NEVER AGAIN...EXCEPT WHEN ISRAEL IS CONCERNED

Ten years ago, I protested the massacre of women, children, and elderly who took refuge in a UN camp,

Again, Israel massacred at least 56 more sleeping, defenseless Lebanese, 34 of which were infants, toddlers, and children (if you are parent you make such as distinction for your children and we should out of respect for the living and dead parents do the same).

Olmert "regrets" the incident but....of course Hizbullah was launching rockets near by, so he says, Let's stay that's true. Let's say that some fida'i was on the roof and Israel killed those children, would he then NOT regret it because it was a direct and premeditated attack?

This is ridiculous. What a world where Imperialism and naked aggression of the mighty is naturalized and packaged as a gift to its victims.

Tfeh

"OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE": A NEW MIDDLE EAST

What is the psychiatric disorder where the patient lacks any sense of empathy and becomes completely disconnected from reality? Is it psychopath? I would not be so bold as to make such a diagnosis of the President. However, his statements regarding Lebanon display a frightening callousness and an immense disconnect from reality.
He sees the destruction of Lebanon, the murder of 500 innocent civilians, one third of who are under the age of eighteen, the homeless state of more than one-fifth of the population, and the destruction of more than one billion dollars in property as an “opportunity for change in the Middle East”.

But then again, perhaps my outrage is unwarranted and that I far too often hold successive American regimes to the moral level to which they profess if with which not beat the world. That is, perhaps Bush is telling the truth and that the pulverization of Lebanon is completely concomitant with the Middle East that his regime has imagined. Condi Rice’s mission to the Middle East is, professedly, not to secure a cease-fire but indeed a surrender of the Lebanese people and State, which Seniora’s Seven Point proposal seems to accommodate. That is, Seniora has capitulated to virtually all of the demands of Israel and the US including the disarming of Hizbullah. Rice’s “package of proposals” seems more like a “peace” or submission plan rather than a cease-fire. The “opportunity” was made by the US’s favorite ally (if not its local enforcer) and seized. Thankfully, the confluence of interests between the Seniora-Hariri government, Israel, the US and Saudi Arabia flow smoothly into one another, so that such a “cease-fire” can set up an unjust peace no doubt. The problem is…Hizbullah and the fact that, despite the carnage Israel is inflicting on Lebanon, they are beating the “IDF”. I mean come on. Israel “pulled out of Bint Jbeil to regroup” and “redeploy” getting ready for a new ground offensive. Don’t we call that retreat!

Indeed, this offensive has made an opportunity; an opportunity for Hizbullah to become a credible international power broker in the Arab and Muslim world. Several newspapers in English (e.g. NY Times) today are reporting that the “Arab street” is behind Hizbullah. Arab Muslim intellectuals from all over the Sunni Muslim world are praising Nasrallah and Hizbullah. The US government and many of these newspapers speak with such indignation about Arabs supporting Hizbullah. I am not supporting Hizbullah, defending them or praising them. However, we have to look at the facts on the ground: It is Israel and the US who have done nothing but undermine secular liberationist movements and governments in the region. This is especially case in Palestine, whose secularism was a national tradition until only ten years ago but destroyed by Israel (and the US) undermining every effort that Arafat and Fatah made to achieve peace (despite Arafat and Party bending over backwards and jumping through every flaming-hoop put in front of them by Clinton and Barak). It is the US who supports the most authoritarian regimes in the Arab world, who arrest secular, democratic movements (just look at Egypt’s imprisonment of its own judiciary in May!) while talking about democracy and freedom. It is the US who dismantled secular Iraq and put in its place a sectarian government. Finally, it is Israel who engages in war crimes and mass terror. While all the Arab regimes either tacitly support its offensive, or offer no real assistance, Hizbullah is the only group that can seemingly deter Zionist aggression or at least make the Israel Army “redeploy” and loss ten soldiers in one day. Whether this is true or not, the impression has been made in 2000 and driven home in Israel’s most recent miscalculation. What little credibility the US and their lip-service to democratic change in the Middle East had is gone finished off by Bush’s and Rice’s obvious lack of concern for Lebanese and Palestinian life. What contentious credibility its non-democratic Arab allies had in the street has been blown away by their tepid replies to (if not indirect endorsement of) Israeli war crimes. Every day Hizbullah stands, every day it holds off the might of the Israel Army, every day it inflicts casualties on that army in the face of its “savagery” on Arab civilians (both Muslim and Christian), the Party and its leaders (who talk of the brotherhood and “love between Christians and Muslims” in Lebanon) become more credible as a political force and political answer. How can it not? How is that for “opportunity for change in the Middle East”?

ISRAEL IN VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND WAR CRIMES

Israel’s use of chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction in Lebanon and Palestine is becoming increasingly documented:

1. Israel has been using US made and provided GBU 28 bunker busters bombs or Uranium depleted warheads in Lebanon, a hundred of which were delivered to Israel by the US Dept of Defense after their offensive begun. According to Dr. Doug Rokke, the former Director of the U.S. Army Depleted Uranium project, these warheads are America’s “dirty bomb”, who manufacturing, testing, and use result in various health and environmental effects.

2. There are reports from Gaza as well as Lebanon that Israel is using chemical weapons. This has been reported by al-Jazeera but also a German news agency (see: http://www.kokhavivpublications.com/editions/israel/2006/07/pa-ministry-of-health-israel-uses.php). Rather than chemical, it is likely that there weapons are thermobaric weapons. These “vacuum bombs” are unconventional bombs that release fuel particles into the air and then ignite them. The force of the explosion is similar to a small atomic bomb without the radioactive fall-out, flattening buildings and equipment but also asphyxiating and/or incinerating personnel by sucking that air out of their lungs.

3. See below (“This is Bush’s War”) on the accusations and increasing evidence that Israel is using prosperous bombs in Lebanon.

An official from the World Health Organization (WHO) is supposed to be handed corpses from southern Lebanon tomorrow. Also, the matter has been pursued by a well-known Italian peace-activist Alex Father Zanottelli, who, along with several Italian parliamentarians, have called on the Italian Parliament to set up a commission to investigate if the Israelis are using WMD’s in Lebanon and Palestine.

Thalif Deen writes that Israel is actually in breach of not only international law but also US law. He quotes University of San Francisco Professor of politics Stephen Zunes who states that "Section 4 of the (U.S.) Arms Export Control Act requires that military items transferred to foreign governments by the United States be used solely for internal security and legitimate self-defense…Since Israeli attacks against Lebanon's civilian infrastructure and population centers clearly go beyond legitimate self-defense, the United States is legally obliged to suspend arms transfers to Israel."

Deen notes that the US taxpayer gives US$ 2.3 billion a year to Israel for its military alone. See http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33993

Earlier this month, Law Professor Marjorie Cohn published a paper regarding Israeli policies in Gaza which also are subsequently appropriate in Lebanon. She states unequivocally that “Israel’s brutal retaliation against Palestinian civilians constitutes collective punishment. Attacks on a civilian population as a form of collective punishment violate article 50 of the Hague Regulations”, “The Fourth Geneva Convention also prohibits collective punishment. Article 33 ...” and “Collective punishment is likewise forbidden by Article 75 of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions."”

I am afraid that this is just the beginning of a long campaign that we must launch to not only to stop Israel naked aggression and indeed war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza but also to make Israel accountable for those war crimes. Wishful thinking, perhaps but like Che said, “Let’s be realistic. Let’s do the impossible!” And man, history is hard to shake off and that scares some folks…and should.

Some Facts

A few facts (if I may be so presumptuous as to focus on those):

*15,000 U.S. citizens have now left Lebanon.
20,000 citizens from various EU countries, mainly France and the UK, evacuated.
(I don’t have any numbers for Canadians and Australians probably because most people confused them for Americans and British respectively.)

*On Friday, “96 smaller rockets landed” in northern Israel, the Israeli army said. “One rocket hit the top floor window of the main hospital in the Israeli border town of Nahariya. Not casualties were reported.” Not to make moral equivalences or anything but, on the same day, Israel dropped hundreds of tons of bombs on the densely populated city of Tyre, killing ten people. (AP July 28)

* UN states that one fifth of Lebanese people are homeless.

OOPS...again..and again..and...

"Earlier on Friday, two mortar rounds hit a convoy of vehicles carrying civilians escaping the violence in southern Lebanon. Two people travelling in a German TV car were wounded. The convoy, organised by the Australian embassy, was returning to the port city of Tyre from the border village of Rmeish, where hundreds of people have been trapped by the Israeli offensive. The cars were clearly marked as a press and civilian convoy, and that individual journalists had been in contact with the Israelis who knew about the journey. The Israeli Defense Forces said they did not believe it was one of their mortars but were still checking." Hmmmmm? God, that's strange. Who could have shot that mortar at a convoy with Lebanese and foreigners?

FROM BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5225358.stm

Could it have been the same forces who killed four UN observers or maybe the same group who bombed a house today (Sat July 29) in Nabitiyah, killing a woman and her children?

A radical, Muslim extremist news service called Associated Press noted today that:
"Lebanese civilians have born the brunt of the Israeli onslaught. The woman and her children were crushed in their home by a strike outside the market town of Nabatiyeh, which also killed a man in a nearby house...In another southern town, six bodies were dug from the rubble of a house destroyed by a strike Friday." KATHY GANNON, Associated Press. Her real name is probably Kathullah Hussein Gannon (her last name definately an Anglophonization of the word Qanun...law in Arabic). Sneaky Kathy mixing commentary with news but we got your number! (666 no doubt!)

DEMONSTRATIONS in NYC and, yes, OC!!

1. Stop the War, Stop the Killing Demonstration

When: FRIDAY - JULY 28th 3:30 to 6:30 P.M.
Where: 2nd Ave. 42nd St. & 43rd St (In front of The Israeli Consulate)

Sponsored By: Arab Muslim American Federation, National Council Of
Arab Americans, International Action Center, Troops Out Now Coalition, Al Awda New York, Al-Khuli Islamic Center, ICNA N.Y, MAS New York.


