The "Real" Middle Eastern War

[Miulang]

The expletive heard round the world...

The American media made some fun of the President, who, at the last luncheon at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, uttered an expletive to Tony Blair while he chewed on some grub.

Here is a BBC (UK) version of the same incident, with an additional commentary from a Lebanese analyst. Fascinating to see the difference in coverage.

Boy, are we looking stoopid!

Miulang

[Miulang]

Leader of Hezbollah apologizes for childrens' deaths

I think this is a PR coup for Hezbollah: the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, apologized to the family of the 2 Arab children killed by a Hezbollah missile.

"...Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah apologized for an attack that killed two Israeli Arab children in northern Israel, saying the youngsters were "martyrs for Palestine."

In a Thursday interview with Arabic-language news network Al-Jazeera, Nasrallah accepted responsibility for the Wednesday attack, while conceding that an apology to the family was not sufficient.

"To the family that was hit in Nazareth -- on my behalf and my brothers', I apologize to this family," he said.

"Some events like that happen. At any event, those who were killed in Nazareth, we consider them martyrs for Palestine and martyrs for the nation. I pay my condolences to them."

"...He further said it was "logical" that Lebanon has incurred more casualties than Israel because Israel has better military technology and, unlike Lebanon, its civilians have bomb shelters.

Israel's response to Hezbollah rocket attacks has been excessive because its goal is not to free the soldiers but "to eradicate Hezbollah and every other resistance in Lebanon," he added.

Israel, he said, would have found a pretext to launch the current offensive even if the soldiers had not been kidnapped.

"Israel was told by America to go ahead and finish this issue," he alleged. "This is what Israel is doing. This is what America needs to recreate the region anew..."


Would Olmert apologize to the Lebanese and the Palestinians for the slaughter of their citizens and the forcing of many more civilians to flee from their homes? When hell freezes over, I think.

[Miulang]

US financial support of Israel

The Israeli ambassador to the UN complained that Iran, via Syria, had sent millions of dollars to support Hezbollah in Lebanon. One thing he "conveniently" left out was that we, the taxpayers of the United States of America, are supplying Israel with some $2.5 BILLION in assistance every year, most of which comes in the form of military jets, missiles and nuclear warheads. All one has to do is look at the financial figures to understand that the US is ALREADY involved in the Israeli-Lebanese-Palestinian conflict.

Israel has at least 20 nuclear warheads thanks to us. Hezbollah has none, Syria has none, Iran has none. Israel continues to be the bully in the Middle East. They have no intention of not reoccupying the areas which they were forced to leave because some of those areas have resources (like water) that Israel desperately needs. So the colonization will continue, as will the hatred toward the Israelis for their displacement of the indigenous people.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Israel calls up reserves

If Israel doesn't intend to escalate the conflict, why would they call up 3,000 of their reservists today?

"...Israel called up a few thousand reservists today, in possible preparation for a more extensive ground operation in southern Lebanon, as its warplanes continued to hit targets there and to drop leaflets warning residents of villages to leave their homes and head northward.

Over the last two days, there has been an increase in ground clashes as Israeli troops have moved about a mile or so inside Lebanon to demolish Hezbollah outposts and fortifications. They have encountered fierce resistance. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in battles with Hezbollah guerrillas north of Avivim on Thursday, the Israeli army said. On Wednesday, two Israeli soldiers were killed in the same area, as Israel discovered a warren of storage rooms, bunkers and tunnels near Maroun al-Ras.

Hezbollah said it has lost three fighters, but Israel’s army chief of staff told The Associated Press today that nearly 100 Hezbollah guerrillas have been killed in the offensive. Israel also said two of its Apache helicopters collided near the Lebanese border, killing a pilot and injuring three crewmen.

"...On Thursday, the Israeli defense minister, Amir Peretz, had visited northern towns hit by scores of Hezbollah rockets and hinted at a broader ground operation. “We have no intention of occupying Lebanon, but we also have no intention of retreating from any military measures needed,” he said. “Hezbollah must not think that we would recoil from using all kinds of military measures against it.” ...



Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The "Real" Middle Eastern War...

