Israel Kills Children in Convoy Bombing; Dozens Dead;
Hizbullah bombs Akka, Haifa; Wounds, Kills Civilians
The Guardian reports of Israeli's continued war of attrition on Lebanon on Saturday:
' Israel steeply escalated its military campaign against Hizbollah in Lebanon yesterday with a series of air strikes that left more than 35 civilians dead, including a single strike on a convoy of families fleeing the fighting in a village near Tyre in the south of the country that killed more than 20 people, most of them children. '
Graphic pictures of dead Lebanese children are at Angry Arab's site.
Israeli warplanes bombed Lebanese civilian neighborhoods in southern Beirut again, killing non-combatants, and hitting an electricity plant. They also targeted Lebanon's ports, including the port of a Christian area, and hit Tripoli in the north.
Aljazeera reported early Sunday morning that Hizbullah is officially denying that its leader Shaikh Hasan Nasrullah, was wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a party HQ.
The channel also reported from Haifa and Akka that Hizbullah was bombarding both of those cities Sunday morning. Early reports gave 20 Israeli wounded and 6 killed according to Aljazeera's monitoring of Israeli radio. Aljazeera is showing videotape, presumably from Israeli television, of rockets landing in the heart of the city.
Lebanon charged that the US blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire. If so, it is contemptible.
Saad Hariri, leader of the reformist bloc in parliament, signalled Saturday that the Israeli policy of trying to get Lebanese to fight Lebanese (i.e. Sunnis, Maronites and Druze in the reform bloc should take on Hizbullah themselves, creating a new Lebanese civil war). Hariri insisted that national unity would come first.
The USG Open Source Center translates a broadcast on July 15 of Voice of Israel Network B:
' Commander of the Home Front Command Yitzhaq Gershon assesses that Tiberia and Haifa are not the most southerly targets Hizballah can hit. In a briefing by the Home Front Command, Major General Gershon also said that an exceptional opportunity has been created for the operational actions to achieve their aims. We are not prepared to return to the situation we faced over the past five years, he said. He added that most of the people wounded by katyushas did not carry out the orders of the Home Front Command . . .
In the afternoon, katyushas were fired at Zefat, Nahariyya, and Kabri. Nobody was hurt. Earlier, dozens of missiles were fired, and over 60 casualties arrived at the government hospital in Nahariyya from Karmi'el, Kisra, Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Peqi'in, Rama, Ben Ami, Majd-al-Kurum. Four were lightly hurt by shrapnel and ricochets, and the others suffered shock.
A senior military source said that at this stage, it would not be right to bring Syria into the battle. The Syrians are a negative element, but they are not the key to the solution. On the issue of the kidnapped soldiers, the senior source said that Israel's working assumption is that they alive. According to the source, Israel is ready for indirect dialogue with anybody, including one of the international elements not identified with the sides."
Despite the darkness of the moment, Gershon's comments are encouraging in several regards. Hizbullah's rocket attacks on civilian targets in Israel on Saturday did little damage, and most of those reported wounded seem to have been suffering from shock, though there were some light injuries from shrapnel. (Unfortunately, this picture changed on Sunday). Then, Gershon said it would be unwise to widen the war to Syria at this point. And, he said that the Israelis would talk indirectly to anyone.
More on what young Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday about the Israeli attack on Lebanon.
' "Eyes are shedding tears, and the heart feels pain and sadness for our people in Lebanon due to the bombing, terror and clear aggression that the Zionist enemy conducts and that is shielded by a number of countries, including the United States," Sadr said in the statement. "Let it be known to everybody that we in Iraq will not sit by with folded hands before the creep of Zionism," the statement continued. "It will enslave us if we keep silent."
The Nation points to the illogic of the Bush administration in having pushed Syria out of Lebanon and now demanding that it rein in Hizbullah. If Syria has been reduced to having almost no influence in Lebanon, how exactly would it do that?
5,000 Indonesians protested in downtown Jakarta on Saturday against Israeli military moves against Gaza and Lebanon.
