LEBANONESQUE

Impressions, views, and steam-blowing by a lonesome cowboy.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Behind The Arabs' Failure

An interesting short piece and roundup by Amir Taheri in the NY Post. I'd probably prefer to have different or other "success" criteria. The main point of course is Arabs better go with what "works". (Getting to what "works" seems much harder in the Lebanon-Syria-Palestinian arena).

June 26, 2006 -- WHAT should Arabs do to meet the challenges they face in a world not made by, or for, them? Debated in Arab countries since the middle of the 19th century, the question has been posed with even greater urgency since the 9/11 tragedy persuaded many in the West to regard all Arabs as enemies. Remarkably, the answers given today are more or less the same as those of 150 years ago.

One answer, long the one most popular with the elites, is that Arabs should Westernize as fast as they can. Abdul-Rahman al-Kawakibi, the father of modern reformism in the Arab world, saw traditional political, cultural and social structures as the principal cause of what he branded as "the historic decline of our nation."

A second answer was that the best hope of Arabs, indeed of all Muslims, lay in finding a benevolent despot who, rather than spend time enriching himself, would lead them into creating a modern society.

The third answer is that the secret of Arabs' "decline" lies in the fact that they have distanced themselves from Islam. The magic formula, therefore, was simple: Return to Islam, which in practice means imposing the shariah, and all will be well in no time.

All three views share one problem - the assumption that there is an ideal form of government that can be adopted by any society at any given time. The real question, however, is not whether this or that Arab system is good or bad, compared to any real or imaginary model, but whether or not it performs its proper functions.

In other words, what is lacking was a pragmatic approach. Before asking whether something was good or bad, right or wrong, modern or traditional, we have to ask whether it works
.

THE REST IS HERE (New York Post)

28 Comments:

  • At 6/26/06, 12:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

     
  • At 6/26/06, 12:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

     
  • At 6/26/06, 1:48 PM, Blogger JoseyWales said…

    Anon,

    Again, please refrain from posting whole articles. If relevant, please link the articles.

     
  • At 6/27/06, 8:39 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

     
  • At 6/28/06, 6:57 AM, Blogger the perpetual refugee said…

    JW, please keep deleting anon's articles. They are bloody anoying.

    And thanks for posting this. I personally don't see any hope for the Arabs, as a 'nation'. The only solution is to realize that there is no Arab nation. There never has been.

    To be honest, I still don't know really what an Arab is. Even though everyone keeps telling me I'm one. I still don't get it.

     
  • At 6/28/06, 8:37 AM, Blogger JoseyWales said…

    Thanks Perp.

    Long, whole articles and irrelevant posts will be deleted.

    I am not sure what an Arab means either. I do know I want to define it for myself. And I will fight the very many who want to force their views on me.

    No hope for the Arabs before we get past the denial stage.

     
  • At 7/1/06, 8:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    We are told that there is a difference between extremist Islam and peaceloving normal Islam.

    Judging by their behavior, Muslims are anti-West, anti-Democracy, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Hindu. Muslims are involved in 25 of some 30 conflicts going on in the world: in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, East Timor, India, Indonesia (2 provinces), Kashmir, Kazakastan, Kosovo, Kurdistan, Macedonia, the Middle East, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Russia-Chechnya, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
    Doesn't this mean that extremist Islam is the norm and normal Islam is extremely rare?

    Who said that???


    "The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism.
    "For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa. While as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan." (PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein, March 31, 1977, interview with the Dutch newspaper Trouw.)

     
  • At 7/14/06, 10:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The worst, inevitable scenario has taken place. The domestic deadlock in Lebanon has now taken on an international dimension as a result of the Cedar Revolution's failing to produce a president who would have started a new dynamic of peace in Lebanon, and by extension in the region.

    If that was the inevitable part, the worst one comes from the terms chosen by Hizbullah's leadership Wednesday after its forces crossed the Israeli-Lebanese border to kidnap two Israeli soldiers. In his news conference, the party's secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, dismissed international law. Such dismissal will come to haunt us all, including Hizbullah's top cadres, because respect for international law is the one differentiating characteristic that Lebanon, as a small country, has managed to retain in a lawless region. For years it stuck to the legitimacy of United Nations Security Council Resolution 425, and today it seeks to establish a mixed Lebanese-international tribunal to put on trial those responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

    As defined by the Security Council, one consequence was particularly grave in the way Hizbullah crossed the Lebanese-Israeli border. As it did with Hamas, whose leadership it has callously decapitated in Palestinian areas during the past three years, Israel will want to go after Lebanese leaders, and neither Europe nor the US will stand in the way of such a vengeful path as the violence spins out of control.

