War Over? Ongoing Crisis in Lebanon

IMC UK | 16.08.2006 12:42 | Lebanon War 2006 | Anti-militarism | World

While the recently agreed-on 'ceasefire' between Isael and Hizbullah is being portrayed in most of the mainstream media coverage as an end to the 'crisis', the catastrophic cosequences of the hostilities, which lasted for over a month, go underreported. And while fighting on a much smaller scale conitnues, hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese are making their way back, many to find their homes destroyed by Israeli bombs.

In a flagrant breach of the ceasefire, Israeli warplanes and helicopters launched fresh raids in eastern Lebanon on 19th August.

According to official figures, some 1,130 people have been slaughtered (30% of them children), 3,600 injured (40% of them children) and about a million displaced. Omar Nachabe has reported 1,700 confirmed dead so far, over 3,000 injured. Israeli strikes on Lebanon have destroyed much of the country's infrastructure, including Beirut airport, ports, bridges and roads, residential buildings, factories, mobile telephone and television stations, fuel containers and service stations and even medical and relief trucks.

Meanwhile, Israel is still denying NGOs like Medecins sans Frontieres and the Red Cross a safe passage. On 15 August, an activist aid convoy was stopped by the Lebanese National Security Guards while trying to reach the South, as the area is still declared unsafe.

Ongoing coverage: Lebanon War 2006 - topic page

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Previous features: The realm of the real - photography from Lebanon | Mass Demo Against Israeli Attacks | Worldwide Protests Against Israeli Aggression | War in the Middle East While the World is Watching

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Comments

Hide the following 21 comments

. . . . remember the peace process

10.08.2006 13:41

. . . . was working - can work.
(see the sequence of events explained in the comment to the "hiroshima" piece underneath this - or the reporting of the recent israeli / OSP "THINKTANK" U.S. courtcase in the "newswire" - but the inadequacy of the C U R R E N T peace- without- withdrawal UN idea is so breathtaking it is cause for con cern in itself.)
- it can work . . . . within the "BIG" peace process.
"Small peaces" aint adequate - so even if it seems harder under the sound of the bombs + the screaming, remind people of the good progress that people had made - of the rewards of actual success in stopping the tragedies - stopping the crimes -a chance for peace that means it.

protest at raytheon, bristol

13.08.2006 02:29

see

http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=25275Array&sc=1 for details and photos of protest outside offices of raytheon ...

Raytheon make components for the Guided Bomb Unit-28 (GBU-28) "bunker buster" bombs which recently made their way from the US to Israel via Prestwick Airport.

a brisotlian

why dont you lot tell the whole story?

13.08.2006 11:47

why dont you tell the story of the thousands of displaced israelis? why dont you tell us about the families of the kidnapped sopldiers? yes some of what the idf is doing is wrong but you must think about it like this. the idf aims it weapons at hizbollah (a terrorist organisation who want nothing but war {why else would they have kidnapped the soldiers?}) where as hizbollah aim there rockets at everyone in israel. why dont you put reports up about the schools in the north which are getting bombed. about the children who have left there families to go down south for a weekend to get away from the fighting. why do you only tell one half of this war? this website is so bias its funny. but when you talk about war its not funny so why dont you research about both sides of the story and stop pointing all fingers at israel. do you really think israel wanted to go into lebennon? a place they left years ago, i dont think so, they only went in to get back their soldiers who were kidnapped in an unpravoked attack. please look at both sides. dont just think that lebannon is being bombed, dont just think that lebanese people are dying and being displaced.

...?...