Billmon analyzes the miserable corner into which the Israelis have painted themselves.
posted by Juan Cole @ 7/16/2006 12:30:00 AM
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18 Comments:
A clear pattern is emerging: destroy the infrastructure, push for civil war, and get virtual military occupation.
First was Iraq, then Palestine, now Lebanon, and Syria is next.
The motivation is also becoming very clear: sadistic desires to control and hurt the Arabs as much as possible before Bush leaves.
The same fantasy that landed the USA into trouble in Iraq is at work in Lebanon: play on words, ignore the 300M Arabs and 1.4BN Muslims because they are helpless cowards, and we can do what we like.
The Arab leaders have finally decided to fully reverse their strategy. The USA is after them come what may, and they must turn to China; Russia; and France ASAP.
They have two thirds of the world's desperately needed Oil; astonishing amount of cash which is growing fast; and 300M people.
Goodbye USA, it has been sickening knowing you.
Syria is not a charitable organization
Josh Landis
Israel Uses Shells with Radiation and Toxins that Shred Bodies: MOH Report
The Ministry pointed out, in a special report, that according to medics and surgeons in different hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip, that all the injuries caused by the Israeli war machine during its offensive in Gaza, which amounted to 249, were mostly caused by a new form of shrapnel that lead either to full amputation of limbs or a complete burn of exposed flesh.
MOH called on the international community and human rights groups to send a medical team in order to examine the injured and ascertain the presence of toxic material left by Israeli shells. The Ministry also demanded international organizations exert pressure on Israel to stop using these banned weapons against unarmed civilians in their homes and congregations.
The Ministry made clear that most of the injuries that arrived to hospitals have undergone surgeries to treat limb amputations and severe burns, as the shrapnel, though causing only small entry holes, spread through the body of the victim and cause burns and lacerations in internal organs such as spleen and intestines.
Furthermore, the report confirmed that the injured Palestinians whose limbs were amputated due to their severe condition will suffer negative impact in the future, caused mainly by the radioactive and toxic material used in the Israeli projectiles.
A surgeon in one of Gaza's hospitals mentioned in the report that shrapnel appear in the bodies like sand spread throughout the body of the victims, leaving small entry holes, but making a large exit hole accompanied by massive destruction of bones, tissues, liver and intestines.
The surgeon also added that injured Palestinians arrived at hospitals with amputated limbs and signs of severe burns, indicating that Israel is using lethal and banned weapons in its warplanes and tanks.
Israel denies this. The US denied using napalm in Fallujah as well. Turned out they lied.
The Pentagon said it had not tried to deceive. It drew a distinction between traditional napalm, first invented in 1942, and the weapons dropped in Iraq, which it calls Mark 77 firebombs. They weigh 510lbs, and consist of 44lbs of polystyrene-like gel and 63 gallons of jet fuel.
Officials said that if journalists had asked about the firebombs their use would have been confirmed. A spokesman admitted they were "remarkably similar" to napalm but said they caused less environmental damage.
In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Marine Corps Maj-Gen Jim Amos confirmed that napalm was used on several occasions in the war.
Surely "the international community and human rights groups" ought "to send a medical team in order to examine the injured and ascertain the presence of toxic material left by Israeli shells".
They can confirm Israel's "innocence", if in fact Israel has merely maimed and murdered 249 Palestinians by conventional means.
Dollars to doughnuts the US/Israeli Axis keeps any such observers far away from Israel's killing fields.
Telling Syira to stop Hezbollah is just an US/Israeli ruse, the same one they have used against the Palestinian Authority and the 'suicide bombers'. It has nothing to do with being illogical. It is a STRATEGY.Isn't that obvious by now?
Most likely, Hariri was assassinated by USIsrael in order to get the Syrians out of Lebanon to set up the attack on Lebanon we are now seeing.
The Washington Post writes about the "broad strategy":
Israel, with U.S. support, intends to resist calls for a cease-fire and continue a longer-term strategy of punishing Hezbollah, which is likely to include several weeks of precision bombing in Lebanon, according to senior Israeli and U.S. officials.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/15/AR2006071500957_pf.html
I am outright disgusted at the entire Planet's response....HUMANS are being killed by sophisticated KILLING machines such as the F 16 and they are being powered by Saudi Oil....in other words Moslem oil is powering Israeli warplanes to destroy themselves...