    In such times of hardship, leadership is needed. That leadership can only come from the Lebanese government forcing an immediate Security Council resolution that meets the challenges raised by Wednesday's grave developments. The government must seek to disengage Lebanon from the regional trauma shaped by violence and retaliation, and persuade the Security Council to find the needed common ground to prevent any escalation into full-fledged war, occupation, and more assassinations.

    Such a resolution should carry three operative clauses. The first would ensure the release of the two Israeli soldiers, to be followed by negotiations through the UN secretary general on all outstanding issues between Lebanon and Israel, including the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails. Should the release of the two Israelis not take place, then a third clause would kick in where the Security Council can look into collective measures to force compliance. This condition should be written into the resolution.

    Until the passage of such a resolution, the Bush administration must impress on Israel the need to refrain from embarking on violence that forces radicalization and results in further misery for all, especially civilians.
    http://www.dailystar.com.lb

    The Lebanese, for their part, must make sure that constitutional means are followed when it comes to taking decisions on such grave matters as war and peace. Hizbullah cannot go it alone and expect the government and the country as a whole to accept the sacrifices that all are suffering. The closure of Rafik Hariri Airport is a harbinger of far greater tragedies to come.

    On the basis of what the government and Hizbullah declared on Wednesday, such a resolution is still possible. The Lebanese must play their part with courage and speak openly to the Hizbullah leadership. Nasrallah's warning about the need for the country to almost blindly support his party's policies was unwarranted. Most Lebanese have provided, and continue to provide, national legitimacy to Hizbullah, without which it would turn into an absolute pariah internationally.

    Hizbullah also must know that its unilateral steps carrying Lebanon into open violation of international law will split the country and revive renewed collaboration with Israel in some sections of the population outraged by such unilateralism and bearing a long-standing grudge against the party. Moderates among us will be unable to prevent this divisiveness from developing into an unbridgeable gulf within the nation.

    The Israeli government must also understand that the cycle of violence will impose a logic of its own, whose consequences are unpredictable - except for more casualties and domestic and regional polarization. That is why the US and France must firmly hold back Israeli escalation until the Security Council meets and proposes a workable alternative.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has blamed the Lebanese government for Wednesday's actions. He is wrong because he knows the government is split, that most ministers do not condone Hizbullah's escalations and have said so, and that the Syrian and Iranian leaderships have been stoking the flames in Lebanon to deflect domestic pressures. Punishing Lebanon as a whole does not make sense, let alone targeting defenseless civilians and the nation's infrastructure.

    Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora must go to New York as soon as he can in order to find a solution. Let us rally behind the terms of a UN resolution that solves the crisis. Otherwise, Lebanon will be torn asunder.


    Chibli Mallat, a law professor at St. Joseph University, has campaigned for the Lebanese presidency. He wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.

     
  • At 7/16/06, 4:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Le Hezbollah libanais est plus fidèle à Téhéran qu'à Beyrouth 15.07.2006



    Le Figaro – De Georges Malbrunot * – En privé, le chef druze Walid Joumblatt ne décolère pas. Voici deux semaines, son rival chiite, le dirigeant du Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, lui fait parvenir un message de conciliation.

    «La stabilité du Liban nous est chère, assure ce dernier via un émissaire, il faut préserver la saison touristique et continuer le dialogue entre nos différentes formations politiques.» Depuis longtemps, Joumblatt et Saad Hariri, le fils de l'ancien premier ministre assassiné l'an dernier, cherchent à «libaniser» le Parti de Dieu pour réduire l'influence déstabilisatrice de ses parrains iraniens ou syriens au pays du Cèdre.

    L'enlèvement, mercredi, des deux soldats israéliens par un commando du Hezbollah, et l'escalade de la violence qui en a résulté, ont ruiné d'un coup tous leurs efforts. Est-ce un coup de bluff de cheikh Nasrallah ? Ou celui-ci s'est-il fait forcer la main par Téhéran, soucieux de jouer une carte supplémentaire dans son bras de fer avec l'Occident sur le nucléaire ? Quoi qu'il en soit, l'«aventurisme» du Hezbollah, considéré comme une organisation terroriste par les États-Unis, montre que son allégeance à Téhéran prime sur ses aspirations à devenir une formation politique libanaise comme les autres.

    Depuis le retrait syrien du Liban, au printemps 2005, l'Iran a repris la main sur la formation chiite. À Téhéran, le dossier libanais est géré par le guide de la révolution islamique, Ali Khamenei, et ses conseillers radicaux. Dans le même temps, Téhéran a tenu à renforcer sa coopération avec son allié syrien, comme le montre la visite éclair, jeudi à Damas, d'Ali Larijani, le secrétaire du Conseil suprême de sécurité du régime des mollahs. «Le Hezbollah reste la porte d'entrée de l'Iran au Proche-Orient, analyse un diplomate, l'Iran ne lâchera pas cette carte avant d'être parvenu à un accord avec l'Occident sur sa propre sécurité.» Les appels à la libération, sans contrepartie, des otages israéliens devraient donc rester lettre morte.

