facility. The “hit” will be dangerous, if accomplished. The facility is apparently a command and control communications [and intelligence?] nodal point. It’s a reinforced concrete facility. Some of it is above ground with about 3/4ths underground. On top of the above-ground structure is a “half sphere-shaped” dome. There are three reinforced walls or barriers round this facility. The purpose of the attack is to seriously degrade [command and control] communications. This attack is coordinated with the Syrians, and the Syrian army is planning to commence an attack if this succeeds. God Almighty alone can prevent this attack but he must have people who will listen to his voice.
Bob says the current Hezbollah leader will eventually literally lose his head, as he will “reap what he has sown”; particularly because in planning against the Jews and Israel he is defying the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Bob was also shown that the Lord will send a *** “little David, to take this Hezbollah leader out. With this “little David” will be two bosom buddies, who think alike, as in Joab and Abner, in the days of the kings of Israel. This “little David” speaks fluent Hebrew, is a native (Sabra) and could one day be exalted; and thus become the Prime Minister. The Arab world will be traumatized/shocked by the Divine intervention accompanying this event.
As a result of this defeat of Islamic terrorism, the European Union will rise up in indignation against Israel. In these scenarios the victim (Israel) will become the “victimizer”. Then will come the “covenant” which will precede Ezek 38 and 39. [Note: This should be the prophesied seven-year peace deal signed by the false messiah; or as we Believers call him, the anti-Christ. I personally believe this man’s name will be “Apostikane”. Since the KJV Bible has the phrase “the Assyrian” exactly 13 times, [thirteen meaning “depravity/rebellion] I believe he comes from Syria and will be of mixed Jewish-Arabic blood.]
Dear folks, I have repeated what I have been told. The blood is now off my hands as well as Bob’s. Furthermore,
as noted in the first paragraph, I suspect several of Bob’s earlier prophecies may have to come to pass, since that is probably what will have to happen to make people believe what they have read above. Nevertheless, so be it. My hands are clean. The ball is in your court.
In the Name of the Lord,
A.C.
*** Such a figure is alluded to during “Jacob’s trouble”, or in some/a ‘post-King David’ period, yet before but the return of Messiah. This Davidic figure is alluded to in the following Authorized Version scriptures: Jer 30:1-9; Ezek 34:23-24; and Hosea 3:5; which I was never aware of until 1999. However, I’m not a theologian. I just “read the Book”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pWwH1EzGY4
All Lebanese should watch this Hezbollah movie
The ultimate goal of an Israeli soldier is to finish his 3 years duty without getting himself killed, go to that one year trip to South America, study computer software in the Technion university, get a nice job in CheckPoint, marry Bar Refaeli and have 3 cute kids.
The ultimate goal of a Hezbullah fighter is to die as a martyr.
What the hell is wrong with these guys?
Seattle ,Washington -
Mad Moslem attacks defenseless Jewish women.
Inside most Moslem's is a devil waiting to kill Jews and Christian's.
This cursed religion ,led by Satan wreaks hovac all over the earth ,not just against Israel.
The cosmic battle of kingdom's has begun. The Kingdom of God and the Kngdom of Satan.
If you want to 'learn' how it unfolds and ends read the Bible, especially books of Joel,Amos,Zechariah,Ezekiel
Matthhew 24 ,Luke 21 Jude and Revelation.
The gunman, Naveed Afzal Haq, 31, was arrested without a struggle at the Jewish Federation. He was later charged by Seattle police with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Haq is a U.S. citizen, police said, and their initial conversation with him by phone while he was inside the building indicated that he was a Muslim.
Police would not disclose the content of the conversation.
Laura Laughlin, special agent in charge of the Seattle FBI office, said the suspect is a U.S. citizen who is not from Seattle. Agents were working to contact his relatives, she said.
When asked if the suspect was a Muslim, Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said at a news conference "you could infer that that was his background." Kerlikowske gave no further details about the man except that he was between 30 and 40.
A hospital spokeswoman said three of the victims are in critical condition. The surviving women range in age from 23 to 43, including one who is pregnant. The fatal victim was only identified as a white female.
"We have five victims, all female, ranging from their early 20s to 40s, who have been brought to Harbor View [Medical Center]," hospital spokeswoman Pamela Steele said.
"They have sustained wounds to the knee, groin, abdomen and arm. Three of the five have been taken to the operating room," she said.
Thanks for your blog. It definitely gives me more insight into what is going on in Lebanon.
What you wrote does help me understand a bit more, I think, but I would like to know what makes you think Hezbollah is so much nicer than al Qaeda?
It seems to me they are just smarter.
Their money comes from Iran, from drugs, from other criminal activities and from "taxes" they collect from supporters but also from people they can intimidate.
Hezbollah look to me like an extension of Iran. OK, they are Lebanese and they are surely not _just_ an extension of Iran's theocracy, but they are theocratic and they are murderous. And any good they do is done with money that doesn't fairly belong to them.
So what do you find good about them?
And for that matter what do you find bad about Israel? Isn't it crystal clear that if they are not attacked from Lebanon they will have no problem with Lebanon?
They will dance with you, and work with you to get on with your life. They don't want to rule Lebanon; they don't want to tell you what to do. Can you say that about Hezbollah?
Or is what you like about Hezbollah precisely that they want to tell you what to do, that they offer some leadership even if it's dead wrong?
“Israel’s largest pitfall is the militaristic belief in the country and its leadership,” Nasrallah said.
The sheikh referred to Israel as a “temporary country.”
“Israel was established as a military state; the army was not established as an army of a country,” he said.
The Sheikh's fatal error is that he sees Israel is only about;
"" militaristic belief in the country and its leadership""
As so many who fought Israel in five previous war and lost every one is their fatal error in ignoring the Holy One of Israel who fights for His people.
As a Christian Zionist I have very little confidence in Ehud Olmert and the IDF which leftist,liberal policy has weakened.
But I have much faith in the God of Israel and have no doubt that He will pull the LAST big surprise on the Party of Satan and all the hordes of hell aligned agaisnt Israel. Israel's enemies as they fade into the dust bin of history will have their last lesson that Israel is here to stay and that the only true God is the Holy One of Israel.
Picture the hezbollah fighter after his death on the battlefield as he stands before the Creator of the Universe and realizes that He is Jewish and allah has been Satan all along.
That is a picture of hell and all Islamic jihadist will see it on judgment day.
Tatiana:
YOu said If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
Unfortunately, that's the behavior of every poor and destitute people all over the world. That's how the world works. Politicians everywhere have been buying their constituents vote and loyalty for times immemorial, be it through tax cuts, be it through increased social services (or promises thereof), be it through lobbying as they do in Washington.
This is reply to UJU (UK/JEWISH/USA) force. ok. who is bombing whom now ??. you have to clarify the subject before speaking like a mad creature. firstly, there was no country called Israel until 1948. When you British decided to put all those bad Jewish people in Palestine and called it Israel. Following this catastrophic event, the world have never seen peace. The Jewish by the support of their biggest allies(USA and Britain)killed millions of innocent Palestinians and abducted their lands unlawfully. the Jewish played their best games and unfortunately won. Exactly like Vampires, they were abused and you know that abused people tend to abuse. Therefore, We WOULD REACH THE CONCLUSION that all the Jewish have psychological disorder. They want to kill more and more. They want to ruin more and more. YOuR so-called lovely country is taking advantage of their disorder by telling them to exploit more and kill all Arabs. Blair is so discriminative. He hates all Muslims and Arabs in general from the inside and trying to blame them for the so-called terrorist attacks. And its so ironic, that when people die in Iraq or Palestine OR Lebanon, Your country says "SO WHAT< We don’t care, Israelis are defending themselves. when you see in News every single day how Israel are killing the civilians and poor children. let me ask you a question? isn’t Israel the greatest Terrorist organization in the world when they take a whole land and claim it to be theirs. And they are never satisfied actually, because they want to kill more and more and take whole Lebanon and call it the great Israel. Of course this cannot be done without the support of their greatest allies (UK & USA) who are asking for multinational force NOW. TO kill more innocent people and exploit the natural resources of Lebanon. You are very Naive UJU and your likes because you think the USA would even think to support the Arabs. BUSH(AND HIS “SHIT” WAY OF supporting the Jewish) and his lovely baby BLair are laughing and having fun because they are about to achieve their goals of making a NEW MIDDLE EAST. WOW. a new middle east to serve them with petrol and minerals. And, serve Israel and the Jewish with whatever they want. Moreover. I want to correct your statement which says we are asking USA & UK to help the Lebanese. UK and USA planned with Israel to bomb Lebanon even without Hezbollah taking your soldiers. Unfortunately, you don’t know this fact as well because you are hypnotized with the media propaganda. So, USA and UK want to start a war and we want peace we TOLD THEM TO CEASE FIRE BUT THEY SAID NO. THAT’S WHY OUR PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING in your streets. England & America have the right to stop the war but they used the VETO to continue the war. SO who are the real terrorists:: Hezbollah who are trying to defend their country and help the thousands innocent abducted Lebanese prisoners in ISRAELIS JAILS or UK/JEWISH/USA (UJU) who wants to exploit every Arabic country from Iraq and Palestine to Lebanon. and who knows which country is the next. But, everyone knows that Iran and Syria are the potential targets. Hezbollah’ message is very pure and dignified. To return the innocent Lebanese detainees in Israel. They negotiated with Israel once and asked for the innocent detainees but every effort they made is futile. Therefore, they abducted 2 soldiers which is not wrong at all. If Israel was in the place of Hezbollah. TELL me. What would they do??
Thank you for portraying complexity with such a profound sense of humanity.
My heart goes with you.
Jean-Marc
Tatiana:
YOu said If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
Unfortunately, that's the behavior of every poor and destitute people all over the world. That's how the world works. Politicians everywhere have been buying their constituents vote and loyalty for times immemorial, be it through tax cuts, be it through increased social services (or promises thereof), be it through lobbying as they do in Washington.
Sat Jul 29, 10:33:34 AM PDT
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To be honest i think that you demonize these people needlessly. They are dangerous fanatics with a very warped idea of the world. But they are nothing more than this. Obviously they believe in their own ideology. There is no reason to suspect that hezbollah does nt really care for its shiite people.
Because their perception of the things is so warped they are building with one hand and destroying with another.
This is not that i am a pacifist. I dont oppose israeli approach to tackle this problem by using force but lets keep some sanity. These people got this violent and insane ideology. They do believe in all these jewish american plots and conspiracies against islam. But they clearly have an idea of responsibilty towards their people. Their social programs are nor some propaganda trick.
anon10:41:56 -
Hezbollah’ message is very pure and dignified.
Lets have a small,impure and undignified funeral for Nasrallah and Hezbollah all dead and the Sheikh without his head !
I toast a drink and a cheerie ho to that. Bottomes up !
after reading all of these very interesting and diverse pointsw of views i am curious...indulge me a bit if you wouldn't mind. remove the hatred, distrust, current affairs, side-taking point views and list a top ten list of how we a international community could make EVERYONE in the region happy and yes, that would include Israel existing as a state and Palestine as well and taking into consideration that Lebanon would be in a peasceful state. Please, iam ask this question without irony, sarcasm and whatever.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
after reading all of these very interesting and diverse pointsw of views i am curious...indulge me a bit if you wouldn't mind. remove the hatred, distrust, current affairs, side-taking point views and list a top ten list of how we a international community could make EVERYONE in the region happy and yes, that would include Israel existing as a state and Palestine as well and taking into consideration that Lebanon would be in a peasceful state. Please, iam ask this question without irony, sarcasm and whatever.
Sat Jul 29, 11:21:30 AM PDT
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In case of lebanon its very simple.
1) disarm nasrallah... turn hezbollah into political party ... lebanese government is the only one that can declare wars or decide on cross border raids ... no more private militias ( hezbollah is actually the last one )
2) perform prisoners swap - israelis for lebanese ... plaestinians not included
3) clear up the issue with shebaa farms ... syria should officially disown this peace of territory... if not lebanon takes responsibility for its own security in case syria would suddenly demand it later
4) some minor issues...
5) sign both sides on peace deal or permanent ceasefire agreement
6) warn iran/syria to tell nasrallah to not go back to doing his shit
thats all ... goes without saying hezbollah would nt agree to it
just for kicks...what are #4, some minor issues?
peterbbb, you draw the line, you can go to hell. Good bye hizb hirabah.
water , mine fields maps .. small stuff
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
just for kicks...what are #4, some minor issues?
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Dont even touch on the palestinian issue. Its for generations now
i was talking as if palestinians have their own viable, decent place to exist- i as a jew, do not want the palestinians to live in squalor. i believe that they deserve land that has agricultural health, not some dirt patch that is has been offered in the past. the palestinians have the right to economic success just as much as anyone else. i was really just trying to think in a more conceptual mode, as you'll see from my utopian/idealistic or hopeful posts from another blog below...
