Lebanese United in Face of Bombing

Total Catholic ^ | July 24, 2006

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

"We support all and help all. Christians and Muslims alike, there is no difference," the priest said. "

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah, peace is good war is bad and you're sooooo holy. You are confused padre. Don't you know that Hezbollah longs for the day that they can cut you to pieces and throw you in a ditch? And while you wing way to heaven singing kum-ba-ya people will still be here who have the brains and guts to make the difficult moral choice of fighting evil to the death.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

"I haven't heard of any Lebanese Christian supporting Hezbollah. "

They don't condemn them either. They have to condemn them out loud NOW!

[SJackson]

I don't think many here will be interested in the link, and those that do make the leap will merely mumble something about "collateral damage" and the realities of war. I'm pretty sure the responses would not be that way if Western children were the subject.

Maybe not.

One thing we know, Israeli children aren't much of an issue to the media.

[NYer]

Nuhader Monsoor cries over her wounded baby, Maria.

The Monsoor family's car was hit as they tried to flee to the north.

Four children and the cost of war

By Cal Perry
CNN

TYRE, Lebanon (CNN) -- The last time I sat down to write something, it was about the cost of war. As I looked ahead to the coming days, the last words I wrote were: Who will die?

Today, I found out.

Standing in front of this 8-year-old boy lying in a hospital bed, the "conflict in the Middle East" and the "cost of war" seem endless and suffocating. His pain cannot possibly be imagined as he shakes uncontrollably in and out of shock. He has blood coming from his eyes.

His name is Mahmood Monsoor and he is horribly burned. In the hospital bed next to him is his 8-month-old sister, Maria -- also burned. Screaming at the top of her lungs is the children's mother, Nuhader Monsoor. She is standing over her baby, looking at her son -- and probably thinking of her dead husband. The smell of burned flesh is overwhelming.

This story, for the Monsoor family, started out as a typical one, probably one that most of us have experienced. They had simply gone on a family vacation to some lovely sunny beaches, but these beaches were in southern Lebanon.

The six of them, like thousands of others, were fleeing the fighting -- trying to get north, waving white flags, when an Israeli bomb or missile slammed into their car. (Video: Watch how the littlest victims are suffering -- 2:54. Viewer discretion is advised.)

The father, Mohammed Monsoor, was killed instantly. His children all were wounded. His wife, who is now crying over two of the wounded children, was in the best physical condition. But as would be the case for any mother and wife, her life, in many ways, ended the minute the car exploded into flames.

The other two Monsoor children, Ahmed, 15, and Ali, 13, are in surgery. Doctors can't tell me if they will make it. They walk away, their heads shaking. Optimism is not a word that breathes truth in this place.

There are more than enough stories like this, in hospitals across southern Lebanon. This hospital, on this day, seems to be a microcosm of the region. Less than 100 meters from the front door of the hospital, a car is on fire. Less than 30 minutes earlier, the car exploded as an Israeli jet circled overhead. The fog of war has crept into the hospital, and no one knows where the casualties of that strike are being treated.

Just days earlier, staff at this hospital were moving bodies out to make room for more. Like an assembly line of the dead, unless the bombings stop, they will be doing the same tomorrow.

The city of Tyre has been enduring stories like this for more than a week. Buildings are crumpled; those who have not left are hiding in basements. Those who dare to pack into cars run the risk of ending up like the Monsoor family. Some who move north die on the road. Some stay in basements, and die there. Others hope against hope that the bombs will fall elsewhere -- missing them.

Politics creeps into the ward like the blood that runs on the floors. "Clearly he is Hezbollah," says one of the doctors outside the room -- sarcastically referring to 8-year-old Mahmood, whose screams can be heard from the hallway. His screams now blend with the wails of his mother, matching the baby's cries.

The hospital ward begins to teem with members of the international press. They all have blue flak jackets that say "press" on the front. They carry microphones, cameras, radios and satellite phones, and have local guides to translate.

Today, as I finish I am sitting in the same spot and the shells are still falling. Hezbollah rockets are firing toward northern Israel. I can imagine another reporter, in another flak jacket, standing over an 8-year old Israeli boy.

I'll finish by asking another question: Are any of us making a difference?

Tomorrow, I'll let you know.

[NYer]

Ping to video at #44

[Mercat]

I didn't mean to imply any anti-semitism.... :-)

[sinkspur]

I can imagine another reporter, in another flak jacket, standing over an 8-year old Israeli boy.

If there's been one, I haven't seen him.

[roses of sharon]

Very sad.

Any child raised anywhere near Islamic Cultists is in danger.

Amazing how their hatred of Jews transcends their love and protection of their children, it's always frightening to see how the shove their children out to throw rocks at tanks, and how they are taught to commit suicide to kill Jews and Christians.

Thank god for Israel, the US and others who are finally confronting this scourge of humanity, maybe future generations can be raised in a civilized society.

[SJackson]

The death of civilians, particularly children, is tragic.

With or without the pictures, there would be no doubt in my mind that civilians are dying.

Unfortunately civilian casualties are completely irrelevant in the decision to engage in a defensive war.

[MaineVoter2002]

Lebanese United in Face of Bombing

Why wouldnt they? Our own media (which they watch) is giving them encouragement that a few days more and the world will force the "evil" Israel to stop.

[SJackson]

I can imagine another reporter, in another flak jacket, standing over an 8-year old Israeli boy. If there's been one, I haven't seen him.

What difference would it make. The media isn't foolish enough to think the death of Israeli children would cause pressure on Hizbollah to end their attacks. Likely it would incite them.

[sinkspur]

Lebanse parliament speaker rejects Rice cease-fire proposal.

[sinkspur]

Rush pointed out that Hezbollah is not focusing its attacks on any military assets of Israel, i.e., tanks, artillery.

Instead, they are shooting into civilian areas, doing what they do best, which is terrorize.

[MaineVoter2002]

The media's inciting them now. And have been. I wont be surprised to see the media succeed in breaking up the unity there does exist among the arab nations against these terrorists.

[tabsternager]

Another correction you should make:

Iran and Syria, through Hezbollah, attacked Israel.

[freedomlover]

Ops???

You never learn do you :)

[SJackson]

Lebanse parliament speaker rejects Rice cease-fire proposal.. Not surprising, particularly if reports that Hizbollah informed the government prior to the initial attack are true.

Rush pointed out that Hezbollah is not focusing its attacks on any military assets of Israel, i.e., tanks, artillery…Instead, they are shooting into civilian areas, doing what they do best, which is terrorize.

That’s true.

It’s an unfortunate fact that many Christians in the region are anti-Israel. If I’m not mistaken the PFLP (Initially a Christian-Marxist terrorist group) fought alongside the PLO and against the Christian militias allied with Israel in the 1970s. I’ve no doubt you can find Christians supporting both sides.

[HockeyPop]

I do not need to see the video...I've seen and engaged in too much of it in the places I've been.

[hunter112]

Where did you get that bombing map? I noticed on the very bottom of it, within pre-1967 borders, Israel is labeled "Occupied Palestine". Seems like the maker of the map has an ax to grind.

[NYer]

Lebanse parliament speaker rejects Rice cease-fire proposal.

From that link ..........

"Nabih Beri, Lebanon's parliament speaker and Hezbollah's de facto negotiator, rejected proposals brought by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday, inisisting a cease-fire must preceed any talks about resolving Hezbollah's presence in the south, an official close to the speaker said."

It's a coalition government; naturally he will defend the interests of Hezbollah.