    À cent ou deux cents mètres de la frontière israélienne, dans leurs positions récemment fortifiées, les combattants chiites sont le bras armé des conservateurs au pouvoir à Téhéran. Ceux-ci continuent de financer le Parti de Dieu et de l'équiper en armes, de plus en plus performantes, comme le montrent les tirs de jeudi sur Haïfa, la grande ville du nord d'Israël, à plus de quarante kilomètres du Liban. Jusqu'à présent, la portée des Katiouchas du Hezbollah ne dépassait pas les vingt kilomètres.

    Seul véritable parti structuré au Liban, le mouvement chiite a su exploiter à son avantage le départ des Syriens. Ses miliciens sont toujours considérés par l'État libanais, dominé par le président de la République pro-syrien Émile Lahoud, comme les supplétifs de l'armée au Liban-Sud face à Israël et ce, malgré la demande de la communauté internationale d'y déployer les forces régulières. Lorsqu'un convoi d'armes clandestines est intercepté par une patrouille de soldats, le chef d'état-major, le général Michel Sleimane, n'a pas d'autre choix que de laisser filer. L'État libanais est paralysé devant le Hezbollah. Ces derniers mois, de nombreux missiles (12 000 au total, selon cheikh Nasrallah) sont venus renforcer l'arsenal de la formation chiite. Celle-ci s'est préparée à affronter le feu israélien en évacuant ses positions les plus exposées au profit de grottes situées dans la montagne plus au nord, ou de souterrains toujours entre les mains de groupes palestiniens pro-syriens.

    Une fois les Syriens chassés du Liban, le Hezbollah n'a pas traîné non plus pour placer ses hommes à la tête de certains services de sécurité, notamment le plus puissant d'entre eux, la Sûreté générale. Politiquement, il a su «casser» le bloc chrétien en concluant une alliance avec le général Michel Aoun et ses partisans. Cet État dans l'État n'a donc été en rien affaibli par le départ des Syriens, qui assuraient une sorte de contrôle opérationnel des miliciens chiites. Aujourd'hui, ceux-ci ont gagné en autonomie, même si des conseillers militaires iraniens continuent d'opérer discrètement en coulisses (pour la fabrication, par exemple, du drone Mirsad).

    L'assurance avec laquelle Hassan Nasrallah s'est adressé aux Libanais juste après l'enlèvement des soldats israéliens illustre cette confiance qu'il voudrait transmettre à ses concitoyens. Ils sont pourtant nombreux à critiquer un parti, capable à lui seul de décider de la guerre ou de la paix dans leur pays. L'établissement d'une «nouvelle stratégie de défense» constituait précisément l'un des principaux objectifs du dialogue national interlibanais. Le désarmement du Hezbollah, réclamé par la résolution 1559 de l'ONU, était au centre des débats. La formation chiite, opposée bien sûr à une telle demande, subissait une double pression, intérieure et internationale. En kidnappant des soldats israéliens, elle espère avoir retardé l'échéance.

    Israël affiche le but de guerre inverse : chasser le Hezbollah de ses positions et forcer le Liban à déployer son armée dans le sud du pays. Pour satisfaire cette dernière revendication, Tsahal peut compter sur l'appui de la communauté internationale, mais aussi, mezza voce, de nombreux habitants du pays du Cèdre. Y compris au Liban-Sud, où la tutelle des «barbus» est jugée pesante par une bonne partie de la population, pas seulement chrétienne.

    «L'heure est à la solidarité», affirme cheikh Nasrallah, en rejetant les accusations selon lesquelles sa formation a replongé son pays dans la guerre. «Chaque intervention israélienne au Liban ne fait que renforcer le Hezbollah», regrette un ancien général, pourtant peu suspect de sympathie envers le mouvement chiite. En frappant la population et les infrastructures civiles, les Israéliens ne font en effet que ressouder leurs voisins autour du Hezbollah.

    * Grand reporter au service étranger du Figaro.

     
  • At 7/16/06, 3:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Proche-Orient : réflexions en vrac sur les jours derniers

    Quand l’Histoire s’accélère, elle prend généralement la voie rapide et il n’y a pas un gendarme qui peut la rattraper. Une nouvelle fois, l’ONU a prouvé sa totale inefficacité dans le sud du Liban, où on peut sérieusement se demander ce qu’y font les casques bleus. Ni les fedayin palestiniens, ni les moudjahidin du Hezbollah ne leur demandent l’autorisation de violer le droit international, et d’ailleurs ils n’auraient pas les moyens militaires ni la permission de s’y opposer. L’ONU a décidément tout d’une fiction nocive, son seul intérêt étant à la rigueur de refléter publiquement les rapports de force. Notons au passage qu’il ne s’est pas trouvé une grande puissance pour faire appliquer la fameuse résolution 1559 (celle prônant le désarmement du Hezb). Mais disons surtout qu’aujourd’hui la principale question porte sur les cibles stratégiques en territoire libanais.