STOP US SPONSORED ISRAELI TERROR
MARCH ACROSS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. NYC, July 29, 2006


What: Stop Us Sponsored Israeli Terror - March Across The Brooklyn Bridge

When: Saturday July 29, 2006 - 2:00 PM 5:00 PM

Where: Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn (near the Brooklyn Bridge) March


Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon have reached new heights
with the displacement of almost 1 million people in Lebanon, the
killing of hundreds of civilians in Lebanon, and Palestine, the
destruction of civilian infrastructure; all of which are crimes
against humanity, as the world watches in either silent complicity or
outright support. The United States wants to give Israel enough time
to 'finish the job' and has accelerated shipment of even more;
destructive bombs to add to the Israeli arsenal which includes illegal
phosphorous and cluster bombs being used against the civilian
population in Lebanon and Palestine.

We call on all people of conscience to come out and demand an end to
the US Sponsored Israeli War Crimes being perpetrated against the
people of Palestine and Lebanon.


Stop the Invasion of Lebanon
End the Occupation of Palestine
Stop US AID to Israel
Free Arab Political Prisoners In Israel


2. COSTA MESA, CA JULY 29

The GREEN PARTY of Orange County CA (yes, there is a Green Party in OC, my Mom is a member) announces:

Emergency vigil for ceasefire in the Mideast -
Saturday July 29th

7pm - sundown
Triangle Square
(Newport Blvd. & 19th St. - where the 55 Fwy South ends)

Please bring candles, sidewalk chalk, and signs communicating peace,
not hatred.

For more information, please visit www.ocpeace.org


I also heard that there was a vigil in San Diego (I'm looking for the info now).

BesiegedinLebanon

BesiegedinLebanon

CAPITULATION. YOU WON. NOW STOP

I just read in al-Nahar Seniora's Seven Point Plan for a cease-fire, which states that the "deployment of the Lebanese Army to the South" along with an international force and the disarming of all Lebanese militias including Hizbullah. He included Sheba'a Farms (That got 'em! You're the man, Fu'ad!) He also suggested a prisoner swap.

Ahhh. That sounds like pretty much like a full capitulation to Israeli and American demands. I mean, it's more of a "peace proprosal" or downright surrender than a cease-fire. You get your soldiers. You get the disarming of Hizbullah. You get an international force on the border. You get the deployment of the Lebanese Army.

OK, you can stop bombing now and get out of Lebanon (before any more of you get your butt kicked by Hizbullah in Bint Jbeil and you give the Party more credibilty on the "Arab Street" than it has had since 2000).

In the meantime, Ghazi al-`Aridi, the Minister of Propoganda...I mean Information... states that Rome really wasn't a "failure" because Seniora managed to put Shabaa Farms on the table.

Maybe the smoke from the 1 billion dollars in burning buildings, infrastructure, and bodies has gotten this guy high. It wasn't a failure? I mean, Seniora capitulated and Israel is still demolishing the country and killing innocent civilians. Is it me? It must be me.

I suppose Israel also wants Lebanon to pay reparations for Hizbullah's Katyushas and maybe ask it to clean up the mess, take out the garbage, and treat it to dinner and show in Las Vegas too.

In the meantime, Gaza is getting pounded. No brothers and sisters, we did not forget about you!

NEW STATS

New numbers have been released by the Lebanese Minister of Health Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh. 518 killed only 352 of whom have been identified; 1850 wounded, 100 bodies remain trapped under rubble (what they don't say is that many could have been saved if emergency relief teams were allowed to dig them out). 35% of all victims have been under the age of 18.

The BBC reported that the cost of destruction has already reached one billion dollars (that's 1/18th of each of the Hariri children's and wives' personal worth).

The Lebanese government has a website now just for disseminating information, mostly speeches by the Prime Minister Sinora. It’s not ironic that the sections on Schools/Shelters, Aid Distribution, and International Aid are empty. However, the Donations sections work! Thank God! We need to send Hariri and Seniora, and all the other millionaires in the government some cash to help the refugees I heard a few years ago that Lebanon had more millionaires in its government than any other country (from Jumblatt to Murr to Mikati to Mouawad to Franjieh (although not in the government now) to Butrus Harb to Hamadeh to Gemayel and so on). They really must be suffering…Hariri and the tens he has enfranchised not the millions that he and his ruling government have disenfranchised.

Under the website’s section Urgent Needs, I think they need to write: CREDIBILITY.

MASS DEMONSTRATION FOR LEBANON AND PALESTINE

There are a LOT of demonstrations going on (from major cosmopoli to places like Rotterdam and Florianopolis. No matter how small some of these are, it is important to go. There are even demonstrations and sit-ins in Beirut. I believe that there is a women's sit-in at the UN HQ. Some of these young sisters are really sharp, strong, and have serious back-bone.

In North America, The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, the National Council of Arab Americans and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation (who I confessedly have never head of) are co-organizing "a National Emergency March on WASHINGTON DC on AUGUST 12, with coordinated marches in Los Angeles and San Francisco, in defense of the people of Palestine and Lebanon who are under brutal attack by the U.S.-backed Israeli government."

If the sisters can organize a sit-in under siege, we should all be out there. MARCH!

CLUSTER BOMBS

With his coconut sidekick Dr. Sanjay Gupta scurrying around Israeli kibbutzes, CNN’s Andersen Cooper on his program 360 (probably because it runs you in circles to obfuscate the truth), reporting from Northern Israel, dedicated much of his show on the Katyusha rockets that are falling on Israel. He concentrated on how they are also packed with ball bearings and sheets that will fragment to make shrapnel. While they admitted that most don’t fall on houses, they stressed the danger of these weapons. (He repeats this on his mind-numbing blog:

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog

On Monday (July 24), Human Rights Watch protested against Israel’s use of cluster bombs (replete with ball-bearings and fragmenting metal pieces) in their current offensive. In his protestation, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, predicted the Israeli defense (yesterday) by saying that cluster munitions are “are unacceptably inaccurate and unreliable weapons when used around civilians.”

(see:
http://www.humanrightswatch.org/english/docs/2006/07/24/isrlpa13798.htm)

What is ironic is that the same day the New York Times (not known to be a pro-Arab rag) reported that Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz, the head of Israeli military’s ground forces in Lebanon, acknowledged the use of cluster bombs in Lebanon. These munitions “disperse bomblets over a wide area and have been banned by some countries because of the high number of civilian casualties they cause.”

(see: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/world/middleeast/27mideast.html?ref=middleeast&pagewanted=all)

Ok, let me get this straight. Random and occasional Katyushas falling arbitrarily on northern Israel is morally deplorable. Mass civilian targeting by a highly-organized, trained, and precise national army and air force is regrettable but justifiable. NOW I get it. HUH? Is it me?

DELUSIONAL AMERICA

Everyone told me while I was in Lebanon how the news etc is just crazy here. It is true.

I just got off the personal phone-call with a friend of my mother’s. He is a retired high ranking government official. I have had several similar conversations with people on email, on the phone and radio (I was on KPFK’s “Focus on the Middle East” last night), and elsewhere since my return. Many Arabs and Arab-Americans, usually petit-bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie regardless of religious affiliation, desperately want to believe that if the US public “really knew” what is going on in the Arab world they would change their opinion of what is happening in the Middle East. If they only got the real information, they would realize that Israel is not a democratic state; the Palestinians and Lebanese are not terrorists, etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunately, this is just not true. Apart from a silly false assumption that the news is not allowed to report “the truth” (whether because of a Zionist or some other conspiracy), the argument is more hopeful thinking than reality. These conversations have proved to me that Americans (of varied political persuasions) really have no interest in being self-critical or recognizing the political constellation of the region; they refuse to acknowledge that the American government is largely responsible for the configuration; and they refuse to believe that their fine and noble ally Israel really is under threat, is acting protect its vulnerable and cherished security, and would never engage in the abuses in which it is currently engaged and has engaged for half a century. It’s like that Freud patient who said, “I know Mommy doesn’t have a penis but really she does have one”. I mean, reality, not rhetoric, ideological acrobatics, or discursive constructs, is staring them in the face and they just refuse to see what is going on. If they acknowledge that Israel is an aggressor, if they acknowledge that Israel is a settler colonial state that has dispossessed millions and continually violates the human rights of millions, then the US’s own political if not moral position is undermined. They will have to take responsibility for the crisis in the Middle East, the rise of loathsome, right-wing religious extremism, and acknowledge that the reasons “they hate us” is because “we” have been screwing “them” for years.

Currently, my friend Prof. Mark Levine and I are involved in a debate with a few other Zionists on Beliefnet.com. You can see the debate at:

http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/middleeastconflict/

In these days, the refrain from a great band has been ringing in my head:

How do you talk without speaking?
How do you hear without listening?
How do you live without feeling?
How do you take without giving?

Lebanon’s Pain Won’t Be Israel’s Gain

For those interested, the South Carolina's newspaper The State has published an op-ed piece of mine. It is of importance partly because it provides some sage advice of my son Jad.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/columnists/15114825.htm

My thoughts are with you all.

DONATIONS FOR REFUGEE RELIEF

The coalition (http://samidoun.blogspot.com) at the Sanayeh Relief Center in Beirut (http://sanayehreliefcenter.blogspot.com) is providing relief for 15,000 refugees at over thirty schools. It costs on average of $10 per day per refugee (food, cleaning and hygiene materials, medicines, transportation needs, water, and clothes). The government stated that, even if it had the political will, which it does not, it is incapable of covering more than 13% of the cost for these 15,000.

Some international agencies have helped out but volunteers who I spoke to said that they are in desperate need of funds, even putting their own limited personal funds for relief materials.

If you are able to support the relief coalition, please send your donations to:

In all transfers, the following applies:

Account with institution: BKAWLBBE (this is the SWIFT code)

Bank of Kuwait and the Arab World s.a.l.
Beirut - Lebanon Beneficiary
Name: Green Line Association
Beneficiary Account: 10USD4612006189003

For USD transfers:

The correspondents in USA with their SWIFT BIC codes are:
1. Bank of New York New York USA SWIFT code: IRVTUS3N
2. HSBC Bank New York USA SWIFT code: MRMDUS33
3. American Express Bank Ltd. New York USA SWIFT code: AEIBUS33

For Euro transfers:
The correspondents in France and Germany with their SWIFT codes respectively are:
1. Societe Generale Paris - France SWIFT code: SOGEFRPP
2. Dresdner Bank AG Frankfurt - Germany SWIFT code: DRESDEFF

Even a limited amount will make a big difference under the current very complicated circumstances. All donations will be channeled directly to relief efforts on the grounds and a full report on how these funds were used and dispersed will be prepared and open to the public.