Israel, the US and Great Britain claim that the current chaos in Lebanon and the Palestine was instigated by the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier on June 25.

What is being reported in the Muslim press outside of the US are the following incidents that preceded the Hamas attack which led to the capture of the first Israeli soldier:

"...The fact is the June 25 capture of the Israeli soldier was retaliation for Israel's actions.

According to the reasoning of many pro-Israel supporters, Hamas had the right to rain down thousands of missiles on Israel for the June 24 kidnapping of the brothers from Gaza.

On June 24, when Israel seized two Palestinians in “the first arrest raid in the territory since Israel pulled out of the area a year ago” the American mainstream media was silent.

"Israel abducted the two Gaza civilians, a doctor and his brother. We don't know their names. You don't know the names of victims. They were taken to Israel, presumably, and nobody knows their fate. The next day, something happened, which we do know about, a lot. Militants in Gaza, probably Islamic Jihad, abducted an Israeli soldier across the border. That's Corporal Gilad Shalit. And that's well known; the first abduction is not."


And the June 24 kidnapping of the brothers from Gaza wasn't the first action against the Palestinians in recent weeks.

* On June 8, the Israeli army assassinated the recently appointed Palestinian head of the security forces of the Interior Ministry, Jamal Abu Samhadana, and three others.

* On June 9, Israeli shells killed seven members of the same family picnicking on Beit Lahiya beach. Some 32 others were wounded, including 13 children.

* On June 13, an Israeli plane fired a missile into a busy Gaza City street, killing 11 people, including two children and two medics.

* On June 20, the Israeli army killed three Palestinian children and injured 15 others in Gaza with a missile attack.

* On June 21, the Israelis killed a 35-year old pregnant woman, her brother, and injured 11 others, including 6 children.

* Then came the Israeli capture of two Palestinians on June 24, followed by the Palestinian capture of the Israeli soldier and the killing of the two other soldiers."

It's hard to find corroborating reports of the incidents above in the popular western media, but it wouldn't surprise me if some, if not all, of the incidents reported above by the Muslim media actually occurred.

Miulang

[Miulang]

AIPAC and its influence on Congress

We are not being "neutral" in the current Israeli-Lebanese-Gazan conflict. Wander over to the AIPAC (American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee) website, and see how successful their lobbyists have been in winning support from our elected officials. AIPAC is considered the most influential lobbying group in Washington, DC.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Aliyah and Olim

While Americans of Lebanese ancestry and other Americans trapped in Lebanon are scrambling for ways to get out of the country, another movement is occurring in Israel: the inmigration of about 3,000 AMERICAN Jews to Israel.

"...As rockets slam into Israel and Israeli reprisals force Lebanese to flee the border region and parts of Beirut, more than 3,000 American citizens are leaving the comfort and security of the United States to make war-torn Israel their home.

"What is the best answer to Hezbollah?" asked former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcome address to the new citizens. "You are the answer to Hezbollah."

More than 250 new immigrants arrived yesterday at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport to add to the rapidly growing Jewish population in Israel. The planeload was the second of seven flights scheduled for this summer and the first arrival since the outbreak of violence with Lebanon.

"...The flights are arranged by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a private organization that provides financial incentives and social services to new immigrants from North America. Yesterday's planeload was the 17th since Nefesh B'Nefesh began chartering flights for immigrants in 2002.

The act of immigrating to Israel is called Aliyah, meaning to ascend, in Hebrew. Once they arrive in Israel, new citizens are referred to as olim, meaning pilgrims. ..."

Some Americans have criticized Lebanese American citizens for travelling in Lebanon even though the State Department has had Lebanon on its watch list for a least a month. Why is no one criticizing the Olim who are leaving their safe homes in the US for a life of hardship and danger in Israel?

Miulang

[Linkmeister]

Re: AIPAC and its influence on Congress

We are not being "neutral" in the current Israeli-Lebanese-Gazan conflict. Wander over to the AIPAC (American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee) website, and see how successful their lobbyists have been in winning support from our elected officials. AIPAC is considered the most influential lobbying group in Washington, DC.

Miulang

Couple links regarding AIPAC in this post you might find interesting. Click all three.

