Lebanese United in Face of Bombing

Total Catholic ^ | July 24, 2006

[Peach]

It's a shame the jihadists deliberately hide among the civilian population. It's the only way to win and they know it.

Contrast with the Israelis who are dropping leaflets to let the civilians know they should leave. I don't think, personally, the Israelis should do that because I'm pretty sure the jihadists know to get out of Dodge when they see those leaflets coming.

Also, during WWII, did anyone think we should stop bombing Germany because of the civilian toll?

Maybe the Lebanese goverment should smarten up and work with Israel to get rid of Hezbollah, instead of thinking it's smarter to work with the terrorists against Israel.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

No problem. Big deal! Those kids are martyrs and that's GOOD THING!! Just ask Hisbollah.

[Peach]

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

It was my understanding the jihadists were practically forced on the Lebanese government. What's natural about defending jihadists who hide among women and children?

[NYer]

Coffins of Lebanese victims are laid in a mass grave in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, Friday, July 21, 2006. With a few mourners at hand, 72 victims of Israel's 10-day-old bombardment are buried in a mass grave in this southern Lebanese city. Lebanese have streamed out of the south, leaving some villages ghost towns, but with roads destroyed many are trapped in their homes. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

A Lebanese civil defense personnel receives medical treatment at a hospital in the southern port city of Sidon, southern Lebanon, Friday, July 14, 2006, after his legs were amputated following injuries while he was trying to rescue victims following an Israeli raid in the Zahrani region. Israel tightened its seal on Lebanon, blasting its air and road links to the outside world and bringing its offensive to the capital for the first time Friday in order to punish Hezbollah _ and with it, the country _ for the capture of two Israeli soldiers. (AP Photo/ Mohammed Zaatari)

[Peach]

Couldn't we have shown some of these same pictures during any war? WWII, for instance. I don't remember people talking about "disproportion" when we bombed civilians in Germany.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"Dialogue is the only way to solve problems between countries," said Fr Charles Ksas, a parish priest in Bziza, a village near Tripoli, in northern Lebanon.

Just like it worked with Germany and Japan prior to WW2.

What if the group that precipitated the fighting isn't a country? And what if that group's only goal is genocide and they don't care how many of their own die?

[Peach]

Exactly. The peaceniks are invited to go and try to broker peace. In the interim, Israel is doing what it should be doing and that's killing as many jihadists as they can.

If the jihadists are using civilians, then shame on the Lebanese government for siding with the murderers.

[NYer]

Couldn't we have shown some of these same pictures during any war? WWII, for instance. I don't remember people talking about "disproportion" when we bombed civilians in Germany.

This "war" is between Israel and Hezboullah. The Lebanese are a peace loving people. They have had centuries of others fighting their wars on Lebanon's soil. Enough already!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

The Lebanese didn't seem to have a problem with missiles launched from Lebanon that killed Israelis.

[Peach]

I agree. Enough. So Lebanon should work with those who want to get rid of Hezbollah.

Why would Lebanon permit this to go on and not work with international forces to remove Hezbollah from the region?

It's clear what Hezbollah is doing - using women and children as human shields. I don't understand Lebanon's position in this. It's indefensible, imo.

[Peach]

The Lebanese goverment hasn't abided by the UN resolutions or even asked for more assistance to remove Hezbollah from their southern border. And you're right -- they don't seem to mind that Hezbollah is using the Lebanese borders in order launch missiles that kill Israelis and they certainly don't seem to mind that their own citizenry is being used as human shields.

[NYer]

The more I read from Lebanese sources, the more I am convinced that, in fact, Israel wants the death of ALL children.

An Israeli missile also hit two Red Cross ambulances late Sunday in the southern Lebanese town of Qana, killing one person and seriously wounding two others, a Red Cross official said.

The official said the ambulances were clearly marked as Red Cross vehicles and were part of an effort to transport the wounded to hospitals in Tyre.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli military officials.

FULL TEXT

[SJackson]

This "war" is between Israel and Hezboullah. The Lebanese are a peace loving people. They have had centuries of others fighting their wars on Lebanon's soil. Enough already!