For more information, contact Mr Nizar Rammal at 961-3-908-307 or email him at: nizarrammal@yahoo.com

Infrastructure can be rebuilt (and indeed will be, most likely by Hariri's Solidere at the expense of the Lebanese people as in the past 15 years). However, these refugees, some 750,000, and the hundreds of dead and wounded, are the true victims of the "bootstamp" of Israeli aggression.

THIS IS BUSH'S WAR

We arrived yesterday at 3am to California. While there is much to be said about our journey, choc-full of ironies, I will refrain from now. Cut off for 4 days from news, I want to just put out some of the points and news that I have been reading and garnishing from talks with friends. We left on Friday, during which time we saw from the USS Whideybey Island (carrying the Marine 1st battalion Charlie Company, the same company used to attack Fallujah and also the same company blown up at the American Embassy in 1982) three or four pillars of smoke. Two around Zouq Mika’il. We learned that the Israelis were bombing communications (TV and phone) relays including that of TeleLumiere (the Catholic channel I have heard) and the large antenna next to my ancestral home in the northern mountain town of Ihden. Subsequently, communication by phone has been difficult but not impossible depending on the location and whether the line is land or cell.

Most of us knew that it would be “quiet” as Condalezza Rice’s visit was expected. I have been told that the Lebanese Bar Association (not a very radical group by any means) had demonstrated on the same day and many turned out for the quickly organized anti-Condi rally. There have been a few rallies in Lebanon and more scheduled including a DIE-IN as I understand it. I have heard that there were some in Canada but at the same time a Canadian comrade told me that they were “discouraged” if not turned down by the local government (in Ottawa I think) from having it. (If true, could someone write me from Canada and confirm?) Some Israeli comrades sent me an announcement for continuing demonstrations there. An activist from England informed me that her group was also doing a Die-in and was looking for a list (even partial) of the names of the dead. I wondered to her why can’t we have a LIVE-IN! A refusal to die or bend; a refusal of the lies and propaganda; and yes, a refusal of American imperialism through their lackey Israeli satellite (yes, Israel is nothing but a vicious, self-delusional guard dog for US interests).

The past days a few things have been made clear. Apart from the array of other breaches of international laws and human rights conventions, apart from their targeted killings of civilians, and now the targeted killings of UN observers, the Israeli Army is very likely using illegal chemical weapons, particularly phosphorous weapons that ignite fires that are can not be extinguishes. Hanadi Salman in al-Safir reported this quoting a Arab-French doctor, I think, before Pres. Lahoud and Ghazi Aridi mentioned it. Al-Nahar quotes Agence France Presse as having reported that Israel had used phosphorus incendiary bombs and implosion bombs, which suck up the air and collapse buildings (July 25), And even CNN’s Karl Penhaul reported rather sheepishly, after interviewing doctors in the South, that the injuries inflicted on many children and adults seemed to be from the same type of phosphorous weapons that the US admitted to using in Fallujah. On Sunday, I believe, the reporter did stress however non international convention prohibits them (which is a matter of interpretation) but there are conventions on inflicting “indiscriminate suffering”.

The UN's Jan Egeland condemned Israeli’s violence saying that it is “a violation of humanitarian law” and calling their actions “war crimes”. That was before The Guardian reported (July 25) that they Israelis also targeted a clearly marked Red Cross convoy in Sur (Tyre).
Furthermore, I confirmed many of the rumors that I was hearing most notably that the US sold Israel more jet fuel during the first of the bombings.

“The Pentagon notified Congress July 14 of an Israeli request to purchase up to $210 million in JP-8 aviation jet fuel for its military aircraft…..The jet fuel will be consumed while the aircraft is in use to keep peace and security in the region…. improve the security of a friendly country which has been, and continues to be, an important force for stability and economic progress in the Middle East.” (taken from defensenews.com)

More damaging is that the NY Times confirms on July 21st, “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.” While the contents of the shipment are undisclosed, “an arms-sale package approved last year provides authority for Israel to purchase from the United States as many as 100 GBU-28’s, which are 5,000-pound laser-guided bombs intended to destroy concrete bunkers. The package also provides for selling satellite-guided munitions.”

The US is complicit in the carnage produced by Israeli targeting of children, women, elderly, and men in Lebanon (and Palestine). It seems that cracks in Israeli propaganda confirm that this has never been about two Israeli soldiers but a calculated and plan operation aimed at the destruction of Hizbullah, the deployment of an obviously ineffectual and weak Lebanese Army, the forcing of the more than willing pro-American (anti-Hizbullah and anti-Syrian) Lebanese government t into a peace with Israel, and a further isolation of Syria and undermining of Iranian influence in the region (if not sucking the these parties into a regional war where they could be bombed into submission by the US and Israeli military). That is, on July 16, Agence France Press reported that Israel that Defense Minister Amir Peretz said "We do not want to reoccupy Lebanon,…We do not want to get bogged down in the Lebanese quagmire." But today in the Jerusalem Post it is reported Peretz announced the plan to re-establish a “security zone” until Israel’s security can be guaranteed by an international force (that would be weak enough for it to roll over at will, no doubt).

It’s late and I have more to say but I am wiped probably like all the others who traveled four days, jumping from place to allow with little sleep and less notice. I’ll continue tomorrow. Thanks to friends, activists and journalists who are calling me up to contribute to the cause. Please continue to do so. If I can’t do or write something, I can point you to someone who can.

LOST IN THE PROCESS

Friends, loved-ones, and sympathizers

I am currently in a Red Cross processing center in Philadelphia. My boys and I have been in transit for the past four days, throughout which timje I have been cut off from news from the ground. We evacuees and refugees have heard rumors and I have several emails from friends, sources, and comrades that I have yet to read. I have not heard about the other evacuations. I have heard nothing about Canada or Australia. I assume that many of those Canadians and Aussies are just waiting to get a call? We heard that the French are taking a lot out and I saw the Britons had sent a ship the day before I got out. The US has now made an open call for any American interested to be evacuated, s/he should just show up at Dbeyah (with food and water) ready to wait to get to a ship (Check the US Embassy Beirut website for the local press release). Also, I have heard that the Germans were the only country DENIED permission to evacuate via sea.


I can tell you three things at this time:

1. The situation in Lebanon is worsening. We were helicoptered to a battleship (actually a LSD) from where we saw Israeli jets attacked what I think was radio-tv transmitters and maybe a gas station (because the smoke was really black). The situation in the South is worsening and I have been told by friends in NGOs that their numbers have reached 750,000 and the resources are being stretched to accomodate them. The main suspension bridge in Lebanon (ultra modern by Lebanese standards) was completely wrecked and, I have read, that a few days ago three empty buses were destroyed on the Lebanese side of the border after they dropped off their passagers in Syria.

2. The general opinion of this "war" is insane. The Americans really don't believe or are shocked that Israel would TARGET innoncent civilians! Out of the 350 dead, one third of them have children.

3. The evacuation has been a long and emotional affair. I have so much to say but am torn. As a good friend and colleague, Patrick McGreevy, wrote in an editorial "We are NOT the Story".
However, it is all that I am qualified at this moment to discuss. Yet, right now, two more flights from Cyprus are coming into the center so I can't talk. I miss Lebanon. I miss my comrades and friends and am numb. But I must go and will write tomorrow. Our journey has been generally smooth but very long and very emotionally painful. I will write details tomorrow about how we were helicoptered out of the Embassy to a ship, adopted by a Marine who fought in Fallujah, brought to Cyprus and put up in the Fair Grounds, brought out in the middel of the night on a chartered plane and now plopped in a Red Cross center in the city of my birth. Off to California and then back on line.

LAST COMMENT:

Many of my right wing American Lebanese partners here on this trip, blessed America for the evacuation (while also being extremely selfish and rude to volunteers and fellow evacuees) and cursed Hizbullah for allegedly picking a fight with a "wahash" (beast). All I can say, while so many volunteers have been kind and yes the men and women of the Navy and Marines were extremely kind to me and my boys (perhaps even beyond the call of duty), ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED if Pres. Bush just picked up the phone and insisted Israel NOT indiscrimately bomb the Lebanese back into the Stone Ages.

We are all fine for those who care. And to those of you, both loved ones and strangers, who have sent your messages of support personally for me and in solidarity for the Lebanese people, these messages have meant a lot to all of us. Thank you and keep up the struggle. It's a long way up but we'll all get out of here.

LEAVING THE PARKING LOT OF LEBANON

I am betting we are out of here tomorrow at 4 am.

As Lebanon is turned into a parking lot and 500,000 refugees search how to live, my two children and I will be starting our journey to the US and in fact to a new life. We are going, in sort, as refugees. Only one bag each, relocating to the University of South Carolina, where I will be Associate Professor of Arabic literature and cultural studies.

Despite the intensification of the bombing in the South and Southern Suburbs, Beirut has been quieter during the day (mostly likely because the evacuations take place during the day). I fear that since the capital is not feeling as much heat daily now (at night we hear it more) that there will be less pressure on Israel to cease. After all, Beirut is “the ornament of the Arab world”. As Fisk said in his farewell, we look like you and act like you all in the West! Bombing high hem-lines and great bar districts looks bad. Bombing underdeveloped, predominantly Shi’a rural communities or slums, well, that is just sound policy to some.

Israelis are massing at the border. If this is posturing, it is one more miscalculation on their part as there is a general consensus that Hizbullah has repelled them several times. Even those who oppose the Party, who are loyal members of their opposition, begrudgingly admit to its apparent military success. If they do invade on the ground, however, the “war” in Lebanon will be protracted. They can not commitment a massive amount ground troops (as they are suggesting with calling up reserves today), invade, and then withdraw without the holding the Head of John the Baptist. Whether or not they invade, they are engaging in war crimes just by threatening a million civilians and forcing them to evacuate (giving civilians a 2 pm deadline to get out of the South).
I will write from the US when my boys and I arrive. To my loved-ones, friends, and all those comrades who have written in solidarity, I will call and write you as soon as I am able, which could be several days. Although I will be off-line, maintain the pressure on the US and other governments force Israel to cease this madness.
ahaahahu

ATTAC SOLIDARITY

ATTAC LUBNAN acknowledges and thanks the many ATTACs throughout Europe and North Africa who have organized demonstrations and sit-ins in solidarity with the suffering and victimization of the Lebanese people. We also appreciate their vocal and uncomprimising criticism of the State of Israel for their unvarnished aggression and disproportional retaliation against Lebanon, Lebanese civilians, and the Lebanon economy.

