TYRE -- That's what you hear when you go out in the south these days. Well, silence and the sounds of Israeli bombs and shells. Here's an account of two days in the south:
ZEBQINE, southern Lebanon -- In this village, 10 km southeast of Tyre, the only signs of life are two donkeys rooting for food amid the rubble.Formerly grand houses are now collapsed into piles of concrete. Childrens' toys and family books lie scattered under the August sun. The tobacco leaves, a mainstay crop in the region, still hang on the wires, long-since dried. But there are almost no people.
"About 70 percent or more of the people in the south are already gone," said Khalid Mansour, the spokesman for the United Nations in Lebanon. "They've been displaced."
From journeys through more than a dozen villages on Tuesday, it appears he's right; southern Lebanon has been largely depopulated, as the remaining residents took advantage of a 48-hour lull in Israel's three-week long attacks to flee their destroyed villages. Even in towns that have largely escaped the destruction visited on places such as Zebqine and Qana, there are very few signs of activity. Most storefronts are shuttered, but not all. Except for a thick coating of grime, some stores and cafés look like the owners just stepped away for a moment and would be right back. Homes are usually locked, but one can look in to see old place settings on the table, a land-based version of the legend of the Mary Celeste.
It looks like the end of the world.
In Bourj ech Chemali, just outside of Tyre, about 1,500 remain out of some 10,000 people, according to Ali Talib, 57, a long-time resident. In Tibnine itself, a town of about 10,000 people, only about 200 remain according to Lebanese internal security forces. And in the town of Haris, just before Tibnine, only 40 people out of 8,000 remain, according to a woman awaiting a ride to Beirut along with six of her family members.
In all, some 800,000 to 900,000 Lebanese have been forced north from their homes, said Astrid van Genderen Stort, the spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. About 150,000 are in Syria, but the rest are stuffed into schools, community centers or the private homes of generous Lebanese.
"The situation is becoming increasingly dire," said Astrid van Genderen Stort, the spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. "Host families are sharing their homes with up to 30 or 40 people. It's been three weeks. They're eating into their own reserves."The only other comparable mass displacement in recent memory is Kosovo in 1998, she said, where 800,000 people were displaced in the span of a month. And as bad as the displacement was, problems continued after the cease-fire was announced.
As soon as the Serbian forces withdrew, most of the 800,000 poured back across the border to go home. "They were unstoppable," van Genderen Stort said. For months, the United Nations and other international organizations had to deal with refugees returning to a devastated country, destroyed homes and dead relatives. Much the same will happen in Lebanon, she said.
But for now, the problem is getting the people out of harm's way, and most of them have largely moved north to Sidon or Beirut. Those too poor or too sick haven't made it that far, and have instead clustered in the larger towns of the south such as Tibnine, Qana or Tyre, where they squat in school and hospital basements without electricity, surrounded in Stygian blackness and bathed in their own sweat.
With the announcement on Monday of the 48-hour lull in air strikes, hundreds of people emerged from towns across the south. For many, it was their first contact with the outside world in almost three weeks.
Between 500 and 600 refugees made it from the destroyed town of Bint Jbail in the south to the Tibnine Government Hospital, where they boarded buses and headed north to Sidon. About 200 remained in the hospital's basement Tuesday, said Lebanese internal security officials.
But not all have left. Two brothers, Ali and Hussein Talib, 57 and 54, have stayed in Bourj ech Chemali to keep their general store open. It was one of possibly two stores seen open in the backroads of the south all afternoon. They see their decision to stay open as a combination of duty and defiance.
"The first reason is to help the people who cannot find anything to eat," said Ali, the older one. "The second reason is to boost their morale."
My apologies for not posting more. I've been having to beg time on satellite modems to file and with only 5-10 minutes at a time to send and receive email, that doesn't give a lot of time to write blog posts. That said, I'd like to address something.
On several right-wing blogs, including the National Review Online, a comment I made about Hezbollah's security measures and their "hassling" of journalists has been taken to mean that we're all Hezbollah stooges here ... or something. This is not true.
What I wrote was this: "To the south, along the curve of the coast, Hezbollah is launching Katyushas, but I'm loathe to say too much about them. The Party of God has a copy of every journalist's passport, and they've already hassled a number of us and threatened one."
Let's set aside that the Lebanese Internal Security also has photocopies of our passports. The reason for the hassling and the threat was that a reporter had filmed or described either a launching site or Hezbollah positions. (I'm not sure which.) To the best of my knowledge, that's been the extent of the hassling. I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I think it's a reasonable restriction. This is the exact same restrictions placed on journalists by the Israeli army and by the Americans in Iraq. I don't think threatening journalists is cool at all, and it certainly doesn't endear me to them, but that has been the extent of Hezbollah's interference in our coverage.
Why do I think it's a reasonable restriction? Because I believe in staying neutral as a journalist. It's not my job to help out the IDF or Hezbollah. Just as I wouldn't give away Israeli positions, I won't give away Hezbollah positions. By doing either, I threaten the neutrality that we depend on here for our access and our credibility. Morally, I also think by giving away positions that could get people killed, whether they're Hezbollah or IDF soldiers, is to aid in the possibly killing of another human being. I'm really not comfortable doing that.
This is mostly academic, however. Most of the time, we never even see Hezbollah. They keep a very low profile and only come out when something happens, such as a bombing. Then the boys with the walkie-talkies appear and wave their arms and yell and generally push the reporters back until the firemen come in and put out the fire or recover bodies. That's been the extent of my dealings with Hezbollah, and it's been the case with probably 95 percent of the reporters here, too.
I do not have a Hezbollah "press pass," as one commenter suggested. They do not hold my passport (they have a photocopy, presumably.) I have neither sought nor received permission from any Hezbollah people to cover anything. No one has prevented me from covering anything. The Palestinians in Rachidiye Refugee Camp did prevent me from taking pictures of their gunmen, although I could still interview them. Everything I've reported I've either seen with my own eyes, or it has come from trusted non-Hezbollah sources. Like the ambulance story. I spoke with the drivers and I saw the very ambulances. It was not faked, and it was definitely an Israeli missile of some kind that destroyed the ambulances.
As far as Qana, I wasn't there. I don't know what the scene was like, other than what my colleagues -- who I trust -- told me and what I saw on television. As for the death toll going down from 54 to 28, well, that happens. It was apparently a confusing time and the mortician at the al-Bass Government Hospital gave out some numbers that included people also killed that day but in other places. As for why it took so long to get there, well, the strike happened at night and no one travels much after dark here, certainly not in the middle of an Israeli bombardment. I don't believe Qana was faked, as some bloggers are charging. People like Michelle Malkin are full of it and refuse to see anything with even a scintilla of objectivity or fairness. They are not journalists; they are jokes.