As a Jewish American married to a Lebanese Christian American, I am stunned and saddened by the situation in both countries. However, the Israeli military is going too far with this counter-attack to Hezbollah. Pres. Bush is only exacerbating the issue further. I am sure he would not want his family to lay dying in the streets or crushed under homes that have been bombed into oblivion. Okay, so Israel is a close ally, and i support that, but I does not mean we trun a blind eye to absolute devastation brought upon other human beings. I think since 911, muslim society as a whole has been denigrated to something of a horrific stereotype. As a Jew who lost ancestors in the holocaust, I don't think German folk are hideous people. Moreover, the Lebanese are the most pro-western country in the region, living (before two weeks ago) a very sophisticated and westernized lifestyle. The villages being plundered are hundreds of years old with mostly a peasant life. The Beirutis are cosmopolitain in nature. They are not bad people. Hezbollah is not a friendly group of individuals, but when people are living terrible lives, sometimes resort to terrible actions. I do not think that a few bad apples should spoil the crate. In the end, Palestinians, Israelis, and the Lebanese, are quite similar peoples...The eat the same food. They all value family. They all tend to have very overbearing mothers. They are a festive people, they just dial a different phone number when they pray. Yes, I know I am generalizing, but the real end to the middle-east misery is for these culture to value what they have in common not how they differ and to also, put the past in the past and start anew with a clean slate. Peace to the innocent Lebanese, Israelis, and Palestinians- Jewish, Muslim & Christian.
7:43 PM
Anonymous said...
Samanatha.
Yes. Most people are very much alike, but differant. They could and would live peacefully together.. However, bad apples ARE in the crate and spoiling the whole group. The bad apples need to be thrown out or at least removed from damaging the rest.
Israel, Lebonan, Syria, Iran and all other nations as well as Americans are in this apple crate of mostly good./ It is very sad that these bad apples cannot be thrown out without damage to the good apples.
9:20 AM
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i completely agree with you. In principle, if you had the average family, one representing each group of people- Leb, Isr, and Pal, i think we see very clearly that they are not different from the average American family. I was speaking with my parents last night, trying to explain to them why israel has gone too far with all of this. they are jewish americans, so like most other jewish folks they have a sense of loyalty to israel, not because they support aggression or discord between israel and its neighbors, but because they view israelis as their extended brothers and sisters. no different from my lebanese mother-in-law feeling loyalty and sympathy toward her own family and friends in west bekaa valley. however, iread a an interesting article yesterday- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14066288/site/newsweek/
i beleive that Israel much like the US has become blinded by Nationality. I would even venture to say that the Palestinians have this as well, although they are still struggling to have a state in which to express and develope a true sense of real tangible nationalism. Lebanon will be in this boat too, as support grows even more for hezbollah. one would have to be completely uninformed and ignorant to not understand why this will happen. when someone is in turmoil and no one else supports them in the time of need, and miraculously an advocate and defender appears they find comfort in that. to me that is no surprise- it is human nature. In speaking with my parents, i used the example of the holocaust, as this was a parallel example that they could relate to...After hitler was no longer a threat to their people, jewish people did not trust germans for decades and this still is this case, but much less so. my grandfather would have given me a very hard time, if he were alive to see me buy my first volkswagen. but, since i am several generations removed from the horror inflicted upon my culture- the remaining people in germany that supported and hitler and his cause are old and powerless, the subsequent generations have done what they can to distance themselves from mistakes that their ancestors made. why should i hold that against them? they are human beings just like us. so, pardon my long meandering story- i believe that even if the reciprocal distrust, hatred, fighting- the whole ugliness of the "uneasy existence" were to end today, the damage between israelis and palestinians, israel and lebanese, israel and you-name-the-country, would take several generations to make things "just okay" and by that i mean a gradual disappearnce of absolute distrust and scorn from both sides. so, it is really up to people like us- to spread the word of " you know what? the lebanese, palestinians, israelis, iranis, etc...they are people just like us" I would like to see each of those governments take just a few steps in a more moderate direction away from religion being so closely injected into government rule. but that is a pipe dream, i know. I am not at all saying that they should be as liberal as america, but just a few steps away from fundamentalist rule would lift opression from all of these rich cultures. what do you think? consequently, i think my mom & dad might look at the news footage with a slightly more open minded perspective on the situation in lebanaon now. at least i can hope.
2:02 PM
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i have a utopian dream/idea...as part of a multi-national effort, instead of trio of countries having their children learn military training- they ought to have a mandatory exchange students program. as part of your upbringing in israel, you must live with a palestinian family for a semester. as part of palestinian life, you go live with an israeli family for a semester. i know is a ridiculous concept/idea, however, i think the best way for someone to stop being your enemy is to make him you friend.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i have a utopian dream/idea...as part of a multi-national effort, instead of trio of countries having their children learn military training- they ought to have a mandatory exchange students program. as part of your upbringing in israel, you must live with a palestinian family for a semester. as part of palestinian life, you go live with an israeli family for a semester. i know is a ridiculous concept/idea,
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Yes. Ridiculous indeed.
One can't really cover up chatting with Israeli bloggers during wartime when it appears on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, 28 July 2006.
And maybe that's not such a bad thing. As our US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis -- a nice Jewish boy -- said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
"To stop apologizing for our positions"
Is there something inherently wrong with the concept of wanting to stop bloodshed with both parties? is it at all possible that a jewish person could really and truly feel sadness for an arab human being? Is it so wrong to want a good outcome for all the cultures in the region? The political rhetoric is what holds any form of harmony back. My concepts may seem utopian and ridiculous, yes, but i believe we all need to pull ourselves out of the much and try to move on and leave the baggage in it its place. i don't believe anything i've said has been inciteful to anyone posting here. Arab, Israeli, or Plaid with Polka-dots. I would happily share an afternoon over a cup of coffee with an Israeli or Arab, even if their idealogical philosophydiffered from mine- because we share other things in common- we are all human beings that in most cases can relate to the same pleasures in life- good food, good friends, family and the desire for a reasonably peaceful life. Am i crazy for believing in this? Violence begets violence. wouldn't you agree? the term "disinfectant": An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms. i think that it is repulsive to apply this term toward any human being, even if one percieves them as a "terrorist." they still are like any other person, they sleep, they eat, they seek kindness in their own lives, and they use they bathroom just the same as you and me. i think all parties need to have their eyes and ears open and try to find the common threads and progress from that point. now, how about that cup of coffee?
To Samanatha,
Hezbollah people say their ultimate goal is to die as a martyr. Milk and cookies will not make them feel differently. An F-16 just might...
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Is there something inherently wrong with the concept of wanting to stop bloodshed with both parties? is it at all possible that a jewish person could really and truly feel sadness for an arab human being? Is it so wrong to want a good outcome for all the cultures in the region? The political rhetoric is what holds any form of harmony back.
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Bloodshed usually stops whe both sides decide that the price they pay is not worth it. Or that both sides get tired of keep it going this way. It has nothing to do with universal love and brotherhood
i understand this quite clearly john, however not everyone in lebanon is a soldier for hezbollah. as an example, let's say i live down the street from a white supremacist. most likely he wouldn't sit down for a "milk and cookies" chat with me, but his sister might. she'd mostly share some of his ideals or understand his point of view, but she herself has her own sense of humanity. not everyone is guilty by association, and that is what we are all seeing now. not every jew or arab is "dirty" not every american is either. do you think that an f-16 is going to change anything? after all, this supposed "hezbollah person" may indeed hate israel and wants it destroyed, so he joins hezbollah. do you think everyone in this man's family absolutely agrees with his pursuits/endeavors? maybe they don't, but he is still their son or brother, or cousin. even if they disagreed with his philosphy before, they are certain to agree with him post-mortem, after he succeeds in illustrating that the very government that he was in opposition to flies over his home and kills him. that is exactly how groups like hezbollah gain support.
i agree with you nobody. but it does take a simple or idealistic notion to take stock in what is before our feet, to understand that the price has not been worth it.
Every Hezbollah fighter wants to die as a martyr. The IDF is simply offering its help as a sign of good will.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i agree with you nobody. but it does take a simple or idealistic notion to take stock in what is before our feet, to understand that the price has not been worth it.
Sat Jul 29, 01:28:06 PM PDT
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No samantha . As one who has seen the meat of my people scattered all across the street or as one who did visit his friends in hospital this emotional stuff does nt help. Stay simple and technical . Thats the trick here.
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fighters. are the lives of the lebanese folk that reside in the bombed out villages less meaningful than our own? Are they less valuable than an Israeli family living out on a kibbutz? your joking about murder is not funny in my eyes; but you certainly are entitled to your opinion.
Innocent people of Lebanon should not be harmed. Hizballah guys must be killed to the last person holding an AK-47.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fighters. are the lives of the lebanese folk that reside in the bombed out villages less meaningful than our own? Are they less valuable than an Israeli family living out on a kibbutz? your joking about murder is not funny in my eyes; but you certainly are entitled to your opinion.
Sat Jul 29, 01:44:23 PM PDT
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This universal love stuff is nonsense. Peace comes only when people learn to first count their own casualties and then the casualties of their enemies. And right now israel is the only country in the region that is doing this.
perhaps i am not as techical or truly embedded in the political rhetoric as many of you are and sometimes to follow these posts to really try to understand the perspective of the lebanese or hezbollah i scour the articles in the daily star and haaretz to try to make the learning curve smaller. but all i know is that i have a son who is half-jewish and half-lebanese with family in both countries and at my core i loathe that both of those cultures suffer. both lebanese and jewish cultures are incredbily interesting and complex and we can learn from them equally. i shudder when i look at the images and video of the buildings and more importanly the people with gaping wounds or sheets covering their corpses. all i am trying to say is that if governments and militia from either side get nowhere, certainly a grass-roots effort amongst the everyday man/woman/child couldn't hurt.
Samanatha,
I envy you.
People like you could invite Bin-Laden for milk and cookies hoping to convince him he actually loves junk food and diet coke.
no, i am not that naive, and i think i have made that clear in my previous postings. a mariage like my own between a jew and a lebanese is not always an easy one. religion is a factor, cultures sometimes collide, sometimes compliment each other, and so on. but i think that an enormous problem that we see unfolding and escalating every day at a certain point requires look at things from multiple perspectives. That is where i come from.
nobody said...
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fighters. are the lives of the lebanese folk that reside in the bombed out villages less meaningful than our own? Are they less valuable than an Israeli family living out on a kibbutz? your joking about murder is not funny in my eyes; but you certainly are entitled to your opinion.
Sat Jul 29, 01:44:23 PM PDT
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This universal love stuff is nonsense. Peace comes only when people learn to first count their own casualties and then the casualties of their enemies. And right now israel is the only country in the region that is doing this.
Sat Jul 29, 01:51:15 PM PDT
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Just like i said. I watch arab news and i read arab blogs and there is no doubt that 9 dead IDF soldiers and 2 taken prisoners keep these people absolutely exctatic despite the fact that half of the country is destroyed and that hundreds of thousands are homeless. Untill this approach is changed there is little chance that anything in the region will change. It only when the arabs will make their mind that 9 dead IDF soldiers are not worth this suffering, only then there would be a chance that something will change here
I do not believe in non-violence, but I do believe that people like yourself, who strive to maintain their fundamental human decency under horrid circumstances, will change the world eventually. And with the internet, you will not be drowned out by the loudest shouters.
passive agressive attitudes won't get you far and they won't help you achieve your objective or make your point with any amount of credibility.
that passiv agressive bit was for john, not you nobody.
To Samanatha,
This may look like a local issue, but let’s not kid ourselves. It’s a part of the war of the Islamic fundamentalism against the west. You can’t reason with it. On the movie ‘Independence Day’ the US president tries to understand why the aliens attacking the humans. He walks to one of them and ask him (translated from memory) ‘What do you want from us? What do you want us to do?’ and the alien simply replies ‘Die’.
Good luck with the milk and cookies.
What a great example of Middle Eastern reasoning. So your friends support Hezbollah because Hezbollah at one point gave them some help. Bullshit. This is the same argument I hear from those who say that Hitler was not all bad. Yes, he did some bad things, but he did restore dignity to the German nation (and we all know how much Muslims like that word – dignity), yes he hated the Jews, but he did rid Germany or communists and gave jobs to all the unemployed and stopped the inflation and so on and so on… Just remember what Hitler did next and what happened to Germany because of that, and that is exactly what will happen to all of your Hezbollah supporting friends and everyone else in Muslim world unless you morons start using your heads.
John, I hear what you are saying about fundamentalism, in any religion that is always dangerous or at least has the potential for it. I for one, refuse to label all arabs, particularly the lebanese as fundamentalists. I am sure that many or most of the old women we see wearing their housedresses whilst covered in blood spatter are decent people. i am sure that not all of the little kids being buried in the last few weeks were not fundamentalists. why is it that so many people are sounding like a racist uncle from alabama who still calls blackpeople n**gers? Many of the dead are regular people who did not deserve to die. the answer is not to strengthen the murderous types (arabs, israelis, & americans) but to give the people whose voice is weak, assistance in a non-violent way. how can you disagree with that in concept? Have i not mentioned several times in my postings that i don't want the israelis to live their lives in fear either? I have a cousin in israel who uprooted his family as well as my husband's family in West Bekaa who is living in fear as well. How may family members or friends do you have living in lebanon and would you be worried about their well-being any more than your own in israel?