Blair drinks the White House Kool-Aid

13.08.2006 17:39

WATCHING LEBANON
Washington’s interests in Israel’s war.
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
"
Bush’s strongest supporter in Europe continues to be British Prime Minister Tony Blair, but many in Blair’s own Foreign Office, as a former diplomat said, believe that he has “gone out on a particular limb on this”—especially by accepting Bush’s refusal to seek an immediate and total ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. “Blair stands alone on this,” the former diplomat said. “He knows he’s a lame duck who’s on the way out, but he buys it”—the Bush policy. “He drinks the White House Kool-Aid as much as anybody in Washington.” The crisis will really start at the end of August, the diplomat added, “when the Iranians”—under a United Nations deadline to stop uranium enrichment—“will say no.”
"

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060821fa_fact

Danny

what

13.08.2006 19:37

Yes, well Hezzbollah, there just so Left Wing and right on, I can't understand why Israel just doesn't let them take over and run the country.
They could model themselves on all the other Left Wing, touch feely Muslim democracies; what there aren't any, well you could knock me down with a feather.
Of course, the Muslim's fanatical dedication to avoiding civilian casualities must be taken into account. God they're just so lovely, with their beards and beautiful ethnic beliefs, it almost makes me want to stone someone to death.
Ian

ian
mail e-mail: ian@frogcottage.demon.co.uk

for the cynics

16.08.2006 06:08

just a quick media look for the couple of cynics posted on what was generally a balanced article for indymedia.

'' why don't you tell both sides of the story '' makes me laugh because it's bloody indymedia. You know what to expect, just as you would if you bought the Times or watched Fox News. Media can't be unbiased. You're responsibility as a reader is to look through a variety of stuff and make up your mind, read between the lines.

As for not showing both sides of the story.. I had a quick look at some of the other online news sources to check out what they had to say.

The Daily Mail (not one famous for '' both sides of the story '') published an article today:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=400636&in_page_id=1811&ct=5

In it we have: '' President Bush said Iran and Syria were the primary sponsors of Hezbollah guerillas who captured two Israeli soldiers last month, igniting the conflict with Israel. ''
Yet again with this conflict, no one's sure who 'started' it, so this makes a strong accusation. Also, is it still quoting Bush or is this their own idea...?

The telegraph again published an article today that barely mentioned any civilian deaths and only mentions the deaths of Hizbollah fighters. Not exactly two-sided is it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/16/wmid16.xml

Tried to find some news on the Sun web-site. Fat chance.

Bob

. . . . also

16.08.2006 10:52

if you are looking for good comments about the situation, google "uk indymedia", + "remember the "big" peace"

. . . . worth checking

Hezbollah: Lebanese Iranian Shiite peace Activists

17.08.2006 15:13

No, no really, Hezbollah would never do anything like that. The Peace activists from hezbollah were bsuy on THEIR SIDE of the border, handing out candy to children and helping little old shia muslimahs cross the street, when ALL OF A SUDDEN!!!! WHAM!!!!!
Brutal Isra-ay-lees forces attacked Lebanon. With them they had three soldiers tied up. They said to the hezbollah peace activists : "Take our soldiers, please"
Hezbollah first said "No thanks" (in arabic) but the brutal isra-ay-lee occupation forces had GUNS so the hezbollah peace activists said: "OK" (in arabic)
The Isra-ay-lees then fled back to their side of the border and called the UN to tell on hezbollah: "Hello, UN?" This is Sargeant Henny Youngman of the IDF Brutal Forces of Occupation" "The Hezbollah is being bad."

Ali

sorry ali, but I is a bit dim innit

18.08.2006 10:19

Sorry mate, I am only a stopid guy, can you help me understand your words?

" The Isra-ay-lees then fled back to their side of the border and called the UN to tell on hezbollah: "Hello, UN?" This is Sargeant Henny Youngman of the IDF Brutal Forces of Occupation" "The Hezbollah is being bad." "

Was this before or after they bombed the UN?

stopid guy

Humanitarian self help.

18.08.2006 10:25

Homeless Lebanese should walk on into Israel where there is food and shelter/ Now that the rockets have stopped there is space in the sir raid shelters. And Israeli roads to ports are functional with no wrecked bridges.

DarkCloud

ISRAEL WON HAHAHAHA LEBANESE DEAD

18.08.2006 17:49

WE WON AND GOT AWAY WITH MASSACRING OVER 1000 MUSLIM SHITS

RIGHT WING JEWISH ZIONIST AND PROUD

right wing zionists live on mars with nazis and cream

19.08.2006 05:34

... and you guys've got a problem with hitler?