     
  • At 7/16/06, 3:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Demandez Nasrallah et les terroristes du Hizbullah!
    Les terroristes voyages et transporte des munitions dans des véhicules civils.
    Résultat:Tous les véhicules civils sont suspectes. Ils cachent leur missiles dans des maisons de sympatisants civils.

    La guerre ne pas une science exacte ni un jeu d'échec. Déplorable, mais pourquoi ils ont du quitter le Sud Liban si non a cause du Hizbullah

    Il y a une façon simple d'arrêter n'importe quelle nécessité pour l'action militaire israélienne. Arrêtez de tirer des missiles Karioucha vers les villes et les villages israéliennes pour tuer et blesser, et empêcher la vie normale de civils pacifiques. Arrêtez d'autres actes terroristes depuis le Liban. Et que ses 2 soldats soient libérés

    RESOLUTION 1559

    Un petit rappel, copié-collé du site de l'Ambassade de France au Liban

    LA SITUATION AU MOYEN-ORIENT (LIBAN)
    RESOLUTION 1559 ADOPTEE PAR LE CONSEIL DE SECURITE DES NATIONS UNIES
    (New York, 2 septembre 2004)

    Le Conseil de sécurité,
    Rappelant toutes ses résolutions antérieures sur le Liban, en particulier les résolutions 425 (1978) et 426 (1978) du 19 mars 1978, 520 (1982) du 17 septembre 1982 et 1553 (2004) du 29 juillet 2004, ainsi que les déclarations de son président sur la situation au Liban, en particulier celle du 18 juin 2000 (S/PRST/2000/21),
    Réaffirmant qu’il appuie vigoureusement l’intégrité territoriale, la souveraineté et l’indépendance politique du Liban à l’intérieur de ses frontières internationalement reconnues,
    Notant que le Liban est déterminé à assurer le retrait de son territoire de toutes les forces non libanaises,
    Gravement préoccupé par la persistance de la présence au Liban de milices armées, qui empêche le gouvernement libanais d’exercer pleinement sa souveraineté sur tout le territoire du pays,
    Réaffirmant combien il importe que le contrôle exercé par le gouvernement libanais s’étende à la totalité du territoire du pays,
    Ayant à l’esprit l’approche d’élections présidentielles au Liban et soulignant qu’il importe qu’elles soient libres et régulières et se déroulent conformément à des règles constitutionnelles libanaises élaborées en dehors de toute interférence ou influence étrangère,
    1. Demande à nouveau que soient strictement respectées la souveraineté, l’intégrité territoriale, l’unité et l’indépendance politique du Liban, placé sous l’autorité exclusive du gouvernement libanais s’exerçant sur l’ensemble du territoire libanais ;
    2. Demande instamment à toutes les forces étrangères qui y sont encore de se retirer du Liban ;
    3. Demande que toutes les milices libanaises et non libanaises soient dissoutes et désarmées ;
    4. Soutient l’extension du contrôle exercé par le gouvernement libanais à l’ensemble du territoire du pays ;
    5. Se déclare favorable à ce que les prochaines élections présidentielles au Liban se déroulent selon un processus électoral libre et régulier, conformément à des règles constitutionnelles libanaises élaborées en dehors de toute interférence ou influence étrangère ;
    6. Demande instamment à toutes les parties concernées de coopérer avec lui pleinement et sans attendre afin que la présente résolution et toutes les résolutions relatives au plein rétablissement de l’intégrité territoriale, de la souveraineté et de l’indépendance politique du Liban soient appliquées intégralement ;
    7. Prie le Secrétaire général de lui faire rapport dans les 30 jours sur la manière dont les parties auront mis en œuvre la présente résolution et décide de demeurer activement saisi de la question./.

    Ce qu'exige Israël c'est que la résolution du Conseil de Sécurité, non seulement soutenue par la France mais parainée par elle, soit mise en oeuvre!

    Et que ses soldats soient libérés

     
  • At 7/16/06, 11:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    we the G-8 Leaders express our deepening concern


    St. Petersburg, July 16, 2006
    http://en.g8russia.ru/docs/21.html


    Today, we the G-8 Leaders express our deepening concern about the situation
    in the Middle East, in particular the rising civilian casualties on all
    sides and the damage to infrastructure. We are united in our determination
    to pursue efforts to restore peace. We offer our full support for the UN
    Secretary General's mission presently in the region.

    The root cause of the problems in the region is the absence of a
    comprehensive Middle East peace.

    The immediate crisis results from efforts by extremist forces to destabilize
    the region and to frustrate the aspirations of the Palestinian, Israeli and
    Lebanese people for democracy and peace. In Gaza, elements of Hamas
    launched rocket attacks against Israeli territory and abducted an Israeli
    soldier.

