Today's Lebanon reports
Eva7
Posts: 226
This is an article I have translated, written by a great journalist friend, who is a war corrispondent in the middle east. A preview for you before publication.
Lebanon’s hell
By Patrizia Viglino
Lebanon is on its knees. Eight days of incessant military raids have destroyed the country and slaughtered the civilian population. The casualties account grows hourly: 280 people killed, most of them harmless civilians. The whole Lebanon is under the massive fire of the Israeli F-16 fighters and the aircrafts’ shooting towards the cities, and Beirut, where they hit the Asharafiya central area. In the east suburbs of the capital 29 people have been killed today. In Beirut also a Lebanon army station has been stricken and 11 soldiers have been killed. An entire family of 9 civilians has been wiped out in the village of Aitarun, and in Nabatya a woman and her three children have been killed by a missile striking their house. The Lebanese Information minister Ghazi Aridi blames Israel for using incendiary phosphor weapons on the civilians, causing the abrupt collapse of the bombed civilian buildings. Incendiary weapons are banned since 1980 and have been widely used by the US troops in Iraq. The Palestinian minister of healthcare had already called for an international investigation to track the use of forbidden weapons on the Gaza population, after witnessing that many bodies and injured showed signs of burn and arrived at the hospitals with major mutilations.
The major of the village of Srifa, Afif Najdi, reported a massacre of civilians, fifteen houses have been destroyed, 12 people killed, many children included, and more than 30 injured. In all the country it is difficult to bring aid and many bodies have not been recovered, with many remaining buried under the rubbles after the collapse of the buildings.
A new statement from the Lebanon government claimed that Israel has destroyed the major infrastructures of the country, bombing ports and airports, 38 link roads, 42 bridges, powers plants, waterworks and gas stations, together with TV and telecommunication offices in violation of the Geneva Convention.
The Beirut-Damascus highway through the Beka’ valley has been destroyed, blocking the escape route to the many civilians who were running from the bombs and destruction. 100,000 civilians are reported to have left the country fleeing in Syria, but many have been killed while escaping. On Sunday, a minibus has been hit in Shamaa, southern Lebanon, and 18 people have been killed, three more have been killed while traveling to Syria by car. There are several children among the victims, but the western press doesn’t deliver the images. Another minibus of civilians in flight was hit in southern Lebanon after being sent back from UNIFIL, because, according to a spokesperson, they could not be assured of safety. They died in the fire, men, women and children included.
900,000 refugees are reported mainly in the south, where the fighters raids have been massive. Families turned homeless are gathering into schools or in public offices and even in public parkings of Beirut, a town that has turned to hell.
Coastal cities have also been stricken, like Byblos, the major Christian city of Zahle in the center of the country, and the city of Ba’albek, in the Beka’ valley, a great historical and archeological site. The UN mission of the UNIFIL reports their difficulty of bringing aid, because the bombings don’t ensure the safety of the aid departments. Also an ambulance of the Lebanese Red Crescent and the Red Cross office in Ansariya have been hit, with the medical staff injured, according to al Jazeera report. The injured stay buried under the rubbles and the aid staff has difficulty to reach the hospitals. The civilian evacuation is also impossible in the most stricken areas.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had claimed that “Now Israel is a terrorist state who is committing terrorist acts every day… Israel is breaking Lebanon into pieces”, according to the Ha’aretz issue of a few days ago..
Lebanon is actually cut off from the world and, until the blood bath doesn’t stop, in the last 48 hours foreign governments have delayed twice the decision to intervene to stop the Israeli attacks against the population. The power of the US veto goes beyond the spectrum of the Security Council of the UN. Bush orders massacres, Tel Aviv carries out and the western countries keep silent. While the Lebanon civilians are trapped with no aid, the western countries evacuate class A refugees: American, British, Italian, French citizens who are leaving the country by ship. What a shame.
Source: http://www.informationguerrilla.org/2006/07/19/linferno-sul-libano-di-patrizia-viglino/
Also a couple of suggestions:
Lebanon is thrown to the wolves
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1010.shtml
Were plans for a Middle East war escalation exposed in Bush-Blair exchange?
