Tag: lebanon

More pictures from Lebanon

Are all these people members of Hizbullah?

Bir Abed Abs
Teir Hafra 1 (South) July 15 Ap
Southern Suburb Tuesday Afp

I’ve uploaded some 144 pics sent by email by Hanady Salman, of the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir, at the Flickr account. Let people see them since they won’t be shown in most newspapers (even though many are from AP and AFP!) WARNING: some of them are even more graphic than the first set — it makes you wonder what weapons are being used that could cause so much damage to human bodies.

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Rapture fans “excited” about Lebanon

It’s not only the neocons who are happy about the carnage in Lebanon. The extremist fringe of the American Christian right, which believes conflict in the Middle East heralds the End Times and prepares something called Rapture (essentially the spiriting away of real Christians before the anti-Christ makes a mess of the world), is really excited by what’s happening in Lebanon. Harpers quotes from a Rapture chat room:

Praise God! We are chosen to be in these times and also watch and spread the word. Something inside me is exploding to get out, and I don’t know what it is. Its kind of like I want to do cartwheels around the neighborhood.

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In another thread, someone brought up the fact that the kidnapping of the first Israeli soldier that started this whole thing was on June 25th and if you count from that day to August 3rd…….it is *EXACTLY 40 days!!!!!*

I find that to be a HUGE coincidence.

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A question just popped in my head. Do you think children of around say 7 or 8 (but before the age of accountability) that have been indoctrinated up until that time by their parents religious beliefs will be raptured? . . . For example, would a 7 year old muslim be raptured? I know G-d will do right but I was just wondering everyone’s thoughts. I hate to think of kids being left here.

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Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me.

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This is the busiest I’ve ever seen this website in a few years! I have been having rapture dreams and I can’t believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just so you know what kind of people are saying this, the series of novels about Rapture have been the best-selling books in America for years.

Note to any aliens reading this: please abduct me from this sick planet.

UN hints at war crimes in Lebanon

Finally, the UN talks about holding war criminals to account:

GENEVA, July 19 (REUTERS) – The scale of killing and maiming of civilians in Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territory of Gaza could constitute war crimes, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said international humanitarian law was clear on the need to protect non-combatants in any conflict. “This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she said.

“The scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control,” she said, without directly accusing anyone.

Would have liked to see a stronger and more specific statement, but it’s a beginning. If Israel is not held accountable it will be able to do this again and again with impunity.

Here are Commissioner Arbour’s statement and a previous one in which she says “the destruction of Gaza’s electricity power station may be a violation of international humanitarian law.”

Pro-Lebanese demos

Solidarity events continue around the world…
A demo was held in NYC in solidarity with Lebanon and Palestine in front of the Israeli mission to the UN on 18 July.
My friend Shehab Fakhry sent me this report…

About 300 pro-Lebanon demonstrators gathered today, July, 18th, in front of the Israeli Mission to the U.N. on 42nd street and 2nd Avenue, New York City, to protest the Israeli aggression on Lebanon and Palestine. The demonstration comes one day after a major pro-Israel rally that took place at the same place.
The demonstration is mainly in protest against the disproportionate use of power that Israel is exhibiting against Lebanon and the apparent lack of any desire on Israel’s side to limit the escalation of the crisis. It comes as an expression of anger at the undeserved death of so many Lebanese civilians, 270 to this writing, who were caught in the cross fire under the pretext of helping or even just being around members of Hizbollah.
The protest was organized by a coalition of National Council of Arab-Americans, Answer coalition, International Action Center and United for Peace and Justice. But other groups and organizations were also present: Internationalist Socialist Organization, Muslim American Society Freedom Association, Women in Black and most interestingly, True Torah Jews and Jews Against Zionism, who were going around with badges of the Palestinian flag on top of which is written “A Jew not a Zionist” and who were a demonstration hit in terms of photos!
Despite the agreement on condemning the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, there were somewhat vast differences of opinion. In a statement issued by the International Action Center, Hizbollah and Hamas are described as “freedom fighters.â€Â� The same statement unqualifiedly states that Palestine and Lebanon “have a right to fight for their land.â€Â� In more cool-headed statement, United for Peace and Justice condemn both Hizbollah’s and Israel’s attacks on civilians from both sides. Aside from condemning the disproportionate use of power on Israel’s side, the statement further calls for an immediate ceasefire and the beginning of serious negotiations.
With so many Lebanese flags and so many Lebanese, whether first or second generation, the scene was very emotional. Many of the demonstrators were sharing news about their families or friends stranded in Lebanon. Other demonstrators who spent some times in Lebanon were sharing their stories of trying, to no avail, to call the places where they stayed at, upon hearing news of bombing. Still others could do nothing but hold Lebanese flags and weep.
The Answer coalition is also calling for a national emergency march on Washington, scheduled to take place on August, 12th.