By the way, Aliens are not fundamentalists. And Arabs are not all fundamentalists.
To Samanatha,
You just don’t seem to get me.
Most of the Lebanese people are innocent and should not be harmed.
Hizballah people holding a gun should be shot dead.
Clear enough?
I think you don't get me either. Violence is never the solution, but disproportionate violence is even worse. there is such a thing as keeping things in perspective, ya know?
How on earth can a country send F-16's into a country and not expect that there will be innocent civilians killed and have that be excused because they are rooting out the terrorists? That's the Iraqi invasion in a nutshell.
Yonatan, we don't have to agree on this issue on all points but instead of focusing on killing, we should be figuring out a way to aid in survival.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
I think you don't get me either. Violence is never the solution, but disproportionate violence is even worse. there is such a thing as keeping things in perspective, ya know?
Sat Jul 29, 03:37:46 PM PDT
------------
You worry yourself unnecesaryly. Right now it all depends on how hard israel would hit hezbollah. We are all waiting to see what s going to happen in coming weeks. If hezbollah would be sufficiently damaged lebanese factions would finally dare to approach it with demands to disarm. Dont think that you are so smart or that your president is that stupid. I am maintaining massive correspondence with one of the lebanese exhiles in paris. He relates to me almost daily what his friends in beirut are saying. They may be furious at what israel has done to their infrastructure but their main worry right now is that israel would just take back two of its hostages and go away. They say if you started this mess at least finish it properly, rid us off from this hezbollah cancer. We are all waiting now. Just keep your cool , the story is not finished yet.
i hope for the lebanese people that they can one day live a life in peace. i have this same hope for the israelis, and i think this whole mess has overshadowed the palestinian struggle as well. May peace follow your friends in beirut.
To Samanatha,
Just wondering… Is this we-can-always-work-it-out-peacefully approach of yours is also applied to Bin-Laden?
Guys Guys ...calm down ..its getting really hot here. we have to see the root of the conflict here. Obviously, america and many parts of europe are so fond of israel. NICE. therefore the solution would be dividing germany into two parts. surely, the second part would be the great land of israel. they can do the same thing with america. this wil let the arab restore the stolen peace again after 50 years of bloodshed. and live in peace with the great new israel. Because until the end of times of this world the arab would never ever accept israel abducting palestine and now lebanon.honestly, israel is the root of the problem here.
Binladen is not a country, he is a concept of fundamentalism. I do not support fundamentalism of any kind. This "we-can-always-work-it-out-peacefully approach" is not being about being blinded by peace. I think when one has a positive an open minded character, one can walk through problematic dors with greater ease. Why is that so hard for you to comprehend or accept? Listen, i gotta run over to my office and pick up friends at the airport. hopefully i can contiue this dialogue with you later. have a nice evening.
To samanatha,
Hizballah is not a country.
To Samanatha,
I do believe Israel can work it out peacefully with Lebanon, the Palestinians (even Hammas) and Syria like it did with Egypt and Jordan.
I do believe Hizbollah must be disarmed by force.
I do believe SOMEONE eventually will have to send F-16s to Iran.
The war between the Islamic fundamentalism and the west has begun, and it’s time you pick a side.
WW3...yeah and i know who is the winner in this war. Even though Usa and israel will enjoy in the beginning and be lavished with victories. BUT, he who laughs last laughs the most. and this wats gonna happen in the future. yes ..a War btw the Satan and the one and only God. Islam isnt coward and weak as many people think. The Hero will enjoy an ever-lasting victory
Anonymous:
"yes ..a War btw the Satan and the one and only God. Islam isnt coward and weak as many people think. The Hero will enjoy an ever-lasting victory"
....
Reminds you of someone? "you will be assimilated... resistance is futile..." Oy wei!
This was a beautiful entry. Thank you for writing it. I am linking it to my blog and sending it to others to read. It was just beautiful.
To samanatha goldberg-malek
“Violence is never the solution?”
Really? what about WW2? It was violent, was it a solution? You bet it was.
“disproportionate violence is even worse”
You know all this thing about proportionality of response is a demagoguery .
according to Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s second in command six years was Hezbollah planning for a conflict with Israel (Times of Londonhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2291499,00.html )it was well prepared provocation and well implemented aggression after Israel withdrew from Lebanon. All proponents of proportionality must explain what is proportional respoce against those who want your country eliminated. wiped out of the map??
found in one of blogs comment posted by anonymous that reflects my understanding of proportionality of response :
“THE WHOLE IDEA OF PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE IN WAR IS INSANE.
CONSIDER A SIMPLE AND CHILDISH EXAMPLE WHERE INDIVIDUAL A SLAPS INDIVIDUAL B WHICH REPLIES WITH A PROPORTIONAL SLAP; THEN INDIVIDUAL A PUNCHES B A COUPLE OF TIMES AND B REPLIES AGAIN WITH A COUPLE OF WELL PLACED PROPORTIONAL PUNCHES. THIS IS ALL VERY NICE AND GOOD. BUT NOW A SHOOTS B IN THE HEAD, WHAT WOULD B’S PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE BE? … BECAUSE B IS NOW DEAD!!”
i second that comment
L. Profile:
Don't ever be dismayed by the freakish American nationalists, Christian fundamentalists, and messianic US. vs. Islam WWIII protofascists that will swarm around every voice of reason and reality and try to drown it under with hateful and warped comments. The people commenting on your website about WWWIII are the US equivalent of militant Hizballah supporters. Every country has those who believe in violence as a solution because they basically enjoy it - it fulfills their sense of tribal justice.
As a politically involved US citizen with interests in foreign policy, I already understand the complex motivations of Lebanese Shiites. Hizballah must ultimately be disarmed, but of course, in a sectarian nation, survival and social pressures leave little room for alternatives. Frankly, Hizballah served its ethnic and geographic constituency well - until this recent display of hubris.
While I already understand the human, societal and geopolitical dynamics that would lead an otherwise decent human being to support Hizballah, that doesn't mean that I'm not buoyed to see someone like you standing courageously as a bridge to all parties, and against extremists, be they Shiite or American.
The world will explode in flames without the tireless work of people like you. People like you and your courage to argue for your beliefs without attempting to eliminate the opposition - even when the opposition, like Hizballah (or Israel), might be willing to eliminiate you -
people like you are the engine of civilization.
Out of 1000 Americans I know in my personal life, 999 have never heard of you, but at least half, and more like 80% of the ones I am close to, would respect your statement. Implicit knowledge of the complexities you present is exactly why, or one reason why Israel hasn't - and you know it hasn't - attempted to wipe out the Lebanese Shiite population.
samantha,
I applaud you. You've picked a very unrewarding job. People who believe in violence, like the blog commenters here, or Hizballah hard-liners, are not rewarding to speak reasonably to, and they won't make you feel good for doing it -
but it's good that you do so anyway.
My position is that Israeli attacks which are harming civilians are excessive and must be restrained as much as possible but I never heard from any critic of Israel any answer on what Israel can do in its situation when its has to fight permanent aggression from Lebanese territory which is going on and which is conducted by those who want to wipe out Israel from the map. May be what Israel is doing is wrong and counterproductive but I sincerely do not see what it can do. Is anybody from those who are blaming Israel have a recipe for Israel how to negotiate those who want to kill them?
Hussein Massawi the Hez leader 20 years ago formulated this way: We are not fighting so that you will offer us something . we are fighting to eliminate you” what is proportional response on that? Lebanon harbored all those people and now we know that Hezbollah: planned this for 6 years
“Qassem, a founding member of Hezbollah in 1992 and deputy general secretary, claimed Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, has admitted Hezbollah had been preparing for conflict since Israel withdrew from south Lebanon in 2000. He claimed it had not been convinced that Israel’s aspirations in Lebanon were over, despite its withdrawal.”( times online)
So , my question is that: let us all stipulate that Israel is wrong in it response , but on one condition that you will make an effort to think and you will tell what is the right response in Israel’s situation.
You are blaming Israel ? Why you are overlooking that HEZ do not require any prisoners out for solders , they claiming SAMIR KUNTAR .The man who earned Hezbollah's admiration by using his rifle stock to crush the skull of a 4 year old girl. Is it OK with your we-can-always-work-it-out-peacefully approach of yours?
After all I do not remember any public outcry when NATO for 3 months bombed Serbs killing 500+ civilians . where was your we-can-always-work-it-out-peacefully approach of yours then? Or it is not that important because those who were dying were not arabs? May be you overlooked it because those who were bombing were not Jews and it was not that outrages? Irony is that serbs were bomb to protect muslims , who conveniently forgot already who was protecting them then.
“Despite the assassinations, bombs, and failures to reach consensus at the National Dialogue, Hezbollah was being pinched. The net was getting tighter and tighter.”
Really ? Now we know that Hezbollah planned this for 6 years
“Qassem, a founding member of Hezbollah in 1992 and deputy general secretary, claimed Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, has admitted Hezbollah had been preparing for conflict since Israel withdrew from south Lebanon in 2000. He claimed it had not been convinced that Israel’s aspirations in Lebanon were over, despite its withdrawal.” ( times online) you think HEZ attacked for some political gains? I think they attacked because they want Jews dead and Israel wiped from the map. Hussein Massawi the Hez leader 20 years ago formulated this way: “We are not fighting so that you will offer us something . we are fighting to eliminate you” How are you going to negotiated with that kind of people? Or you hope it will go away due to political process? There were two options: either your country would fulfill its mission and would disarm HEZ, or Israel would have to do it. In both case civilian casualties are unavoidable. This is the man bet of HEZ that civilian casualties will be a liability for whoever going to disarm them and peace loving and Jews hating world will blame those who have to do dirty job for Lebanese army , not those who using civilians a shield . This worked
Excellent piece. I linked to it.
Here is what i expect the military solution will look like.
n
Tactics, Strategy, Grand Strategy
Dude - You rock.
Seriously.
Awesome piece.
Samantha -
I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "Except for ending Fascism, Slavery and Communism, war never solved anything"
When your enemy will not talk, and threatens your life, violence may indeed be your only recourse. No function of a government is more important than the protection of the lives of its people.
If peace is all important then I'll tell you what is the fastest way to get it - just surrender.
If someone wants to rape you, just surrender. If someone wants to enslave you - just surrender. If someone wants to kill your children - just surrender. Then you will always have peace (until you are killed), but you will live a miserable life.
And even if you choose this for yourself, what right do you have to allow others to impose slavery and violence on me and my family? Shouldn't you at least protest their actions? Shouldn't you at least defend my right to defend myself?
Thanks for your attempt at analysis. Keep it up.
My thoughts:
When we humans get frightened, we become very dangerous to each other. And when we have highly sophisticated technologies that can respond to our fears very quickly...well, then - disaster.
The idea that I will feel safe once all my enemies are dead is a very natural human/animal instinct. But it is a delusion and makes exactly as much sense as "I will be happy once I have a million dollars" (naturally, many readers are now exclaiming: "Of course I would be happy when I have a million dollars! Don't be ridiculous!" - except those people who already have a million dollars and thinking "I'm sure I'll be happy when I have two million dollars.")
You stop war by refusing to go to war. You stop killing by refusing to kill. You stop being afraid by refusing to be afraid. You stop being a perpetrator by refusing to play the victim. And it can't happen next week. Or tomorrow. Or when the U.N. makes its recommendation. Or when your enemy puts down their weapons. It can only happen at the end of this sentence...
Neal -
Sometimes, by refusing to kill, you end up....dead!
No one is advising that everyone kill all of their opponents. But when a group like Hezbollah says things like “If they [the Israeli’s] go from Sheba'a, we will not stop fighting them. Our goal is to liberate [all of] Palestine...[Jews] can go back to Germany or wherever they came from.” and "If they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide” then what conclusions can you draw?
These people think they are on a mission from God to kill Jews. All of them. What do you suggest Jews do to defend themselves?
First I would like to apologise for the stupidity of the human being. I felt ashamed when I heard that Israel invided Lebanon because the Hezbollah captured two of their soldiers. I think theses excuses reminds me of the war in Irak.
The Israelis government reacted like the bush government. They invaded a country, and killed thousand of civilians in the name of the god "MONEY". They will find any kind of excuses like the bush governmemt to enter in the country (These Weapons of Mass Destruction that nobody found ) and killed thousand of innocent. These governments created a mess all over the world and by their actions incited more and more young muslim people to join these groups of terrorist. The problem in the whole story are not the terrorist but the cause of all these problems. I am sorry to say that but as an european, I think that we should go to war when you tried everything, when there are no others options.
The Israeli government didn't choose to find a way to solve the problems. They wanted to go to war. I have no respect for these kinds of behavior. Everytime you heard in the media which said that this is a battle against the "Evil". I am wondering who are really evil. Personaly, none country in the wolrd should have the right to invade another country without the agreement of the UN or all the others countries. If they choose to do it, so they are not better than the NAZI, or any dictature in the world. That's why I think the Isreali governement is the real evil in this story. With the support of the American government they are killing thousand of people and are using Lebanon as a battle field to solve their problems (Israel & Syria, US & Iran).