    In Lebanon, Hizbollah, in violation of the Blue Line, attacked
    Israel from Lebanese territory and killed and captured Israeli soldiers,
    reversing the positive trends that began with the Syrian withdrawal in 2005,
    and undermining the democratically elected government of Prime Minister
    Fuad Siniora.

    These extremist elements and those that support them cannot be allowed to
    plunge the Middle East into chaos and provoke a wider conflict. The
    extremists must immediately halt their attacks.

    It is also critical that Israel, while exercising the right to defend
    itself, be mindful of the strategic and humanitarian consequences of its
    actions. We call upon Israel to exercise utmost restraint, seeking to avoid
    casualties among innocent civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure
    and to refrain from acts that would destabilize the Lebanese government.

    The most urgent priority is to create conditions for a cessation of violence
    that will be sustainable and lay the foundation for a more permanent
    solution. This, in our judgment, requires:

    - The return of the Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon unharmed;

    - An end to the shelling of Israeli territory;

    - An end to Israeli military operations and the early withdrawal of Israeli
    forces from Gaza;

    - The release of the arrested Palestinian ministers and parliamentarians.

    The framework for resolving these disputes is already established by
    international consensus.

    In Lebanon, UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680 address the
    underlying conditions that gave rise to this crisis. We urge the UN Security
    Council to develop a plan for the full implementation of these resolutions.

    We extend to the Government of Lebanon our full support in asserting its
    sovereign authority over all its territory in fulfillment of UNSCR 1559.
    This includes the deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces to all parts of the
    country, in particular the South, and the disarming of militias. We would
    welcome an examination by the UN Security Council of the possibility of an
    international security/monitoring presence.

    We also support the initiation of a political dialogue between Lebanese and
    Israeli officials on all issues of concern to both parties. In addition, we
    will support the economic and humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people,
    including the convening at the right time of a donors conference.

    In Gaza, the disengagement of Israel provided an opportunity to move a
    further step toward a two state solution under the Road Map. All
    Palestinian parties should accept the existence of Israel, reject violence,
    and accept all previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
    For its part, Israel needs to refrain from unilateral acts that could
    prejudice a final settlement and agree to negotiate in good faith.

    Our goal is an immediate end to the current violence, a resumption of
    security cooperation and of a political engagement both among Palestinians
    and with Israel. This requires:

    - An end to terrorist attacks against Israel;

    - A resumption of the efforts of President Abbas to ensure that the
    Palestinian government complies with the Quartet principles;

    - Immediate expansion of the temporary international mechanism for donors
    established under the direction of the Quartet;

    - Israeli compliance with the Agreement on Movement and Access of November
    2005 and action on other steps to ease the humanitarian plight of the people
    of Gaza and the West Bank;

    - Resumption of security cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis;

    - Action to ensure that the Palestinian security forces comply with
    Palestinian law and with the Roadmap, so that they are unified and effective
    in providing security for the Palestinian people;

    - Resumption of dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli political
    officials.

    These proposals are our contribution to the international effort underway to
    restore calm to the Middle East and provide a basis for progress towards a
    sustainable peace, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council
    Resolutions.

    The Quartet will continue to play a central role. The G-8
    welcomes the positive efforts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as well as
    other responsible regional actors to return the region to peace. We look
    forward to the report of the Secretary General's mission to the Security
    Council later this week which we believe could provide a framework for
    achieving our common objectives.

    --------------------------------------------

    Naive as ever Terrorism in such NOT mentioned - this is in reality - demands to Israel to negotiate with terrorists

     
  • At 7/16/06, 11:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Vote Skynet http://www.sky.com/skynews/polls/displayresults/1,,91153-1003515,00.html

    The question is Israel justified in it's reaction?
    Results at this hour

    Yes 86.51% (327,377 votes)
    No 13.48% (51,034 votes)
    Total: 378,411

    Expires: 20 July 2006

     
  • At 7/17/06, 12:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Propos de M. Olmert:

    Il y a quelques jours, l’Etat d’Israël était attaqué par le nord. Cette attaque fait suite à l’attaque terroriste lancée depuis la bande de Gaza. Dans les deux cas, elles ont eu lieu sans aucun motif et elles sont majoritairement dirigées contre des civils israéliens innocents, à l’intérieur du territoire souverain d’Israël. Tant au nord qu’au sud, aucune entité régionale ou internationale n’a formulé la moindre plainte concernant la présence d’Israël sur un territoire dont la souveraineté serait matière à litige. L’Etat d’Israël ne peut admettre cet état de choses. Nous n’avons aucun intérêt à porter atteinte aux peuples palestinien et libanais et nous ne le voulons pas. Nous voulons mener une existence tranquille dans des rapports de bon voisinage.