So that's the latest. I'm having recurring problems finding drivers to take me around, but hopefully that can be solved. I'm also open to story ideas. What would people like to see while I'm in the south awaiting a coming Israeli invasion.
How about more about the Hizbullah? An interview with some of the fighters (one’s back for a little R&R presumably) would be nice.
We get an awful lot of articles about israeli soldiers, so how about something about Hizbullah ones?
How do they think the war is going for them, their thoughts about family and loved ones, etc.
Ideas for additional stories:
What sort of “black market” has emerged in the wake of the conflict? Are there drugs (remember Lebanese Blonde?) What are the current trade routes given the destruction of so much transport infrastructure?
In a Salon article on Lebanon today Alia Malek mentions “the dense cedar forests of the Shouf, protected by the Druze during the civil war.” Have you been to this place? What is the story behind it?
There have been rumors about Israel using technology to wage some psychological warfare during this current campaign - including flooding Lebanese cell phones with text messages, sending warnings via cell phone and targeting messages to specific Hezbollah and Lebanese leaders. Have you heard anything about this?
What are the propaganda fliers that Israel has been dropping on the south like? What memes do they attempt to project?
KissMyChaddis’ suggestion is good.
I would be interested in hearing about someone from Hezbollah who was perhaps educated or grew up in the US.
I, too, would love to do the Hizbullah story. I’ve been trying to find someone to talk to, but so far no dice.
The cell phones and other psych-out stuff is a good idea.
Thanks!
Chris, thank you for the reporting. The reality of the situation in Lebanon can not be fully understood from the comfort of sitting in front a puter nine thousand miles away. I rely on your reports among others to help “separate the wheat from the chaff”. It’s a vicarious existence and I am not looking for confirmation of my beliefs or wanting to express criticism of what is reported. Just a window. Many bloggers prefer to rant and the 24/7 news outlets either suffer from knee jerk reaction or way too much over analysis of the reports coming out of the middle east. Death, refugees and hardship is the grim reality of war and it does not seem to be what a sane person would embrace in opposing peace. Everyone has God on their side to bolster the righteousness of their cause. Keep your head down; indiscriminate killing is one of the other byproducts of war.
Here’s some info about the electronic/psych warfare stuff:
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/07/28/israelusingsms_rec.html
I’ve got a question for the Lebanese that you meet. I’ve served in the Israeli intelligence, a few years back, during my IDF service. And that is when we’ve started witnessing a new trend in the shia villages in southern Lebanon. As an 18 years old girl I was really astonished. You see, the trend was the building of another floor to the house, (a family residence), which is not made to leave in, but to store missiles in, or launching sites from the new roof (or both). For me, it has remained a question with out an answer: “Why would a family let a terror organization build a launching site on top of its house?” and what reason on earth could make it so damn important to try and kill me in Israel, that they would let their house become a basis from which they will fire at me? I really want to know. Can you ask the citizens from the south why on earth would they be surprised now?
I’m sorry, am I an unwanted extremist? It’s just that I really do want to know? Because there was no occupation in Lebanon, and from what I gather from their media it really is about killing non-Islamic in Israel. I really… I want to know, why people like me on the other side would think that it is allowed? Is there any country on the face of this earth who would let a terror organization gather an army’s weapons, thought its airport (from Iran) and roads (from Syria) and would let it fire build their bases within its population, and fire a neighboring country at will, and kidnap their citizens (see the previous kidnapping) and soldiers (at 2000, and now) at will, and fire on their population at will, and then be surprised that the attacked country attacks back? I’m sorry, I really truly want to know. Because our boys are now fighting a war we didn’t want. They have to go and risk their lives to destroy these launching sites and missile storages, that Lebanon lets Hizbullah fire at us when ever they whish.
During the last year, since our withdrawal from Gaza, my parents have been living under Kassam missiles that are fired at them from the very settlements we have left. And now half of my country is under missiles attack from the territory we have left six years ago in Lebanon. (and came in there for the exact same reason in the first place). For three weeks now they are in shelters. Living their lives their. Only yesterday 8 civilians were murdered by these missiles.
So is it not reasonable to ask you to ask the Lebanese for me, why in the world would they think that letting that happen from within their state to another state is allowed? Why are they so surprised now? If you get an interview with the Lebanese PM, could you ask him for me? Because I’m really not following al these babbling about occupation that WASN’T THERE in Lebanon, or freedom fighters… freedom from what? From my very existence in a neighboring country? I would really like you to ask the next Lebanese that you meet, how come he/she is surprised. They’re supposed to be people like me, and I wouldn’t let any one fire at my neighbors from my home without asking questions. God I hope you don’t take me for an unwanted extremist.
nevermind, those familys if not already hezbollah supporters probably recieved money.although i will never understand sleeping with missles and launchers above one’s head, let alone my babies beds. maybe they felt they had no choice but to agree.i dont take you for an extremist, you have very valid points.lebenon allowed this army to establish itself in their state and homes.they knew exactly what was up.but as long as the money flows the eyes stay closed. i pray for ALL people affected by this stupid war.women,children and men alike i dont care how you pray.just as long as you do.lol.take care.G-D BLESS
Ireally respect your statement about your view of your job, but launching sites in Israel are photoed al the time. You might want to consider the option that the only reason the hizbulah wouldn’t let you film their’s, is because photoes of their loction might prove they are located within population. The killed by Isreli fire Canadian UN soldier had written about firing from behind their post, using the UN post as shelter, and risking them by doing that. The same thing is beeing done with population, and that might very well be the reason why the Hizbullah can’t afford any documentations of where they are firing from. I won’t hide my poor opinion about journalists who don’t try to refute/verify this allegation that I’ve just made, and has been made for a long time now by my state. You don’t need to publish their sites’ pictures in order to check if their locations are within population, you know.
And as for journalists’ work, you might want to check Nic Robertson from the CNN, who had admited his whole story from south Beirut was directed by Hizbullah men, because “he couldn’t check for him self”. That story was broadcasted to the whole world. So you can’t really say that journalist’s work there is an objective one. Except for Palmer, who simply mentioned in the story it self that she is beeing given that tour by Hizbullah man, and that she can’t check for her self what is really under the wreckage, and if his story is right, because he doesn’t let her.
Chris, I think that last couple of posts makes a valid observation. When you were in Iraq I think you criticzed other journalists who were embedded with US troops who by doing so lost their objective perspective. They were seeing what the US military wanted them to see.
Never Mind - far from being an extremist I think that you have struck the right tone in wanting to know some of the facts of the situation. Did anyone think that a military buildup by Hizballah was going to go unchecked? I understand the fragile position the government of Lebanon was in but they should have anticipated a military intervention by Israel. The current US administration has embraced a strategic policy of pre-emption why would we not expect other to follow suit?