We personally have heard from at least ATTAC Belgium, ATTAC Poland, ATTAC Switzerland, and ATTAC France and also know that other ATTACs have been active.

Most recently, ATTAC Maghreb, ATTAC TUNIS, ATTAC LUBNAN, The Egyptian Anti-Globalization Association, and The Syrian Activists against Globalization have issues a strong statement condemning Israeli violence and calling on all ATTACs to protest in front of Israeli and American embassies to unconditionally cease Zionist aggression.

You can find an open letter (in French and English) from ATTAC Lubnan along with the aforementioned group-ATTAC call posted on ATTAC Lubnan's website (http://www.liban.attac.org/) as well as this blog. ATTAC Lubnan communiques can also be found on the website and will continued to be issued throughout the hostilities.

LEBANON/PALESTINE-ISRAEL and US-IRAQ

In Lebanon, among Lebanese and expats, there has been shock that several polls in the US show that around 60% of Americans support Israeli pulverization of Lebanon, collective punishment, and terror on Lebanese civilians. UN Amb Lightening Bolt Bolten said that there is a moral difference between Israel's wanton destruction and massacres of Lebanese civilians and Hizbullah's arbitrary tossing of missiles into Israel.

I am really starting to understand how the NAZI's took control in Germany. Reasonable folk (let alone progressive ones) must have stood on in awe saying "This can't be real. This guy can't be saying this. People just don't believe this nonsense, do they?" But you know, they DID believe it.

The point is: Look at the way the Israeli offensive (militarily, politically, and strategically overall) has been carried out and the US invasion and occupation of Iraq has unfolded. There are many similarities. The US public largely supported that "war" too until even after the number of dead American soldiers reached 1000 (and is now well past 2000 let alone tens of thousands of Iraqs).

We are scheduled to be pulled out of here at 4 am. Thanks to the vocal protestation of mostly democratic senators and a lot of their constituents, we will be evacuated at the expense of...well us.. as American tax payers not tourists. See you on the other side and hoping for the best for ALL of us.

HEY! GUESS WHO'S NOT BEING EVACUATED TODAY??

Yes! If you guessed the 150 foreign faculty of AUB (mostly families with children), you guessed correctly! Your prize? Another anxiety-ridden day in otherwise wonderful Beirut (and it really is wonderful when not being violated by Zionist aggression), you will be serenaded by F-16s on their bombing runs, drone planes, and the occasional cacophony (and a real caco too!) of bombing the Southern Suburbs. And more, you will be treated to the background of Chinook helicopters and a view of a fleet of battleships from several countries evacuating hopefully more serious cases of those who live in high-danger areas.

Apparently, Cyprus is chaos: a run on resources, rooms, and flights. The Americans really blew it again and I even heard that the Canadians (yes Canadians!) made a mess of things, failing to prioritize during the first days leaving pregnant women at the dock. (BTW: I have a pregnant American woman waiting to get out living across the hall.)

New plan: Tomorrow (Sat), 4:30 AM!!! Turkey or maybe Cyprus then from the airforce base there, chartered flights to the US. Tomorrow... Should I hold my breath? I am banking we are out of here as 4 am is maximum inconveniences but then again....

FRESH ON THE BOAT?

First I want to apologize if my entries have been sloppy. I have been writing for a while and am exhausted and not using Word.

Second, hopefully, my boys and I will be evacuated tomorrow morning. If that is the case, I want to tell everyone who has written me thank you. But also, to the JOURNALISTS and ACTIVISTS abroad trying to make contacts with journalists, activists, and volunteers in Lebanon, please continue to use my blog as a way of contacting me. WE have been successful in establishing a lot of connections. I will continue to help when I am back in the US which I hope will be in a three or four days.

Until then, the struggle continues and we will continue fight to what is dear to us and for those who are dear to us.

LAST UGLY UPDATE

The tension in Lebanon is palatable. Israel determination to break the spirit of Lebanon is not succeeding. To the contrary. However, it is succeeding in demolishing the country and blowing its economy back into Fatimid era. The Israelis have successfully created an atmosphere of panic and paranoia.
I left Zico House and saw that a police had stopped a car and there was group of men (around 60-80) around it. I was with Ahmad from ATTAC, who has been involved in the relief from its first days. His own parents just arrived in Beirut from a small village outside of Sidon by taking treacherous back roads (I think from the South up through Baaklin). He saw his classmate Hiba (probably around 19 years old) and I saw our friend and fellow ATTAC member Wajih (18) being detained rather forcibly by plain clothed internal security. An angry mob was around the car, which also had two members (I think stringers) of the British network ITN. I tried to talk to Wajih but was not allowed. He asked me to contact his parents. Then tried to talk to the two from ITN but was not allow. It was so loud I couldn’t properly hear the name of the reporter (it ended up being Richard) but heard his network affiliation.
Wajih and Hiba were moonlighting as translators and guides for the ITN crew. They drove by Sanaya Gardens and the TV crew took pictures from the window of the car at which time a crowd of refugees surrounded the car. They seized Wajih and accusing them of being “Israeli agents”. By the time, Ahmad and I showed up, the police and internal security (lots of plain clothes security and secret police) were fighting with the refugees, Hizbullah and hoodlums from AMAL (who basically wanted to lynch these guys) for possession of the four.
During all of this, Ahmad was accosted by AMAL hoodlums when he was talking to Hiba by refugees at which time a plain clothed member of Hizbullah came to his aid. The same thing happened to me. I was roughed up a bit (but not hit and kicked like Ahmad) by AMAL thugs and about to be surrendered to the police because I said “I know Wajih” (therefore I must be a spy). I spoke in the heaviest Arabic accent that I could muster and told them that Wajih was my student and I was a professor at AUB. Once again, another Hizbullah member saved me and told me “Get out of here. It’s not your place. Go home.”
The mob was really angry and AMAL whipped them up more. At one point, someone from the mob grabbed the barrel of the M-14 of a fatigue clad policeman. It was crazy. I ran back and forth to the relief center, trying to get someone involved who knew about dealing with the police. At this point, I did not know what was going on. Who was who and coming from the US and living in Lebanon thought that this was a run of the mill case of police brutality and oppression. Finally, the car sped away with a whole convoy of police cars. Apparently, Hizbullah saved the four from being taken to an AMAL house and probably being beaten. They were first taken to a Hizbullah "safehouse" and then to the police station.
By this time, Ahmad was arrested as some member of the mob (the same one who got me) got him. By that time, I started to be able to identify secret policy. When I went back to Zico House, the cops were trying to close it because they said that an “agent” had run in there. At this point, I knew it was my time to got out of their as calmly but quickly as possible.
New TV reported that the police were holding four “spies” in their custody and that they came out of Zico House!
When I got home, I desperately tried to find out info about Wajih and the journalists but also knew that if I got ITN into it, Wajih and Hiba would be safe. Thanks to Michelle Woodword at MERIP in DC, ITN got a hold of me very quickly. The crew, Hiba, and Wajih were released and subsequently proceeded to an interview with Seniora who apologized to them.
The situation is messed up. Refugees (especially the macho guys sitting around with the women, elderly, and children) are amped up. The cops are always amped up. It was the first time that I was scared for my own safety but more for the safety of my friends. Israeli terror will not win but there is a cost to resistance, a psychological mind set that makes one distrustful and paranoid.

REFUGEE RELIEF UPDATE

I went to visit Zico House today. Wow! So many volunteers doing so many wonderful things. They are doing a great job. I spoke to a lot of friends and met some new folks too. This operation is now taking care of 10,000 refugees housed in 29 public schools. They are providing food, water, bedding clothes, baby food, diapers, hygiene accoutrements, medicine and medical care. It is a massive operation. Meals are cooked in a variety of places including pubs and restaurants like Rendez-Vous (I think, it’s in UNESCO).One student I know from AUB broke down one school in Burj Abi Haidar, which houses 150 refugees with 55 children under the age of two! There are three pregnant women and one among them could pop any day. A lot of other groups have volunteered and the Lebanese Communist Party, despite its ineffective nature and stale language, has opened up its considerable resources and organizing capacity to aid in the relief. There are refugees still in Sanaya Garden. I have heard stories (only second hand accounts) how the Police have tried to move them out because the wealthy neighbors don’t like refugees in the hood.

Quick UPDATE

First, the UN finally indirectly accused Israel of war crimes. I hope this is diplo-talk to tell them that they should stop this sh-t. Here is an article on the topic:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0720/dailyUpdate.html

Second, there have been a lot of demonstrations all over the world in solidarity for the Lebanese people in the face of Israel’s war of terror. There was one held today outside the UN Headquarters called by an ad hoc coalitions of civil society groups. I was not there. I heard though that there were a “few hundred”, which probably means round 80-100 people, most Lebanese workers for NGOs and their friends.

MUST BE SAID TO BUSH AND CLINTON..HILARY

Just for the record, this must be said:

1. Israel is not the tail that shakes the dog. Its current invasion and terror campaign in Lebanon fits squarely in with US foreign policy (if that is what we can call the Bush Doctrine). Israel conveniently found an excuse (like the WMD issue) to try to wipe out one of its strongest opponents. I don't buy into the Israeli evil triumverant theory where Syria-Hamas-Hizbullah coordinate moves. Hizbullah and Hamas are two totally different types of organization. Whatever connection there might be, Israel has only to thank itself. In 1992, 400 Palestinian activists (`Abd al-`aziz al-Rantisi being among them), mostly political Islamists (, were deported to Lebanon and lived in a “no man’s land” between occupied southern Lebanon and Lebanese controlled territory. There, Hizbullah not only aided them but allegedly trained them in various sorts of techniques of resistance.