    A mon grand regret, il en est qui ont mal interprété notre aspiration à vivre en paix. Nous n’avons pas l’intention de céder à ces menaces. Nous savons que beaucoup d’épreuves nous attendent encore. Nos ennemis tentent de désorganiser la vie en Israël, mais ils n’y parviendront pas. La population est forte et unie dans ce combat.

    Tant au nord qu’au sud, la détermination dont a fait montre la population joue un rôle important dans la puissance de l’Etat d’Israël, et nous en sommes très fiers. Nous devons faire preuve de patience et de retenue. Ce combat n’est pas soumis à une astreinte de temps ; c’est une lutte quotidienne, et le Gouvernement israélien, ainsi que la population, continueront à faire preuve d’autant de sérénité, de détermination et de clairvoyance que nécessaire. Notre combat est moral et juste et aucun peuple du monde libre n’aurait agi comme nous l’avons fait.

    Le Gouvernement est prêt à apporter une assistance immédiate aux habitants du nord du pays, dans tous les domaines. Des représentants du Gouvernement, à tous les niveaux, ont pour instruction d’élaborer un plan d’assistance sociale et économique. Durant toute l’opération, un comité interministériel de Directeurs Généraux, présidé par Ra’anan Dinur, Directeur Général du Bureau du Premier ministre, fournira toute l’assistance nécessaire aux habitants, en coordination étroite avec le Ministère des Finances.

    Les décisions que nous avons à prendre sont difficiles et complexes. Mon gouvernement est déterminé à continuer de faire tout ce qui est nécessaire pour atteindre nos objectifs. Rien ne nous en détournera, quelles que puissent être les conséquences sur nos relations à la frontière nord et dans la région.

    En conclusion, je tiens à dire au Ministre de la Défense, Amir Peretz, au Chef-d’Etat-Major, le général Dan Halutz, au Préfet de Police, Moshe Karadi, et à tous les membres de Tsahal et des services de sécurité, que je suis fier de vivre dans un Etat qui a une telle armée et de tels services de sécurité. Continuez la lutte sans hésitation, le peuple d’Israël tout entier est derrière vous. »

     
  • At 7/17/06, 12:04 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Beirut, July 17, 2006) ? On July 12, Hezbollah launched an attack on Israeli positions on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, killing three Israeli soldiers and capturing two. In response, Israel launched air and artillery attacks against targets throughout Lebanon, including Beirut's international airport, bridges and highways, and Hezbollah offices. It also instituted an air, sea, and land blockade. According to media reports at the time of writing, Israeli attacks have killed at least 110 civilians and wounded more than 235 in Lebanon. Hezbollah forces have launched more than 800 rockets across the border into northern Israel, as far south as Tiberias (35km/22 miles south of the border), killing 12 civilians and injuring more than 100.

     
  • At 7/17/06, 4:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The Arab Mindset