Unfortunately Lebanon, and they're not all peaceliving as demonstrated by Hizbollah (they're Lebanese you know), has allowed terrorists to operate freely within their territory. In violation of agreements with Israel dating back several decades, as well as security council resolutions which they consented to. Hizbollah is part of the Lebanese government. Unfortunately Lebanon is split, but essentially they've been complicit in allowing a war to be launched against Israel from Lebanese territory. That has to end if there's to be peace in Lebanon.

[SJackson]

If the jihadists are using civilians, then shame on the Lebanese government for siding with the murderers.

Hizbullah is a Lebanese organization, and participates in the Lebanese government. With government acquiescence, they operate an armed militia, and keep "order" in the south. In that sense they're part and parcel of the Lebanese government.

[untrained skeptic]

"Israel is destroying the country," Father Ksas added.

I can reasonably agree with what he was saying up until this comment.

Hezbollah is destroying Lebanon. They attacked Isreal and are continuing to attack Israel. Israel has little choice to respond, or they will be slowly whittled away and destroyed.

It is good to pray for your enemies. Pray that God might redeem them. It is good for Christians to offer shelter to Muslims when their homes have been destroyed due to the war that has been brought to them by the overt acts of Hezbollah. Show them that unlike Hezbollah, that attacks Israel from within their communities and then flees while Israel's retailitory strikes to stop those attacks destroy their homes, Christians show compassion toward them.

If this Priest doesn't want war in Lebanon, why isn't he speaking out against those who brought it there and who are continuing to provoke Israel into continuing it?

The map of Israeli strikes in Lebanon along with the death tolls deserves some examination as well.

The death of innocents is horrible, but when Hezbollah continues to attack from within populated areas and hide among civilians it leave Israel with little choice.

However, look at the vast number of strikes that Israel has carried out. The number of dead is amazingly small for this kind of campaign.

The number of declared Hizbollah members being presented in these numbers is also laughable small. The assertion that all the others were civilians is also not credible.

Hizbollah doesn't wear uniforms.

Israel bombs Hizbollah strongholds and weapons caches and those killed are added to the list of civilians.

Israel hits the sight where a barrage of missiles have been fired from, and the reports come back that a few civilians were all that were killed.

We hear this reported again and again by officials in southern Lebanon, but the reports leave out the fact that Hezbollah has had political control over souther Lebanon and those officials have long been cooperating with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has a very long history of telling easily disproven lies to further their cause. Why are these reports of civilian casualties by the officials that have actively supported them for years credible when they obviously make little sense.

If Israel were indiscriminately targeting civilians or even being a bit careless with the number of strikes they have made, the death total would be many thousands.

Israel has shown restraint and careful targeting that put Nato's actions in Bosnia to shame. That is obvious by simply looking at that map.

Why is the simply logic of cause and effect so hard for people to understand?

If Lebanon wants to be free from war with Israel, they need to take active steps to keep Hezbollah and other such organizations from using their country as a base of operations from which to attack Israel. They need to quit being the pawns of Iran and Syria who attack Israel by proxy so that the consequences fall on Lebanon.

[SamuraiScot]

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

It's a good thing the writer can imagine it, because in real life, he won't see those reporters troubling themselves over a Jewish kid. After all, the Israelis aren't the enemies of the U.S.

My prayers go out for all those killed or wounded, friend or foe, innocent or guilty. But make no mistake. I am a Catholic, but it is obvious to me that this war is the fruit of the cowardice and complicity of Christians in the Middle East. It seems they have been worn down so long by Moslem aggression that they tolerate and even approve of the terrorists in their midst.

Israel has a duty to go after the clowns with the rockets. The Lebanese have a duty to go after them, too.

[Peach]

Good post.

bbl - getting a thunderstorm here

[Peach]

Unlike the jihadists, who deliberately target civilians, the Israelis are sending out fliers warning civilians. And even then, mistakes will happen.

You can't honestly be equating this with the deliberate targeting of civilians.

bbl

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>>The war in Lebanon has failed to divide Lebanese Christians and Muslims, said a Maronite Catholic priest in Lebanon, and "their unity is the only way to survive." <<<<

That's strange. A few days ago I heard Lebanese emphasize their hope that Israel eventually destroys Hezbollah. The Lebanese stated their nation will never be safe as long as Hezbollah has any power.

I guess it depends on who you believe: the left or the right.

[Peach]

Now that our storm has passed and I can re-read your post, I just want to say that you've stated it beautiful and correctly.