Here is my “take” on the political situation in the middle east - Israel is not going anywhere and the sooner Hizballah and the Arab/Islamic extremists accept that fact the sooner real progress towards peace can be made. Another little fact, Israel will never be defeated militarily. Does anyone really think that a people who endured the holocaust is going to let themselves be “wiped off the face of the earth”? Iran will glow in the dark for a thousand years before that happens. Extremists be they neocon, Islamic or Zionist will never achieve peace, its not in their nature and peace would only marginalize them. Nothing will happen till more pragmatic moderates can assert themselves into the political process.
wat (khon Thai?):
You took the words right out of my mouth with your “take” on the situation.
Israel isn’t going anywhere, nor should it, regardless of any and all egregious acts against the Palestinians.
The only viable long-term option is for Muslims, Jews and Christians of all stripes in the region to self-identify as human beings first and to recognize that peaceful coexistence is the legacy they should be leaving for their children.
Given the modern history of the region this appears nigh-impossible to accomplish. It’s either this or the apocalypse in the long run. I choose the former.
Chris,
“Deep Throat” told the reporters to ‘follow the money’. Huge amounts of money had to be available for Hizbulla to arm, feed, cloth, educate, house, transport, train, equip, etc its “army” and supporters. If graft and corruption are indeed endemic to the Middle East someone is making a ‘killing’ - who’s getting rich off of all this misery? Isn’t it in their best interests to keep this cash cow flowing. Hate has become a vocation in the Middle East - is it a part-time or full time job? Seems to be a growth industry with its own self full filling prophecies - too bad the rest of us can’t buy stock. Keep your head down Chris, you have become important to a lot of people you will never meet.
Wil
Nevermind:
The practice of building additional floors on residences is common throughout the middle east and has absolutely nothing to do with rocket storage areas, but is rooted in basic cultural practices to do with Arab family structures - as someone who claims to have been an IDF intelligence worker it is astonishing that you wouldn’t know that. You see the exact same thing in Israeli Arab villages/towns and on the West Bank. The only reason that I can think of that you would wish to misinform people on this blog is that this legitimises the IDF practics of bombing houses - as they’re all self-evidently used for munitions storage. It’s an egregious crock of shit. At any rate, if you were going to store rockets in a residence, you’d do it in the basement - do you really expect everyone here to be so dumb as to believe what you write?
On a more general note, the Katyushas restarted when Olmert announced in the wake of the border incident that the old rules were over, and the IDF started targetting Lebanese civilian infrastructure. Obviously, it’s possible that this whole current situation could have been avoided if the Sharon government had acceded to the Israeli Supreme Court ruling to hand over the 3 remaining prisoners who were held back from the 2004 swap ( one of whom, ironically, is part Jewish ). I’d love to hear your explanation why they chose to hold on to the prisoners that they were supposed to swap. It would also be nice to know why the landmine maps have never been released - if you want to be considered as good neighbours, you actually have to behave like it as well.
Chris: The Tyre Katyusha incident that you’re referring to was broadcast live, inadvertantly, by Sky News - I saw it happening. Interestingly, they timed the counter-battery response at 11 minutes, which tells a very pertinent military story. Subsequently they were asked by the Lebanese military not to broadcast Katyusha fire live - but to wait a couple of hours before they did so. The Katyushas were fired from a wooded area outside of Tyre, and not within the town itself. Both Sky and the BBC have subsequently broadcast recorded footage of Katyushas being fired from the same general area outside Tyre.
As an addendum to my comment.
Obviously, in the wake of the IDF withdrawal in 2000 an awful lot of previously displaced villagers returned to their homes in the South - this alone would account for much of the extension of family houses as the local population expanded. I would expect an IDF intelligence officer to understand that - again, it’s basic sociology.
Hey Chris, I have a suggestion, why don’t you try to get hired at CNN, since Anderson Cooper has the leverage and entourage to prevent him from getting killed while exposing Hezbollah’s nature as an illegal state-within-a-state militia. Now that’s worthwhile journalism: http://newsbusters.org/node/6574
Because as it stands, with statements like: “I believe in staying neutral as a journalist. It’s not my job to help out the IDF or Hizbullah. Just as I wouldn’t give away Israeli positions, I won’t give away Hizbullah positions. By doing either, I threaten the neutrality that we depend on here for our access and our credibility” — implies military equivalency between a legal state-run force (the IDF) and, again, an illegal state-within-a-state militia.
I see your masters at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism taught you well about “objectivity” as I had to suffer through that for 10 months of that myself. Too bad you still believe it to be true.
Wow, Dan, good job, I’m sure you can find justifications for the Bombay bombing as well. It was just some poor Indian-based Muslims who just wanted to practice Islam in peace. Or the Oklahoma City bombing, those were just poor Christians who didn’t want the US government infringing on their rights.
Here’s a question for you, terrorist-apologist: would you rather live in country whose government can actually lay claim to running a military, or a country that has a state-within-a-state militia firing rockets (REGARDLESS OF WHO STARTED IT) into a sovereign territory.
The fact that your posts never mention the words “Hizb’allah”, “Syria” and “Iran” simply exposes your viewpoints as a one-sided joke.
Chris, I don’t know if you work the same way, but I know when I’ve been in bad and dangerous places, I got angrier about people who were too stupid to understand what I was going through than I did about the danger itself. Insult, I guess, is worse than injury because it usually comes on top of it.
I’d also like to respond to the former IDF poster above. I respect your courage in helping Israel to survive. You don’t come across as an extremist to me, and it’s interesting to hear what you say. You do come across as one-sided though. The injustice of Arabs towards Israel is real and nasty. But there is also the injustice of Israel toward Arabs. As the Israeli minister said, watching the picture of a Palestinian woman mourning on the rubble of her home: “I see my grandmother there.” The injustice has to stop on BOTH sides.
http://siegeoflebanon.blogspot.com/2006/08/meta-existentialist-piecework.html
Haha! I was just reading this post and then came over here to read the comments. Looks like Israel’s army of paid commenters are here already.
Bravo!
Chris, has Lebanese sentiment changed towards Hezbullah because of the bombardment? Has their support been strengthened or weakened within the general populace?
Are they gaining prestige by outlasting the IDF or have they take serious hits?
Great information. I can’t believe that you manage to post at all, given the circumstances. Thanks a lot!
There was an interesting article in the WSJ today by Peter Waldman (who always seems good) called “Ancient Rift Rising AcademicSees Sectarian Split Inflaming Mideast Vali Nasr Says ‘Shiite Revival’Is Met by Sunni Backlash; Resurgent Iran Leads Way Can Mullahs be Moderated?”