I don't support the Israelis in Lebanon either the Americans in Irak. Because of these government our whole world is the prey of several groups of terrorist which now have an excellent excuses to terrorise the rest of the world because of a stupid choice.
If we are in this shit, you should thank the bush government and Israeli government. They are are the origins of all these problems.
I like your blog.
Here is personal testimony:
Idris from South Lebanon
You may be interested to know as I know from personal experience:
Hizbullah use religious jurisdictions to control their people (Shiite) telling them that it is forbidden by God to vote against Hizbollah or to run for office against Hizbollah.
Al-Nahar (Lebanon), August 22, 2006.
Intra-Shi'ite Criticism: Hizbullah Didn't Ask the Shi'ites About the War; The Shi'ites Authorized No One to Declare War in Their Name
In an interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, the mufti of Tyre and of the Jabal 'Aamel district, Sayyed 'Ali Al-Amin, demanded that the Lebanese government bear its responsibility and deploy the Lebanese army in the south of the country. This is because, he says, it is the government that is responsible for the security of the south, and no other group. Al-Amin criticized the accusations of treason against anyone who has called to disarm Hizbullah, arguing that "no community [in Lebanon] is more nationalist and more loyal than another." According to him, "the Shi'ite community in Lebanon authorized no one to declare war in its name" - on the contrary, he said, it opposed the war and is loyal to the state just like Lebanon's other ethnic communities. He clarified that the support for the resistance in the south was no substitute for loyalty to the state, and stressed that this support was common to all Lebanon.(1)
The following are excerpts from the interview:
"[Neither] Lebanon nor the Lebanese People Have any Connection to This War; the War was Forced Upon the Country and People, Who Did Not Want It"
Question: "How do you assess the 33-day war in Lebanon?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "It was a difficult and crazed war, that Israel undertook as a collective punishment for Lebanon... In this war, Israel deviated from all the international laws and conventions. This is nothing new for [Israel]; it has been its way and its method since it was established...
"[Neither] Lebanon nor the Lebanese people have any connection to this war. The war was forced upon the country and people, who did not want it. Everyone demanded an immediate ceasefire from the moment it broke out, but Israel continued in its aggression, unrestrained.
"This war, and Israel's other recurring wars in Lebanon, revealed the extent of [Lebanon's] lack of preparation [for war] in all areas... Such preparations are necessary for someone who anticipates or plans for war, and pushes towards it... Had there been a minimum level of preparedness, great losses would have been prevented. That is if we assume that the war was necessary, and it should have been solely Lebanon's responsibility.
"But from the form of the open war, from its broad scope, and from the type of arms used during it, we see that this is a war of another kind, a kind uncommon in wars of liberation and popular resistance - rather, it was an all-out war, waged by countries with their armies. If the war was necessary in this way, it was everyone's obligation, and [one particular] part, [i.e. Lebanon,] must not bear its results and its burden [alone]... [But] we think that that this war was not the obligation of Lebanon alone; rather, it should have been part of an overall Arab strategy of war and conflict, of which Lebanon would have been just one component, and not its ultimate scapegoat. Lebanon paid a heavy price in an ill-advised battle, with no preparation. What is the sense and what is the courage in this?..."
"Had the Previous Agreements Been Implemented, We Would Not Have Reached This Situation"
Question: "What do you think is the solution to get out of the continuing deadlock...?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "Our unity as Lebanese, which was embodied in popular solidarity... and in cooperation [between the elements] of the government... are the basis for a solution and for getting out of the deadlock.
"The points presented by the Lebanese government [for a solution], and to which the various [Lebanese camps] unanimously agreed, are points that draw on previous agreements, which were the basis for everyone joining the state. Had the previous agreements been implemented, we would not have reached this situation.
"Accordingly, I maintain that these points - even though they were basically raised to solve external problems emanating from the Israeli aggression - are also suitable for an opening to the solution of the internal political crisis. Such [a solution] would be by [all camps] fully committing to the state, and a return to [the state's] constitutional, judicial, and political institutions. Then, all the cards will be in the hand of the state - [the state] which constitutes an overarching framework for all Lebanese, who will find in it protection, security, prosperity, and stability only in the framework of one state to which they are loyal, which they defend, and which is just to all.
"The Lebanese experience has proved the failure of communities and parties defending and protecting themselves alone; thus, there is no substitute for one state to which everyone, without exception, belongs."
"In a Society [in Which Different Communities] Live Side by Side, Accusations of Treason Should Be Removed From the Dictionary of Life..."
Question: "What is your position regarding the struggle that is going on between [the supporters of continued possession of] arms by the resistance and of its role, and [the supporters of] restricting arms to the state only?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "When the state truly fills the role with which it is charged, it alone bears responsibility for actualizing sovereignty and defense... The people does not assign this responsibility to a party or to a [particular] group, but rather demands it from the state that represents everyone."
Question: "[Hizbullah spiritual leader] Muhammad Hussein Fadhlallah said that all talk of disarming the resistance was treason of the highest order. What is your view?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "Categorizing and name-calling is not acceptable, and it is strange that it is happening now, while everyone is trying to strengthen national solidarity and to bring the different views closer together, in order to deal with the danger of the Israeli attacks. All Lebanese are in the same trench, and no community is more nationalist and more loyal than another...
"The question of disarming [Hizbullah] is one that has [already] been discussed at the National Dialogue table, with the aim of finding suitable solutions for it, and it was submitted for discussion by... genuine partners in the state-building process... [Therefore,] is it right to accuse everyone, or some [of treason] while all have proven their solidarity during the crisis?...
"Let us assume that an agreement [is reached] regarding the disarming [of Hizbullah]; the arms are not handed over to enemies... On the contrary, they are arms that will be handed over to the Lebanese state in which everyone participates - including the owners of the weapons... Had there been any treason or prohibition in this, why did those who are interested in it [i.e. Hizbullah] and the rest of the participants in the dialogue set it on the dialogue table?
"At this stage, we need greater objectivity, and to distance ourselves from exaggeration and from words that sow fear and raise obstacles that prevent the presentation of legitimate questions... In my opinion, any question is legitimate - and all the more so if it is connected to the homeland, to the fate [of the country], and to the future... In a society [in which different communities] live side by side, accusations of treason should be removed from the dictionary of life and from relations with each other."
Nowhere in the World Except in Lebanon Does the President Oppose Deploying the Army and the State's Authority Throughout the Homeland
Question: "What is your opinion on the decision to deploy the army in the south, and what are the missions required of the army?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "There is no doubt that deploying the Lebanese army on all the Lebanese lands is welcomed and supported by the entire people... This step taken recently by the government had been the obligation of the various [Lebanese] governments since the Taif Agreement. We never heard, in the entire world except Lebanon, that a president - past or present - would oppose the deployment of the state's army and authority on all the lands of the homeland...
"With regard to the missions with which the Lebanese army is charged, they are many and large, and the first one is the mission of defending the country from the Israeli aggression and to deploy the state's authority in all the lands of the homeland. The army's presence in the south and in all of Lebanon is a fundamental [component of] the state, and it is necessary for the defense of the homeland. Similarly, it strengthens national belonging and adherence to the state and to its institutions... and will restore the national anthem to all the Lebanese."
"What Happened in the South Does Not Represent the Will of the Shi'ite Community... [But] Was Caused by the Vacuum That the Lebanese State Left for Years in This Region"
Question: "Do you think that Hizbullah has monopolized the Shi'ite community, and dragged the country into a difficult war in its name?..."
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "I don't think Hizbullah asked the Shi'ite community about the war. Perhaps the great emigration from the south is the best proof that the people of the south were against the war. The Shi'ite community authorized no one to declare war in its name or to drag it into a war that was far from its wishes and from the wishes of the other ethnic communities in Lebanon. What happened in the south does not represent the will of the Shi'ite community, and is not its responsibility, but was caused by the vacuum that the Lebanese state left for years in this region... What happened is the natural result of a state relinquishing its duty to defend a region and its citizens."
Question: "Does the Shi'ite community have dual loyalty, to Hizbullah and to the state?"
Sayyed Ali Al-Amin: "The Lebanese Shi'ites are like the rest of the Lebanese in all things regarding adhering to the Lebanese state, and loyalty to it. Their history, past and present, attests to their loyalty and their sacrifice in this way... I don't think that the support that the resistance received in the south is a substitute for loyalty to the Lebanese state. The state, with all its institutions and sectors, participated in this support... I maintain that if we had conducted a poll in the south about [support] for and loyalty to the Lebanese state, the result would have been the same as in the other regions of Lebanon: overall agreement regarding loyalty to the Lebanese homeland and to the Lebanese state.
"The Lebanese Shi'ites have no framework or loyalty unique to them except that of the single Lebanese state - which must take matters into its own hands and deploy its authority throughout all Lebanese lands..."
see also AP:The Associated Press: In south Lebanon village, Sunnis express disdain for Hezbollah
Sunnis vs Hezbollah
Setting the ultra hardliners aside, all the Arab world's Sunnis support Hezbollah. Well, there might be an exception: Lebanon's Sunnis.
Associated Press
MARWAHEEN, LEBANON - They pushed, shoved, shouted and cursed one another.
In the end, posters of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah would not be plastered around this tiny Sunni Muslim village in southern Lebanon mourning the loss of 23 of its own, slain in an Israeli air attack during the month-long war with Hezbollah.
"Why do you want to put up an image of someone who is killing us?" one man screamed as a mob of dozens waved their fists and thrust open palms toward Nasrallah supporters clutching posters of the bearded and bespectacled Hezbollah chief. "We don't want to see it!"
Joining those Sunnis are the Christians in South Lebanon
Anger is more common in a handful of Christian villages where residents blame Hezbollah - and its capture of two Israeli soldiers July 12 - for Israeli reprisals that destroyed large swaths of this country.
And how did Hezbollah fire their rockets?
"Nobody wants Hezbollah here," Adel Abdallah said. "They don't want to fight for Lebanon. They fight for themselves, for Iran, for Syria."
When the war broke out, residents said several Hezbollah fighters in civilian clothes entered the village and set up rocket launchers that were fired south toward Israel. They moved them around, and one was set for a time on top of a house that was subsequently destroyed.
A teenage girl who was in Marwaheen for the first three days of the war said she saw a Hezbollah fighter set up a rocket launcher with a timer on a nearby hillside, and then run to the other side of the village near her home, taking refuge between civilian houses.
Streaks of red light crossed the sky as the launcher fired a volley into Israel, and minutes later, Israel returned fire and huge explosions tore
through the launch site, she said.
A number of those Sunni Lebanese were brave enough to confront Hezbollah's "freedom fighters"
"We begged them to leave," the girl said, declining to be named because she feared retribution from Hezbollah. "We told them, 'Get out! We have children here. We don't want anybody to get hurt.' But they ignored us."
Wassim Abdallah, a 24-year-old who was in Beirut during the fighting, said Hezbollah fighters did not hurt anyone, but that one burst into his aunt's home. "She pleaded for him to go away, but he put a gun to her head and told her to shut up," he said.
There was a surprise awaiting them
A few blocks away, what residents described as a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah lay destroyed. The stone house's roof had collapsed onto a pile of rubble, out from which peeked rocket-propelled grenades, mortar tubes and a dark green box that apparently once stored ammunition.
"Nobody knew they were using our houses to store weapons. We were surprised to find them" after the war, Wassim said. "How could they keep weapons in the middle of all these civilian houses?"
Eye witnes from Beirut (Dahiya):
The destroyed area socks you. What was once a Hizbullah stronghold looks like a city after a hurricane, 9 on the Richter scale. Houses lie on top of one another, between then men, women and children wander about shock-stricken. They roam to and fro without any defined purpose.
Hizbullah operatives equipped with cranes try to lift slabs of concrete in order to find corpses under them. The defense headquarters of Hizbullah lies on its side. Imposing guards inside keep us from getting close to the building's remains. You can't even get close to what used to be the private residence of Nasrallah . You almost can't identify the building, which completely collapsed.
'I'm not a fighter, why did the Israelis destroy my life?'
Not far from there, Hizbullah set up an aid center for victims. Large
signs guide the families whose houses were destroyed to clerks who file their complaints, mark the location of their house on a map, and determine the value of compensation. "They are giving me USD 12 thousand to rent an apartment," complains Khaidar, an affluent Shiite businessman whose house was destroyed. "It will take me a year to even buy new furniture. What will be after that? I'm not a fighter, so why did the Israelis ruin my life?"
"What do you think about Nasrallah?" I ask him. "He is a good man, a dear man. He needed to fight in order to save Lebanon from the Americans. They want to establish a new, Islam-free Middle East here so they told the Israelis to start a war," he responds.