[waioli kai]

UN Assembly vs. Zionazi Rice vomit/Bolton

United Nations Assembly of today, replay ... just started now on cable. Just following today's zionaUSeous spiel by US$ condoleezza Rice replay. Someday some may wonder if CheneyBush's SS Rice, SS Conde** was named after the Exxon, Inc. supertanker, SS Condoleezza, or SS Conde was named after the tanker.

** The Conde: listen http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/69434.asx ..listen

** The Conde: watch http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/69434.asx ....watch

*** SS Condoleezza

http://www.thehawkeye.com/COLUMNS/Sw...weet_0328.htmlre: Peak Oil
http://www.gregpalast.com/why-palast-is-wrong-and-why-the-oil-companies-dont-want-you-to-know-it

*** US$ Condoleezza

http://sharonvonzwieten.blogspot.com/2004_10_24_sharonvonzwieten_archive.html

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2576&printsafe=1" "US Role in Angola Arms-for-Oil Scandal "

Went on an encyclopaedic search for SS Condoleezza with the following results in this order:

SS

(German: “Protective Echelon”), the black-uniformed elite corps of the Nazi Party. Founded by Adolf Hitler in April 1925 as a small personal bodyguard, the SS grew with the success of the Nazi ...

Rice, Condoleezza

American educator and politician, who served as national security adviser (2001–05) and secretary of state (from 2005) to President George W. Bush.

Odessa

(German: “Organization of Former SS Members”), clandestine escape organization of the SS (q.v.) underground, founded probably in early 1947 in Germany. A large organizational network was set up to ...

Bridgettine

a religious order of cloistered nuns founded by St. Bridget of Sweden in 1344 and approved by Pope Urban V in 1370. Bridget believed that she was called by Christ to found a strictly disciplined ... (could this be Sister Conde, or is s/he really dominatrix?)

Blackshirt

a member of the elite corps of the Nazi Party, the SS (q.v.) ... (black does look fitting on rabid anti-communist, shameless nationalUSt ideologue and relentless Zionazi terrorUSt Conde, she must have a whole separate closet of black,,,her face on black adds to the illusion that there is something other than Death in her eyes....and her music playing must go well with genocide in sub-Sahara Africa, Zionazirael war crimes in Palestine, zionUSt terrorUSt occupation of Iraq and global warming.

[Miulang]

Sending more missiles to Israel

What the hell is the White House thinking? Talk about being hypocritical...they have rushed through authorization to ship more precision guided missiles to Israel. If we can help arm Israel, I see no reason why Iran can't help arm Hezbollah. Really...this is getting so out of hand and ridiculous.

"... The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday.

"...The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said. Its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others because of the appearance that the United States is actively aiding the Israeli bombing campaign in a way that could be compared to Iran’s efforts to arm and resupply Hezbollah.

The munitions that the United States is sending to Israel are part of a multimillion-dollar arms sale package approved last year that Israel is able to draw on as needed, the officials said. But Israel’s request for expedited delivery of the satellite and laser-guided bombs was described as unusual by some military officers, and as an indication that Israel still had a long list of targets in Lebanon to strike. ..."

World War III, here we come. The White House and most of the American press has this country brainwashed into believing that we have to aid Israel because it is the only democracy in the Middle East...sorry, but Hamas was democratically elected in the Palestine, and members of Hezbollah were democratically elected in Lebanon.

Pure and simple, we are hypocrites.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The "Real" Middle Eastern War...

What Israel is doing today in Lebanon was planned a year ago...all it was waiting for was a reason to be deployed.

"...Israel's military response by air, land and sea to what it considered a provocation last week by Hezbollah militants is unfolding according to a plan finalized more than a year ago.

In the six years since Israel ended its military occupation of southern Lebanon, it watched warily as Hezbollah built up its military presence in the region. When Hezbollah militants kidnapped two Israeli soldiers last week, the Israeli military was ready to react almost instantly.

"Of all of Israel's wars since 1948, this was the one for which Israel was most prepared," said Gerald Steinberg, professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University. "In a sense, the preparation began in May 2000, immediately after the Israeli withdrawal, when it became clear the international community was not going to prevent Hezbollah from stockpiling missiles and attacking Israel. By 2004, the military campaign scheduled to last about three weeks that we're seeing now had already been blocked out and, in the last year or two, it's been simulated and rehearsed across the board."