2. This Bush doctrine is psychotic.
3. Hilary Clinton and those democrats who are bending over backwards to support this invasion show that the Democrats have as little moral fiber as they do have backbone to stand up. Indeed, depite their tepid criticism of US “involvement” in Iraq, they too share in the privileges of the war spoils and war profiteering (including defense contracts to their constituencies).
4. Finally, while I am only hearing second hand info, those like Sen Pelosi and Kennedy have called Bush if not on the human tragedy of Lebanon at least on the Bush regime's inactivity regarding refugees and the civilian cost.

TONS OF BOMBS

All Headline News Service reported today:

"Israeli warplanes dropped an estimated 23 tons of bombs into the southern suburbs of Beirut in daybreak airstrikes Thursday flattening buildings and a mosque. The latest attacks came after an Israeli jet hit a bunker believed to be used by Hezbollah leaders."

I guess when 22 tons is just NOT enough!

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004275085

I am really irrated right now. Lots happened at the Sanayah Garden. Friends arrested along with a stringer crew for the British ITN, accused of being Zionest agents by the Police and the secret police. Idiotic New TV, I've heard, reported that the police caught "spies".

I'll write all about it soon. Have to eat with the boys as I have not seen them. THE WORD IS:
We are out tomorrow morning. They might power the ship on the amount of rage in most of us here.

Personal

I received a few emails of people still in Lebanon and realized that so many of us are scattered throughout Lebanon, isolated, and unable to travel. But we are all sharing the same experience: Anxiety, disgust, fear, waiting, rage, confusion. Please let's all of us stay in touch as I feel this network that we have built among friends, loved-ones, comrades, academics, journalists, and activists is a platform for future action.

FROM THE LEBANESE-SYRIAN BORDER

Journalist, friend and my former-student, Paul Cochran got stuck in Syria and wrote me from the Syrian-Lebanese border. Apparently, “over 1,000 Palestinians are stuck in no-man's land by the Syrian duty free. They are being refused entry as they only have refugee IDs and no passports, and are sleeping on the grass outside and in themosque. Apparently they will return to Lebanon tomorrow [Thurs]…The humanitarian crisis is spiraling out of control.” Also, he “ talked to a bus driver [who told him that] it took 9 hours to get from Beirut to the border using the mountain roads.” It is usually a two hour drive. Furthermore, “Flights are hard to get, with a five day waiting list insome cases. Those without cash are staying in orphanages, monasteries, and schools.”

US-ISRAELI MISCALCULATING HIZBULLAH....AGAIN

The American media is just catching onto the fact that you can’t crush the spirit of resistance or Hizbullah for that matter with violence. In fact, every day that Hizbullah lasts they get more popular even among non-Shiites and even among non-Muslims (and Druze)! Israel finally entered ground troops into Lebanon. It reported on Arab media that Hizbullah actually repelled them for two or three days, inflicting high causalities (I heard six Israeli soldiers killed yesterday alone). However, Israeli TV (which is occasionally picked up my Lebanese channels) also showed this yesterday, airing footage of wounded Israeli soldiers!

Just for the record, I don’t like Hizbullah. They are Lebanon’s version of the religious right…to some degree. I think that the religious right in the US and in the White House is far more dangerous. They resemble the sort of Midwest puritanical American religious right that has existed since the religious revival in the early 1800’s (yes 1800’s not 1900). Like that religious right in the US, their moralism comes out of a reaction to the alienation brought on by capitalism and modernity (e.g. consumerism, the seeming “loss” of spirit in the commodification of one’s life, the destruction of communal networks, etc.). I do think that they act irresponsibly sometimes and their stalwart defense of Syria was at times absurd albeit a political necessity for them and not as absurd as the asinine as the loyalty of Lebanese Baathists, fascist Syrian Nationalists, and feudal overlord Sleiman Franjieh. I think that capturing the two Israelis was foolish as it was probably a trap set by the Israelis to justify this offensive. However, any and all Lebanese have the right to organize and carry out military and/or political action against Israel. We must remember, Israel
- regularly violates Lebanese airspace and bombs positions in the South even in 2006 and even without “provocation”.
- illegally occupied Lebanese territory (Shebaa Farms).
- illegally holds tens of Lebanese in prison inside Israel.
- still has never provide a map of tens of thousands of landmines they laid in the South.
Let’s not even get into Palestine for the moment!

Had the Lebanese Forces done this to Syria to free the tens of Lebanese still in Syrian prisons, the international community certainly would not stand by to let Syria destroy Lebanon and target its civilian population.

Despite my own distaste for the party, Hizbullah is a democratic party and the leaders have achieved their position within that party through merit. Much to the chagrin of many of their “democratic” neo-liberal opponents in Lebanon and abroad, they are one of the few parties in Lebanon that are completely clean of corruption. They are far more sophisticated, tolerant, and intelligent than Hamas or certainly the fascistic Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, “Qa’idah” (whatever that means) and their like. Early on in their existence, they were smart enough (coming from a pluralistic society) to drop the goal of an Islamic Republic. They have no desire to control non-Shiite communities or compel them to follow the dictates of their narrow interpretation of their sect.

All of that said, the point is this:

Israel and the US have to learn that the massive and calculated targeting of civilian targets and infrastructure in Lebanon only strengthens Hizbullah. Israeli aggression and US endorsement (through military and political aid) of it only gives credibility to Hizbullah. With every day they hold out, with every casualty they inflict on Israeli forces and yes, sadly, with every rocket they heave into Israel, they become more stronger and more credible. The pro-American government has lost what little credibility it has and only the most loyal followers are behind it, fumbling for words and excuses to defend Seniora-Hariri’s passivity.

Israel has expanded the offensive to attacking the Lebanese Army, which is really a joke. We should tell the Lebanese Ministries of Defense and Interior that the Israelis are really Lebanese in disguise, protesting for democratic change and social justice in the Arab world. Then, , the Lebanese government will jump into action. (I can tell you how the government with 24 hours notice deploys the Army, the police AND the Special Riot Force when any progressive group has a demonstration! Usually the Army and internal security forces outnumber protesters three to one. NO joke.) The point being is that the Lebanese Army gets their butt kick and in the eyes of the Lebanese, while the family members, friends, cars, buses, trucks, ambulances buildings, bridges, and factories are being blown up around them, they see Hizbullah standing.
For those of you who think that Israel controls American blah blah blah, that is silly. Israel is the perfect little client state of the US. Look at how they are spinning their invasion. It is exactly out of the US Iraq War Play Book. But like in Iraq, this is not a war on terror but a war using terror for Israeli political ends. There is no “surgical bombing”. The blocks and blocks of destroyed apartment buildings, homes, factories, offices, bridges, etc show that this is a strategic war on the Lebanese people.

ONE MORE DAY IN THE GOLDEN CAGE

The bad news (for my family and my boys) is that AUB will not be evacuated today. We have been told NO REASON. However, speculation is that the Embassy is evacuating higher priority cases (i.e. American citizens who do not have the safety of AUB campus). If that is the case, it's better although if the US really cared, they would just force Israel to cease hostilities, stop massacring civilian, destroying infrastructure, and commercial interests and then consider releasing the tens of Lebanese (let alone thousands of Palestinians) they are illegally incarcerated in Israeli prisons.

The good news is that I get a day to go around and talk to people, visit the refugee logistical center and talk to some refugees. There's a demonstration today but if I go my family will have a heart attack out of fear for my safety.

I will write more. I only read the English language news so far. New TV is doing a great job and so is al-Jazeera (who were the first to visit the refugees). LBC and Future? Well, my Mom and Pop raised an anarchist but a polite one and taught me to focus on the positive so I can only say at least those two channels come in clear.

THANK YOU and the STRUGGLE CONTINUES

We were told that AUB will be evacuated tomorrow (Thurs) but I just got a message from a well-connected friend who told me that the evacuation will be “postponed for logistical reasons”. Israel really started to heat things up in this area. I heard several extraordinarily loud explosions around 8 pm local time. I wonder if Israel is playing games.

We will only know tomorrow. AUB will tell us then. The University is also providing a travel allowance to its employees. They really have stepped up and folks Provost Peter Heath, Vice President of Administration James Radulski, the Deans of the respective faculties (mine being Dean Khalil Bitar), and Prof. John Maloy (who watched out for the foreign students) along with the rank and file staff, who braved the situation to be here and made everything work, have to be commended.

Let me write now, just in case it is true that we are being evacuated, that I will be off-line for a while. I don’t know what time we are leaving campus. There will be more than 140 faculty and their children. As one friend said, we are leaving “holding our noses” how we have to leave. Taking a ship under the protection of the same Department of Defense and Department of State that is funding and arming the aggressor in this war is sickening. I heard though that there was such a stink in the US that they will not be charging us for the ride although AP reported today (July 19, 2006) that evacuees “Americans were asked to sign promissory notes to pay for the trip before they could leave.” If they ask me, I am going to point South and say “Hey there goes my promissory notes out of that American made and paid for F-16 dropping a freakin’ bomb on the Beirut International Airport forcing me to be on this damn boat in the first place!”

Yes, I am angry. I’m bloody irate. For now, I have too much to do. I am going to dump as much as I can tonight onto the blog. It has not been uploading well so hopeful it will work. Then when I get to the US and electronic again, I’ll pick up the struggle.

Finally, I do want to thank EVERYONE who has written me, forwarded stuff to me, help disseminate information of the ruthlessness of this inhumane offensive, and helped me get the word out about refugee relief. It has made a difference although the US has done nothing to temper Israel’s policy of terror. (Speaking about Israeli terror, I might have an op-ed piece coming out in NPR but I don’t know. Keep an eye out). YOUR friendship, love, and comradery kept me sane during this insane time.

That said, for all of your media, activists, and comrades who have questions, want interviews, op-ed pieces, contacts here from me or better from those on the ground in Lebanon, I can continue to facilitate those contacts. Email me and I’ll make those things happen.

Until then, I’ll see you on the other side angrier and more sarcastic than ever but at least my two beautiful boys will be safe from undiscerning and indiscriminate Israeli bombing. Much love to you all. KEEP WRITING YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, YOUR PRESIDENTS, YOUR PRIME MINISTERS! Attend rallies (there are quite a few and if there aren’t any, make one!). Protest in front of your local Israeli mission! Spread the word and put pressure on Israel to stop this massacre.



CRUISE MISSILES!