Shehab also sent me this slideshow of demo pix.

In Cairo on the same day, hundreds of Nasserist and Muslim Brotherhood activists assembled in front of the Press Syndicate, at 6pm, chanting in support of the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance, and called for the release of Egypt’s political detainees. The protest lasted for an hour.
Nasser Nouri sent me those pix.

On the following day, Wednesday 19 July, two small protests were also held in Cairo. Jano Charbel of dpa sent me this report: Continue reading Pro-Lebanese demos

MERIP on Israel’s convergence plan

Some interesting stuff worth remembering about Hamas in MERIP’s look at the convergence on the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Hizbullah conflicts:

Frozen out of official negotiations, Hamas could only carry out public diplomacy. The movement sent up a number of trial balloons soon after its election in the form of comments to the press, op-eds in the Guardian and Washington Post, and on- and off-the-record remarks to international organizations. In February, Hamas politburo head Khalid Mashaal described the PA’s foundation in the Oslo accords as “a reality,” and said that “we do not oppose” the 2002 Arab League initiative offering Israel “full normalization” of relations in return for a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a “just and agreed” solution to the refugee problem. Previously, Hamas had vehemently denounced both the Oslo agreements and the Arab initiative. But the US and Israel were not interested in pursuing what sort of avenues this newfound flexibility might open. Instead, the US and Israel boxed Hamas — and themselves — into a corner with stringent demands that were impossible for Hamas to accept.

Continue reading MERIP on Israel’s convergence plan

Another week of bombing

Washington is giving another week to Israel to bomb Lebanon, and Condi would then fly down there to establish an international buffer zone.

In the meantime, at least 55 Lebanese died today, the highest daily toll so far.

The US’ stance on this will be remembered for a long time in the region — there will be a price to pay for backing Israel’s use of collective punishment.

Update: Congress (the most corrupt parliament among Western democracies) runs after the money, as it always does, and backs Israel.

Is Human Rights Watch racist?

OK, I know a few of the people who work at the Middle East section of Human Rights Watch, and a lot of the people who work with them. I have tremendous respect for the work they do detailing abuses in Arab countries and helping train local rights activists. I know that they are frequently under pressure to be careful about their coverage of Israel because a lot of their funding comes from pro-Israel American Jews. But this possibly tops it all. If you go to their home page, you see two stories. Here is the first paragraph of the first one:

Israel: Investigate Attack on Civilians in Lebanon

IDF Must Take Precautions to Protect Civilians Fleeing Areas at Risk

(Beirut, July 17, 2006) – The Israel Defense Forces should provide details about a bombing on Saturday that killed 16 people in a convoy of civilians fleeing a Lebanese village near Israel’s border, Human Rights Watch said today. Under international humanitarian law, all parties to an armed conflict must take all feasible precautions to protect civilians fleeing areas at risk.

And here is the first paragraph of the second:

Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians

Anti-personnel Ball Bearings Meant to Harm “Soft” Targets

(New York, July 18, 2006) – Hezbollah’s attacks in Israel on Sunday and Monday were at best indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas, at worst the deliberate targeting of civilians. Either way, they were serious violations of international humanitarian law and probable war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.

No mention of deliberate targeting of civilians by Israel, although it is clearly doing that (and quite successfully.) Obviously its weapons do not hurt “soft targets” — except, oh wait, the Lebanese government says they’re using phosphorus bombs and vacuum bombs (thermobaric bombs, possibly the most lethal conventional weapons around). Perhaps this should be investigated? After all there have been many reports of people having phosphorus burns now.’

Earlier HRW had issued a call to avoid hitting civilians in both countries. But now that this has happened, a little even-handedness might be in order.