Saturday, July 15, 2006

What I am watching in Lebanon each day is an outrage

As news comes through that the Israelis have killed 13 Lebanese civilians as they attempted to flee the country Robert Fisk raises some very good points in today's Independent newspaper. I won't print the whole thing as they make you pay for it online, but I will summarise just in case printing it is against copyright law.

He begins by listing the amount of places and things now labelled "terrorist" targets. This includes roads, the international highway from Beirut to Damascus, the airport, the power station, and, of course, the civilians of Lebanon. All now considered "terrorist" targets.

European politicians have talked about Israel's "disproportionate" response to Wednesday's capture of it's soldiers. They are wrong. What I am now witnessing in Lebanon each day is an outrage. How can there be any excuse - any - for the 73 dead Lebanese civilians blown apart these past three days?

This does not include two children atomised in their home in Dweir on Thursday whose bodies cannot be found. Their six brothers and sisters were buried yesterday, with their mother and father. Another "terrorist" target. So was a neighbouring family with five children who were also buried yesterday. Another "terrorist" target.

Terrorist, terrorist, terrorist. There is something perverse about all this, the slaughter and the massive destruction and the self righteous, constant, cancerous use of the word "terrorist". No, let us not forget that Hizbullah broke international law, crossed the Israeli border, killed three Israeli soldiers, captured two others and dragged them back through the border fence. It was an act of calculated ruthlessness that should never allow Hizbullah's leader, Hassas Nasrallah, to grin so broadly at his press conference. It has brought unparalleled tragedy to countless innocents in Lebanon.

But what would happen if the powerless Lebanese government had unleashed air attacks across Israel the last time Israel's troops crossed the border into Lebanon? What if the Lebanese air force then killed 73 Israeli civilians in bombing raids on Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Israeli West Jerusalem? What if a Lebanese fighter aircraft bombed Ben Gurion airport? What if a Lebanese plane destroyed 26 road bridges across Israel? Would it not be called "terrorism"? I rather think it would. But if Israel was the victim, it would probably also be World War Three.
He raises very valid points. The Israelis are going on about terrorism as if the application of that word to any situation validates any action that they take.

The irony is that Israel is repeating the mantra of "terrorism" whilst she herself is partaking in state terrorism.

And of course, he argues that the real enemy is Syria, but that the war will rage in Lebanon with the possibility of the civil war starting all over again.

Israel will not be able to defeat Hizbullah and if the Lebanese government attempt to the army will fall apart as most of the army are Shia Muslims.
So there's a real conundrum to be solved. But it's not going to succceed with the mass bombing of the country by Israel. Nor the obsession with terrorists, terrorists, terrorists.

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