The press is making it out that the evacuation is some sort of joy ride of a “luxury cruise liner” (MSNBC)! I’m livid. My even more livid mother just wrote me too:

I saw people on the "cruise ship. It is a hell hole. Be prepared to stand the entire distance. If you have any water take it. No food or water and they are trying to get rooms on Cyprus but it is a strain so you are right.

The Norwegians carried and fed all people.

Hey Mom, the Norwegians have an economy that is not based on underwriting the most usurious and unethical war profiteers. When they pay their taxes, they get something that is foreign to the US, real security, education, health care, public services and a “social security”, which translate into a reasonable standard of living for all of their population. And they are not as rich as Sweden even!

And by the way, do you know that the Israelis actually detained the “Orient Queen” (AKA Flaming Rag-Head) on Tuesday because it was carrying Lebanese citizens?! What?! Is Hizbullah now vacationing on Greek cruises? And get this, the BBC reported that a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry actually took credit for "stupendous amount of coordination" to arrange for ships to evacuate foreigners from some twenty countries. AAAAAAH. How does one express being speechless on a blog? What the…? They create a human tragedy of massive proportions, massacre hundreds of people, tens of them being children under the age of 12, dispossess 500,000 people, then they congratulate themselves on how helpful they were in facilitating an evacuation that they made imperative. Is it me? But hey, at least we get a cruise ship that will take us to Cyprus where my six and twelve year old son can wait anxiously as refugees, traveling to the US carrying only a back pack full of clothes. Thanks Israel. Great job. I’d hate to see if you weren’t helpful!

CRUISE MISSILES!

The press is making it out that the evacuation is some sort of joy ride of a “luxury cruise liner” (MSNBC)! I’m livid. My even more livid mother just wrote me too:

I saw people on the "cruise ship. It is a hell hole. Be prepared to stand the entire distance. If you have any water take it. No food or water and they are trying to get rooms on Cyprus but it is a strain so you are right.

The Norwegians carried and fed all people.

Hey Mom, the Norwegians have an economy that is not based on underwriting the most usurious and unethical war profiteers. When they pay their taxes, they get something that is foreign to the US, real security, education, health care, public services and a “social security”, which translate into a reasonable standard of living for all of their population. And they are not as rich as Sweden even!

And by the way, do you know that the Israelis actually detained the “Orient Queen” (AKA Flaming Rag-Head) on Tuesday because it was carrying Lebanese citizens?! What?! Is Hizbullah now vacationing on Greek cruises? And get this, the BBC reported that a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry actually took credit for "stupendous amount of coordination" to arrange for ships to evacuate foreigners from some twenty countries. AAAAAAH. How does one express being speechless on a blog? What the…? They create a human tragedy of massive proportions, massacre hundreds of people, tens of them being children under the age of 12, dispossess 500,000 people, then they congratulate themselves on how helpful they were in facilitating an evacuation that they made imperative. Is it me? But hey, at least we get a cruise ship that will take us to Cyprus where my six and twelve year old son can wait anxiously as refugees, traveling to the US carrying only a back pack full of clothes. Thanks Israel. Great job. I’d hate to see if you weren’t helpful!

Demonstrations!

I am pleased that there are lot demonstrations going on world wide. Even in Israel, 2000 comrades protested Israel blind aggression. It is a little upsetting though because Gaza has been under this sort of relentless bombing for some time with much less reaction even in the Arab world. That said, perhaps this will be a catalyst to make connections between the indiscriminant use of violence for political ends by imperialist powers in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq.

There will be an demonstration here in Beirut tomorrow JULY 20 organized by a coalition of
civil society organizations called "Lil Hayat" (For Life) in front of the UN House in Riad El Solh Square in Beirut at 11am. The demonstration will then march to the European Union Headquarters.

Lebanonexpats.org compiled this list of demonstrations below. I am only posting those that will occur not those that have been held.

Everyday
France / Paris Place de Trocadéro : Rassemblement tous les jours de 18h à 21h.Wednesday July 19, 2006

Australia, Sydney - (12 noon - 3PM), at Wynyard Park on York Street Sydney (behind Wynyard station).

Canada / Edmonton Alberta - Rally at (noon) in front of the Albreta Legislature Building

Canada / Ottawa - Rally at (7PM) in front of the parleament hill in ottawa

Canada / Toronto - (8PM)The Youth Group of Our Lady of Lebanon Church is inviting you for a night of prayers for our beloved Lebanon & its great people (Dead & Alive). Location: Our Lady of Lebanon Church. 1515 Queen St. West. Toronto – 416.534.7070 Kuwait - (5:30PM) location coming soon

Switzerland / Geneva - (6 PM) Pont du Mont-Blanc, Jardin Anglais

USA / Boston - (4-7pm) at Gibran Khalil Gibran's sculpture which is at Coplay Place, Boston. People who need more information can email lailakobrossy@hotmail.com or call Laila on 1 857 891 9246.

USA / LA - (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM) Israeli Consulate in Los
Angeles 6380 Wilshire Blvd, LA (near Wilshire & San Vicente) Contact (323)
464-1636 for more information

USA / Florida - (12 PM) Place: Turlington Hall - University of
Florida

USA / Washington DC - (11 AM) - Freedom Plaza in Downtown DC

USA / Seattle - (5 PM)- Westlake Park

Thursday July 20, 2006

Germany, Stade - (2PM and 3PM) Street: Am Sande

Qatar - (8:30PM) at the Lebanese school.

Senegal / Dakar - (11:00AM) with lebanese senegalese and
representative of foreign ambassies

Spain / Madrid - (7:30 PM) from Puerta del Sol to Plaza de
Ópera (Isabel II).

Spain / Barcelona - (8:00 PM) Plaça Sant Jaume

Spain / Tarragona - (7:30 PM) Rambla Nova. Estatua dels
Despullats

Spain / Lleida - (8:00 PM) Plaça Paeria

Saturday July 22, 2006

Australia, Adelaide - (12PM) at Parliment
house in Adeliade, and may lead to a march thru to Victoria Square.

Australia, Melbourne - (1PM) at the state Library in the city
on Swanston Street

Australia, Canberra - (12:30PM) at the Garema Place

Canada, Ottawa - (11AM) in front of the parleament in ottawa
and we will march to the canadian prime minister office

France, Dijon - (13:30) Place Darcy

Germany, Munich - (3:30 PM) Kalsplatz

Germany, Hanover - Kröpcke Strass

Germany, Frankfurt - (2 PM) - Homburger Landstrasse/Ecke
Friedberger Warte (contact: Tel.: 0172 519 84 13 , 0152 051 251 25, 0162 932 83
04 )

Hong Kong - (11:00 AM) in central station Hong Kong

Netherlands, Amsterdam - At the Beursplein

Stockholm/kungstådgården - (1pm)

UK / London - (12PM) march from Parliment sqare to Marble Arch

UK - (12 noon) Whitehall Palace (Embankment Tube)

Sunday July 23, 2006

Vienna - (4PM) center of Stephansplatz

Monday July 24, 2006


France, Valence - rassemblement à 19h à l'Hôtel de Ville.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Volunteers are holding these refugee centers together. We are not hearing enough about this. Apart from the fact that no one knows where Israel will strike next (milk factories, lorries carry food, well-drill truck, homes, businesses, etc), these volunteers are putting in 12-18 hour days. As much as I dislike them, some members of international community (notably the Saudia, Kuwait, and the EU), and some organizations, namely ther rightist populist Tayyar of Aoun, have been generous in providing aid. There is also a lot of anecdotal information how local neighborhoods are assisting refugees housed in their local public schools. I can't confirm this but I know personally that a lot of folks have asked me where they can go to donate food and clothes. Moreover, mostly Lebanese and a handful of expat NGO workers in Lebanon, are making these operations work.

Despite this outpour and despite the fact that these refugees are hardened by Israeli aggression and in fact determined not to have that aggression break their spirit as it has their homes and ability to earn a living, one wonders though how long will food and clean water be available. The local Fire Departments are providing water but it management is a problem. The condition are crowded, extremely hot, and worsening.

Apparently, there is already a problem in securing medicine, while medical doctors fron all over the country have stepped up to provide their assistance.

To avoid problems, I have heard that non-governmental public health specialists will be meeting to try to organized the refugees to organize themselves in the schools as sort of small collectives, where they can manage their own health needs including personal hygiene, delegating responsibilities in keeping their facilities clean, healthy and safe, and managing water, fuel, and food resources. This will prevent communicable diseasesand other avoidable health hazards as well as empower the refugees to run theirown affairs in their respective schools.

At first, many people were criticizing Hizbullah for picking a fight with a beast that knows no boundaries, that has never discerned between civilian and military targets. But in the past days, despite the cowardly rhetoric of the Lebanese government, Fu’ad Seniora, Saad Hariri, Elias Atallah, Walid Jumblatt and others, rhetoric that stops short of endorsing the invasion, I do see a growing defiance of the Lebanese which crosses confession and political affiliation. This defiance will not only break the back of unrelenting and inhumane Israeli aggression but may also break the back of the traditional and neo-feudal oligarchy that so anxiously pushes Lebanon into the neoliberal world. Nahnu samidun!

AUB and Refugees

A lot of faculty (usually foreign) criticize the administration of AUB. They must be congratulated however in this time. They have done their best to keep folks affiliated with the University safe.

Moreover, after foreigners evacuate, they are going to open up the vacant apartments to faculty, doctors, and staff who live in unsafe parts of Beirut. This is significant as MANY of the workers at AUB are from the South and Bekaa and work in shifts (three 12/hr days, AUB) then off two or three days etc) at which time they go back to their villages and towns in the Mountain, South, and al-Bekaa.

There has been no information released to Americans from the Embassy and any information that Americans, in or outside the University, receive is through the American or Lebanese media. In contrast, the AUB administration, not known for its transparency or clarity of operations, has remained calm and organized. Moreover, the staff and highest levels of the administrations have been open, patient, and generous. In a situation with little good happening, this must be noted.

Refugee Update

I just spoke to my friends involved in refugee relief. This is the latest.

