bustardblog

Supporting Israel, And Targetting Civilians

The Bush administration has given the green light for Israel's continuing reign of terror in Lebanon. Condi implied today that after enough bombing has occurred to devastate Hezbollah, the U.S. will explore ways of occupying Southern Lebanon. Perhaps Israel would occupy it, or perhaps some "coalition" of foreign troops would do it.  (Remember this is the administration of coalition builders - I have no doubt that The Kingdom of Tonga is ready to enlist again.)

Clearly, Iraq has taught us nothing about the outcome of our occupying Arab lands. But maybe someone should remind our dear leader that it was during and in reaction to Israeli occupation of Lebanon that Hezbollah was born. It's exact birthday is unclear, but it was definitely after the occupation of the South which began  in 1978 and only ended in 2000, that the terrorist organization was born and grew into adulthood. It flourished on the steady diet of hatred and resentment Israel created during those 22 years.

Until we get an administration with the strength to standup to the rabid "supporters" of Israel, that poor country is doomed to continous war. I put the word "supporters" in quotes because an Israel at peace with its neighbors, in its originally mandated borders, would be of no interest to such people.

Make no mistake about it - the idea that the IDF is carefully only targetting only Hezbollah resources is an absolute lie. So far it has hit a dairy farm, a church,and  an outpost of the regular Lebanese army. It is aiming at, and hitting civilian targets. Why else are Eruopeans and Americans fleeing the country as fast as they possibly can?

Israel In Lebanon: The 80 Years War

There seems to be general agreement in the U.S. about one, and possibly only one, aspect of the war on terrorism – that it is a different kind of war. Republicans have been unanimous is saying this, and I don’t know of any on the left who have disagreed. 

So it is really amazing to me that when we on the left say that we might want to wage this war differently than we have past wars, we can expect personal insults, and accusations of cowardice and treason. 

It was not Neville Chamberlain who said that “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.” It was Winston Churchill. To today’s Republican, Churchill was a coward. 

To today’s Republican, Ariel Sharon, who fought in many wars, is a coward. While Olmert and Bush, who never fought, are hailed as courageous leaders. When a businessman was taken hostage two years ago, Sharon had no problem negotiating for his release. He released about four hundred prisoners, in return for the bodies of three dead Israeli soldiers, and the living businessman. Please remember that Israel has thousands of Arab prisoners, who have never been charged, and will never be charged, with any criminal act. 

Having won a free week’s worth of bombing on Bush’s Brave Game Show, the courageous Olmert is hitting all kinds of targets in Lebanon that have nothing to do with Hezbollah. As the Beirut Daily Star reports:

” The production facilities of at least five companies in key industrial sectors - including the country's largest dairy farm, Liban Lait; a paper mill; a packaging firm and a pharmaceutical plant - have been disabled or completely destroyed. Industry insiders say the losses will cripple the economy for decades to come.

We claim that we are in a war for the hearts and minds of the Arab street. We know that the only real way to stop the spread of terrorism is to stop the irrational, blind hatred of us that creates terrorists. So we support our ally, Israel, in bombing a dairy? Can you think of a better way to create more terrorists? Every single Arab mother who can no longer get milk for her child will fill that child's glass with loathing for Israel and the U.S.

When I pointed out yesterday that 225 Lebanese had died as a result of Olmert’s and Bush’s policies, a commenter argued, saying that the blame for their deaths must be placed on Hezbollah, a sentiment with which Bush would certainly agree. He mentioned nothing about the 1,000 additional terrorists which I had estimated would be created by the 225 deaths. I am less concerned with assigning blame for those deaths, than I am with the creation of more and more terrorists. 

Israel has been at war with its Arab neighbors for close to sixty years; its response this week in Gaza and Lebanon all but guarantee that the war will reach its 80^th anniversary.

 

Israel's Invasion of Lebanon

Could someone please explain:

Why doesn't Bush ask Israel to please stop recruiting terrorists for Al Qaeda?

Why didn't Ehud Olmert, Israeli P.M., call P.M. Saniora of Lebanon, and ask what he could do to help Saniora capture the guilty kidnappers in the South?

Why does Bush say that he wants to support flegling democracies in Gaza and Lebanon, while he defends Israel's right to invade them and blockade them?

Why can't either Olmert or Bush display a scintilla of pragmatice intelligence, and provide  leadership in developing a plan that might improve, and not worsen, the situation?

Why doesn't Bush or Olmert understand that by killing over 225 Lebanese this week, they have probably created 1000 new terrorists whose hatred of the U.S. and of Israel will be implacable?