Lebanon Headlines
Massive Israeli air raids on Lebanon killed 33, mostly if not all civilians, on Monday.
The Lebanese government said it would send 15,000 Lebanese troops south to secure the border with Israel if Israeli troops withdrew. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora broke down and wept while addressing Arab foreign ministers in Beirut. He defiantly responded to Israeli threats to completely destroy the Lebanese infrastructure, saying that "Lebanon will not kneel."
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal warned the Israelis that their future in the Middle East was becoming less secure by the moment:
' Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Israeli "aggression and attacks on Lebanon must stop," adding in comments to Turkey's Milliyet daily that Riyadh's patience was wearing thin. "We have been patient for a long time, but our patience is running out ... If Israel wants to live in this region it has to learn to stay in peace with the people of the region ... They are destroying the whole country because two soldiers were captured. It is a tragedy." '
I think that was a threat from among the wealthiest oil states in the world.
A big, vitriolic demonstration in Kuwait City on Monday against Israel and the United States over the war on Lebanon. This Arab Times report is tame compared to what I saw on Arab satellite television. Despite Bush senior's having delivered them from Saddam's occupation, I don't think they like his son very much.
There was also an anti-Israel demonstration in Irbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee on what you can do.
Gilbert Achcar on the sinking of US imperial designs.
posted by Juan Cole @ 8/08/2006 12:20:00 AM
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The text of Saud's speech (Ar)is on:
http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=4&issue=10115&article=376946
Basically, he said that the Arab countries have been wrong to rely on outsiders to solve their problems, pointing out the tragic consequences in Iraq, Palestine, and now Lebanon.
The Arabs are very angry at the Iranian's bizarre statement that they rejected the UNSC draft, at Frane's sickening attempt to sell Lebanon to Israel/US, and Bush's cheap trick to get Hizbullah blamed by them.
Most of all, they are alarmed at the rise of Iran as a result of America's stupidity.
The Saudis have in the past despair at most of the other Arab leaders who used to come to summits to play to the cameras with flippant remarks and stupid grand-standing.
Now they have decided to take the lead, armed with the massive increase in Oil proceeds and the virtual end to their strategic relationship with the USA and the strong links they have recently built with China, Russia, and India.
This may well turn out to be a turning point, for the Arabs and for the USA.
"... If Israel wants to live in this region it has to learn to stay in peace with the people of the region ... "
Why oh why is only Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal saying this? Why isn't every government in the world saying this?
This post was one of your better ones, Dr. Cole.
ISRAEL is fighting a Dumb War with Smart Bombs.
the other night on American CNN, Anderson Cooper (whom the news network has "geraldo-ized"; ie., The Story is not what is happening here, but "What I am doing here," where the news is happening) said something like this: "ISRAEL has suffered ~100 casualties, of which ~60 are civilians. LEBANON has suffered ~1000 casualties, of which ~30 are Hezbollah militants." I tell you now that this is a paraphrase, and the numbers actually cited are my approximation...
...the point being, really, is the subtle way in which the "news" is massaged by American media...
...first there is the FRAME implicit: that bombing ISRAEL results in civilian casualties, while bombing LEBANON results in militant mortalities...
...second there is the untold truth: that given the numbers Mr. Anderson cited, (which were no doubt inaccurate, but who can really tally such statistics, anyway, in the fog of War), Hezbollah is killing more IDF militants, by PERCENT, with what: un-guided (Russian basis Katyusha) flying pipe bombs, guided (Russian) METIS-M anti-tank missiles, and Improvised Explosive Devices ~ than the IDF is killing actual Hezbollah combatants by targeting, albeit precisely, with (American) smart bombs and aircraft, (EuroAmerican based) state-of-the-art tanks and artillery ~ apartment buildings, office complexes and bridges.
Successful guerrillas fight a Smart War, with Dumb Bombs :-/
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