The protest planned for the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday 19 August has been cancelled. The rebuilding of Lebanon has begun. The Israeli Defence Forces are leaving the country that they barely occupied but tried to break through aerial bombardment. This was Bush and Blair’s war as much as Israel’s. They gave Israel the green light to continue the attacks on the Lebanon, which killed more than 1,000, injured many thousands more and destroyed the country’s infrastructure. This is a serious setback for the US/UK project of reordering the Middle East.

The London meeting with Lebanese journalist Omar Nachabe will take place as advertised. This will be an opportunity to listen to an eye-witness account of recent events in Lebanon and to hear speakers on the political implications.

EYEWITNESS REPORT FROM LEBANON
Friday 18th August 18.30
Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London WC1
(Opposite Euston Station)

Speakers include:
OMAR NACHABE, Senior journalist Beirut newspaper Al-Akhbar, eyewitness to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon
TONY BENN, President, Stop the War Coalition
JEREMY DEAR, Gen Sec, National Union of Journalists
LINDSEY GERMAN, Convenor, Stop the War Coalition

Omar Nachabe is also speaking in Manchester and Liverpool, see
 http://www.stopwar.org.uk/new/events/index.htm

Useful recent articles on Lebanon & Gaza:

Noam Chomsky Interview: Apocalypse Soon
 http://www.counterpunch.org/chomsky08162006.html

Robert Fisk: Israel wasn't hoping for this
 http://www.counterpunch.org/fisk08152006.html

Jonathan Cook: The real war crimes
 http://www.counterpunch.org/cook08162006.html

[edited version of Stop the War Coalition email circular, www.stopwar.org.uk]