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1013.shtml
Lebanon’s hell
By Patrizia Viglino
Lebanon is on its knees. Eight days of incessant military raids have destroyed the country and slaughtered the civilian population. The casualties account grows hourly: 280 people killed, most of them harmless civilians. The whole Lebanon is under the massive fire of the Israeli F-16 fighters and the aircrafts’ shooting towards the cities, and Beirut, where they hit the Asharafiya central area. In the east suburbs of the capital 29 people have been killed today. In Beirut also a Lebanon army station has been stricken and 11 soldiers have been killed. An entire family of 9 civilians has been wiped out in the village of Aitarun, and in Nabatya a woman and her three children have been killed by a missile striking their house. The Lebanese Information minister Ghazi Aridi blames Israel for using incendiary phosphor weapons on the civilians, causing the abrupt collapse of the bombed civilian buildings. Incendiary weapons are banned since 1980 and have been widely used by the US troops in Iraq. The Palestinian minister of healthcare had already called for an international investigation to track the use of forbidden weapons on the Gaza population, after witnessing that many bodies and injured showed signs of burn and arrived at the hospitals with major mutilations.
The major of the village of Srifa, Afif Najdi, reported a massacre of civilians, fifteen houses have been destroyed, 12 people killed, many children included, and more than 30 injured. In all the country it is difficult to bring aid and many bodies have not been recovered, with many remaining buried under the rubbles after the collapse of the buildings.
A new statement from the Lebanon government claimed that Israel has destroyed the major infrastructures of the country, bombing ports and airports, 38 link roads, 42 bridges, powers plants, waterworks and gas stations, together with TV and telecommunication offices in violation of the Geneva Convention.
The Beirut-Damascus highway through the Beka’ valley has been destroyed, blocking the escape route to the many civilians who were running from the bombs and destruction. 100,000 civilians are reported to have left the country fleeing in Syria, but many have been killed while escaping. On Sunday, a minibus has been hit in Shamaa, southern Lebanon, and 18 people have been killed, three more have been killed while traveling to Syria by car. There are several children among the victims, but the western press doesn’t deliver the images. Another minibus of civilians in flight was hit in southern Lebanon after being sent back from UNIFIL, because, according to a spokesperson, they could not be assured of safety. They died in the fire, men, women and children included.
900,000 refugees are reported mainly in the south, where the fighters raids have been massive. Families turned homeless are gathering into schools or in public offices and even in public parkings of Beirut, a town that has turned to hell.
Coastal cities have also been stricken, like Byblos, the major Christian city of Zahle in the center of the country, and the city of Ba’albek, in the Beka’ valley, a great historical and archeological site. The UN mission of the UNIFIL reports their difficulty of bringing aid, because the bombings don’t ensure the safety of the aid departments. Also an ambulance of the Lebanese Red Crescent and the Red Cross office in Ansariya have been hit, with the medical staff injured, according to al Jazeera report. The injured stay buried under the rubbles and the aid staff has difficulty to reach the hospitals. The civilian evacuation is also impossible in the most stricken areas.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had claimed that “Now Israel is a terrorist state who is committing terrorist acts every day… Israel is breaking Lebanon into pieces”, according to the Ha’aretz issue of a few days ago..
Lebanon is actually cut off from the world and, until the blood bath doesn’t stop, in the last 48 hours foreign governments have delayed twice the decision to intervene to stop the Israeli attacks against the population. The power of the US veto goes beyond the spectrum of the Security Council of the UN. Bush orders massacres, Tel Aviv carries out and the western countries keep silent. While the Lebanon civilians are trapped with no aid, the western countries evacuate class A refugees: American, British, Italian, French citizens who are leaving the country by ship. What a shame.
Source: http://www.informationguerrilla.org/2006/07/19/linferno-sul-libano-di-patrizia-viglino/
Also a couple of suggestions:
Lebanon is thrown to the wolves
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1010.shtml
Were plans for a Middle East war escalation exposed in Bush-Blair exchange?