Most Shiites believe in this conspiracy theory. Other ethnic groups don't dare outwardly place responsibility on Hizbullah. It is known that they are afraid of the organization and its members. Only in the most private, surreptitious of circumstances can condemning words be heard about Hizbullah, even by Shiites.
On the way to the airport, huge billboards are being covered. Pictures as big as buildings show Hizbullah operatives launching Katyushas with pictures of Israeli soldiers in coffins covered by Israeli flags next to them. Under each poster, in Arabic, French, and English are the words: Divine Victory.
If this is "Divine Victory" what is DEFEAT?
All to please his Iranian paymasters.
Nasrallah's lame excuses for wreaking death and destruction in Lebanon:
Hezbollah head didn’t foresee such a war
One after another, Hezbollah leaders said that they didn't anticipate the magnitude of Israel's response. It finally came from Hezbollah's number one.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV interview aired Sunday that he would not have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it would lead to such a war.
"We did not think, even 1 percent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude. You ask me, if I had known on July 11 … that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not," he said in an interview with Lebanon's New TV station.
It's clear Nasrallah is trying to whitewash his tarnished image in Lebanon especially among the non-Shiite communities who are not so happy with what he did.
Actually what he's saying is complete nonsense. Who didn't anticipate full fledged war after the kidnapping of the 2 soldiers. This is my post on July 12. I said "brace yourself for real war." He might have expected a much milder war though.
Besides, didn't Nasrallah "win" the war? How come he has some regrets now?
Looks more like Juha than Saladin (Salâh Ad-Dîn Al-Ayyûbî) = Saladin
This is a bit long but here is a detailed and objective analysis of Hizbullah's claim to "divine victory"
Contrary to what is now the accepted wisdom in the media, Hezb’allah in its recent offensive against Israel neither “badly bloodied the Israel Defense Force,” nor “fought it to a standstill” in Southern Lebanon. In fact, the opposite is the case. By any legitimate measure Hezb’allah was handed a resounding military defeat by the IDF in the recent fighting, and while the cancer that is Hezb’allah was not cured by Israel’s soldiers, it was put into remission.
Hezb’allah is not your father’s terrorist organization. This is not a group of loosely affiliated cells of would-be hijackers or suicide bombers. Hezb’allah is a terrorist army, trained like an army, organized like an army, funded and equipped like an army, with one glaring difference. The main use of its arsenal was terror aimed at Israel’s civilian population while hiding behind Lebanon’s civilian population. Its intent was to cause maximum civilian casualties amongst both. This was not by accident. This was by design.
This was Hezb’allah’s war, planned and prepared for six years, funded by close to a billion dollars by Iran, aided by Syria. One of the great benefits to the West to come out of this war (if they choose not to turn a blind eye to it) is the certain knowledge that Hezb’allah is Iran’s terrorist operational arm. It is the terrorist extension of Iran’s expressed foreign policy.
It is not a coincidence that Hezb’allah launched its totally unprovoked attack across Israel’s internationally recognized border, killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers and dragging Lebanon and Israel into a war which neither one wanted at exactly the moment when the international community had issued its ultimatum to Iran. That ultimatum was: “Cease your efforts to develop nuclear weapons or face the sanctions of the International Community.” Iran’s response was Hezb’allah’s war.
Even a cursory examination of Hezb’allah’s statements, captured documents, the weapons it procured over six years and instantly deployed, provides an insight into their war aims and the battle plan to achieve those aims. Hezb’allah announced in the clearest possible way that it was its intent to turn Southern Lebanon into a graveyard for the IDF. This was not mere rhetoric. It was their plan.
Hezb’allah’s Sigfried Line
Much has been made, and rightly so, of the arsenal of some 15,000 short, medium and longer range rockets which Hezb’allah stockpiled for its offensive. What has gone largely unmentioned is the equally impressive number of anti-tank weapons Hezb’allah not only acquired but deployed throughout its system of fortresses, strongholds in literally every village in Southern Lebanon.
Hezb’allah’s spin was that it built this Siegfried Line-like series of fortifications to defend Southern Lebanon from an Israeli invasion. The truth is both Hezb’allah and everyone else in the world knew perfectly well that when Israel left every centimeter of Lebanese soil in 2000, it did so with the intent never to return. It not only had no designs on Southern Lebanon, it dreaded doing so.
In addition Israel had made a strategic decision to sacrifice whatever advantages the buffer zone of Southern Lebanon offered for the perceived advantages of international legitimacy. Now, the logic went, should Hezb’allah attack us it will not be an attack against our troops in their country, rather they will be violating Israel’s internationally recognized border and the world will have no choice but to recognize clearly who was the aggressor and who was the victim.
To a degree, that logic prevailed. Especially in the beginning of the conflict, though not (of course) in the U.N. where Israel had so painstakingly sought to achieve the legitimacy the Secretary General so quickly ignored.
In preparing its offensive, both Hezb’allah and Iran knew that Hezb’allah’s terrorist army could never mount a successful ground invasion against Israel. The advantages they possessed for their offensive lay in their rockets and missiles which could hit Israel’s civilian population and inflict mass casualties, and control of its own terrain and preparation of its own battle field. The idea was not to fight the IDF in Israel’s territory, but to set a trap for the IDF in Hezb’allah’s carefully prepared and massively fortified Siegfried Line of fortresses, strongholds and offensive positions connected by a series of truly impressive tunnel networks and bunkers meant to withstand and offset Israel’s air advantage.
There was one other indispensable element to their war plan; the centering of their offensive capability against Israel’s civilian population within Lebanon’s civilian population. Much has been made in the Western press of Hezb’allah’s benign social services function in Lebanon, of the hospitals and schools it has built.
The Press as Hezb’allah’s Tool
Almost no notice, however, has been paid to the large numbers of these hospitals and schools which were built over its military bunkers and rocket launching sites. This was perhaps both the most cynical and barbaric disregard for innocent civilian lives of all of Hezb’allah’s and Iran’s strategic choices. It was also the most successful.
The decision was predicated not on its knowledge of its enemy (Israel) but its true genius lay in its knowledge of the press. The calculus was simple: launch a rocket from within a civilian population; if you kill Jews that’s a victory. If the Jews hit back and in so doing kill Lebanese civilians, that’s a victory. If they don’t hit back because they’re afraid to hit civilians, that’s a victory. Now repeat the process until you kill so many Jews they have to hit back and in so doing kill more Lebanese civilians. That’s the ultimate victory, because they know that in striking just those chords exactly what music the press will play.
The awful truth, which the Western Press was manipulated to ignore or downplay, was that Iran, through its terrorist operational arm Hezb’allah, had invaded Lebanon from within. Hezb’allah did not protect Lebanon, they occupied it and they used those Hezb’allah-occupied territories to launch Iran’s offensive in response to the West’s ultimatum to cease development of nuclear weapons.
Hezb’allah’s Military Failure
From a military prospective there can be absolutely no doubt as to the results of Hezb’allah and Iran’s offensive against Israel. It was a defeat. Every part of their war plan except the manipulation of the media failed.
Hezb’allah expected and planned for a massive charge of Israeli armor into Southern Lebanon. The amounts and type of anti-tank weapons they acquired and had operationally deployed in their forward positions as well as their secondary and tertiary bands of fortresses and strongholds through Southern Lebanon attest to this fact.
They intended to do in mountainous terrain what Egypt had so effectively done in the Sinai desert in the Yom Kippur war. In that war, Sinai indeed became a graveyard for Israeli armor. Hundereds of tanks were destroyed. Whole brigades were decimated in single battles by the Egyptians’ highly effective anti-tank missile ambushes. In that war almost three thousand Israeli soldiers were killed. That was Hezb’allah’s plan. It was a good one. And it failed.
Far from the prevailing impression in the media, the IDF was not “badly bloodied” nor “fought to a stand still,” much less “handed a defeat.” Just prior to the cease fire, Israel suffered twenty nine tanks hit. Of those, twenty five were back in service within twenty four hours. Israel suffered one hundred and seventeen soldiers killed in four weeks of combat. As painful as those individual losses were to their families and to the Israeli collective psyche which views all its soldiers as their biological sons and daughters, those numbers in fact represent the fewest casualties suffered by Israel in any of its major conflicts. In 1948, Israel suffered six thousand killed. In 1967, in what was regarded as its most decisive victory, Israel lost almost seven hundred killed in six days. In 1973, Israel lost two thousand seven hundred killed and in the first week of the first war in Lebanon, Israel suffered one hundred seventy six soldiers killed.
Misapprehension of Casualties
Why then the impression of massive Israeli casualties in clear contrast to the actual numbers of those killed? It is because of the uniquely inverse relationship between the Israeli public and its army. The Israeli army is a citizen’s army. It is made up of everyone’s child, everyone’s brother or sister, aunt or uncle.
On its television networks not only the names but the photographs of the fallen and the times and places of each funeral were announced repeatedly. Scores of reports dealing with individual soldiers and the shattered families they left behind were aired repeatedly. The nation as a whole mourned the loss of its children quite literally as if they were the sons and daughters of each and every family.
Were I, as an Israeli officer in the Military Spokesperson’s Unit, to have made a statement to the Israeli press about the actual lightness of Israel’s casualties, I would at the least have been relieved of duties, if not also of rank. Indeed, members of my unit volunteered to a man to go into Lebanon under fire to help retrieve the bodies of four fallen soldiers and make sure that reporters (who by that time were reported to be simply driving into Lebanon) could not broadcast pictures before the families were notified. We provided an additional covering force as well against Hezb’allah while medics and a Rabbi safeguarded the sanctity of the remains of four kids, younger than my twenty two year old son. We did so not only not under orders, but in violation of orders, because we were all of us fathers as well as soldiers, and these were not only our comrades in arms, but our sons. We were there to bring them home.
That is the emotion. But the numbers are different. They are the lightest casualties suffered by the IDF in all of its wars. Military historians will spend years deciphering why exactly this was so. Was Israel’s government and its general staff, by its refusal to commit large numbers of forces for the first three weeks of combat, in fact making a highly intelligent strategic choice? Possibly.
Three Conclusions
Possibly it was dumb luck or devine intervention. Either way it meant three things:
1. Hezb’allah’s ambush never happened because Israel didn’t take the bait. Instead it used air power and then a series of probing raids, primarily by infantry to methodically, slowly identify and root out the enemy positions.
2. It meant that those small numbers of troops deployed into Lebanon in the first weeks of fighting had to do more with less than perhaps any other Israeli fighters in any other war. Certainly in other wars there were many individual battles in which so much was expected of and accomplished by so few. But no war comes to mind in which so few soldiers were deployed across an entire front. They performed brilliantly and with uncommon courage in the face of withering fire from heavily fortified and prepared positions.
These were draft-age soldiers: eighteen and nineteen year olds, commanded on the platoon and company levels by twenty something’s, none of whom had ever faced anything remotely like the combat against Hezb’allah’s terrorist army. In spite of what many see as the logistical and command failures of their superiors, they performed brilliantly and achieved their objectives.
3. When the vast bulk of Israel’s force was finally deployed, made up primarily of its reservists, these soldiers achieved in forty eight hours what many believe they should have been given weeks to accomplish. Despite logistical failures, some times fighting without food or water, Israel’s soldiers, regular army and reserves alike, handed Hezb’allah a decisive military defeat. All of Hezb’allah’s Siegfried Line-like system of fortresses and strongholds, their network of command and control bunkers along Israel’s Northern border were destroyed, abandoned or under the control of the IDF by the end of the hostilities. Hezb’allah’s mini terrorist state within a state south of the Litani had been dismantled.
Israel’s War Aims Achieved
Its a terrorist capital within a capital in Beirut, its command and control center and infrastructure were in ruins. In the end it sought and accepted a cease fire resolution in the United Nations which provided the framework for Israel to achieve all of its stated war aims.
This last point is of no minor consequence both in terms of what Israel achieved and failed to achieve in the counter offensive it waged against Hezb’allah. I can speak to this subject with some degree of expertise since I was one of the people tasked with putting into a simple declarative sentence what the IDF’s mission was as handed down to it by Israel’s democratically elected political leaders. The sentence defining the IDF’s mission read as follows.
“To bring about the conditions on the ground which will enable the International Community and the government of Lebanon to live up to their obligations under UN resolution 1559, to end the rocket attacks against Israel’s civilian population in the North and to bring about the release of Israel’s kidnapped soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regeve.”
That was the IDF’s stated mission and that is exactly what it did.
Whether as a result of the decisions of its political leadership and general staff, or in spite of them, Israel’s soldiers, sailors and airmen brought about the conditions on the ground which enabled a U.N. Resolution that, on the face of it, provided for the implementation of the majority of UN Resolution 1559, called for the extension of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the deployment of its army along Israel’s border for the first time in thirty years, and called for a fifteen thousand troop strong U.N. force to back up the Lebanese army and help it disarm Hezb’allah, as well as enforce an arms embargo on its terrorist army.
