Monday, July 17, 2006

Kidnappers' War Grinds On

The TimesOnline portrays the humanitarian crisis in south Lebanon. It's a compelling story that is undermined by the utter absence of context:

But as casualties soared and even ambulances and his own hospital were targeted by Israeli warplanes, [hospital director Dr. Ahmad Mrowe] said that the latest Israeli onslaught was the worst he had ever seen. "It is incomparable, much worse than anything before," he said, as he stood in a sweltering corridor packed with relatives of the victims.

A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in south Lebanon where the Israeli war machine, determined to destroy Hezbollah once and for all, has been pounding the scruffy villages that dot these stony hills and valleys.

[...]

A family from Shaytieh, south of Tyre, sat in numb silence next to each other. "This is Israeli terror, but we will resist," a headscarfed teenage girl said softly.

[...]

The bombing has generated fear deep anger that the West has not intervened to halt the bloodshed. "Bush and Blair are breeding future generations of suicide bombers here. You will see. Is it right to destroy a country for just two soldiers?" asked Mustafa Safieddine.

Ask Hezbollah.

Israel laid down harsh conditions for a cease fire, so harsh in fact that it could be inferred that Israel never expected them to be met. Later, Israel softened their demands to the return the soldiers the removal of Hezbollah from the southern border. Israel has rejected a U.N. peacekeeping force, believing that their presence in the area would impede Israeli action and allow Hezbollah to rearm.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared in a public address, "And I say to everyone: no more! Israel will not be held hostage - not by terror gangs or by a terrorist authority or by any sovereign state."

The hand of Iran was once again made known: Israeli jets destroyed an Iranian designed missile installation, one that would have been capable of striking Tel Aviv.

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