Juan Cole's harrowing roundup of events in Lebanon ("ethnic cleansing")

[enough]

Juan Cole collects detailed reports from many sources.

Friday July 21
http://www.juancole.com/2006/07/israelis-bomb-beirut-baalbak-again.html

snip>

The Orwellian world into which Olmert and his band of manic bombers have plunged ordinary Lebanese is illustrated by Liz Sly's report for the Trib:

' Thousands of Lebanese were trying to flee the south after Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets warning people to leave, stirring fears that an Israeli ground invasion was imminent. But hundreds of thousands more remain stranded in villages and towns across the south, unable to leave their homes because of the intensity of the sustained Israeli bombing campaign. United Nations and Lebanese officials warned of an impending humanitarian disaster unless food and medical supplies are allowed to reach the stricken area and called on Israel to establish a "humanitarian corridor" to allow aid to get through. '

So let's get this straight. The Israelis warn the small town Shiites of the south to flee their own homes and go hundreds of miles away (and live on what? in what?). But then they intensely bombing them, making it impossible for them to flee. The Lebanese have awoken to find themselves cockroaches.

I repeat, this is nothing less than an ethnic cleansing of the Shiites of southern Lebanon, an assault on an entire civilian population's way of life. Aside from ecology, it is no different from what Saddam Hussein did to the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq, and the Israelis are doing it for exactly the same sorts of reasons that Saddam did.

snip>


Saturday July 22:
http://www.juancole.com/2006/07/haifa-rocket-attack-wounds-5-israeli.html

snip>

Israel has killed so many civilians in South Lebanon that health authorities are forced to stick them in mass graves. Megan Stack writes:
' "I've been a doctor for years, and I've never seen anything like this," said Nabil Harkus, who stood over a trio of unidentified corpses. "They can't fight Hezbollah because Hezbollah is not an army," he said, referring to the Israeli warplanes overhead. "They kill the people because they think it's the only way to stop Hezbollah." The Lebanese government has confirmed the deaths of 350 people in the fighting so far, but rescue workers here warn that the true tally is probably much higher. Relentless bombing has wrecked roads and rendered communication so spotty that no one knows how many people have died. '

The Nabatiyah Hospital serves a city of over 100,000. Reuters reports, "Water is cut off, the electricity is down, and medicine can only reach Nabatiyeh hospital across broken roads and through Israeli air strikes. But the injured still come, and doctors fear worse is ahead. The hospital, in the rolling hills of southern Lebanon, has treated 75 people wounded in Israeli bombardment since the start of a 10-day-old conflict triggered by the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the Shi'ite Muslim guerrilla group Hizbollah. Director Marwan Ghandour says the hospital could be flooded with patients if Israel launches a ground offensive across the border, just 20 km (12 miles) to the south."

Some 70 percent of the 500,000 persons that the Israelis have rendered homeless by their intensive bombing of Lebanon are from the Shiite south.

snip>

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Waiting for the pro-Israel DUers to post how Professor Cole is a...

...neo-Nazi. In 5...4...3...2...

[wakeme2008]

3. pro-Israel DUers is that like Democrats for Bush

:grr:

[jonnyblitz]

10. progressives that become instant war mongering neocons

when it comes to all things Israel. It would be an interesting psychological study to find out what causes that. Even if i had ties there I can't picture my mind contorting like that. It totally baffles me. :shrug:

[Karenina]

21. It doesn't baffle me at all anymore.

I've been mulling a long post on how I've come to understand the phenomenon. My thesis has much to do with how trauma is processed, passed down through generations and identification with the oppressor.

Maybe I'll get around to committing thought to paper before we all get blown up. :evilgrin:

[jonnyblitz]

23. well I hope i see it whenever you post it.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

25. the "hegemony of the oppressed". Maybe. I'll be interested

to see what you think. :)

[Spazito]

2. Apalling, absolutely apalling

Thanks for posting this.

[twiterpatted]

4. What about Hizbollah!

I read the article and did not see any reference to that terrorist organization that has, over the past 10 years, built a huge conventional military that the Lebanese have no control over and that occupy and control the south and the are hell bent on destroying Israel.

Oh I see... to make the point that the Israelis are participating in ethnic cleansing, you must first pretend like Hizbollah does not exist. Now I get it.


There was a faint mention of Hizbollah, but Juan lies about them. They are a huge political party, with seats in the government and the do possess a conventional army with tanks, missiles, men and money.

I still don't agree with what Israel is doing, but I demand we have an honest discussion about it.

[BohemianJordy]

6. Hezbollah is bad, yes...

I agree that Hezbollah is bad...I think everyone here would agree on that.

Israel also has a right to defend itself. I would believe majority of people here would agree with that too.

But, I guess I don't see how these bombings and a land invasion are really going to help the situation. Trying to blow the shit out of southern Lebanon isn't going to make Hezbollah disappear. Would there definitely be more peace if Hezbollah was dismantled? Yes. Hezbollah is definately a major cause of the violence. But Israel attacking the country is just going to stir more sentiment against them...I just don't think this is helping the situation.