France, in recognition of its special relationship with Lebanon would boldly announce that it would head up such a force with thousands of its troops. Instead it landed fifty soldiers in rubber dinghies; until shamed by Italy into upping its ante. What of the International Community and the Government of Lebanon, in whom Israel’s political leadership placed so much faith to turn their words into actions? To use the applicable Yiddish phrase: gornischt (nothing).
Just as the Spanish Civil War was a preview of what European Fascism had in store for the world, so do I believe, that Iran’s offensive against Israel carried out by its Terrorist Army operational arm, was a preview of what Islamofacsism has in store not only for the West but for the moderate regimes of the Middle East, which in case anyone forgot to notice, controls the oil on which the West survives.
What they failed to gain militarily they accomplished through the manipulation of the Western Media, which were their willing dupes and through the ineptitude and weakness, if not down right appeasement of the political leadership of the International community. This has all but guaranteed that this war will be but round one.
The Larger Stakes
The soldiers of the IDF bought their country’s and the International Community’s political leadership a chance to keep the Iranian/Hezb’allah cancer in remission. If that opportunity is squandered, no future Israeli political leadership will dare to limit its war aims again to simply creating conditions on the ground that will enable the International Community not just to protect Israel’s legitimate rights and interests but their own. When one is faced with an apocalyptic fascist enemy which not only employs a terrorist foreign legion to do its bidding, but seeks to acquire nuclear weapons which it clearly announces will be part of its strategy to wipe you and your country, your family and all your loved ones off the face of the earth, there is no proportional response.
If this indeed was the equivalent of the Spanish Civil War, then the world must know that what followed was one last chance before the abyss. For the Jewish people and the State of Israel, that abyss contains the very Holocaust which Ahmadinijad both denies and vows to complete. We will not accommodate the International Community by acquiescing to our own destruction.
This situation, however, is not just Israel’s problem. We are but the Little Satan. America and the West to the Islamofascists are the great Satan. It would be a simple matter indeed for Iran, in flexing its muscles against America, to dispatch Hezb’allah terrorists to Northern Mexico. There, equipped with little more than the very same rockets used to target Haifa, Hezb’allah could target Los Angeles. Now picture that scenario with even a modest nuclear payload. It would no longer be a question of how we stop terrorists from getting into the United States. With the same rocketry they used against Israeli citizens, Iran’s terrorist army would only need to get into Northern Mexico in order to hit America’s second largest city with a nuclear device. What then would America do? Invade Mexico?
If through appeasement the West fails to take action to prevent the conflagration which looms on the horizon, then let there be no doubt that its flames will engulf us all. For its part, this time Israel must be ready, and it must entrust its fate into no one’s hands but its own.
Siniora : J’ai choisi la paix, il existe une opportunité de renforcer la démocratie dans la région.
La décision française de construire des ponts temporaires et des routes et leur réparation va faciliter la contrebande des armes lourdes et des fusées par le Hizbullah. Ce aussi longtemps que les contrôles sur la frontière syrienne ne sont pas établis par la FINUL.
La France a-t-elle demandé et obtenu des garanties de la part du Hezbollah avant de se décider à envoyer deux mille soldats pour renforcer la « Finul Plus » au Liban ?
Cette question, qu’un journaliste de TF1 a voulu poser à Jacques Chirac au cours de sa conférence de presse commune hier à l’Élysée avec la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel, est restée sans réponse ; elle n’a même pas pu être formulée à cause d’un cafouillage lors de l’attribution du micro aux journalistes. Mais des milieux proches de l’Élysée et du Quai d’Orsay ont apporté une sorte de réponse à cette question ; à leur manière, c’est-à-dire toute en nuances.
Paris n’aurait pas directement cherché à obtenir de telles garanties de la part du Hezbollah, même si la diplomatie française ne manque pas de canaux pour cela. Ce sont en fait des personnalités arabes résidant en France et proches du parti de Dieu qui auraient assuré aux responsables français que les combattants hezbollahis ne tireraient pas un coup de feu contre les soldats français, et que la présence de ces militaires sur le territoire libanais ne ressemble en aucune manière à celle de 1982. De plus, ont ajouté ces personnalités, le rôle et la tâche de la nouvelle Finul sont perçus par les dirigeants du Hezbollah comme étant similaires à ceux de l’armée au Liban-Sud. Il n’y a par conséquent aucune raison qu’il y ait des frictions entre des combattants libanais qui ont accepté le cessez-le-feu et qui s’y conforment et une force internationale dont la tâche consiste à appliquer une résolution de l’ONU adoptée à cet effet.
Quant à Angela Merkel, elle a éludé une question sur le refus de Berlin d’envoyer des troupes au Liban. Mais un journaliste proche de la délégation allemande a souligné que cette timidité du gouvernement allemand est « due au fait qu’en définitive, nous sommes allemands et qu’ils sont israéliens »... Il précise ainsi que si le gouvernement Olmert ne s’est aucunement opposé à la participation d’un contingent allemand sur le terrain, la chancellerie a préféré s’abstenir, craignant des « dérives » ou des « débordements ». Et prié d’expliciter ses propos, notre confrère a dit : « Les soldats israéliens sur place pourraient ne pas être du même avis que leur gouvernement et le côté arabe (le Hezbollah) pourrait avoir tendance à croire que nous leur sommes favorables... » Quoi qu’il en soit, le président Chirac et la chancelière Merkel ont préconisé une approche globale du conflit au Liban, militaire avec le déploiement de la « Finul Plus », mais aussi politique, avec la résolution du conflit israélo-palestinien et un changement d’attitude de la Syrie. Pour Berlin et Paris, l’approche militaro-policière ne suffit pas et seule une approche plus globale permettra l’extinction du foyer au Liban. Angela Merkel a insisté sur l’importance d’une solution à long terme, en estimant que les racines du conflit se trouvent entre Palestiniens et Israéliens. Avec l’appui de Jacques Chirac, elle a plaidé pour que le quartette (UE, ONU, USA, Russie) « reprenne l’initiative », alors que ces efforts sont au point mort depuis que le Hamas dirige le gouvernement dans les Territoires. Le président a critiqué à cet égard les mesures de blocus économique de Gaza et l’arrestation de responsables politiques du Hamas par Israël.
More like Juha than Saladin ( Salâh Ad-Dîn Al-Ayyûbî - Saladin - a Kurde not an Arab)
The lame excuses for bringing death and destruction on Lebanon for his selfish reasons.
Nasrallah: We wouldn't have kidnapped soldiers had we known it would have brought war
By Associated Press
Published: 08.27.06, 20:24
Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah told Lebanese television NTV that "our organization would not have kidnapped thw two Israeli soldiers if it would have known that Israel would launch war of this size."
Nasrallah added that the multinational force in Lebanon was not aimed at disbanding his organization.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MIDEAST_NASRALLAH?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL
Hezbollah Head Says He Didn't Expect War
By ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV interview aired Sunday that he would not have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it would lead to such a war.
Guerrillas from the Islamic militant group killed three Israeli soldiers and seized two more in a cross-border raid July 12, which sparked 34 days of fighting that ended with a cease-fire on Aug. 14.
"We did not think, even 1 percent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude. You ask me, if I had known on July 11 ... that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not," he said in an interview with Lebanon's New TV station.
He also said Italy and the United Nations had made contacts to help mediate a prisoner swap with Israel, but did not specify whether they had contacted Hezbollah directly. He did not say in what capacity Italy had expressed interest - on its own or on Israel's behalf.
Nasrallah said Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was in charge of the negotiations and the subject would be discussed during U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit to Beirut on Monday.
There had been "some contacts" to arrange a meeting between him and Annan, he said, but that was unlikely for security reasons.
"The Italians seem to be getting close and are trying to get into the subject. The United Nations is interested," Nasrallah said. "The Israelis have acknowledged that this (issue) is headed for negotiations and a (prisoners) exchange."
A senior Israeli government official declined to comment on such contacts, saying only that Israel "does not negotiate with terrorists" and continues to demand the unconditional release of the two soldiers. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
Hezbollah Head Says He Didn't Expect War
Earlier Sunday, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said no negotiations were being held on a prisoner release.
"Right now no, but I expect that concerning the prisoners in the north, we shall have to wait until the Lebanese government will take charge completely over its land in accordance with the U.N. resolution," he said.
Israeli military officials said earlier this month that Israel is holding 13 Hezbollah prisoners and the bodies of dozens of guerrillas that it could swap for the two captive soldiers, but would not include any Palestinian prisoners in such a deal.
Also Sunday, 245 French soldiers arrived at Beirut's airport to help the Lebanese army rebuild bridges destroyed or damaged by Israeli air strikes.
The troops were separate from a French contribution of 2,000 soldiers to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, which was being expanded to 15,000 members under the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war.
"Our job is to work jointly with the Lebanese army in rebuilding bridges. The French troops will be here for about one and a half months at least," said Lt. Philip Toroller, an officer of the French military mission based at the French Embassy in Beirut. He said the troops would go first to Damour, a coastal town south of Beirut, where they would begin work before moving to other areas in south Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had received assurances from Annan that new peacekeepers would be on the ground in Lebanon within a week, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
The UNIFIL force is paid for out of the budget of the United Nations, which is made up of member states' annual contributions, and the new expansion of the force will come out of the same budget, said Timur Goksel, a former head of UNIFIL.
American civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he raised the issue of a prisoner swap in talks with President Bashar Assad during a visit, but he did not elaborate on the Syrian leader's response.
Jackson was in Damascus on the first leg of a tour that also included stops in Lebanon and Israel. He said he was there to gauge the "views" of Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli officials, and to appeal to them to stick to the U.N.-brokered cease-fire.
Nasrallah, whose whereabouts are unknown as he went into hiding on the first day of the war, also said he did not believe a second bout of fighting would break out with Israel, even though he said more than half his group's rocket arsenal was still left.
"The current Israeli situation, and the available information tells us that we are not heading to another round," he said.
However, he called any possible attacks on Israeli troops "legitimate" as long as even one Israeli soldier remained in Lebanon.
Lebanese officials have said continuing Israeli overflights violate the 2-week-old cease-fire, and Annan proclaimed an Israeli commando raid one week into the truce a violation. Hezbollah has not retaliated, but Nasrallah said the group would "choose the time and place" to strike back.
"If we have been patient until now, it does not mean we will be patient forever, but we are not obliged to reveal the limits of our patience," he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia urged the United Nations to let its soldiers join the peacekeeping force despite Israel's opposition to troops from predominantly Muslim nations without diplomatic ties to the Jewish state.
Malaysian troops "will not take sides and will do the job according to the U.N. mandate," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said, according to the state Bernama news agency.
"Our record (in peacekeeping missions) is good," he said. "But, if the U.N. wants to heed to the wishes of Israel, what can we do?"
Joumblatt : Protéger les frontières pour que le régime syrien cesse de nous envoyer des « cadeaux »
« Le réarmement du Hezbollah serait catastrophique pour les Libanais », souligne un représentant US
Liban o Liban
LIBAN. En pays maronite, la guerre a renforcé l'animosité envers le Hezbollah et Israël.
Baudoin Loos, envoyé spécialà Annaya, Byblos et Amchit
Mardi 5 septembre 2006
Depuis le monastère Saint Charbel, à Annaya, la vue comblerait les plus blasés. Au loin, 1100mètres plus bas, l'éclatante Méditerranée; en face, les fières montagnes du Kesrouan. Quelques dizaines de pèlerins respectent le silence qui enveloppe les lieux. Nous sommes ici au cœur du pays maronite. Où le français a encore droit de cité. Une zone que la guerre de juillet-août a épargnée. Mais, au Liban, la politique n'est jamais loin.
«Guerre injuste»
Pour le Père Paul, jeune quadra qui vient d'arriver pour entamer une retraite de quelques jours, «cette guerre injuste avait visiblement été planifiée par Israël, qui n'avait besoin que d'un prétexte. Le Hezbollah a été critiqué, au début, par nombre de chrétiens, puis l'ampleur du malheur a entraîné un vaste mouvement de solidarité entre Libanais. Des familles entières ont été décimées par les bombes israéliennes: comment rester insensible à une telle misère humaine?»
Claudine, jeune mariée qui travaille à l'accueil du monastère, adopte une vue plus critique. «Vous savez, tout le monde en veut au Hezbollah pour cette guerre. On dit ici que le Hezb' est borné et que les Israéliens sont des criminels. Ces guerres à répétition nous épuisent. Mon mari et moi songeons à émigrer en Australie.»
Son supérieur, le Père Jean, entend nuancer: «Chaque communauté libanaise réagit selon ses affinités, mais nous avons senti que les frappes israéliennes féroces avaient atteint tous les Libanais, dont la société a été terriblement affectée par cette guerre. Cela dit, les divergences demeurent entre chiites, sunnites, etc., et nous vivons dans un étrange état de guerre froide interne.»
A Byblos, sur le littoral, les touristes ont déserté. A l'instar des sites historiques prestigieux de Baalbek (temple romain) et d'Anjar (ruines omeyyades), la forteresse croisée ne reçoit plus aucun visiteur. Un restaurateur désœuvré nous livre son fatalisme: «La guerre ne charrie que chômage et misère pour les Libanais. Bien sûr que le Hezbollah est responsable. Et d'abord son chef, Hassan Nasrallah, un type sans doute remarquable, mais qui n'a pas daigné consulter les Libanais avant d'attaquer Israël. Toutefois les Israéliens l'ont largement dépassé en agressivité excessive.»