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1013.shtml
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Comments
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
keep speaking out and write anything coming up in your mind, please. silence never help against violence.
did I mention before that I like the Train exactly for this.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA
...it is so sad, and like thankyougrandma, I am speakless.
...but I give it a try now.
As a German, you learn all your life, that Israel has the highest right ever to do what they have to do, cause the folk of the Jewish had to go through too much... so... please let them have heaven on earth now.
So since WW2 we support Israel and just let them BE!
but this situation now and the extreme aggressiveness of Israel scares me.
To me, it somehow is all related....
...Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, OIL, Israel, the Bible and their believers, Muslims vs. the Western world... ahh, the conflict is so extremely big... to much for one country to solve, to much for a military to haunt.
I heard today, that Bush plans to send soldiers to Libanon to bring home the American civilians there safe.
... dunno, but this news scared me.
Israel and the USA may not do what they want anymore.
We have become one world, and we need to act like this. brother to brother,
sister to sister... all one of a kind... and we all should deserve a world without violance and pain by now...
!!!
... to me, the UN is a solution. at least folks are united there and speak together with a voice.
...the world is come undone, I like to change it everyday but change don't come at once, it's a wave, building before it breaks.
and people wonder why we bash america incessantly ...
(well, the smile isn't appropriate, but...)
lol, no. I've been following Israel for quite a long time, in recent months I've spend almost every waking moment researching Israel and her conflicts in the Middle-East. I've studied extensively the US relationship with Israel and the international response to the atrocities. What the US did in Iraq opened the door of Israel and Russia to do similar things. Israel and the United States have the common goal of destroying the Arab world, however Russia has alternative plans, and with all of their military bases through the Middle-East it's not likely that Israel and the US will succeed without Russian opposition. We've seen a trend in the last few years of "Drills" being performed at the exact time and with the exact details of real events. Such as 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings of London. Next month (Aug) the US military will be running a drill, "pretending" a nuclear bomb hits somewhere near Hawaii. It would be no suprise if this actually happens and especially if it's blamed on Iran or N. Korea. I think they would like it to be Iran's fault, as that's who they are blaming lately for everything that happens.
dunno why, but I really think your forecast is something that could indeed happen.
I haven't followed the Israel way that much... as I said, in Germany we have kinda an one way look on things happening in the middle east.
But I realize that our world has become crazy and too much does not make sense anymore.
I do not believe in big conspiracies, but those days, I feel that our ways are kinda made by a few and Israel and the US are the main impacts on where we are drifting....
I would smile now about your smart forecast,
but the subject seems to be way to serious.
So, thanks for sharing your opinion... I think it is full of truth in many kinds.
...the world is come undone, I like to change it everyday but change don't come at once, it's a wave, building before it breaks.
www.amnesty.org.uk
Wake up, the UN WAS the solution 6 years ago, they were told to help the Lebanese army to take control over southern Lebanon, disarm & dismiss the terrorists. As you may see now, It didn't happend. Instead, UNIFIL allowed Nasaralla to do what ever he wanted, and didn't stop him and his group of terrorists from using civilians for their evil needs. UN was pruved to be useless when it comes to deal with situations like this many times before, and not only in this area. Remember Srebrenica 1995?
Really? than why in the world Israel went into peace process with Egypt & Jurdan? Why we have such a woderfull relations with Turky? Why we are sending so many rescuing forces to arab nations in time of need? Why we are allowing foreign muslim personas to have mediacl treatments in our hospitals, without letting anyone from their country know they are here (in order to protect them)? I could go on forever, but I think my point is clear enuogh to understand: We do not want to destroy anyone other than terrorists.
I agree that israel is recognised by the United Nations and that it is stupid not to recognise its existence, but at the same time Israel should obey to the United Nations reccomendations (and there's a lot of them, about the wall, etc), else it is useless to keep on telling "the United nations (or, the former Society of Nations) recognise our existence"
www.amnesty.org.uk
Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer?