Take Care!
.
Very interesting.
Thanks for explaining about the journalist passports, I admit I did not correctly understand your previous post about it. Like other readers I will be interested to read an interview with hizbullah fighter(s) and perhaps their helpers. You might get different perspective than that of the recent interview conducted by Al Arabiya (english translation is on http://beirutspring.blogspot.com/) andit would be fascinating to read a post on psychological warfare. Recent hijack for a few hours (?) by Israelis of Al Manar’s broadcast was one of the examples of that. Another was a call which a guy in Israel got telling him that Israeli press/TV is lying to him. The number of that call was untraceable. So a post on that might be newsworthy. Anyway, thanks for posting and keep safe.
I agree with Dan; the idea of “missiles stored in houses” is silly.
A Zelzal missile is waaaay too big to store in a house, even Bill Gate’s house.
Do you agree, Dan?
Sophia.
PS No one’s paying me to write this.
“Obviously, it’s possible that this whole current situation could have been avoided if the Sharon government had acceded to the Israeli Supreme Court ruling to hand over the 3 remaining prisoners who were held back from the 2004 swap ( one of whom, ironically, is part Jewish ).”
Dan, I don’t know who you are. But it doesn’t matter what the ethnic origins of the 3 retained prisoners are. And I do not believe that the ISC said the 3 had to be given back, only that Sharon was legally empowered to do so if he thought it was wise.
One of them was Samir Quntar, a devil in apparently human form. He who smashed open a little girl’s head with a rock while her father begged for her life.
That fucking devil will be traded over my dead body.
In response to your last question: The truth.
Dan & Sophia –(Dan, I read just your first sentence, I got too tired to go own. Sorry.) the storing of missiles in houses is a fact. Further more, bunkers were also built, under the ground, with tunnels branches, which exits are inside homes, so that those exiting them will not be exposed. It is a fact. Sophia, most of the missiles fired at Israel are Katyushaes, not Zilzals. Dan- I fail to see the conflict with the extra building being common. Exactly the opposite. The new trend (new at the time) is using that common way of building for a new purpose, other than living in. Anyway, it is a sad fact, the irony is I don’t think it less ridiculous than you do, I sure would have rather it being not true, but it is really is frustrating to see how misinformed normal people around the world are. That is exactly why I am amazed by the poor job that journalists are doing most of the time. Do you think that I am lying? Well, by all means, CHECK THAT ALREADY FOR YOURSELVES. What are journalists for? I see Hizbulah men who are interviewed, and I can’t help but wonder how come nobody asks them this questions? What? Would it be rude?! Or are concepts of rudeness a little more strict when you are interviewing some one who is a terrorist, who might get upset? I don’t know, but it is exactly why I’m visiting this blog. I don’t want you to believe me, I want journalists to check for themselves, and report. I can’t understand why these questions are never brought up in interviews with the locals. Be that as it may, it is a fact, whether you want to believe it or not.
Quixote- you have mentioned the Palestinian issue. Want to hear something funny? You stole my argument. This is one of the arguments I have been making for ever (in terms of my lifetime). I have been to every demonstration, to get out of the occupied territories any way we can. I was there when Y. Rabbin was shot. I was there when it turned out that the Oslo agreements wasn’t stoping the terror. I was there shouting my throat out, in endless arguments between those who thought that it is immoral to make peace experiments that cost lives, as belief in Oslo grew weacker and weacker , (since fundamentalist incitement was still in tutorial books, and not one penny was spent on building an upcoming Palestinian state by Yaser Arafat, and it sure didn’t look like he was heading for peace), and those, like me, who thought nothing could be worse than the damage that being occupiers brings us as a democratic society. Well, as you know, my side won. And we managed to get Ehud Barak elected. I was walking on air when he took Yaser Arafat to Camp David and offered him everything. Full withdrawal from the occupied territories and al the help and money they needed, so that by now there would be new cities instead of refugee camps in the west bank and Gaza. There would be roads, universities, hospitals, future for the next generation, and flourishing of Israel in cooperation with the Palestinian neighboring growing state we had dreamed of. The result of Camp-David’s talks was another war. If you thing I’m biased, then go to Clinton’s statements at the time. He was there, too. Still, believe or not, I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THE OCCUPIED TERIRTORIES and the majority of Israel feels just like me. That is exactly why the one sided withdrawal from Gaza, had a majority in Israel. My god, it is EXACTLY what Ehud Olmert was elected to do in the west bank only 3 month ago! Do you have any advice as to how exactly are we supposed to do that? At these stage we are really open to suggestions. Because everywhere we pull out of, is used to export terror at as. What else can I say? What? Have you been on a vacation, and didn’t notice what I’m talking about? Do I have an explanation why things are so ridicules, that stating them makes me look biased? No. I don’t. my logic says that they should have jumped at the opportunity to use the settlements that we have left to start building their own state, to be continued in the west bank as well. But instead they are being used to fire at us Kassams, that killed children and mothers in their homes, and were fired at schools and kindergartens and “just” houses. When that didn’t make us go back to gaza for over a year of enduring, they recently kidnapped a soldier from within our territories. What could we have done other wise? Maybe not guard our border from within? Just live it to the coming in of territories? You bring up the Palestinian issue, and I really don’t understand where have you been the last 15 years? The Israeli society has been busy in nothing but tiring to get out of the occupied territories and start moving on to our own issues (you know: education, health, supporting academic research, normal stuff to argue about and elect according to). But whenever we do that, some Islamic movement decides that the Palestinians don’t need a state, a future out of the third world, or prosperity. I’m quoting the present Palestinian PM who told his people: “live on olives and water until we defeat Zionism all together”. This PM has his boss sitting not in the Palestinian authority, but in Syria. His funds and therefore orders are coming from Iran. The very same boss of Hizbullah. The president of Iran is kind enough not to be district about his goal, as his agents, Hammas and Hizbullah are. Just look for his last/next statement and you’ll learn for your self why it is being made impossible for us to stay out of any territory we evacuate. Their worst nightmare is for the Palestinian problem to be solved. Peace is the end of their justification of existence. That is why they attacked us more and more for 6 years from Lebanon. That is why my parents are under Kassams from gaza. And that is why a 20 years old Palestinian person, who just started school during Oslo talks, and therefore could have been a doctor/scientist/footballplayer/writer by now is most likely to not have gotten the future he could have had, because his leaders, payed by Iran, would have him live on olives until the Iranian vision is achieved, the extermination of Israel. By the way, we really are open to suggestions, because the next stop for us after the fighting is the withdrawal from the west bank. One glimpse at our map, shows that if what happened in our previous withdrawals happens now, not only the south and the north of Israel will be under rockets, but the centre as well. So really, I truly will be happy to listen to any suggestion that you might have.