Bob
mail e-mail: bob@bob.com

Right Wing Zionists

22.08.2006 14:24

You people would be very much at home in the new BNP which has gone very pro Israel and anti-muslim. Lee Barnes under the direction of Nick Griffin wrote an article where he said "As a nationalist I am 100% behind Israel". Keep your sick comments off Indymedia. The world is waking up to Israel and their backers

Sadam

SO TYPICAL OF YOU TO BELIEVE SUCH FOOLISHNESS

23.08.2006 01:22

I wrote that right wing zionist comment to see how many of you idiots believe that's what Jews and Right Wing Zionists truely think! You idiots to think they are such a blood-thirsty people you sick individuals. You hide your anti-semitism behind your left wing communist mask and display anti-semitic cartoons and talk about the "brutal Israelis". As a Christian and friend of many Zionists, left wing and right wing alike I have not met any who wish to kill innocent arabs.

you truly disgust me

John

innocent arabs

23.08.2006 15:50

... and therein lies the rub ...

... with leading jewish human[sic] rights lawyers in amerika suggesting that we re-define innocence to exclude those Lebanese killed from precision guided munitions directed at such guilty targets as houses where elected representatives once stayed, hospitals payed for and built by 'the enemy', schools sheltering possible missle luanches among the tightly pressed bodies of women and children ...

... with the leading rabbinical schools and their adherents suggesting there are no innocents within the ranks of those nations, religions, political groups and the like, that israel is at war with ... a religious blessing, as it were, to pre-meditated murder & genocide ...

... with the manifesto and and the malevolent mantra of the war on terra ... our leaders ramp up the language, the suffering and the death of arabs EVERYDAY ... our semitic brothers and sisters murdered in their beds and then further abused by this sick notion of guilt and innocence ...

... those who would take note of this and decry it probably have by now ...

... those who would not, will probably never ...

... what is left is but the reckoning ...

jsl

YOU SICK DISGUSTING ANTI SEMITE "JSL"

23.08.2006 22:32

the disgusting anti semite whose name appears above as "jsl" says that the rabbinical schools encourage violence and murdering arabs is a disgusting lie. Never do they teach this nor do they teach that we should murder non-Jews or even justify murder under nayt cirucmstances

Only the Muslims encourage such things and hide their disgusting ways by claimign the Jews do such things and encourage sucide bombings and to murder all the "infidels" and all non-Muslims.

funny how indymedia don't filter out such comments but any comments criticisng Islam will be filtered out (Except you won't filter this one so that it looks like my argument is flawed)

dan

... yes yes yes ...

24.08.2006 12:58

... I am sure that your opinions and insults are well practiced ...

... but let us dwell on facts a moment ...

... "The Yesha Rabbinical Counsel announced in response to an IDF attack in Kfar Qanna that 'according to Jewish law, during a time of battle and war, there is no such thing as 'innocence' among the enemy. All of the discussions on Christian morality are weakening the spirit of the army and the nation and are costing us in the blood of our soldiers and civilians,” the statement said. (Efrat Weiss)' - as reported in ynetnews.com 7/30/06.

Question ... who do I believe?

The horses mouth or the horses arse?

... back to the insults now ...

(Incidentally, the Talmud says that the children of Gentiles, such as those bombed into rubble at Kfar Qanna, are to be regarded as animals. The Jewish Encyclopedia article on "Gentiles," p. 621, says that the Torah [Talmud] "outlawed the issue [child] of a Gentile as that of a beast.")

...

A quick history lesson for israeli supporting bigots

24.08.2006 15:29

I would like to encourage a quick history lesson about the throwing about of the term anti - semitic by those Israeli supporters. See the israelites once lived in the land of Judea now palestine during the time of christ 2000 YEARS AGO, and well they got scattered about the lands.
The Arabic Muslim peoples have populated that land since before and after the israelites lived there; the modern day incarnation of Israelites took the term of anti - semitics from the people who used to live there.
the Semites were an arabic people, MUSLIM, whose languages include many, look here for an indepth essay

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3950.htm; it was zionists who wanted a propaganda weapon to use against those who would attack their claims on the Palestinian lands.