Where the hell is the United Nations? Where the hell is the Love? Israel is killing CIVILLIAN, simple people.I can't believe the sophisticated Isreali intelligence can stall simple Arabs from killing them.What crap?!>!>!
These actions of Israel seem completely illogical. That is until you look at how these events are directing attention. Israel is commiting genocide in Palestine while people are in shock from seeing their actions in Lebenon. I can't believe that these results are unintentional.
Thank you for your blog Juan. I find it of great value.
"Canadians killed in airstrikes on Lebanon" - BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese security officials say five Lebanese-Canadians from a single family have been killed in an Israeli air raid that hit a Lebanese town on the border with Israel.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the five were killed at their home in the town of Aitaroun, which abuts the border.
According to a friend, CTV Newsnet is saying as high as 8 Canadians killed. Given PM Harper's very vocal endorsement of Israel's actions, one wonders how he will respond to this event without appearing to condone the murder of Canadians citizens.
Lebanon charged that the US blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire. If so, it is contemptible.
If so? Why else did you think that the Bush administration sent Bolton to the U.N.? He has stated previously that the U.N. should be an instrument to advance U.S. geopolitical goals only. We are now seeing an implementation of that policy. If Israel decides to attack Syria or Iran, you can bet he will be ready with his veto.
A senior military source said that at this stage, it would not be right to bring Syria into the battle.
Notice that Israel hasn’t ruled out attacking Syria. They are basically saying that they will not attack Syria, right NOW.
Hizbullah's rocket attacks on civilian targets in Israel
Let’s look at the context here. Hizbullah launched the rocket attacks AFTER Israel invaded Lebanon.
My aunt and about ten cousins are in a van at this moment, trying to drive via back roads from Mieh-Mieh outside of Sidon to the American embassy in Beirut. They are Chrsitians, and American citizens, who are very much against Hizbullah but try explaining that to a helicopter gunship.
My heart is in my mouth.
The Arab World HAS kept silent for way too long!! NO ONE should have to live under constant terror.
If these terror groups were not supported by local arab leaders, they would not grow and fester like a ever growing cancer. The arab world needs REAL leadership, not some guys who keep repeating the same talking points, "bla, bla, peace, bla, bla, we need peace, but Isreal will sink into the sea, bla, bla, death to all non muslims, bla, bla."
The world has had enough of this crap. Bush had it correct a few years ago," You are either with us (the free, civilized world) or with the terrorists.
Yes, it is that black and white. You are either for discussion and open talk or for violence.
not that tit-for-tat really matters here, but i read a recent democracy now interview with noam chomsky
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/14/146258
where he states that the israeli soldier abducted in gaza was in response to two palestinian civilians (a doctor and his brother i think) who had been abducted by israelis.
if this is true, then why no mention of this... just same ole same ole i guess :/
Billmon states that Israel's lack of planning a) is evidence that Israel was caught of guard and b) that by reacting precipitously, Israel now appears to be rushing, headlong, over a (!) precipice.
I think Dr. Cole is more on target when he states the overall goal is to destroy Arab infrastructure and create a failed state. Seeing this, the Palestinians and the Lebanese decided to act.
There is a unique quality to this conflict not seen before. Unlike the so-called attacks in 1967 and 1973, where the Arabs supposedly started the fight and the Israelis were merely responding (I don't believe it), this time the Israelis are truly caught off guard. This is how Israel reacts when caught off guard. Compare and contrast. Discuss amongst yourselves. Mingle, mingle.
What's different is that Hamas and Hizbollah apparently have strategy whereas Israel does not. Can Israel survive years of attrition? Even though they have claimed to have been doing so, this is real attrition, not neoLikud hype.
Can Israel survive years of attrition? I think not.
Does Israel have any exit options? Short of another diaspora, where dual citizen Israelis flee to their real countries, and others merely flee, I can think of only one other option, namely rushing headlong over a cliff.
The nations of Syria and Iran are aware of this. Are they promoting violence? Perhaps, but only to the extent they suffer from US/Israeli violence. In other words, I believe their actions are measured.