KissMyChaddis- You tire me.You might not understand the frustration that I feel, that makes me tour around the Internet for any sort of logic to this mess. Maybe from an outside view it looks more sane, is the thought that made me wonder around in international journalism rather than the local. But the truth is it makes me even more frustrated and tired. Your remark about played comments by me, shows more than anything, your own cynicism. Live me be, why don’t you.
“Sophia, most of the missiles fired at Israel are Katyushaes, not Zilzals. “
Nevermind: none of the missiles being fired at Israel have been Zelzals, so far. Most have been “Katyushas”, a couple Fajrs.
My point was that you can’t store a Zelzal, which is gigantic, in a house.
However, your point is correct. Just because Arabs build huge houses with extensions & extra floors ….proves…what? Eh, Dan? What does it prove?
Yes, Hizb. has built a network of tunnels, bunkers, etc. which extend into civilian areas. Israel must destroy thse, and then journalists such as Allbritton end up being stooges for the Hizb. line.
Allbritton may think he is objective, but objectively speaking, he’s just a Hizb. PR person.
Allbritton: tell me something about those Zelzals I don’t know.
Do some goddam reporting. Don’t just tell me that war sucks. I already know that.
Sophia: one zilzal launching attempt has failed during the previous week. but otherwise you are right. Only I am not sure about the missiles fired at Hadera last night. That is why I couldn’t state what you stated for sure. Thank you for answering (and listening). Really.
It just hit me that those who read ma might not be aware of the draft (by law) of any 18 years old person in Israel. So I came back to clarify: I didn’t risk my life for my country as someone had stated. I served the whole time in the center of Israel. Nothing adventurous about it. My service had more to do with my math skills than with any bravery. It is not an uncommon thing, since the inelegance force is the second greater one in IDF. So obviously the chances to find yourself in it are not so small.
“the inelegance force is the second greater one in IDF.”
Posted by: nevermind | August 5, 2006 2:03 PM
Ah, serendipitous poetry and truth.
Yet in this asymmetrical conflict, against an elusive enemy with no true need to stand and fight to defend any given piece of ground, Israel’s leaders have chosen to fight with precisely this “inelegance force” that is most certainly second best for the task: bombing and brute military force.
They would have been far better off leaving the job to the “elegance force” — Mossad and special forces — which for these purposes would indeed have been the “greater one in the IDF.”
Sadly, the inelegance of politicians’ minds often leads them to hastily order inelegant actions with gruesomely inelegant results. More elegant minds might have asked what real victory or security they stood to gain, even if half the personnel in Hezbollah were killed and their every tunnel and rocket destroyed, with more rockets a short supply chain away, with any Arab who had dared to speak of peace with Israel discredited, and with a devastated Lebanon forgetting all its sectarian divisions behind a fierce hatred of Israel, the state that had again visited it with destruction just as it was daring to hope for the future.
Israel’s actions in Lebanon are worse than war crimes; they are war blunders.
I ment to say: “The intelligence force is the second greatest (in terms of manpower)”.
But I’m sure you already know that.
I ment to say: “The intelligence force is the second greatest (in terms of manpower)”.
But I’m sure you already know that.
How about more interviews with Lebanese locals. I would like to know more about how the average Lebanese see the relationship between the current events in Lebanon and other events in the Middle East? I increasingly fear that a connection will be established between the current Israeli invasion, the security crisis in Iraq and the escalation of the conflict between Teheran and western leaders, and that this will lead to increased instability in the Middle East.
PS - good reporting
It would be interesting to get some sort of idea as to where all the different groups sit with this war. The christians, Druze, Moderate muslims, the other groups such as policial parties. I guess from a “how do we think it should be solved” point of view as well as “How has your view of the others changed” one.
Regards
It would be interesting to get some sort of idea as to where all the different groups sit with this war. The christians, Druze, Moderate muslims, the other groups such as policial parties. I guess from a “how do we think it should be solved” point of view as well as “How has your view of the others changed” one.
Regards
and another one relevant to the foreign journalists’ objectivity: (or failure to be objective, as they are being cynically used by Hizbullah)
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html
and another one relevant to the foreign journalists’ objectivity: (or failure to be objective, as they are being cynically used by Hizbullah)
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html
and another one relevant to the foreign journalists’ objectivity: (or failure to be objective, as they are being cynically used by Hizbullah)
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html
NH Dem: this might interest you
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3287189,00.html
In short (this is a work day for me), I have to tell you that your stand is racist and patronizing. People in Lebanon are no different then you or me. Your whole view (common in the west) is so insulting, I’m beginning to think the west deserves in a way the Terror that is coming its way. You sound like Israel should play the role of “The Responsible Adult” in the Middle East, so that the “Kids” around it won’t get upset. I’m familiar with that view; it is a mistaken interpretation of the difference between our values, and theirs. Nevertheless, it is immoral as it is groundless.
There is no reason to adopt a pedagogic approach, towards Lebanon. Their logic is fine and healthy, just like any other adult in France or in Israel. There is a difference in values between the (three!) cultures, but even if their values don’t raise the question whether it is wrong for them to hate us to death, still, they are perfectly capable of acknowledging the responsible of a sovereign state on its territory. Their analysis of the risks is based simply on the facts, like every healthy logic. They came to the conclusion, based on facts from the past, and from the world’s stated policy in the Middle East, that for some reason the world would not let Israel defend it self. The difference between the cultures made them misinterpret Israel’s withdrawals as weakness and admission of the world’s control over her. But in no way does that make them incapable of understanding their responsibilities or mistakes. To tell you the truth, my father was born in Syria, and I’m a little offended by your attitude towards them. They do not need any taming, and don’t need to get any different treatment than any other state in the west.
As for your suggestion we use the Mossad for specific elimination of leaders in Hezbollah, it won’t solve the problem. Nassrallah has inherited the “thrown” after we killed the previous leader. So we kill him, so what? There is no shortage of Shiites in the middle east to take all of current Hezbullah men’s places. They don’t fear death by Israel, they think it the best use of their lives. So in fact, the only way to stop the attacks from Lebanon is to make sure Lebanon holds to it responsibilities as a state, not to allow it. Just like in Saudi Arabia, or Jordan, or any other Arab state that doesn’t allow terror to raise its head. There is no reason to pet their backs for being incapable of understanding that. It is OK. They are perfectly capable of that. The only thing detaining that is the belief that facts will again prove that they don’t have to hold to the normal responsibilities as a state, as long as Israel is the state getting hurt. If Israel for some reason would again prove this assumption right, either on its own free will, or because of worldwide condemnation, they would very logically conclude that their assumption was right, and that they can go on not being held responsible. If that happens, the minute Iran has nuclear heads, it won’t need to develop a bomb that can get to Tel Aviv, it can just let Hezbollah use that stuff. That is exactly why Saudi Arabia feels so strongly in favor of the Israeli attack. They are in that danger as well as us, (and the whole world) once the Hezbullah gets a hold on the “new” weapon.