More than a year ago, a senior Israeli army officer began giving PowerPoint presentations, on an off-the-record basis, to U.S. and other diplomats, journalists and think tanks, setting out the plan for the current operation in revealing detail. Under the ground rules of the briefings, the officer could not be identified.

In his talks, the officer described a three-week campaign: The first week concentrated on destroying Hezbollah's heavier long-range missiles, bombing its command-and-control centers, and disrupting transportation and communication arteries. In the second week, the focus shifted to attacks on individual sites of rocket launchers or weapons stores. In the third week, ground forces in large numbers would be introduced, but only in order to knock out targets discovered during reconnaissance missions as the campaign unfolded. There was no plan, according to this scenario, to reoccupy southern Lebanon on a long-term basis...."

I think this is why the US has been dragging its feet for the last 2 weeks and why Condoleeeeeeezza isn't headed to the Middle East until next week.

Miulang

[Linkmeister]

Re: The "Real" Middle Eastern War...

Don't read too much into that. Every professional military has plans for every possibility it can think of stashed away on shelves. The Pentagon has entire departments of people who do planning for every circumstance, no matter how outlandish it might seem (except possibly terrorists crashing airplanes into buildings, and I'll bet that's changed in the five years since).

[waioli kai]

truly righteous and peaceful Jews , Re: more primer on Zionism: Jews against Zionism

Care should be taken, by non-Jews and Jews alike to distinguish truly righteous and peaceful Jews in Israel and in the world from militant Zionizt Jews, of/from the U.S., Russia (and some former soviets) England and Ersatz Israel, whose militarist ideology is identical to Zionizt Christians and secular Zionizt. All the latter are militarist, which Theodor Herzl was not....none of such Zionazi are Zionist, they are Zionizt. U.S. militarism alone has created (several fold perhaps) more U.S.(pseudo-)Christian and secular Zionazi than there exists all Zionazi Jews in the world.

[Whitepoint3rchum]

Lebanon vs. Israel

never mind.

[Miulang]

Re: Lebanon vs. Israel

What are everyone's feelings considering the growing conflict between the two countries of Israel and Lebanon, especially considering that Israel has stepped it up with an imminent ground force invasion? Do you think the capturing of two Iraelis justifies there salvo? Do you believe that Lebanon asked for it when the targeted Israeli cities with missiles? Just curious to hear some opinions.

If the US government can support the Israelis with military assistance, then let's level the playing field and let Iran help Hezbollah. The Israelis already have at least 20 nuclear warheads (supplied by us) while Hezbollah and Hamas have zilch. Israel is tearing Lebanon apart with its guided missiles provided by us. Hezbollah is using armament that's outdated and thus far has only accidentally killed a handful of Israelis (mostly soldiers) compared to the hundreds of innocent Lebanese slaughtered by Israeli air attacks. The Palestinians in Gaza are facing a humanitarian crisis of dire proportions.

According to the "war plans" Israel drew up last year and which they were just waiting for an excuse to put in place, Israel would stage a 3-week "war" during which time they would try to wipe out Hezbollah to create a buffer between Irael and Hezbollah. Unfortunately for Israel, the land that they want to be their buffer zone is also the homeland of Hezbollah. Hezbollah was the reason why Syria got out of Lebanon. Hezbollah is regarded by the people of South Lebanon as heroes because they have raised the standard of living for the Shias living in that area by providing schools, water and social services.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is right (and Hezbollah is a legitimate part of the Lebanese government). But for the US to say we must protect the only democracy in the Middle East is dead wrong. Both Hezbollah and Hamas representatives were democratically elected to serve in the governments of Palestine and Lebanon. Both Palestine and Lebanon should be allowed to exist as nation states if we allow Israel to be a nation state. Just because Palestine's and Lebanon's form of "democracy" doesn't fit our concepts of democracy does not mean that they don't have a right to exist. Israel is a military state, controlled by its military. Probably as many Israeli as Lebanese believe that the conflict there is wrong, but the hawks are outshouting the doves.

Miulang