    The crisis sparked by Hamas and Hizbullah is more important and revealing in psychological terms for the Arab world than any military or direct political impact. The most poignant statement of its meaning is a leading Arab liberal's anguished cry in a letter, summing up how these events mark the death of the dream of democracy and pragmatism among his people:
    "I have been watching some 20 Arabic-speaking television channels (Egyptian, Emirate, Qatari, Syrian, Sudanese, Lebanese and Kuwaiti). The outcome is: Either these (hundreds of) people who appeared on the screen(s) and talked passionately about 'our' dignity, raising 'our' heads, 'our' national pride and the victory that God will grant 'us' were mad, or I am the one who represents madness."
    In short, extremist groups with an assist from the media controlled by Arab regimes can still stir up the old-time hysteria quite successfully. Who needs peace, stability, economic progress, women's rights, an independent judiciary, an accurately reporting media, control of corruption, a good educational and health system, free speech and all that stuff when you can kidnap Israelis?
    Of what importance is the Arab weakness in commercial hi-tech if you can purchase a rocket that hits an Israeli patrol boat? Why keep your children in school learning how to make a living if they can be deployed as martyrs?
    This analysis is not mere cynicism; it is the actual situation in the Arab world. Once again, as happened so often in past decades, the terrorists (with a little help from the privileged) are directing events.
    And rather than abandon the idea of finding the right murderous savior, much of the Arab world has just switched to the latest fad and the newest messiah.
    Gamal Abdel Nasser, Hafez Assad, Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, and Osama bin Laden all failed. But no lesson is drawn from this. Now it is on the Hamas-Hizbullah axis that people place their faith.
    Iran, of course, is the patron of both groups and played a central role in provoking the crisis. Yet while Iran may be the only indigenous regional power, its direct gains are going to be limited.
    THE ARABS in general are not giving credit to Teheran. After all, the whole point of this being an Arab and (Sunni) Muslim victory is ruined if the new hero is Persian and Shi'ite.
    Lebanon is playing both sides at once. Christians, Druse and even Sunni Muslims are angry that Hizbullah has dragged them into the war, destroyed their tourist industry and wrecked the prospects for the country's economy for years to come. In private, Lebanese say they would like Israel to wipe out Hizbullah for them. Publicly, though, most Lebanese politicians are standing beside Hizbullah and will not lift a finger to help.
    Nobody should have any illusions about the Lebanese government doing anything even if the whole country is leveled. The country's leaders simultaneously use, fear, and support Hizbullah. To cheer on the extremists protects their careers, and none of them have gotten where they are today by caring very much about the nation's interest.
    HAMAS AND Hizbullah are now in the drivers' seat of the Arab world. It is worth underlining the fact that these two groups were supposedly going to be moderated by winning elections and participating in governments.
    Now we know that the effect went the other way: The situation gets pushed in a radical direction when terrorists are in government.
    This does not mean, however, that Arab regimes are altogether pleased with these developments, even if they will often exploit them demagogically to build support while blaming all their problems on Israel, the United States, and the West. They are quite happy if their people believe that fighting Israel, rather than their own corrupt dictatorships, is what needs to be done.
    Still, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others are horrified. Current events also threaten them, both by emboldening their own radical Islamist opponents and possibly bringing wider regional instability. In the unprecedented words of an official Saudi statement: "A difference should be drawn between legitimate resistance and rash adventures carried out by elements... without consultation or coordination with Arab countries, thus creating a gravely dangerous situation exposing all Arab countries and [their] achievements to destruction with those countries having no say."
    I think the Saudis are right to be nervous, though wrong to keep playing the game of whipping the radical and Islamist horses forward with one hand (money and propaganda) and trying to rein them in with the other (repression and a bit of persuasion). This type of maneuver keeps them in power in the short run, but may end up by burying them in the long run.
    AS FOR the long-term consequence of this crisis, I think that after the rockets and guns stop firing the big effect will be to fully reinstate the folly. As the Arab world rediscovers (if it ever forgot) that fighting Israel is more emotionally satisfying than fighting dictatorship or socioeconomic stagnation, the old pattern will prove as strong as ever.
    There will be no real democracy, peace, or rapid progress for the Arab world in this decade and, more likely than not, in the next one either.

     
  • At 7/17/06, 10:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Analogy between Iraq and Lebanon

    In both cases we see a weak government suffering to control a powerful militia that is challenging the will of the rest of the country and engaging in a proxy war making the people suffer the results of regional conflicts that in no way can benefit their country.

    Iran:

    Iran proved that it's able to drag the region into a state of chaos by maneuvering its tools in Syria, Hizbollah, Hamas and the militias in Iraq. Iran knows that such a conflict directed by militias that blend with civilians will lead to long-lasting chaos and represents a half-solution that debilitates the other powers and at the same time it's not a costly tactic for Iran! A 100 million dollars in the hands of gangs are enough to cause a lot of destruction that cannot be cured by billions in reconstruction, and it always costs less to destruct than to build.

    The key point in this strategy is to keep the half-solution alive. This method proved successful in keeping the despotic regimes in power for decades and these regimes think this strategy is still valid. What makes them this way is their interpretation of international comments which came almost exactly as they always do; calls for restraint and urging a cease-fire which they (Iran and her allies) think will mean eventually going back to negotiations which they know very well how to keep moving in an empty circle.
    That was clear from Nesrallah's earlier speech when he said "whether today or a month or a year from now, the Israelis will sooner or later find themselves forced to negotiate…"

     
  • At 7/17/06, 10:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    details about the only (relative) positive outcome:

    The only positive (relatively) outcome I see is that this results in the disarmament of god’s party therefore turning into the last offensive against Lebanon, ridding us of the Syrian influence, and maybe leading to more peaceful times. The loss of innocent lives, saddening and disgusting as it is, will not have been in vain. Again, I don’t see this happening unless Nasrallah is killed and the government moves in quickly, dissolving Hizbollah or maybe reaching an agreement by including them in the army. With Nasrallah alive, this would threaten the unity of the army and lead everyone to question its allegiance, but with him gone, his thugs might be controlled.

    Here’s hoping that innocent civilians don’t have to suffer any more than they already have. Here’s hoping that Syria’s last straw doesn’t turn out to be a fuse to something bigger. Here’s hoping that Hizbullah’s last breaths are short, and bring a sigh of relief to the rest of the population. Here’s hoping that it really must get worse before it gets better. Here’s hoping that this is the last backwards step, and from here on we’re moving forward. Here’s hoping that peace is around the corner.

     
  • At 7/18/06, 8:36 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Look at the figures and it will reflect more clearly the pain and terror that the Lebanese are experiencing following the intense Israeli campaign after the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and the deaths of eight others at the hands of Hezbollah.