Please, use the right facts before you start defending a fascist people. And yes i am calling ninety percent of israeli's fascists, there are those who stand up for right, and they should be lauded. But the rest are monsters and no better than the Nazi's.
For evidence look up settler children attacking humanitarians and civilians, settler men beating those who argue against them and beat palestinian people, Israeli CHILDREN writing messages of hate on artillery shells being fired into Lebanon, Israeli women and mothers attacking palestinian women who take their children to school, Israeli soldiers beating and killing those that disagree with them or speak against them too loudly.
To my mind the majority of israeli people are guilty, maybe they dont agree with whats going on, but they are guilty by association by not arguing against it loud enough.

And yes I am well aware of what i am saying, and I will live with these words for the rest of my days; but that is my problem, if the situation changes i will no doubt change my opinion fore or against Israel.

"when the government fears the peoply there is liberty, when the people fear the government their is tyrany" - Thomas Jefferson, 3rd Presidentr of the United States of America.

Stuart

Right Wing Zionists WTF ?

24.08.2006 18:58

What's the point John ?

Go on Haaretz or Ynet and read some of the comments to the Lebanon war news items.

Man, there is a fair deal of them that are of the same type as the one you did post above.

They are also planted I guess, just like yours, to see how neo-nazis are going to react, is that it ?

There is not a good deal of ultra orthodox settlers who think like that. Of course not.

Zebra

... a cursery look ...

25.08.2006 09:38

... at the style, key words and concepts embedded therein should indicate that 'bob' 'john' & 'dan' are the same person ...

... it is not, therefore, to much to postulate that:

a] this person is intent on disrupting the free flow of information and ideas ... because ...
b] they have a particular axe to grind ...

... given the nature of the issues before us here ... said person is indulging us in a hasbara moment ...

... how sweet ...

...useless zionist *$*@$$***!

for all the silly comments about right and wrong...

11.09.2006 14:09

For those of you who have hate in your heart or a pounding in the chest fron anger, may I remind you all of the fact that all your Gods, every one of them, ask that we use compassion and love in our EVERYDAY lives, love thine enemy, do unto others as you would be done by others, you are all falling into the trap of blaming one side and not seeing the big picture.
Anyone who holds a gun or uses violence to attack OR defend themselves is no longer a part of any religious organization or community. Both sides are wrong in the end. We need to grow up and see that a Muslim who holds a gun is no longer a Muslim, a Zionist who holds a gun is no longer a Zionist, a Christian who believes all gays should die is no longer a Christian, a Jew who hate the Nazi is no longer a Jew, you have all forgotten the true meaning og compassion and love.
It takes more guts to face violence with pacifism, it takes more self control to love the ones who are in darkness, it takes real humanism to realise that, as one young girl once told Tony Blair when he asked for her solution to the wars on planet earth...'Just stop fighting' she replied, with a smile. Of course its not as simple as that...Is it?
Why not.
No one who uses violence is in the right.
No one who fights for their religion is right.
No one who believes it is right to torture for security reasons is right.
No One, No One. NO ONE.
Get rid of your fear and replace it with Compassion
Get rid of your hate and replace it with love.
No matter what you have seen, who you've lost.
You may find it strange but if you take a look at who is fight and who is running, there re a lot more people who aren't fighting, who just want to live their lives in peace, a small minority seem to think violence is the only way. It's not, you are in a minority of about 3000 to 1 and if you believe the lies you are fed by your government or religious leader you really need to take a close look at yourself and, in your heart of hearts you'll know, it would be a very embarassing thing to find out that your leaders have been lying to you and that you are actually doing more harm than good, wouldn't it.
One of the first casualties of war is Truth.
LOVE and COMPASSION dudes, before its all too late ;-)

Hum
mail e-mail: hum.dinger@vodafone.net
Homepage: http://www.humdingermusic.co.uk