Currently, there are more than 16,000 refugees housed throughout Beirut in twenty-five schools. The grassroots coalition is assisting 8000 of them and expect the number to reach 10,000 today. The logistics are handled out of Zico House, next to Sanaya Public Park, where two days ago there were 350 refugees sleeping out in the open. Other non-governmental agencies are handling the remaining including the great efforts of the Lebanese Red Cross. These groups are providing food and water, medicine and medical assistance, clothes, bedding and toys. Today, psychologists were brought to help the children cope. The coalition’s media center is based in the documentary center Beirut DC in Furn al-Chubbak.
The government has done NOTHING! One high ranking Army office said that the Lebanese Army donated 20,000 rations, which were kept by the government, who only released 100! While this may be rumor, what is know is that virtually all refugee relief is being conducted by non-government groups and agencies. Basically, the only thing they did is give official permission to relief agencies to open up public schools. In other words, they gave the school principles permission to open the schools for refugees. Even the AUB administration called today for a meeting of how we can help. I assume that the University will open up the empty apartments on campus (mostly those vacated by those fortunate enough to be evacuated….eventually) to Lebanese faculty who can’t be evacuated.

There is a need of donations but more so they are urging everyone to put political pressure on Israeli embassies and the US government to immediate cease the violence as a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions is imminent.

No Evacuation News For Amercicans...No Evacuation at all for Lebanese!

This is what the Embassy emailed us today:

"The US Department of State and the US Department of Defense continue working on a plan to help American citizens who wish to depart Lebanon to leave in a secure and orderly manner. To assist in the development of that operation, the U.S. Government is sending an assessment team to Beirut to facilitate the safe departure of Americans who wish to leave."

In other word, no information. They've sent us the virtually the same message for the past several days. They are releasing no concrete information. There is to some degree a state of panic among Americans. The conflicting news we receive from relatives abroad, friends in other parts of the country, US media, and live Lebanese media has created confusion and worry.

The Ambassador announced that 350 hardship cases were helicoptered out yesterday and 1000 were scheduled to be taken to Larnaca on the Queen Orient. AUB is organizing the names of foregners to get out and I have been told that we won't be evacuated today. But that same person told me that there were no evacuations of Americans planned at all for today. In the meantime, we know a handful of Lebanese Americans (both Muslims and Christians but hey no Druze!!! but who are not hardship cases) were called to Dubayeh I assume to be airlifted out by helicopter.

I have heard that Sen. Pelosi and Ted Kennedy as well as a few other Democrats have been protesting this slow pace of the evacuation. The former, I have been told, is calling this a Katrina in the making. I confess that, considering Israel’s bellicose threats and intensification bombing throughout the country (which I will talk about later), the Senator might be correct. In the past week, when the American expressed a wish to evacuate Americans by commercial planes using the quickly repaired airport, the Israelis bombed it. When the French announced that they were going to evacuate their citizens from Jounieh’s port, the Israelis bombed it. Seven fleeing Canadians were killed in their car in the South and several non-Western nationals have been killed. Indeed, the significant amount expatriates and foreign nationals (numbering in the tens of thousand) are pawns in Israel’s campaign of terror, a campaign which the US has clearly signed onto to further their own political agenda in the region.

Despite the atmosphere of near panic among many Americans here, I do believe that most American citizens (who want) will be evacuated although it is infuriating that the Marines/Embassy took the well-off or middle class, mostly white, summer study-abroad American students first! By Helicopter, at that!!!! Leaving those Americans with children! Most of these students (no joking) are in training for the State Department and CIA anyway. If nothing else GW’s got to get those “kids” back in time for mid-term elections.

As I said before, however, our plight is one of saving the petty-bourgeois and bourgeois expatriates and Lebanese-Americans here. But we CAN get out (if Israel permits). Despite the terror on the roads even from Beirut to the border, friends of mine have taken a bus to Syria, some deciding to go to Damascus (which I hear is a mad house with no flights) and a few others, more sage and adventurous, are going to Turkey. I have heard that the bus drivers have a relay system, checking the safety of the roads to the frontier every five minutes. This communication is clearly essential as we see that the Israelis bombed a convoy of ambulances and several trucks coming from Syria.

The real HUMAN TRAGEDY is the plight of thousands of Lebanese. Currently, there are a half a million refugees! There are also several calls from whole populations of villages in the South, trapped, unable to make it out, unable to make it to refugee centers, relatives, or major cities (which themselves are not very safe in the South). Whole villages are sending out desperate calls. They have no food, no water, no electricity, no fuel, and no sewer. Thousands are trapped, literally. The Israelis have literally demolished all infrastructure that could get them out, trapping them physically and geographically. But also, the Israelis have shown that they will not restrain from attacking refugees fleeing. On the other hand, trapped families are not safe in their homes either as there have been several incidents of Israeli bombs, launched not from gun ships but fighter planes, destroying homes with their families sleeping inside. Just yesterday, in the town of Srifah, ten houses were bombed, killing nineteen Lebanese, a Sri Lankan, and Sudani. This is a repeat of what happened in ‘Aytrun and Salaa, also in the South, where several children, their mothers and fathers were killed when their houses were bombed.

Americans (French, Australians, Britons, Canadians and other foreign citizens) will eventually get out. One can only hope that there will not be any “accidents” in the process or that Hizbullah won’t be pushed to desperate acts and threaten evacuating civilians. Despite their haphazard lobbing of missiles into Israel, I do trust their discretion more that Israel’s….BY FAR!

I suspect when all the foreigners are out, Israel will really take of the gloves and those who can't leave, will suffer for a considerable period.

Canadian Evacuation

I read the Canadian Embassy's press release. They are evacuating (FREE OF CHARGE) all of their citizens tomorrow (Thurs) to Cyprus and Turkey on six ships.

Now you know why all liberal and left-leading Americans want to be Canadian (it ain't the weather)!

No word from the US Embassy but lots of rumors and even hysteria. We've even heard that the US won't take duel citizens and green card holders. Who would have expected it? The US practicing discrimitory policies towards Arabs (whether Christian, Muslim, or atheist)? I must be dreaming.

Looking for a time when things will better for us, for Lebanon, for the US, for the Palestinians and the Arab world. ( Maybe we call all join Canada...and be like the 12th, 13th, 14th etc. provinces. God knows that they already speak a lot of Arabic in Toronto, Montreal, and Kiln!)

Demonstration in New York City

There's a demonstration in NYC tomorrow. I don't know who called it but I trust the person who sent me the announcement.

Come and Rally for Peace in Lebanon!

When: Tuesday July 18th from 4- 6 PM
Where: Outside of the UN headquarters, 1st Avenue 42-48th Streets.

Helpful Links

Here are a few links that might be of some interest. Most are in English and I will try to post Arabic links later:

http://electronicintifada.net/ (Some of the best place to get news about Palestine but also now Lebanon too) They set up:

http://electronicLebanon.net

http://siegeoflebanon.blogspot.com (Open clearing house blog for news, analysis, and frustration)

http://www.angryarab.blogspot.com (comprehensive but becareful...he's angry. And rightfully so!)

http://aljazeera.com/ (news)

sanayehreliefcenter.blogspot.com: Information about the grassroots coalition for refugee relief.

http://www.inquisitor.com/NYDiary/ Beirut diary of a good friend.


http://actionwednesday.blogspot.com/ (good blog from Beirut)

http://www.annd.org/ (Has some great people working for themwho do a lot of good work both under Israeli and WTO siege. The website has become a nice clearing house for info and other sites).

http://sareemakdisi.blogspot.com/ (Some good editorials and analysis from yet one more dangerous professor.)

http://www.lebanonexpats.org/

http://www.epetitions.net/julywar/// (sign the petition)

http://lebanonupdates.blogspot.com/

http://www.justiceforlebanon.com/

http://waronlebanon.blogspot.com

NOTES FROM THE FIRST DAYS OF AGGRESION

Sidon, Tyre, Nabitiyah and other smaller villages are being hammered. Reports of many casualties. Also, refugees fleeing on foot or taking back roads because all major and minor arteries are dangerous and most bridges destroyed. The densely populated neighborhood of Harat Hreik in Beirut is being pounded because that is where Hizbullah TV (al-Manar) and their HQ are (as if any one from the party is actually in the compound!) [Personal note: My son’s Arabic and French tutor lived next to al-Manar. Her house is no more. I wonder how that happened?]

The Lebanese government is completely unpreparted to handle the influx of refugees. By Sunday (July 16) there were 5000 in Beirut (350 sleeping outside in Senayah Public Park). There was no governmental aid. Rather, grassroots groups, NGOs, the UN, and the Lebanese Red Cross jumped into action doing their best.

Israelis air raid several army positions including the one near Falugha knocking out cell phones in The Mountain but also in the north near Batroun at Wajh al-Hajar. Also, the northern second airport of Lebanon bombed at Hamat. Causalities reported.

Beirut, Tripoli and Jounieh’s commercial port (Beirut the major port of the Eastern Med) bombed. Also, fuel reserves at Jiyeh’s power plant as well as fuel depots at the airport destroyed. (I suppose that the Israelis fear that we’ll make them into very big Molotov cocktails? Ya rayt.)



Demonstrations were held in protest of Israeli aggression and solidarity with the Lebanese people in Iraq and Gaza (as well as places like Bangladesh). Can you believe these people? Their countries are being ravished by violence and still they have the courage and energy to protest for cushy Lebanon! As we say in Arabic, I am humbled by their generosity.

Personal Facet of Siege

On a personal note, there are many facets of the seige of Lebanon.

The political, social, regional, local and humantarian aspects of Israel's current aggression against the people of Lebanon. As a scholar of the Middle East, a left-wing activist, and an Arab Lebanese-American, I will write facts and analysis later.

However, for now, I want to comment on some personal issues about the seige, from the perspective of being a fourth generation Arab-America, with two beautiful children, left to the arbitrary and reckless whims of Israel.

My family and I are relative safe, living in the protected campus of the American University of Beirut. The neighborhood is a distance from the relentless and merciless boming of the Southern Suburbs and the South (although bombing of the suburbs, port, lighthouse, and airport are very audible along with the constant drone of warplanes). Travel is dangerous but we are safe and confident that the Israelis will have discretion not to bomb AUB and infuriate their American sugar-daddy. That said, trapped on campus with tens of whiny American students, from privleged background, can get irritating.

For me as a father and as an American (who had to learn Arabic in my 20s), I am furious, but not surprised, that the American government has allowed Israel to have no restaint and completely destroy Lebanon's infrastructure, terrify its population, and massacre now 2oo hundred Lebanese and Palestinian men, women, and children, many of them in flight.