By the way, today 11 Israelis were killed by missiles.
nevermind, Respect your opinion and plight as a fellow human, but disagree with your overall take. Tell me how YOUR sh*t smells a little, and maybe we can talk. Or are you too non-human to be hoodwinked by your own government, or by anyone’s propaganda?
Sadly, justified restitution for the Holocaust is still being disputed. That is the core of this, and always will be. My ancestors died in the ovens with many others, my father was raised Orthodox in the slums of NYC during the Depression, I have a bloodline to this stuff.
But I also have to use my brain to get past all the noise of one’s own paradigms and prejudices.
Both sides, to me, are completely full of sh*t, have failed miserably to fully take the other’s humanity into account — the Arabs about the real genocide of the Holocaust; Jews about the enslaving chains of colonialism and post-colonial western domination that have kept Arabs from EVER having a say in how their own affairs are run or a CHANCE at the “democracy” Israelis enjoy. Or most Israelis.
You have a people who rose from the ashes of their ancestors’ genocide to build a “democracy” (ironically owing much to its European roots); and another people who have never been ALLOWED to rise from the ashes, because the tyranny of oil has kept them chattel for the consumer masses worldwide, of which Israel is certainly one. If there’s one place you can’t let the people control things, it’s where there’s oil — necessary to REALLY control things.
Until a mutual humanity is acknowldeged and respected, until both groups can manage to overcome their experientially ingrained prejudices and anger (much of it JUSTIFIED, but still in need of getting beyond), the mindless violence will continue and produce nothing but increased misery or, perhaps if let to continue to long, complete mutual destruction.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
What does the holocaust have to do with this?? I don’t need their culture to recognize the holocaust for what it is inorder to achieve stability. If that happens one day, well great! but if we see that as a prior condition the world will be back fighting with stones and sticks before there’s any seize fire. (also Albert Einsteins’)
Please don’t lecture me about dreams of peace. I have probably spent more time in cooperated projects of Palestinian and Israeli youth, more than I spent time in class. from the time I was youth my self, to the time I organized these projects in university. Our strive for peace is not going to ever end, that is part of every breath we take. I’m not going to get in to that. And it is a totally different issue.
Prior to that issue is making sure all parties are kept alive so that there will be people to make peaca among them. And that is what we’re dealing with now. I’m sorry to disapoint you, but this is not about you liking me. I will see no connection between you/their love/affection for us, and the current need for them to realise this is unacceptable, just as it is unacceptable anywhere else in the world.
I don’t need them to recognize the holocaust in order to recognize that they can’t kill us and get away with that. Just as I don’t need you to feel identification with us, in order to get your approval that we can defend our citizen’s life.
Do not be mistaken: Our strive for peace is not ment for you to like us. I have to clarify and emphasis it. You have some nerve demanding me to prove us “worthy” of self defence in a time of a turning point that might bring about astategic danger to my people. Regardless of how wrong you might think us, we have the right to defend our selves just like any other nation. If you feel any need to know more about the Israeli endless arguments, you can tour the Israeli web. But I think you’ll find that along with me the whole of the left side of the political map, as all sides, put aside all differences because of the war that has been imposed upon us. (and because there is no time for politics when you host children from the north, or in shelters.
What does the holocaust have to do with this?? I don’t need their culture to recognize the holocaust for what it is inorder to achieve stability. If that happens one day, well great! but if we see that as a prior condition the world will be back fighting with stones and sticks before there’s any seize fire. (also Albert Einsteins’)
Please don’t lecture me about dreams of peace. I have probably spent more time in cooperated projects of Palestinian and Israeli youth, more than I spent time in class. from the time I was youth my self, to the time I organized these projects in university. Our strive for peace is not going to ever end, that is part of every breath we take. I’m not going to get in to that. And it is a totally different issue.
Prior to that issue is making sure all parties are kept alive so that there will be people to make peaca among them. And that is what we’re dealing with now. I’m sorry to disapoint you, but this is not about you liking me. I will see no connection between you/their love/affection for us, and the current need for them to realise this is unacceptable, just as it is unacceptable anywhere else in the world.
I don’t need them to recognize the holocaust in order to recognize that they can’t kill us and get away with that. Just as I don’t need you to feel identification with us, in order to get your approval that we can defend our citizen’s life.
Do not be mistaken: Our strive for peace is not ment for you to like us. I have to clarify and emphasis it. You have some nerve demanding me to prove us “worthy” of self defence in a time of a turning point that might bring about astategic danger to my people. Regardless of how wrong you might think us, we have the right to defend our selves just like any other nation. If you feel any need to know more about the Israeli endless arguments, you can tour the Israeli web. But I think you’ll find that along with me the whole of the left side of the political map, as all sides, put aside all differences because of the war that has been imposed upon us. (and because there is no time for politics when you host children from the north, or in shelters.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=249JaIaubVw
An absolutely brilliant interview of George Galloway about Lebanon on Sky News. He rips the anchor woman a new one.
KissMyChaddis:
This is unspeakable. He brags about our casualties, as a sign of loss. Our casualties are a direct result of the moral code that makes us risk lives of soldiers going in the traps that have been built for six years. I can assure you: if we weren’t worried about children that might have made to stay there, in spite of our warnings for all civilians to leave the place, not one soldier would be needed; we would just bomb the Bint Jable from air. It is the villain’s argument to cynically use that to as a measure of whether we are winning or losing. Let me remind you that by warning the population about are soon to be invasions, we take on ourselves the risk of loosing all surprise factors in this war, just so that civilians who had been giving Hezbullah shelter, don’t get hurt. By doing that, we let we are accepting on ourselves the need to overcome expected ambushes. To mock us for that… something really needs to be wrong with you. By the way, the pictures he was looking at, are of the Katyusha hit in a Kibutz. That means, that it was meant to hit civilians (as it hits al the time, wiping out family members in their homes), not soldiers (that were concentrated there before activity).
