TO PRETEND THAT HZ ARE A "TERRORIST" GROUP IS TO FORGET THAT THEY ARE - OR WERE - ALREADY !/3 OF THE WAY UP A N.IRELAND STYLE PEACE PROCESS.
The "cessation" terms, also seem to have forgotten this fact, indeed, it might help allow a chance for even the smoothing of veryshort term peace to remember it. The parliamentary group of hz reps had ALREADY proposed that HZ should get subsumed - in fact - serve as a good, experienced, disciplined "backbone" to the future Lebanese Armed Forces - but that these armed forces should exist - in the main - as a "reserve" force - in the "swiss" manner. (as it happens, also the israeli manner - but this recent war means - even at "peace", both sides might within reason expect a very cautious attitude from each other - in fact - liasing groups of both should look for "trust + verify" approaches to think of ways to strengthen the "checking" measures each can use, to "lengthen fuses" + ensure that incidents or odd provocations cause investigating instead of escalating.)
HZ AINT A "UNIT" OR BUNCH OF FOREIGN OR DISPLACED SOLDIERS THAT CAN "WITHDRAW". THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE f r o m THE PLACE,
Hz HAD ALREADY COMMENCED TRANSFORMING INTO A "PEACE" MODE.
It had got people elected to parliament (- ps - the votes they got - if anybody tries to "ban" Hz - are going to elect a "different" group with the same attitide - or a faction with much angrier attitudes -). It had created hospitals, social support - lots.
It has a reputation for integrity. If the world, israel too, is looking for people to create a peace that lasts - these are good people to talk peace with.
They had even sought exemption from the radical islamic "religious state/sharia law" rules, arguing that the Lebanese case was a "special case" - to exist as a diverse society, working with all sorts of others - religious or "irreligious"/secular.
HENCE - A SENSIBLE WAY TO PROCEED, AMONGST THE INCLUSION in very serious- immediate-opened talks- formal or informal - OF A MUTUAL RELEASE OF THE PEOPLE JAILED OR HOSTAGE, (palestinian m.p.s + ministers too) IS PERHAPS A FORMULA THAT ALLOWS SOUTH LEBANESE CITIZENS TO PUT WEAPONS IN LOCAL (UN checked) LEBANESE ARMY DEPOTS - yet allows people to "de-militarise" HZ back into the social support networks they had commenced transformng into - by use of the "reserve" category.
NEXT. "Incautious" words create wars. This aint "opinion" - this is as criminal as shouting fire in panicky theatres.
The speechwriters that refer to HZ as the "islamic fascists" need investigating. (outside israel - infowar in the midst of getting roskets fired at you is at least comprehensible). Even the "clash of cultures" or the "war on terror" infowarriors - IF THAT WAS WHAT THESE OTHER "INFOWARRIORS" WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO WIN - might have decided that "seperating groups from each other" was the good tactic - instead of " WESTERN, IN-MEDIA" infowar tactics that function as CREATING that clash of cultures - CREATING terrorists - in fact, fuctioning as the INFOWAR F O R TERROR.
(perhaps even in israel, certain things need further enquiry, as smoke clears)
Certainty of a higher chance of safer success is higher the faster at least SOME "elite"U.N. -flagged troops are in place - that CAN have the trust of BOTH "sides" - that are also VERY equipped to INVESTIGATE any breaches of the ceasefire( - WITHOUT ASSUMING E I T H E R "SIDE" IS RESPONSIBLE (see "cynical" comments))
A faster disengagement - with seperating distance - CAN occur -or a bunch of firecrackers could tip the world into a spin of that spiral. The reputation + competence of the leaders + "liason-people" is key - "too many" cooks might - in this case - help prevent the "broth" from catching fire again . . . .
Its oversaid, perhaps, yet underheard. The middle east is way out in front amongst the "7 powderkegs of the world" - in both direct (nuclear reactor waste clouds, chem/bio war lab leak tragedies, etc, etc etc etc) + indirect ways (global sympathies for BOTH sides mean fuses get set off all over the world.)
Stupid journalism or bad speechwriting or unquestioned accepting of "infowar" briefs is to play with matches in a pool of petrol. The effects of that "unthinking" ALSO affects THEM , FAST. That aint rhetoric. Its fact.
