Bush: Israel has 'right to defend herself'.
All I care to say right now is, what about the rights of others you ASS-HOLE. When it interests you your intervene and when it doesn't its ok for numerous civilians and children to die. When the Israelis cant rein in Hizbollah in its own territory how do you expect the lebanese to rein them in. By the end of it that is if it ever ends thousands of innocent people will be dead on both sides who is responsible for that. I'm too pissed off right now. More when I'm in a better state of mind.
Israel kills 52 civilians, including more than 15 children, in Lebanon
Israel bombards Beirut amid spiraling attacks
Israel using 'excessive, pointless' force
World leaders urge restraint after deadly Middle East flare-up
9 comments:
It's never OK when civilians are killed. Unlike Palestinian and Hizballa attackers -- the latter most recent attack included rocketing Israeli towns indiscriminantly -- Israel never targets civilians. It targets those who would do it and it's citizens harm. Any nation would do the same.
Hizballa controls southern Lebanon. It does not control Israeli territory. Israel had controlled that territory for a many years, but the country as a whold felt it wasn't worth it to continue occupying another country to do so. It's decision to withdraw as right, but Lebanon's subsequent failure to use international support to take control of its own land was not. So now Israel needs to step in, not only to rescue its soldiers, but to push Hizb alla back.
Israel never targets civilians.
Depends on what the word "civilian" means, now doesn't it? The U.S. has continually "tweaked" that meaning in our war in Iraq. In any case, I think the "targeting" argument is pretty weak. I doubt the innocents killed as collateral damage are any less dead than those killed by targeted strikes. Sure, there's room to consider intent. But any nation, the U.S., Israel, Lebanon, the PA, anyone, has a very difficult case to make in saying that air strikes, missile launches and mortar attacks are or not targeting anyone in particular. If Israel was so concerned about civilian casualties, then perhaps it could have considered a more tempered course of action. How many innocent Lebanese dead does it take to outweight 8 dead Israeli soldiers?
I agree with some of the points made by Samurai Sam. It seems as though civilian lives are more at risk than at any time in recent history. Civilian deaths are to be deplored. Responsible entities must do anything they can to avoid so-called collateral damage and to make amends (to the extent that is possible) to the affected families.
The problem for Israel is that there are not enough responsible entities at and beyond its borders to prevent civilian deaths. Noone is stopping those who vow to destroy Israel and then commit some senseless acts or else use some deplorable means to acheive their ends. So sometimes Israel feels it's in an us-or-them situations and goes after those who would harm it. They are fairly good at pinpointing the targets, but not good enough of course.
Now if only those would be attackers would move away from those populated areas.....
:(
See this article regarding Israel's attempts to minimize civilian casualties. Partial quote:
Israel has been dropping leaflets in a southern Beirut suburb called Hizbullah's stronghold, possibly presaging bombing of the capitol.
"For your own safety and because of our desire not to harm any civilians who are not involved (with Hizbollah), you should refrain from staying in areas where Hizbollah is present and operating," said the Arabic-language leaflets, signed "The State of Israel".
Yes, it really is the civilians own responsibility not to be under a bomb, or do anything reckless like visit an airport.
???
"No man is an island, and everyman's death dimishes me, for I am a part of man kind." - John Donne.
I'm with the peacemakers and civilians on both sides. The Israeli reponse is utterly disproportionate, it seems that almost a hundred Palestinians and Lebanese have been killed, never mind the destruction of their economies and the Lebanese tourist industry.
Israel need to free itself from the radical right wing elements in it's society which advocate such morally wrong and utterly counterproductive foreign policy. This is not a way for a democratic people to behave.
not much man :)
thanks you all for visiting and providing a diversified perspective on the situation. We all look at events from our own side and sometimes our views can be biased, The fact of the matter remains that an action of this intensity no matter what the reason will cause an abusrd amount of collateral damage to the civilian population on both side, human lives will be lost, economies destroyed, more hatred created. War is pointless, in war there are no winners, all sides loose.
Guys, this is not Gaza, and this is not the poor Palestinian resistance you are dealing with here. Hezbollah is well equipped and supported. So, if you think this game will end up soon, you are mistaken. Read back the history of resistance in Southern Lebanon and you will know what I’m talking about.
O’ Israel, play the music of your tanks, Lebanon will dance the Debke!
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