But the lies are the worst. There aren’t thousands of Lebanese. Further more Nassrallah had specifically stated that these kidnaps are meant to release Samir Cuntar. Samir Cuntar has murderd in his own hands a girl by a casting her head in the rocks at the sea shore, with her father witnessing, bagging for her life. He had murdered her father too. How did they get to the sea shore? Samir Cuntar was the commanding terrorist in a group that came in to Israel from Lebanon, in order to murder Israelis. They entered a home of Haran family, of Tamar Haran, her husband and two daughters. Only Tamar was left, because they had to escape. Samir was taking hostage the father and the child that still wasn’t murdered, and he murdered them on the sea shore. This is who Nasrallah committed to free in return of the soldiers.
There is no end to your cynicism. The man who spoke in the interview is a villain. There is no end to his lies. You see, that terror act took place in 1979. Before there was one soldier in Lebanon. There was a chain of consistent terror acts “exported” from Lebanon, that Lebanon never bothered to stop. The Massacre at Maalot, at the year of 1974, was another one I can recall, when terrorists from Lebanon came inside Israel, and took hold of a school. They murderd 21 children, and wounded dozens. I wasn’t even born! There was no occupation in Lebanon at the time. The consistent coming in of terrorists from Lebanon those years was no coincidence. There were “training bases” (as if killing families and school children ever needed any training) in all of Lebanon’s side of the border, and Lebanon refused to take any responsibility for them. That was the reason for the invasion in 1983, after 15 years of consistent invasions of terrorists to our homes. So that there would be a safety strip of IDF soldiers holding back any further attempt to invade Israel, by terrorist. Occupation is the use of someone’s land and natural resources like Europe had enriched it self of. These was no occupation. There was never any attempt to use anything of Lebanon, or to settle on their land. Just the opposite, Israel gents constantly tried to make them take responsibility for their border. Until the year 2000, when Ehud Barak had stated that we shouldn’t take that burden on our shoulders any more, and that it was time for Lebanon to start taking responsibility. This interviewer is lying when he says we are still holding their territories. The UN, had recognized our full withdrawal from all of their territories, in resolution 1559. This is a cynical, cynical argument. Since the Shava lands he had mentioned weren’t left by us because Syria states it its own, and wouldn’t let Lebanon get a hold on it. The only reason for Syria not to let it be included in the Lebanon withdrawal, is to give Hezbollah some more excuse for murdering us. If they are about “Lebanon defense” than how come their terror against us had started over ten years before the Israeli invasion there?
And by the way, I mentioned my father was born in Syria. When he was only an infant, some where between 1944-1948 in Damascus, he was in the synagogue with his grandfather, when a mob, inflamed by the local police (this is how a mob is usually inflamed there) stored in to the synagogue, and murdered and wounded who ever it could. My father’s grandfather’s hands were busy sheltering the infant in his arms, and so my father witnessed the pulling out of his grandfather’s eye as his hands are locked hugging his grandchild, and while he managed to run and save their lives. This was before there was even one cm of occupation, (there wasn’t even a jewish state) so what was the excuse then?
P.S. he doesn’t come out brilliant, he comes out aggressive, as anybody who is lying his teeth out would be.
KissMyChaddis:
This is unspeakable. He brags about our casualties, as a sign of loss. Our casualties are a direct result of the moral code that makes us risk lives of soldiers going in the traps that have been built for six years. I can assure you: if we weren’t worried about children that might have made to stay there, in spite of our warnings for all civilians to leave the place, not one soldier would be needed; we would just bomb the Bint Jable from air. It is the villain’s argument to cynically use that to as a measure of whether we are winning or losing. Let me remind you that by warning the population about are soon to be invasions, we take on ourselves the risk of loosing all surprise factors in this war, just so that civilians who had been giving Hezbullah shelter, don’t get hurt. By doing that, we let we are accepting on ourselves the need to overcome expected ambushes. To mock us for that… something really needs to be wrong with you. By the way, the pictures he was looking at, are of the Katyusha hit in a Kibutz. That means, that it was meant to hit civilians (as it hits al the time, wiping out family members in their homes), not soldiers (that were concentrated there before activity).
But the lies are the worst. There aren’t thousands of Lebanese. Further more Nassrallah had specifically stated that these kidnaps are meant to release Samir Cuntar. Samir Cuntar has murderd in his own hands a girl by a casting her head in the rocks at the sea shore, with her father witnessing, bagging for her life. He had murdered her father too. How did they get to the sea shore? Samir Cuntar was the commanding terrorist in a group that came in to Israel from Lebanon, in order to murder Israelis. They entered a home of Haran family, of Tamar Haran, her husband and two daughters. Only Tamar was left, because they had to escape. Samir was taking hostage the father and the child that still wasn’t murdered, and he murdered them on the sea shore. This is who Nasrallah committed to free in return of the soldiers.
There is no end to your cynicism. The man who spoke in the interview is a villain. There is no end to his lies. You see, that terror act took place in 1979. Before there was one soldier in Lebanon. There was a chain of consistent terror acts “exported” from Lebanon, that Lebanon never bothered to stop. The Massacre at Maalot, at the year of 1974, was another one I can recall, when terrorists from Lebanon came inside Israel, and took hold of a school. They murderd 21 children, and wounded dozens. I wasn’t even born! There was no occupation in Lebanon at the time. The consistent coming in of terrorists from Lebanon those years was no coincidence. There were “training bases” (as if killing families and school children ever needed any training) in all of Lebanon’s side of the border, and Lebanon refused to take any responsibility for them. That was the reason for the invasion in 1983, after 15 years of consistent invasions of terrorists to our homes. So that there would be a safety strip of IDF soldiers holding back any further attempt to invade Israel, by terrorist. Occupation is the use of someone’s land and natural resources like Europe had enriched it self of. These was no occupation. There was never any attempt to use anything of Lebanon, or to settle on their land. Just the opposite, Israel gents constantly tried to make them take responsibility for their border. Until the year 2000, when Ehud Barak had stated that we shouldn’t take that burden on our shoulders any more, and that it was time for Lebanon to start taking responsibility. This interviewer is lying when he says we are still holding their territories. The UN, had recognized our full withdrawal from all of their territories, in resolution 1559. This is a cynical, cynical argument. Since the Shava lands he had mentioned weren’t left by us because Syria states it its own, and wouldn’t let Lebanon get a hold on it. The only reason for Syria not to let it be included in the Lebanon withdrawal, is to give Hezbollah some more excuse for murdering us. If they are about “Lebanon defense” than how come their terror against us had started over ten years before the Israeli invasion there?
And by the way, I mentioned my father was born in Syria. When he was only an infant, some where between 1944-1948 in Damascus, he was in the synagogue with his grandfather, when a mob, inflamed by the local police (this is how a mob is usually inflamed there) stored in to the synagogue, and murdered and wounded who ever it could. My father’s grandfather’s hands were busy sheltering the infant in his arms, and so my father witnessed the pulling out of his grandfather’s eye as his hands are locked hugging his grandchild, and while he managed to run and save their lives. This was before there was even one cm of occupation, (there wasn’t even a jewish state) so what was the excuse then?