Furthermore, we have heard VERY LITTLE from the Embassy here. Rumors are flying around. Many other embassies have been in contact with their expatriate citizens (even those like the Swedes who have 5000 living here!). We learn things from the daily, vague press release on the Embassy website and occasionly through the AUB adminstration. Much of the rumor and information comes from relatives in the US and US media outlets.

What we do know is that we will have to PAY for our evacuation to Cyprus. We are leaving literally with the clothes on our backs, only allowed to carry 30 pounds each! The financial losses and strain of Israeli aggression for the Lebanese is going to be mind-boggling but also on a personal note it will have hurt many of us Americans as well.

But the issue is NOT the out-of-pocket expenses. This is minor in the end even for the poorest of us. What is enraging is that the US can spend billions of dollars on an illegal and unfavorable war in Iraq, it can arm and aid Israel to carrying atrocities against the Palestinians, provides them the bombs, planes, helicopters, logistics, and political support to carry out violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and it can find funds underwrite big business in the US, but it can't flip the bill to evacuate its OWN citizens WHO PAY FOR THESE THINGS? I mean, who pays for the US military, which is the largest defense budget in the world? The US government dedicates more funds to defense than health care, education, and housing combined! What do you call evacuating its own citizens if not defense?!!! This is ridiculous and offensive.

Most of my American colleauges here, who are rather conservative on both domestic and international politics agree. In the meantime, the hundreds of Norwegians and 1200 French were evacuated today and yesterday to Larnaca on a ship similar to the “Queen Orient” (great name! geez, why not call it Rag-Head Express?). When they arrive there, they will be flown directly to their respective countries on the tab of their governments!

There is much more to be said about the personal aspect but I don't wan to be like so many other Americans, whing how bad it is as tens of thousands of Lebanese really have it so much worse. In the end, trauma and terror of my children aside, we can get out. Many can't and eating, drinking, and surviving day to day is the real question here.

Beseiged in Lebanon

Circumstances, it might be said, push even the most hestitant to blog.
Below find an Open Letter from the alternative globalization and progressive grassroots action group ATTAC LUBNAN:

OPEN LETTER FROM BESEIGED BEIRUT MONDAY JULY 17, 2006 NOT A BATTLE OF EQUALS
Regardless of how one sees Hizbullah's kidnapping of Israeli soldiers (a tactic that they learned from Israeli itself) and its subsequent defense of Lebanon, Israel's response has been an egregious violation of international law and human rights conventions including the Fourth Geneva Convention. We in ATTAC LUBNAN protest to the international community against this gratuitous use of excessive force in Lebanon, the disregard for human life, the deliberate destruction of civil infrastructure, and a calculated plan by Israel to cause a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. Furthermore, we protest that no US or Western mainstream media outlets, let alone few governments, have reported that this aggression is not only illegal and a contravention of human rights conventions but beyond the pale of any “civilized” nation let alone one that receives billions of dollars in aid from the United States not to mention trade privileges in North America and Europe. Israeli officials have admitted that this offensive has been planned for some time. The truth is that the civilian population of Lebanon, its civil and economic infrastructure, and its overall economy for the next several years are all currently being held as ransom to push Israel’s political agenda. This agenda includes the disarming of Hizbullah and full implementation of 1559 and might also include provoking Syria into an expanded regional war, which would allow the US to open up a full air campaign to target Bashar al-As’ad’s ossified, authoritarian regime and to eliminate through force Iran’s nuclear program. The United States, Great Britain, EU and G8 have virtually exonerated Israel of the massive amount of violence and bloodshed that it is inflicting on Lebanon. Most news agencies are reporting this offensive as if it were a battle between equals. This is NOT a battle of equals. On Sunday, "8 killed in Haifa" was the BBC's and other US media's headline while at the same time 15 children, women, and men were TARGETED and KILLED by the Israeli army. Since that time scores of other innocent civilians mostly children, women, and elderly have been massacred in their homes or in their cars fleeing. This is NOT a battle of equals where 16 Israelis dead equal more than a 184 dead Lebanese, the COMPLETE destruction of Lebanese infrastructure, and millionsLebanese and several tens of thousands of foreigners being held hostage. ON THE GROUND, On the ground, a grassroots coalition leftists and secular groups have now been transformed into a relief service for refugees able to flee the Southern Suburbs or al-Dahiyah with several non-political social groups and NGOs joining in. The Seniora government has taken its time to alleviate the mounting humanitarian and refugee crisis. The government is clearly split with half, including the bloc with which Minister Mouawad and Seniora’s ruling coalition are associated, indirectly and tacitly supporting the siege in hopes of breaking their most well-organized, well-funded, and disciplined opponent, Hizbullah. Consequently, Beirut and all of Lebanon is under a complete state of siege and the Southern Suburbs, which is bearing the brunt of the attack, at least in Beirut, is deserted. What roads, highways, tunnels and bridges have not been destroyed, are highly unsafe as we have learned in Marwaheen where fifteen innocent men, women and children were massacred in their cars on Saturday and several others killed fleeing in their cars since. It is not ironic that they were refugees fleeing their village at the command of the Israeli army only to be executed in their vehicles in flight. When the Guardian reports that Brigadier General Dan Halutz announced today (July 17) that “Nowhere (in Lebanon) is safe” in Lebanon, we clearly see that Israel is carrying out not a military campaign against a sovereign enemy but in fact a clear and deliberate policy of terror in Lebanon.. Mimicking every occupation army in the 20th century, they callously blame all Lebanese civilian causalities and deaths on Hizbullah, asserting they “provoked” Israel’s “justified” retaliation. Isn’t this what Shaykh Nasrallah says when her refers to the tens of Lebanese and thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Isn’t this the logic of the “resistance” to punish, retaliate or fight Israel who illegally engages in multiple forms of collective punishment not only in their siege of another sovereign country (Lebanon) but also in the past several weeks in Gaza? Yet, Hizbullah’s retaliations if not aimed at military personal is careless throwing a handful of missiles into Israel, praying for them to do damage. Contrarily, Israel has engaged in targeting civilian homes, neighborhoods, cars, minibuses, and fleeing pedestrians with F-16s, Apache helicopters and gunships. The consequence in Lebanon is that most people can't or won't go from town to town to safer ground, as it seems as dangerous to move as to stay put. Consequently, cities and villages in the South such as Sidon, Tyre, and Nabatiyah are completely isolated and cut off. Millions of Lebanese along with tens of thousands of foreign nationals are stranded throughout the country. The pounding of al-Dahiyah, the international airport, and the port is clearly audible throughout Beirut along with an almost constant drone of warplanes over head, dropping flyers whose adolescent, silly, and juvenile quality ALMOST makes one wish for bombs! In addition to a naval and air blockade that is being actively enforced by nightly bombing of several Lebanese ports, Israel has carefully destroyed all land routes leading to Syria except one remaining corridor to the North. Previously, many of us not living in the South or the Southern Suburbs were tense but felt confident that Israel would concentrate on those areas. However, Saturday’s immense attack proved us wrong. The air offensive hit every part of the country. To date (Monday July 17), the Israel air force has bombed regularly the ports of Beirut (which is right next to the cities downtown and bordering densely populated residential areas in East Beirut, Tripoli, and Jounieh ports. In addition to major bridges and civilian fuel supplies to the airport and electricity power plants, they bombed Lebanese Army airport and radar posts but also civilian-owned telecommunications infrastructure. R’as Beirut was hit for the first time on Saturday when Israelis in American made and paid for Apache helicopters blew up the civilian lighthouse on the Corniche (only about 200 meters from the American University). Tyre, Sidon, Nabitiyah and other towns in the South along with densely populated and extremely impoverished al-Dahiyah are however bearing the full force of Israeli aggression as they have been subjected to a relentless and merciless siege by air and sea since Wednesday July 12. These areas along with rural villages have suffered the lion’s portion of the civilian causalities, which has now reached almost two hundred in only six days. REFUGEES AND REFUGEE RELIEF On Saturday, the Lebanese Army shut down an "Open Sit-In" (camp out) in Martyr'sSquare that the coalition of secular progressive groups, including ATTAC LUBNAN, launched on Wednesday in solidarity with the Palestinians under siege in Gaza. Ironically, the Israelis chose to make us comrades of those who have been suffering a horrific siege in Gaza. The Lebanese Army shut us down because we (between 30-100 people at any given time) were camped near the main artery and bridge between East and West Beirut and they feared that it too would be destroyed. Fortunately, this sit-in provided us with a ready made working group that transformed quickly into an on-the-ground and virtually spontaneous refugee relief coalition. See http://sanayehreliefcenter.blogspot.com/ This coalition was sorely needed in the first days of the Israeli offensive. The pro-American Lebanese government and Nayla Mouawad, the Minister of Social Affairs, have done little for these refugees. Only Saturday and Sunday, the government sent out “officials” to ask what is needed only to disappear and never be heard from again. Only yesterday, Monday June 17 did the government open up public schools for these refugees to sleep. These refugees, many among the poorest communities in Lebanon, have few safe places to go as most of them are from the southern Lebanon, which is both inaccessible and equally dangerous. Currently, the coalition based in Beirut’s progressive Zico House and Nadi al-Liqa report that there are several thousands of refugees spread out in twenty-five of public schools in R’as al-Naba’, Hamra, Karakas, and elsewhere. Currently, there are 350 refugees in Sanaya public garden, mostly women, children, and elderly, sleeping without shelter. The coalition has been providing some with food and bedding. However, they are desperately short of food stables, dried milk, baby-formula, sleeping mats, clothes, diapers, and medicine as well as adequate medical assistance. We, ATTAC LUBNAN, urge our friends and comrades and all people of conscience to action for Lebanon. We urge you to contact your government and local representatives, whether in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, or South America, to call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of violence by the Israelis both in Lebanon and Gaza. We call for you to voice your rejection of Israel human rights violations, use of collective punishment, and disregard for civilian populations.. Finally, we urge our Jewish and Palestinian comrades inside Israel itself to reject the irresponsible and reckless policies of the Israeli government and pressure it to sit with all parties in the region for a lasting and equitable peace. Stephen Sheehi,Beirut, Lebanon
ATTAC LUBNAN