The "bigger" peace is created when we engage our brains + have a bit of effort in challenging this sort of STUPID journalism (etc ) in the people around us. A proper comprehension of current news, a serious approach to "historical" events as others comprehend them - E.g. - the USA/UK spooks, banks + companies involvement in the COUP in Iran in 1953 ISNT EVEN DENIED BY ANYBODY - even if it hasnt got apologised for. The - very lengthy -letter from the iranian leader to the U.S. leader didnt even get a letter back - yet seems to have got put in the "forget this" drawer, so that presenters can refer to "axis of terror" idiocy.
The fact that it seemed to a lot of people in the late 1940s that the same "british" diplomats that tricked Lawrence of Arabia, with the Arabs, in the twenties, were about to try to trick the jews that they had promised a refuge to. The "holocaust" DID happen - to jews - amongst others - dont forget the extent that it has unconscious affects in a small nations foreign policy as much as conscious affects. Further investigating the causes - in fact - the events - of it all (1920s-1940s) might teach us ALL a lot we seem to forget - even to the extent that good scholars + investigators of ALL nations (etc) can agree that the "Protocols" got FORGED, - even for the most shoddy excuses - then reused for worse, later.
(A rogue dept of spooks that try to manipulate the Tsar to get the new minister out + the old boss back - "decimation" - chaos + pogroms + "pseudo-gangs" ( the "black hundreds") + deliberate distortions of patriotism as cover for repression of dissent - so that some "barons" could keep "slave"-wages low - even when the tsar was trying to reform - a pattern used in the USA too - then exported to europe. . . . check the facts. Same M.O. is the recent past in lots of south america, africa . . . . some of it is admitted. ( Already . . . . ) Worth investigating, at least. That iranian "Investigation" of the past might help instead of hinder.
But - all that said -IF a "big" peace process of 2006 CAN include the breaking of these cycles of tragedy in a way that does good for the palestinian "returnees" too - even if it doesnt mean going back to the very same places (in fact - for the people amongst them that decide to take up the offers THE WORLD can - with apologies + compensation - hold out to them - other good avenues might open up, at least in the immediate future - then, as that end of the mediterranean yields the advantages of peace, perhaps a "preferential" position in garden/oasis cities as yet unimagined. ) The other cultural commentators, religious leaders, commercial players or celebrities OWE this extra attention they can focus - THEY OWE IT TO THE KIDS THEY SEE EVERY DAY.
YOUR kids.Your friends kids.
Too.
The equations add up - it is the case that everybodies future is bound up in the events of the "middle east" in the very near future. The UN staff are speaking out - even with the cautious, "understatements -R-us" attitudes of international diplomats -if you listen - its far worse than they say - much, MUCH worse than they sound. Other "experts"are too - even if a bit deterred . SOME "experts" are playing everything down. The "move-on" , "think about other things" , "same old situation, see you next (WITH PICTURES) outrage" message has gone out to newsrooms. . . .
STAY OUTRAGED. BUT AT THE WAR - AT THE WASTE - AT THE STUPIDITY - AT THE RISK - instead of against "either" people.
If the lands, soaked again in too much blood - again - could spring up red poppies from the new-churned earth - to mean you didnt turn away - they might cover the world. Perhaps the rain, the tears mightnt ever stop. In 1945 a lot of people from that land had had very bad treatment in other places - they DID need a good place. Others need a good place too. The World is very "small", these days - they say. The proportion of people in the world that have these lands as the "backdrop" to key lessons or teachings in the religions they profess to abide by is a surprising amount. If even a lottery - or a penny each - could allow the COSTS, then it isnt the cash thats the problem.
Its the lack of thinking. DONT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.
The immediacy of the tragedies, a different "fog of war" can also prevent us from seeing ways out - but if these are "glossed over" we are also suppressing the very highest of human emotions - that way we are affected by the things that happen to "strangers" - that "good samaritan" thing. But, a twin track very-cynical, yet"reaching-further-than-we-can-grasp" approach IS often the way out of the "complexity" of the problems we face.
COMMENTS/ ADDITIONS LATER - TO INCLUDE REFERENCES TO PAST PEACE PROCESSES - BUT FOCUS AROUND THE RECENT PAST, + THE NEAR FUTURE. . . .
. . . . remember . . . .
IT WAS - IN FACT - A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR BREAKING OUT OF THE SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE - - - - IN FACT, DESPITE THE TRAGEDY, IT REMAINS A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR PEACE - EVEN, DUE TO THE INCREASED ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD - a good foundation for the "big" peace - even the "bigger" peace - the changes everybody needs in the way the world runs.
- this debate continues from the "if the small peaces aint working, try a "big" peace. . . . its also worth checking the comments with the "ongoing war in lebanon" main piece, uk indymedia
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