«Le Hezbollah doit désarmer»
Une cliente fait son apparition. Elle tient à donner son avis. «Ces chiites sont fous de dire qu'ils ont gagné la guerre, mais les Israéliens n'ont pas à se vanter: ils ont voulu détruire un pays qui se redressait, qui commençait à rivaliser avec eux, sur le plan économique et culturel. Maintenant nos infrastructures sont paralysées, et ils nous ont noyés dans les dettes.»
Rencontré à la terrasse d'un café, Elie Khoury, ne cache pas son ire. «Ce conflit tout à fait inutile nous ramène vingt ans en arrière, nous dit cet étudiant en informatique dont le père fut un membre éminent des Forces libanaises pro-israéliennes pendant la guerre civile. Ce n'est pas la guerre des Libanais. Qu'avons-nous à voir avec le culte du martyre des partisans du Hezbollah? On peut comprendre pourquoi les jeunes, désespérés, veulent partir. Moi, je reste. Mais je considère que le Hezbollah doit désarmer et devenir un parti comme les autres.»
A Amchit, non loin de là, Abdallah Zakhia, un avocat vétéran de la cause des droits de l'homme, articule un discours sans concession, assez répandu chez les intellectuels: «Comment le gouvernement libanais a-t-il pu laisser se développer une milice comme celle du Hezbollah devenue plus puissante que l'armée nationale? Et ils osent crier victoire! Mais de quelle victoire s'agit-il? C'est une défaite sur tous les plans. Il faut limiter les pouvoirs du Hezbollah sinon les guerres continueront à se succéder.»
Tout le monde n'entre pas dans cette logique, chez les chrétiens. Que la guerre a également traumatisés. «Pas mal de chrétiens méprisent les chiites, qu'ils ne connaissent pas, confie Reine, une Beyrouthine plutôt laïque de 38 ans. Mais nous sommes aussi nombreux à vouer une admiration fascinée aux miliciens du Hezbollah qui ont réussi à mettre à mal la plus puissante armée de la région.»
© Le Temps, 2006
Israel's quiet victory
Radical Islam increasingly perceived as strategic threat to West
Amir Reshef-Gissin Published: 09.05.06, 10:52
The second Lebanon war is an up-to-date and clear example of the doctrine that modern war is decided not only on the battlefield. As gaps in the military power of the warring sides grow, the decision moves to the arena of media and consciousness.
In the conflict between Israel and its opponents, the terror groups, there's no doubting the other side's talent and ability to fully utilize its advantage in the media, where the stronger party is the weak one.
In that battle, all means are kosher: threatening journalists, doctoring photos, "planting" dolls and wedding gowns at bombing sites, staging scenes featuring the evacuation of "wounded," and a plethora of other creative manipulations.
Indeed, international media buys into everything.
The problematic starting point Israel's public relations efforts must contend with, as we learn from international public opinion surveys, is the mental infrastructure of the Western-European news consumer, with Israel perceived as an aggressive, uninhibited attacker that is almost as fanatical and radical as its opponents across the border.
The foreign press presence in Israel also holds on to this perception. We want them to view the conflict through Israel's eyes, while they are able to view Israel only through the lenses of the conflict.
An example of this is the Israeli spokespeople during the war. One of the myths associated with Israeli public relations efforts for generations is the centrality of the speakers: If only we find someone like Abba Eben or Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel would be able to win the battle over media coverage and public opinion.
Contending with images of Beirut
During the month of war, this myth fully collapsed: The State of Israel deployed coherent men and women featuring clear messages and boosted by the Israeli consensus who submitted to hundreds of interviews on dozens of TV channels.
In CNN alone, Israeli government spokespeople submitted to 400 minutes of interviews in the first two weeks of the war, constituting about 10 percent of the total airtime dedicated to the war.
On the other hand, Arab spokespeople were only interviewed for 30 minutes. Did the fact that Israeli spokespeople received so much more airtime than their opponents decide the outcome of the media war? The answer is negative. After all, the Israelis were not required to contend with their Arab colleagues, but rather, with the images of destruction and victims from Beirut.
And where were images of the suffering, hurting Israeli home front taken by dozens of foreign media crews operating from media centers set up by the Foreign Ministry in Haifa and the upper Galilee? They were cut due to editing considerations because they failed to match the narrative presented.
All of the above is in plain view of the Israeli news consumer, but the most important things are hidden from view. The dust left behind by the military campaign along with the heavy price of those killed and kidnapped, the media fog and the waves of criticism, all combine to hide a fundamental Israeli achievement:
The decline of the narrative that argues that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and particularly the equation of Goliath (us) against David (them), are the exclusive reason for Middle Eastern instability.
For three decades now, Israel has been facing a Palestinian-Israeli media arena it did not choose, but finds it difficult to extract itself from. The battle over image staged against the Palestinians caused Israel heavy damages in the eyes of Western public opinion, undermined its perceived moral standing, and reinforced its image as aggressive and inhumane.
Despite this, leaders and spokespeople found it difficult over the years to formulate an alternative narrative and focused on attempts to present Palestinian injustices in the face of our humanity – but to no avail.
Coalition of radicals
In the wake of the recent war, a new reality is emerging – one that allows Israel and its representatives to work for changing the media narrative and creating a new arena. We aspire that this new framework will be used by Western media and public opinion to view, translate, and judge events in the Middle East.
Public opinion surveys commissioned by the Foreign Ministry in recent weeks in the United States and leading European countries showed the maturity of the public's understanding of our new regional reality.
Indeed, the surveys showed wide identification of the two coalitions – the moderate one, which includes Egypt, Jordan, Palestinian leader Abbas and Lebanese PM Siniora, vis-à-vis the radical coalition of Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas, and al-Qaeda too.
In the wake of the war, radical Islam is increasingly perceived as a strategic threat on the West that is not merely a reaction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is a new reality that is comfortable for Israel.
The changing narrative is not absolute or irreversible. European public opinion will find it difficult for a long time to come to view Israel as moderate, while international media will continue to present developments in the Middle East through a filter that reinforces Israel's image as a country that resorts to disproportional force at any given situation.
However, this does not change the fact that something has changed: The West's perception of reality, including its leaders and public opinion, is increasingly getting closer to the Israeli view.
The Israeli public relations system (an experienced punching bag, we must say), was able to identify the trend, adapt its messages accordingly, create a uniform line used by its spokespeople, and effectively utilize Israeli representatives and sympathizers online and among varied target audiences.
All of the above made a decisive contribution to the maturing of the new global perception. In the long run, this is an achievement for the State of Israel that may be quiet and hidden from view, but possess strategic importance.
Syrian hand via Hizbullah agents
The Syrian mafia does what it does best-MURDER.
Lebanon blast wounds security officer
Tuesday 05 September 2006, 13:44
The bomb went off in the village of Rimaila near Sidon
At least two people have been killed and six others, including a senior Lebanese intelligence officer, wounded by a blast near the southern city of Sidon in an apparent assassination attempt, Aljazeera reports.
A remote-controlled bomb exploded on Tuesday as a two-vehicle convoy carrying Lieutenant-Colonel Samir Shehade, from the interior ministry's intelligence branch, passed through the area, Aljazeera's correspondent Bushra Abdul Samad said.
Associated Press said the explosion killed killed four aides and bodyguards of Shehada.
Shehade was involved in the arrest in August last year of four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals in Lebanon.
The four were arrested on suspicion of involvement in al-Hariri assassination.
Security officials said Shehade was critically injured by the bomb when it went off near his car in the village of Rimaila while his convoy was travelling on a road between two bridges.
Shehada, who lives in Sidon, might have been heading towards Beirut, where he works as deputy head of the information division at the Lebanese internal security forces, Aljazeera said.
The information division was involved in the arrest 13 al-Qaeda-linked suspects, Aljazeera's correspondent said.
She said Shehade had been taken to Hammud hospital in Sidon, and quoted hospital officials as saying that his condition was stable.
Shehade was among the officers involved in Lebanon's investigation in the February 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.
The explosion came 10 days before Serge Brammertz, the UN chief investigator, is due to submit a report to the UN security council updating his findings into the death of al-Hariri.
No group has acknowledged carrying out the attack.
Hezbollah warns UN peacekeepers: don't try to disarm it
Hezbollah warns UN peacekeepers
Saturday 16 September 2006, 16:45 Makka Time, 13:45 GMT
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C96E828A-A54D-4756-BE95-43A7E71F747D.htm
Hezbollah has said it has no problem with the deployment of UN peacekeepers
as long as they stick to defending Lebanon and not try to disarm it.
Hezbollah has agreed to abide by a ceasefire that ended its 34-day war with
Israel, but has resolutely refused to lay down its arms until it is
satisfied that Israel has ended its occupation of Lebanese territory.
"The UN interim force in Lebanon is here to protect the Lebanese and
Lebanon's sovereignty, and we want its mandate limited to that," Nabil
Qaouk, the group's chief in southern Lebanon, said on Saturday.
Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, said this week that his forces are
present in the whole of southern Lebanon and that nobody can prevent them
from being present on Lebanese territory, which he said is their "home".
On Thursday, General Alain Pellegrini, said that if the Lebanese army fails
to disarm Hezbollah then UN interim forces would act on its own if
necessary.
"If the Lebanese army fails to act, we must assume our responsibilities as a
UN force," he said. "Someone will have to intervene, with all the
consequences that this might have for the Lebanese authorities."
Resolution 1701 does not spell out how south Lebanon should be freed of
illicit arms, but says UN Forces should "assist the Lebanese armed forces in
taking steps towards" that end.
It also builds on the foundations of Resolution 1559, adopted in late 2004,
and 1655, adopted in January.
Reuters
In Beirut, Large Rally Against Hezbollah
By HUSSEIN DAKROUB
Associated Press Writer
AP Photo/PETROS KARADJIAS
World Video
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BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- An anti-Syrian Christian leader dismissed Hezbollah's claims of victory in its war with Israel as tens of thousands of his supporters rallied Sunday in a show of strength that highlighted Lebanon's sharp divisions.
The rally north of Beirut came just two days after a massive gathering by the rival Shiite Muslim Hezbollah that attracted hundreds of thousands. The two sides have been at sharp odds over the future of the Lebanese government since this summer's Israeli-Hezbollah war.
Samir Geagea, a notorious former leader of a Christian militia, scoffed at Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah's declaration that his guerrillas achieved "a victory" against Israel.
"I don't feel victory because the majority of the Lebanese people do not feel victory. Rather, they feel that a major catastrophe had befallen them and made their present and future uncertain," he said.
Hezbollah's fight with Israel sent its support soaring among Shiites. But a large sector - particularly among Christians and Sunni Muslims - opposes Hezbollah and resents it for provoking the monthlong fight by capturing two Israeli soldiers on July 12.
The war killed hundreds of Lebanese civilians and left part of the country's infrastructure in ruins, causing billions of dollars in damage to the economy.
Geagea, who served more than a decade in prison on multiple counts of murder dating to the 1975-90 civil war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. His party is a member of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in Lebanon.
Geagea's supporters, waving his pictures and the white, red and green flag of his Lebanese Forces Party, arrived in buses and cars at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, about 15 miles north of Beirut.
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Addressing his supporters after a mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed in the civil war, Geagea rejected Nasrallah's vow to keep his weapons, saying the guerrilla group was blocking the establishment of "a strong and capable (Lebanese) state" for which Nasrallah was calling.
"When we find a solution to (the issue of Hezbollah's) weapons, then it will be possible to establish the state as it should be," he said.
Geagea, who backs Hezbollah's disarmament, implicitly accused the Iranian- and Syrian-backed group of running "a state within a state" in south Lebanon.
"How can a state be established while there is a mini-state (within its borders)? How can this state be established while every day arms and ammunitions are smuggled (to Hezbollah) under its (the state's) nose?" he said.
Nasrallah vowed at a massive rally Friday in Beirut's southern suburbs not to disarm despite international pressure. Some 800,000 Hezbollah supporters cheered Nasrallah at the gathering to celebrate what Hezbollah called "a divine victory" against Israel in the 34-day war that ended on Aug. 14.
In his speech, Nasrallah also called for the formation of a new government, repeatedly attacking Saniora's administration, which he called weak and unable to protect Lebanon from Israel.
Hezbollah's push for a stronger political role could deepen tensions in a country already sharply divided over the war.
Geagea rejected Nasrallah's call for a new government, defending Saniora's administration. Despite "some loopholes and defects," it is for the first time "a Lebanese, sovereign and independent one," he said.
Syria dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades before it withdrew its troops last year under heavy international pressure following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Syria is accused of involvement in Hariri's death, which it denies.
