Sunday, August 06, 2006

Muslims Have A Blood Orgy

A group of young Israeli reservists in Kfar Giladi, against the warnings of the authorities, gathered in an open area. A Hezbollah rocket killed 12 of them, seriously wounded 12 more, and sent the Muslims of the West Bank into a frenzy of celebration.

In response to the possibility of a cease fire, Israel intensified strikes on Lebanon, including Beirut, and Hezbollah volleyed rockets at northern Israel and Haifa. An Israeli warplane destroyed a truck as it traveled past a U.N. convoy.

So far, Israeli officials have expressed happiness with the cease fire proposal before the U.N., though there is yet to be an official statement. However, Hezbollah's mouthpiece in the Lebanese government has emphatically rejected the resolution.

UPDATE 2:57 pm CDT: 1914 Alert: The Syrian foreign minister has rejected the U.N. cease fire resolution, and has further declared the Syrian military is mobilized and ready to fight should they be attacked by Israel. He even blustered that he himself would join the resistance.

Whenever a functionary of a totalitarian state says something like that, I'm reminded of a scene in I, Claudius. The emperor Caligula is ill, and a senator, anxious to display his loyalty and zeal, declares loudly that he would gladly sacrifice his own life if the gods would but make Caligula well. When Caligula recovers he asks the senator, "Why are you still here? You said you'd sacrifice your life for mine and I recovered yet you're not dead. Why not?" I wonder if the foreign minister will be forced to live up to his own bluster, as the Roman senator evenutally was.

UPDATE 3:23 pm CDT: Israel has warned residents of Sidon to abandon that city.

"There is Hezbollah activity inside, and we are going to be targeting it more intensely than we have before," an Israeli military spokesman said. "That's why we're warning residents there in advance to leave so they don't get hit accidentally."

Israel may abandon plans on establishing a buffer zone as far north as the Litani River. It's not clear whether it's because they think the task too difficult in itself, or that it is too difficult to do before a cease fire is imposed.

Palestinians continue their joyous celebration of Jewish deaths by throwing Molotov cocktails at passing cars. There's no point in making allusions to the Nazis; these Palestinians are worse.

UPDATE 5:43 pm CDT: A reason why Israel my find it difficult to reach the Litani is that Syria and Iran have equipped Hezbollah as a regular army. This is manifestly different from the way states generally treat those who fight as their proxies. Far from treating Hezbollah as a dangerous friend, and attempting to prevent them from doing more damage than Syria and Iran can justify as their sponsors, they instead have treated them as though they were an allied state.

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5 comments:

McKreck said...

I deleted an anonymous comment that accused me of racism, and will only add for those that lack reading skills that the word "these" in the phrase "these Palestinians" refers to the ones thhroein Molotov cocktails at passing cars.

If the author wants to make that point again and use a real handle with an email or link to a website, I'll consider leaving it up.

Until then, bite me: I know what I'm made of it ain't racist.

Anonymous said...

Celebrations all around...
Excerpts from a report by Ahmad Haradat

Tuesday, 13 September 2005 - The day that marked the death of seventy-year-old Jamil Abu Heykal, a citizen of Tel Romeida in the old city of Hebron. Abu Heykal was beaten several times by settlers who attempted to frighten him and his family members. They were attempting to force the family to leave, but the old man had his own style of resistance, which was different from any other one. Abu Heykal’s non-violent resistance stunned the enemy and puzzled the world. He was a pacifist who did not believe in violence. He never threw stones or carried a gun. The local media and press focused on his death, but they also focused on his life. When Abu Heykal was seriously ill, his family took him to the hospital. His health was deteriorating and the doctors told him he had only a few days to live. Abu Heykal insisted on returning to his home so that he may pay his last tribute before he left this world forever. The ambulance which was carrying Abu Heykal was detained at the check point in front of the settlement for more than two hours. When the settlers heard the story and knew that Abu Heykal was dying they rushed to the streets chanting slogans, rejoicing over his death and distributing sweets to the soldiers at the check point.

McKreck said...

The analogy breaks down: Heykal wasn't killed by Israeli rockets randomly launched at him, he died among his family at a hospital. The people who "celebrated" knew who he was; he wasn't a random person with whom they had no connection. And sources break down, I'm dubious I'm getting the full story from anything called The Alternative Information Center. That's

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
McKreck said...

As stated earlier, I won't suffer accusations of racism from anonymous trolls, no matter how pompous and long-winded the accusation may be. Verbiage does not a larger point make. Put at least a handle behind it, or go to hell.

Or better yet, grant the whole world the benefit of your learning and wisdom, and get your own blog. They're free, after all. Expose me for the monster that I am!

I'm sure deep down your not a cowardly weasel, and like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz, you'll find that courage was inside you all along.