Also I would like to see some proof of your claims.
While we are basing terrorism on islamic extremism. Does it not clearly state several times in the Talmud and Encyclopedia Judaica that Goyyim are equivalent to beasts and should be placed in pits from which they cannot escape? Does it not clearly state that if a gentile has anything to do with the wine making process, that the wine should not be consumed? Because according to the Pharisees christ was not the messiah and therefore the jewish people are still in yahweh's favour and have the sole right to the promised land?
Its not stupid. I didn't say we are not hurting anyone else, but destroying arab civilians is not our target (otherwise, why the hell not throwing lots of bombs over the Palestinians, kill them all & solve the "problem"? Why do we sends brochures asking the Lebanese people to run away cause we gonna attack in X hours?). Unfortunately, the reality is that along with hunting terrorists, we DO hurt civilians as well.
I wonder if history will ever tell the truth about head of states closing their eyes and keep on giving supports to governments that practise torture, etc...
www.amnesty.org.uk
Proof? Ask the people of Kosovo or Turky around the message pit, see what they will tell you.
And once again - The bible stuff is *SO* NOT relevant for the average Israeli person & gov. If you bring that up in frount of israeli people, most of them will laugh at you or simply won't understand what is it that you want from them.
Occupying is a BAD BAD BAD thing, and the Israelis realizing this fact more & more. Look who we voted for in our elections - Kadima & Labore parties. We voted for ending this nightmare for the sake of us & the Palestinians. unfortunately, the Palestinians chose to vote for an organization who believe Israel should not exist. Its VERY frustrating. Everytime there is a little progress, something bad is happening.
Anyway, don't take my answers as personal, please, i really wish you all the peace
www.amnesty.org.uk
the problem is, a lot the time it involves bulldozers and herding people...these things cause reactions.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
And suicide bombers or shooting missiles towards unquestioned Israeli town of Sderot...There are bad things in BOTH sides, the problem starts when people prefer to ignore some facts in order to strengthen their own personal view. What a shame.
do you believe the reaction of your gov't to the kidnapping of 2 israeli solidiers is justified? ...
But Israel answered first hitting not military targets but civilian targets. This shifted the problem from military targets to civilians killed... Don't you see something wicked in this?
Of course for everything that happened afterward justice would be if both the sides would be taken in front of a international criminal court, but for the way in which things started i wouldn't play the part of the victim of the media, if i was you...
PS: I'm still waiting to know about the Israel/Kosovo friendship...
www.amnesty.org.uk
So you should that we were amongst the first rescuing forces to come, and we did also gave the muslim refugees an opportunity to come and live here, as some few of them eventually chose to do.
And again, ask the ones from Turkey around this board, I'm sure they'll tell about our rescuing forces that were sent there after some horrible earthquakes. You can check up the reports after the Sinai bombing in Eygpt - We offered immediate help (which was turned down, by the way). I'm not taking your answers as personal, is just that there are lots of things that people here don't really aware of, and instead of checking things out they are diaplaying their thoughts as facts. I don't think its fair.
I think A reaction is justified, but I personally think the situation went out of control.
You are forgetting something: hezbollah crossed the Israeli border, killed soliders, kidnapped 2 of them, returned to Lebanon and atarted shooting towards Israeli *civilians* in northern Israel. The Israeli gov reacted only AFTER all of these things. Hitting Lebanese civilians is wrong, but that what's happen when terrorists take over private houses and set up rockets launchers in there. Again, I think our actions went out of control after hitting my home town. I justify having an action, not the proportions of it.
Notice that i would say the same to a lebanese that would write the same of you but from the other side.
www.amnesty.org.uk
then you support the killing of civillians, the same thing you condemn when it comes to Israeli civillians, is ok when it comes to Lebanese. Do you think a Lebanese civillians life is worth less than a Israeli citizens life?
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
www.amnesty.org.uk
that's why i'm asking...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
www.amnesty.org.uk