Geagea was arrested in April 1994 and his group was banned after a church bombing killed 10 people. He was later acquitted in the bombing but sentenced to three life terms on several other murder counts, including the killing of pro-Syrian Prime Minister Rashid Karami.
Geagea served 11 years in prison before he was released in July 2005, when Lebanon's parliament approved a motion to pardon him.
He was leader of the Lebanese Forces - the country's most powerful Christian militia during the Lebanese civil war. Israel backed the militia during that conflict and the Israeli invasion in 1982 to expel Palestinian guerrillas.
Spitting in the face of the government:
The Lebanese Interior Ministry, which normally issues permits for such mass gatherings, has not even been approached or asked for permission. Security for this rally will be handled by Hizbullah, the militia that many still insist is not a state within a state.
Meanwhile, acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat told The Daily Star on Wednesday that the organizers of Friday's rally had not "asked for permission or for a license from the Interior Ministry to hold such a rally." Rally organizers are required to ask for permission to do so from the Interior Ministry and submit information on the nature of the gathering, who will be attending and the location for the demonstration and routes to be used. Once a license is given, the Interior Ministry puts in place security measures to prevent any clashes that may arise between attendants or rabble rousers. Fatfat said the ministry "will not seek a confrontation [on the lack of such a license] ... but there are procedures that the organizers must follow."
Hizbullah’s “media officer”, Hajj Rahal, told the Daily Star that his party coordinated with the Defense Ministry on “security and traffic flow.” Yes, the defense ministry is now coordinating traffic flow with a militia.
Fatfat, you will recall from a previous post, had acknowledged that his ministry has been unable to exercise control over the various security agencies in the country, which are infiltrated by Hizbullah, Amal and Syrian intelligence. This has caused some concern with UNIFIL, which complained that the people handling security in the country have not changed since the Syrian era, and that much vital information such as names of people entering and leaving Lebanon by land, air and sea are still sent to Hizbullah, Amal and naturally, Syrian intelligence.
Fatfat tried this week to address the UNIFIL concerns and, no, not by removing some people from power, but through creating a mechanism by which all agencies attached to his ministry can exchange and share information. The minister issued resolution 2403 creating a committee to work on establishing an electronic database accessible by the various departments and agencies, including General Security (which controls the nation’s ports of entry and keeps records of visitors and hotel residents), and the directorate of personal status, department of motor vehicles, and the directorate of Palestinian refugees affairs.
These agencies, all theoretically falling under the authority of the interior ministry, together control sensitive information about Lebanese citizens and the activities at the border, the ports and the airports. During the Syrian era, the General Security directorate was the most powerful of them all, controlled by Jamil Al-Sayyed, now in jail suspected of playing a role in the Hariri assassination.
Naturally, no real investigation into any security incident in the country can take place without some information sharing between those agencies, something that is not taking place, due mostly to reluctance on part of the those agencies to release and share information with internal security and the ministry, now controlled by March 14. The Interior Ministry’s new intelligence branch, whose head was nearly assassinated recently, was in part an attempt to create a security body loyal to the minister. But the ministry is still in need of full access to vital information, or at least it needs to make sure that some of this information is secured. You may remember how Brammertz in his last report filled a couple of pages describing the inefficiency of Lebanon’s security agencies and their inability to solve crimes—every single investigation into the assassinations that took place since Marwan Hamadeh had come to halt. Evidence is tampered with, information is hidden and nobody seems to know who is in control.
Fatfat’s automation project was quickly labeled as a coup by the pro-Syrian media, and Nabih Berri has vetoed it, saying that “these matters don’t work with us and we will not agree.” Fatfat, who over the past two days, has been defending his decision to automate information sharing (by doing this, he forces it to happen), accused “some” of trying to “assassinate him politically” and vowed to go ahead with it and shut down the “security shops” in his ministry. He went as far as accusing some of the security officials in those agencies of “leaking information” in exchange for money or for political reasons.
Berri is worried that the Interior Ministry’s intelligence branch (literally translated as information branch) would gain more power, and wants it to answer to General Security, headed by Wafiq Jizzini. According to al-Mustaqbal, Jizzini has recently refused to attend a meeting at the Interior Ministry to regulate and automate the entry process of Syrian nationals into the country. He also reportedly declined to meet with Prime Minister Siniora and ignored a written request by Fatfat to show up at the ministry within 30 minutes.
Friday’s show will be a reminder that this government is not in control. The people who will accuse the government of treason continue snubbing the state’s institutions, taking unilateral decisions on behalf of the entire population, and sharing sensitive security information with their foreign allies. I would like to believe that Siniora and Fatfat will fight this one out to the end. There are signs that they are. UNIFIL is one way they are doing it, and there are indications that Siniora will be counting on them where the country’s own security services will fail (perhaps intentionally). Hizbullah’s officials are unhappy with the mandate given to the German naval force that will monitor Lebanese waters. And the heavy French weapons are also a sign that this government is serious about disengaging the south from Hizbullah’s conflicts. But UNIFIL can only do so much. The real fight is internal, and tough decisions have to be made. Maybe 2403 is the magic number. My guess is that it isn’t, and one of the reasons is a March 14 fallacy called Nabih Berri.
A Lebanese speaks freely but in the US:
Brigitte Gabriel speach at Heritage Foundation
For the many of you who miss seeing my TV interviews here is an opportunity to see me on your computer. Thanks to YOU TUBE. The attached link is from a question and answer session I did after a presentation at The Heritage Foundation in DC last week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S55o2hNIXzk
The whole speech is at this link:
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Events/ev092706a.cfm
It is about an hour long.
The interesting thing about this is that CSPAN shot the whole presentation. I am no where to be found on their schedule. I think CSPAN is scared to even show my presentation discussing my book.
Thanks to all of you who already purchased the book and wrote a review. For those of you who have not done so yet I urge you to get the book, read it and put it in someone's hand. Here is the link to Amazon.com Because they Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America
Brigitte Gabriel lost her childhood to militant Islam. In 1975 she was ten years old and living in Lebanon when militant Muslims from throughout the Middle East poured into her country and declared jihad against Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was the only Christian influenced country in the Middle East, and the Lebanese Civil War was the first front in what has become the worldwide jihad of fundamentalist Islam theology against non-Muslim peoples.
Based upon her personal experiences, Garbriel addresses the West’s lack of understanding and ignorance of the ways and thinking of the Middle East. She identifies mistakes the West has made in consistently underestimating the single-mindedness with which fundamentalist Islam has pursued its goals over the past thirty years. Through the telling of her own story, she outlines the history, social movements, and religious divisions that have led to today’s critical conflict.
A compelling and captivating personal story with a powerful lesson about threats to freedom in our time. – R. James Woolsey, Director of Central Intelligence, 1993-95
Brigitte Gabriel is a journalist and news producer who started her career as an anchor for World News, an evening Arabic news broadcast throughout the Middle East. She reported on the Israeli security zone in Lebanon and the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank as they unfolded. As a terrorism expert and the founder of the non-profit organization, American Congress for Truth, she speaks regularly on topics related to the Middle East on television and radio and lectures nationally and internationally.
Sleimane the Syrian agent and lackey of Hizbollah:
Monday, November 6, 2006
Iran ready to equip Lebanese military with advanced aerial defence
Iran ready to equip Lebanese military with advanced aerial defence
Beirut, Nov 4, IRNA (Iranian News Agency)
www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-22/0611056775013749.htm
Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheybani in a meeting with
Lebanon military commander General Michele Soleyman on Saturday expressed
Iran's readiness to equip Lebanese army with advanced aerial defence.
Sheybani also called for promotion of joint cooperation in the field of
defence and implementation of agreements previously signed in this concern.
General Soleyman said Lebanese military support of the resistance during
recent Israeli attack on Lebanon was one of the factors of resistance
victory.
He added the Zionist regime by attacking military bases tried to destroy
solidarity between Lebanon military and the resistance, but because of
integration in the military and the will for supporting the resistance in
the army, the conspiracy could not succeed.
1391/1771
To all the scheming useless midgets. You can produce Nasrallahs, Arafats, Saddams Basar Assads and Khomeinis. Here are the facts:
All the Arab countries surrounding Israel put together do not reach by far the per capita GDP of Israel which is higher than that of Spain, Greece and Portugal and almost equal to Great Britain:
Israel’s GDP per capita up USD 5,000 since 2003
Assessment published by CIA says Israel’s average GDP currently stands at USD 20,000; Israel currently ranked among top 50 leading countries
11.26.06, 09:13
According to an assessment published by the CIA, Israel’s average GDP per capita has risen by USD 5,000 since 2003 and currently stands at USD 20,000. In terms of PPP, the GDP is higher at almost USD 25,000.
Israel is currently ranked among the top 50 leading countries.
The high growth rate and increase in GDP per capita have not influenced the quality of life of all citizens equally.
According to the best-case scenario, if the economy grows by an average 5.5 percent a year for the next 10 years and the population
grows by 1.7 percent a year, GDP will rise to USD 29,000. In terms of PPP, the GDP per capita could reach approximately USD 34,000.
Under a less optimistic scenario, GDP per capita will reach USD 22,000 (USD 27,000 in terms of PPP), provided that the economy grows by an average 3 percent a year. The optimistic scenario expects that Israel will maintain its current position, and could slightly improve its ranking among other Western countries.
BEYROUTH (AP) -- Un militant islamiste syrien, qui tentait d'entrer illégalement au Liban, a déclenché mardi sa ceinture d'explosifs après une fusillade avec les forces de sécurité syriennes près de la frontière, faisant deux blessés, a annoncé le gouvernement syrien.
Omar Hamra syrien, un fonctionnaire terroriste " de groupe du Djihad Tawheid:"Tawheid et Jihad al-Takfiri ", traversait d'un air détaché la frontière avec le Liban aujourd'hui avec une ceinture de suicide attachée à sa taille et neuf différentes cartes d'identité fausses. Il a fini par devenir "se faire exploser", selon l'agence de Nouvelles syriennes SANA.
.
http://permanent.nouvelobs.com/etranger/20061128.FAP7053.html?1803
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L’Iran présage la chute des USA et de la Grande-Bretagne 27.11.2006
Iran Focus, Téhéran, 28 novembre – Le président radical iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a averti dimanche les Etats-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne qu’ils risquaient la défaite en Irak à moins qu’ils ne retirent leurs troupes.
« Afin de conquérir les hauts sommets, chaque jour l’idéologie Bassij doit gagner de l’influence. Les universités, les centres de recherches, les écoles, les usines, les bureaux et tous les autres organismes qui cherchent à avancer et à faire des progrès ont besoin de la présence de l’idéologie du Bassij pour arriver à leurs fins », a déclaré Ahmadinejad. Ses commentaires, prononcés à l’occasion d’un meeting de la milice paramilitaire du Bassij, ont été diffusés à la télévision nationale.
« Grâce à la présence du Bassij et de l’idéologie Bassij, la nation iranienne est invincible. »
Ahmadinejad a appelé au retrait des troupes menées par les Etats-Unis dans le Golfe Persique et au Moyen Orient. « Les nations de la région sont parfaitement capables de garantir la sécurité régionale. La présence des étrangers est à l’origine des tensions et des querelles dans la région », a-t-il affirmé.
« Les pays occupants doivent quitter la région. Par la grâce de Dieu, les puissances agressives sont en train de s’effondrer et leur domination satanique fonce droit vers la destruction », a-t-il dit.
Ahmadinejad a déclaré qu’Israël courait à sa perte. « Nous devons tous être vigilants. Les pays de la région peuvent s’entraider pour débarrasser la région des étrangers. »
« Le temps est venu pour les dirigeants des USA et de la Grande-Bretagne de bien ouvrir leurs oreilles. Pendant 60 ans, ils ont commis des crimes et ont créé le régime sioniste qui exerce une pression sur les Etats de la région… Aujourd’hui, leur déclin…a commencé. Ils n’ont plus de base parmi les nations. Ils doivent cesser leurs crimes et leurs pratiques inhumaines. Ils doivent laisser tranquille les nations palestinienne, irakienne et les autres. »
S’adressant au président américain George W. Bush et au Premier ministre britannique Tony Blair, le président radical iranien a déclaré : « Ces jours-ci, un grand nombre de personnes sont massacrées en Irak avec votre soutien. Vous avez sur les mains le sang de chaque personne tuée. Vous devez être livrés à la justice et répondre de vos crimes dans un avenir proche ».
« Ceci est une invitation divine à poursuivre la voie des prophètes et à vénérer Dieu. Si votre réponse est négative, la main toute puissante de la justice des nations va bientôt vous renverser et vous forcer à lâcher les rênes du pouvoir. »
« L’Iran est enclin à vous aider à sortir de ce bourbier [en Irak] à condition que vous cessiez vos intimidations et vos agressions et que vous corrigiez votre attitude. Retournez dans vos propres nations et finissez-en avec l’occupation », a affirmé Ahmadinejad.
« Vous devez arrêter d’agresser, de menacer et d’insulter les nations… Aujourd’hui, vous et votre hégémonie êtes sur le point de vous effondrer », a-t-il ajouté.
Iranfocus.com
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