U.S. weapons killing Lebanese and people everywhere...

[marmar]

Willful Blindness
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2006-07-25 02:34. Media
By Marjorie Cohn

On Friday morning, as I traveled north on Interstate 5, I passed two tractor-trailers heading south toward the 32nd Street Naval Station in downtown San Diego. Each vehicle carried about 10 unmarked bombs; each bomb was approximately 15 feet long. Two military helicopters hovered low above each tractor-trailer, providing overhead escort.

I wondered where these bombs were headed. They must have been in a big hurry because they usually ship their bombs more covertly.

Israel had just put out an S.O.S. to the United States government to rush over several more bombs. "The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration," according to the New York Times. Although always well-equipped with sophisticated US-made weapons, Israel was evidently running out of munitions to drop on the Lebanese people.

Washington loses no opportunity to scold Iran and Syria for providing weapons to Hezbollah.

Yet during the Bush administration, from 2001 to 2005, Israel received $10.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing - the Pentagon's biggest military aid program - and $6.3 billion in US arms deliveries. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign military assistance.

It is a violation of the US Arms Export Control Act to provide weapons to foreign countries that are not used for defensive purposes or to maintain internal security. During the last major Israeli incursion into Lebanon, in 1981, the Reagan administration cut off US military aid and arms deliveries for 10 weeks while it investigated whether Israel was using weapons for "defensive purposes."

Last week, both houses of Congress, mindful of the importance of retaining Jewish votes and campaign contributions, passed resolutions stating that Israel is acting in self-defense. The vote in the Senate was unanimous; the House vote was 410 to 8.

Walking in lockstep with Bush, neither resolution calls for a ceasefire. The Senate resolution praises Israel for its "restraint" and the House resolution "welcomes Israel's continued efforts to prevent civilian casualties."

US-provided Israeli bombs have killed nearly 400 Lebanese, the overwhelming majority innocent civilians. The bombing has displaced half a million people and caused an estimated $1 billion in damage.

After Israeli orders that people in southern Lebanon evacuate their homes, several vehicles filled with evacuating Lebanese civilians were bombed by the Israeli military

The rest is at: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/willfulblindness

[ixion]

1. "I will export Death and Destruction to the four corners of the Earth"

-George W. Bush.


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :-(


Everyday I weep for our once great Republic. :cry:

[bloom]

2. willful blindness does sum it up.

Call aggression self-defense so you can sell weapons. People don't have to buy it.

[marmar]

4. True...

:think:

[Solo_in_MD]

3. The author has is also willfully blind...

in refusing to recognize the difference between a national government and an illegal militia. It is silly at best to equate Hezbollah and Israel in terms of legtimacy.

Hezbollah is an illegal militia that has refused to disarm under any circumstances, is funded and supported from outside Lebanon as a surrogate, and is essentially rogue. All the other militias in Lebanon have disarmed in favor of their national governments except Hezbollah. Nasarallah has stated he will scorch the earth of Lebanon before Hezbollah disarms.

None to this excuses the death and distruction in Lebanon, but

[whistle]

5. The sale of these weapons though is good for the U.S. economy

:sarcasm:

[NNN0LHI]

6. I fear American citizens will pay a heavy price for this in the end n/t