Has the Lebanese government been trying to dismantle Hezbollah? I've heard they would like them dismantled but don't really have the power to do it. If I'm wrong please correct me, I had just heard something along those lines.

[helpman]

12. Palestinians have....

Palestinians have a right to defend themselves - would you not agree? I would hope that a majority of people here would agree with that too.

I would even go as far as stating that they deserve a true land to call their own - rather than living under occupation... much like the Iraqis currently are.

The parallel is stunning. The tactics, the divide and rule methodology. Negropontian Central American tactics galore.

Why should Hezbollah be disabled? If you really want to understand 'what you heard along those lines' you should do some reading about what Hezbollah was formed. Rather than spitting simplistic MSM memes all over this forum.

Every action has a reaction.

On September 16, 1982 the Lebanese Christian Phalangist militia entered the Beruit refugee camps called Sabra and Shatila. Their mission was authorized by the Israeli IDF, under the command of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, that held the territory around Beruit at that point in time as a result of the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The Phalangists were looking for PLO fighters who, it was feared, had avoided evacuation from Beruit by hiding among the refugees. There were estimates of perhaps 200 armed men in the camps working out of the countless bunkers built by the PLO over the years, and stocked with generous reserves of ammunition.

The Phalangists, whose Maronite Christian president, Bachir Gemayel, had just been assassinated on September 14, entered the camps on the afternoon of the 16th and carried out a 62-hour rampage of rape and murder until Saturday morning, September 18th. They were motivated by revenge for the Gemayel killing and also for the years of brutality Lebanese suffered at the hands of Palestinians during the PLO occupation of Lebanon. .

When Israeli soldiers were alerted to the massacre and ordered the Phalangists out, they found hundreds dead, including as many as 35 women and children. The rest were men: Palestinians, Lebanese, Pakistanis, Iranians, Syrians and Algerians. This was a small toll when compared to the tens of thousand who had died in the years of civil war and fighting with the PLO in Lebanon, but these deaths kindled crys of outrage in Israel, and internationally outside the Middle East. Curiously, there was little protest at the time in the Arab world, although "Sabra-Shatila" has now become a mantra of the Palestinian Arabs as a code word for their allegations of Israeli brutality. Most protests were (and are) directed at the Israelis, not the the Phalangists, who perpetrated the crime.

Estimates of the number killed range from 460 according to the Lebanese police, to 700-800 calculated by Israeli intelligence. Palestinians claim 3,000 to 3,500 dead and call the action "genocide".
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1967to1991_sabra_shatila.php

ONWARDS CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
MARCHING OFF TO WAR...

[BohemianJordy]

15. Yeah...

Okay so I'm fairly new here, made a couple posts awhile back but not any since then. Glad to see that one of my first replies is not so welcoming...

oookay lets see. I'm not really a debating type but guess I will try to defend myself the best I can.

I agree, Palestinians have the right to defend themselves. I don't believe I ever said anything otherwise.

I don't agree with what the Israelis are doing, I don't agree with the bombings or the idea of an invasion of Lebanon. I simply believe, like any country, that they have the right to defend themselves, but I also believe that what they are doing goes far, far beyond defending themselves. I never said that I defended Israels actions, and I apologize if I didn't clarify that position...

Sorry if we disagree here, but I do believe Hezbollah is one of the causes of violence. I think that IF Hezbollah were dismantled that there would be a possibility of more peace between Israel and Lebanon. I read the article, and it's sad and horrible, but I apologize, I don't see how that has really defended some of Hezbollah's actions, I think it's way too easy to pin all of the blame of this conflict on one side. There is some blame to go around.

Sorry I also didn't hear about the Lebanese government wanting to dismantle Hezbollah from the MSM, but I was discussing it with a friend who interns in Congress. He's knowledgeable on subjects as these, so I tend to trust his opinion. We talked about it for awhile, but he had to leave before we could continue the discussion further. Thats why I wanted someone else's opinion on the subject...or just more information about if the Lebanese government really WANTS Hezbollah controlling the southern half of the country...

Wow this post is kind of long. Okay so in the end, I don't really support violent acts on either side. I support Lebanon and Palestine in the sense that I believe Israel should cease attacks and occupation immediately, but, while I believe that, something NEEDS to be done to prevent violence on both sides.

Peace, and please, if anyone agrees with my opinions...just let me know. Would feel nice to think that maybe I'm not spouting idiocy or "MSM memes all over this forum". I don't like arguing much, but hey, guess we gotta at some point. But look: peace cannot happen if fundamentalists on either side keep doing what they're doing...also...everyone...big group hug. Let's all be friends and try to unite in the fact that we all want peace. Thanks all!