More to the point, apparently they have become aware how fragile Israel is right now. One wonders if the US (Bush/Cheney) realizes the bind our country is in. One wonders whether Israel's leaders have a clue.
There is something different about this conflict, and it is this. In Iraq, a defeated army has reformed and is defeating the American troops. The paramilitary organizations opposed to Israel's policy of creeping genocide have learned how to fight asymmetric war from the Iraqis, and the US dependence on foreign oil and foreign money has emboldened them. Finally, Israel's arrogance has allowed it to assume an indefensible posture.
Israel does not have an exit strategy. Fortunately, the US does. Recognize that the continued extistence of Israel is not a necessary condition for the health and well being of the United States of America, exactly the opposite, actually, and dump Israel.
Israel wanted "A Clean Break." Allow Israel to have what it wants. Cease the financial IV, cease protectrive vetoes in the UN, purge Israeli apologists from the Cabinet (and FOX), and let Israel be.
We American will be better off.
This is truly a new world.
How can Syria reign in Hizbollah?
Try, stop giving them money, arms, logistical support............etc.
What a stupid question.
Lebanon is a sovereign country. Hezbollah is part of the government. Hezbollahs initial attack was a brazen act of war (it is also an act of sheer stupidity other than that is has taken building a consensus over Iran into a distant second ploace as an issue).
Someone asked me if Israel could have acted differently, i.e., ask the Lebanese government (via proxies) to return the soldier immediately or pay with about 30 years of infrastructure (airport, highways, etc. These are the assets of sovereign countrys).
I doubt an ultimatum would have worked any bettter (or negotiation to a prisonor exchange BEFORE a waar).
And, thats pretending that rational actors are involved who can see their greivances as seperable from others greivances.
I agree that in Iraq, Lebanon and WB/Gaza (don't be offended : Palestine is not yet a state but still refers to a territory which happens to include another sovereign state inside it) it appears that the same "cause a civil war and hope it works out to a better strategic position after the bloodshed" strategy is in action.
I'm not sure that either Bush or Olmert thinks that far ahead. Bin laden does though.
Can I just say, regarding the statements of Sadr, that if anyone was occupying Iraq other than the US (or Israel), then for all the bad happening in Lebanon, it would be helping to bring Iraqis together.
There could probably be a nearly unanimous resolution passed by Iraq's parliament opposing Israel's attacks on Lebanon and just maybe they would be able to finesse that cooperation into at least a temporary cease fire between Sunni and Shia.
We can be sure Khalizad is working directly against any outcome such as that. Preventing such an outcome, Iraq siding against Israel in Israel's disputes is one of the most important reasons for the invasion and continuing occupation themselves.
An update on Israel's use of "banned weapons", this time from Lebanon :
Lebanon facing 'annihilation' - Cabinet
Lebanon's Cabinet today issued a statement saying the country faced "real annihilation" by Israel.
It also accused the Jewish state of using banned weapons against Lebanese civilians.
"We are facing a real annihilation carried out by Israel", Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after an emergency cabinet meeting.
"Israel is using internationally prohibited weapons against civilians", he said.
He did not elaborate, but Lebanese media reports, which could not be confirmed, claimed Israel had used phosphorus incendiary bombs and vacuum bombs, which suck up the air and collapse buildings.
Surely "the international community and human rights groups" ought "to send a medical team in order to examine the injured and ascertain the presence of toxic material left by Israeli shells".
They can confirm Israel's "innocence", if in fact Israel has merely maimed and murdered hundreds of innocent Lebanese men, women and children by conventional means.
Dollars to doughnuts the US/Israeli Axis keeps any such observers far away from Israel's killing fields.
Reuters offers a nice discussion of potential war crimes by Israel and Hizbollah. In short, it looks worse for Israel.
It presents a thorough analysis and rebuttal of that rather stupid Zionist mantra, "Israel has the right to defend itself."
Ah, stacy, but what proof do we have that Syria is giving the Lebanese ANYTHING? I imagine Syria and Hizbullah are not friends at all, and want each other gone.
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