P.S. he doesn’t come out brilliant, he comes out aggressive, as anybody who is lying his teeth out would be.
I have to state the obvious,that is sometimes headen when speaking to cynical people: The main difference between the united state arming us, and Iran arming a terrorist group in Lebanon, is that Iran specifically states her intention to exterminate us. We could never have such intentions.
Their civilians are getting hurt inspite of our efforts to avoid that, while their every effort is to kill ours (and I think to get us to kill their’s as well).
But I shouln’t worry my self too much about who manages to miss the obvious in Europe, because they have no intention to stop with us. We are only the first stop. Because they see us as the weack link of the western world. And they watch this speakers tring to pay protection by volunteering to sacrifice their honesty, and beiliving Israel deserves this. Like any protection fee, it doesn’t protect you, it just makes your fear more obviuos. (see Chehoslovakia in WW2).
I’ve been reading since the israili invasion.THe most amazing blog ever!!!
it would be great if ita was possible for you to report on hesballah cause most people including me know nothing about them except what is heard from the news. the general stuff. a more intimate aproach like battle stories and propaganda from their side of the conflict would be very intersting for everyone.everybody already hears about the humanitarian situation every day. thanks a lot for such great reporting and be carefull. i’ll keep reading….
You say that the ambulances were damaged “definitely [by] an Israeli missile of some kind”. So you don’t know what kind of missile? If so, how do you know it was an Israeli missile? Indeed, how do you know it was a missile at all?
You say that the ambulances were damaged “definitely [by] an Israeli missile of some kind”. So you don’t know what kind of missile? If so, how do you know it was an Israeli missile? Indeed, how do you know it was a missile at all?
You say that the ambulances were damaged “definitely [by] an Israeli missile of some kind”. So you don’t know what kind of missile? If so, how do you know it was an Israeli missile? Indeed, how do you know it was a missile at all?
Nice report. I would like to hear how Hizbullah operates militarily (in general terms, not in specifics). How and where do they hide if they are operating under constant Israeli surveillance? Do they work mostly at night, or in the day as well? It sounds like southern Lebanon is now mostly a pile of rubble already partly occupied by the Israeli army. What kind of military tactics can Hizbullah expect to be successful if they are so outgunned? What kind of supply lines can they have if they are being attacked from the air? Finally, where is this whole conflict heading in the absence of any kind of U.N. intervention? Is it going to spread into a regional war with Syria, Iran and others?
Nice report. I would like to hear how Hizbullah operates militarily (in general terms, not in specifics). How and where do they hide if they are operating under constant Israeli surveillance? Do they work mostly at night, or in the day as well? It sounds like southern Lebanon is now mostly a pile of rubble already partly occupied by the Israeli army. What kind of military tactics can Hizbullah expect to be successful if they are so outgunned? What kind of supply lines can they have if they are being attacked from the air? Finally, where is this whole conflict heading in the absence of any kind of U.N. intervention? Is it going to spread into a regional war with Syria, Iran and others?
I find it astonishing the level of Israel-snogging going on here in the comments section.
Oooh! Ahhh! Israel has the RIGHT to kill other people, but those same people are satanically evil if they kill Israelis.
Follow the money to understand the Hizbollah political support! But not a word about following the money to understand the Israeli political support.
How can anyone use their homes to store munitions to kill Israelis? But not a single question about how Israelis can support killing defenseless Lebanese (and Palestinian) civilians with jet-fighters, helicopter gunships, and self-propelled artillery.
It’s the stunning level of one-sided hypocricy that bothers me. For whatever reason, I’d expected better. Glad I got this cleared up.
I’m not going to make comparisons with the few civilians killed in this small conflict and the numbers killed in past wars.
That is comparing then, versus now.
Now of course, the passing of any human life is looked upon with different eyes, different values and certainly with different clarity.
Where were the camcorders and reporters in past wars? Where was the live in color and dolby stereo coverage?
Where were the pictures of mothers and fathers pulling their hair, beating the air and their heads in grief as they came to the terrible conclusion that their children were dead?
But I would like to point out that everyone has learned how to use the media to gain victory and sympathy against the “other” side. Some better than others.
Propaganda, of course, was used in past wars, but never, ever to the effect that it has been used in the 21st. century.
So, even though terrible things are occuring and bad things happening to good people, lets all not forget these things.
The color of the water [media] is sometimes the only thing you see things through, so wearing rose colored glasses will not help you decide, nor know the truth, but may make you feel better, in your certainty of the truth, and your ability to endure it.
Whatever you decide that is.
Papa Ray West Texas USA
Allbritone: If you reported anything from south Beirut, than you HAVE MET HEZBULLAH MEN. Because you would not be able to get in the wrecking without their full supervision. You called some other journalist a “sad joke of a journalist” (I don’t know him, and have got nothing to say on the matter), but keep in mind that if you intreview people who are Hezbullah men, and you don’t even know that that is infact what they are, and report their stories as if they were ordinary civilians, then you are just being used like the franch reporter from the link I’ve added aforementioned. I can’t think of a better definition of a sad joke of a journalist than someone who is too lazy or afraid to refrain from reporting what he hadn’t checked for him self to be true. Even if the men who controll the area won’t let you check for yourself, your duty to your job is to report that fact, and let the readers decide for theirselves whether they want to believe this not varified story or not. Your job is to work hard in order to recognize when you are speaking to a hezbullah man, and when it is an ordinary civilian. Other wize you become the joke, and much worse, you won’t be remmebered as just that, but as another one who had cost the world its chance for a clear view of what is really going own.
Allbritone: If you reported anything from south Beirut, than you HAVE MET HEZBULLAH MEN. Because you would not be able to get in the wrecking without their full supervision. You called some other journalist a “sad joke of a journalist” (I don’t know him, and have got nothing to say on the matter), but keep in mind that if you intreview people who are Hezbullah men, and you don’t even know that that is infact what they are, and report their stories as if they were ordinary civilians, then you are just being used like the franch reporter from the link I’ve added aforementioned. I can’t think of a better definition of a sad joke of a journalist than someone who is too lazy or afraid to refrain from reporting what he hadn’t checked for him self to be true. Even if the men who controll the area won’t let you check for yourself, your duty to your job is to report that fact, and let the readers decide for theirselves whether they want to believe this not varified story or not. Your job is to work hard in order to recognize when you are speaking to a hezbullah man, and when it is an ordinary civilian. Other wize you become the joke, and much worse, you won’t be remmebered as just that, but as another one who had cost the world its chance for a clear view of what is really going own.