[Rhiannon12866]

19. I agree with you.

And you're hardly "spouting idiocy." You make more sense in a calm and objective way than many long-time DUers here have done in recent days.:-)

Usually, discussions of the Israeli/Palestinian crisis are restricted to the Israeli/Palestinian forum here. This topic is so contentious here that this forum has its own, even stricter, rules. I posted there for a long time and am one of the survivors since most of those who I got to know there have since been banned. Feelings tend to run pretty high on this topic, as you've already seen. But with this conflict having taken over world events and having become latest breaking news, it's spilled over into the main board and everyone's gotten into the act, not necessarily a good thing since this seems to have deeply divided DU.:-(

But this too shall pass, as did the pope wars, the 2004 primary wars and so many others. Just keep your temper in check, don't attack the messenger and you'll be fine.:D

Welcome to DU, BohemianJordy! We're very glad to have you with us. DU can use more sensible voices on DU, especially on this topic that is currently dividing our world and this forum. Keep posting and keep asking intelligent questions. And, BTW, the poster who you replied to is newer than you are.;)

Rhiannon:hi:

[MissWaverly]

22. I am sorry you were bashed

Welcome to DU, I also have been called some ugly names lately, however I have
listened to Israeli generals explain their war strategy and to me and it does
not make sense. I have the impression that Hezbollah is a sophisticated organization
superior to Al Quaeda, it has successfully carried out terror attacks in foreign
countries including Argentina. It has a large number of citizen soldiers who go
about their job by day and their terrorist activism by night. The current actions
have inflamed the Middle East and they are blaming both Israel and the United States.
Tony Blair has come out and denounced Israel's actions in Lebanon, there are hundreds
dead and billions worth of damage to Lebanon. I do not support Israel's actions
in Lebanon which I find similar to our own actions in Iraq. I am hoping that the
UN will take diplomatic steps to cool down the situation. Am I a world
famous Know it All on Israel, no, I am not, but what is happening in America
and even here on DU when people question this growing war, they are criticized
and shouted down. This is a replay of what happened when we marched into Iraq.
I see it all happening again and I do not support a US commitment for expanding
our war effort to Lebanon as well and maybe Syria and Iran.

[Rhiannon12866]

20. Thank you for the reminder.

The inequality of the stats and the oppression that the Palestinians have been living under for many years has been largely ignored by the MSM, since they tend to take their talking points from The White House, which has an unmistakable bias in this.x(

And, while I sympathize with the families of the Israeli soldiers who have been captured, and hope for their safe release, it's important to remember that Hizbollah's actions were an attempt to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners who have been held by the Israelis for many years. The number of prisoners who are currently being held is as unequal as is the terrible civilian death toll.;(

Welcome to DU, helpman. We're glad to have you with us and hope that you stick around to see what DU is like after this current crisis...:-)

Rhiannon:hi:

[K8-EEE]

14. This Is Collective Punishment

It isn't right. To kill all shiites in the region, including innocents??? That is very Hitler-esque "final solution" shit, I can't believe anybody's OK with it.

[Igel]

5. Many 100s of thousands have also fled

N. Israel and headed south.

Does this count as ethnic cleansing?

Well, presumably if Israel and Hezbollah don't allow the others people to return to their homes, yes. Otherwise, the usual fleeing of fighting that occurs in all wars is ethnic cleansing.

The verbiage about destroying a way of life is also self-defeating. If the goal is indeed to destroy Hezbollah, and that's tantamount to destroying these people's way of life, then they might reasonably be seen as Hezbollah, and active supporters of a supremacist NGO dedicated to warfare against another state.

[madrchsod]

7. the main goal is to clear southern lebanon

so the israeli government can control the water and land israel can only expand to the north and arabs are in their way.
isn`t this what that great biblical figure of the jews did several thousand years ago? destroy the philistines? my how things never change

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madrchsod]

11. yes been paying attention for almost 40 years now

and not one dam thing has changed. the only names of characters in the play change and the plot line is simple -when one side decides that there maybe a chance for peace they decide to start another war...
my problem is with israel`s tactics of use of overwhelming military force against a powerless state.the other problem is that our country has sided with israel in everything it has done against the arabs since it`s inception and the billions of taxpayers dollars we have given them to develop israel`s weapons of mass destruction.
condo says the usa will not do anything until the idf decides it`s blown up enough buildings and killed enough people so the lebanese people will bow before their king.

[stranger81]

13. not a single factual assertion

in post #7 is incorrect.

If you think that historical perspective is "stupid," I challenge you to come up with some facts -- not just Zionist propaganda -- to support your position (which seems to be that anyone who isn't unconditionally 100% in support of Israel is not rational or worth talking to).

[madrchsod]

17. robert fisk -water wars

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0926-08.htm
Water War Looms as Israel Tells Lebanon to Halt River Works

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Middle_East/Lebanon_water_war.html
Iraq isn't the only war shaping up in the Middle East

from two who live in lebanon

[Meshuga]

16. Oh boy!

<sarcasm>Those damn Jews never change!</sarcasm> I feel embarrassed for you.

[madrchsod]

18. don`t bother--- as i stated in post 11

both sides are to blame in this war that never ends...my problem is with the tactics of solving the problems that these two tribes use. it`s not the "jews" it is political leaders and their war machine. i`ve bee warned about using "the jews" in my posts a long time ago so i do not.

[Rhiannon12866]

24. There's nothing wrong with your statements.

I agree with you. Their war is largely over water... and land. And neither side is using tactics that they can be proud of, nor fated to end easily or anytime soon. And, as usual, it's the innocents who are paying the price, and are without advocates who could make a real difference here. ;(

[enough]

9. kick

[Karmadillo]

26. Kick

nt