    The magnitude of the damage that has afflicted Lebanon and its people reminds us of large-scale wars that are undeclared and unprepared for.

    The losses so far have been great, as tens of Lebanese have been killed and key locations have been demolished including roads and bridges that may take months or even years to rebuild. These facilities were built with the help of international and Arab aid; however, these countries would not fund such projects again as long as the reason is clear.

    The question that deserves an answer is who is the victim? The three million Lebanese who have been directly harmed or others? The majority of victims are Lebanese Shiaa, rather than Sunnis or Christians. Those who have been most affected are the foundations of Hezbollah that has been targeted by the Israeli bombardment.

    The question that is asked repeatedly is whether the raid that targeted the Israeli patrol, which resulted in the deaths of eight Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of two others, really deserves this reaction. We shall leave this question to be answered by anybody who wishes to philosophize on the real losses, but the outcome is clear, it has not achieved what it set out to achieve.

    What is surprising is that Hezbollah had remained distinct from Palestinian factions because it knew when to move forward, how far to go and when to retreat. Therefore, it had always been the least active in operations, but the most precise at aiming, as well as the most successful. This time it seems that the movement has found itself in an awkward position, forcing them to carry out the initial raid that ultimately led to the Israeli attack.

     
  • At 7/18/06, 8:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Au Proche-Orient, l’heure est encore loin d’être à l’apaisement. Trois raisons concourent à ce que la région s’installe dans une crise militaire qui devrait encore durer quelques jours voire deux à trois semaines. Deux de ces raisons sont purement circonstancielles mais la troisième est stratégique.

    Au plan circonstanciel, il est clair que les deux conditions posées par les Israéliens (mais aussi par le G8 et la majorité du monde occidental, même si certains pays continuent à critiquer une réaction israélienne jugée « disproportionnée ») à un arrêt des hostilités ne seront pas remplies. Ces deux conditions sont claires, nettes et non négociables : le Hezbollah doit libérer sains et saufs les deux militaires israéliens enlevés et arrêter les bombardements sur Israël...
    Dans un discours lundi soir devant la Knesset, le Premier ministre israélien Ehoud Olmert a qualifié la crise de « moment de vérité pour Israël » et rappelé ses exigences : la libération des deux soldats israéliens, le cessez-le-feu complet du Hezbollah, déploiement de l’armée libanaise au Sud Liban. Pour sa part, le chef d’état major adjoint de l’armée israélienne, Moshé Kaplinski prévoit la poursuite de l'offensive pendant encore « quelques semaines », jusqu’à la neutralisation du Hezbollah. Selon lui, « l’armée dispose de nombreuses possibilités d’actions », et n’exclut pas « une vaste offensive terrestre ». L’armée israélienne a annoncé la destruction de nombreuses rampes de lancement de roquettes et craint qu’un cessez-le-feu à ce stade n’offre à la milice chiite l’opportunité de se réarmer.

     
  • At 7/18/06, 9:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    L’un des objectifs de la vaste opération lancée au Liban est sans aucun doute l’application de la résolution 1559 de l’Onu exigeant le désarmement du Hezbollah et le déploiement de l’armée libanaise le long de la frontière avec Israël.

    Le ministre iranien des Affaires étrangères et le président syrien Bashar Al-Assad se sont rencontrés ce lundi matin à Damas. La Syrie et l’Iran sont les soutiens financiers et militaires du Hezbollah et approuvent son action sans réserve. Dans un discours tenu dimanche à Téhéran, l’ayatollah Khamenei, principal dirigeant iranien, a déclaré que le Hezbollah ne désarmerait pas et qu’Israël était « un cancer et un être diabolique ». L’Iran a également menacé l’Etat hébreu de « dommages inimaginables » s’il s’en prenait à la Syrie.

    Réunis samedi au Caire pour un sommet extraordinaire, les principaux gouvernements arabes ont en revanche vigoureusement condamné le Hezbollah pour ses actions « inattendues, inappropriées et irresponsables, [...] qui ramèneront la région plusieurs années en arrière ». Ces déclarations inhabituelles dans le cadre du conflit israélo-arabe soulignent les craintes des gouvernements arabes vis-à-vis du Hezbollah, « instrument politique dans les mains de Téhéran ».


    Le G8 met en cause « les extrémistes » et reconnaît le droit d’Israël à se défendre

    La déclaration du G8 sur le conflit en cours entre Israël et le Hezbollah met en cause les «éléments extrémistes et ceux qui les soutiennent [qui] ne peuvent être autorisés à plonger le Proche Orient dans le chaos ».

    Cette prise de position commune a été amplifiée par une déclaration de la chancelière allemande, Mme Angela Merkel à la presse : « Nous réclamons d'abord que les soldats israéliens rentrent sains et saufs en Israël et que les attaques sur Israël cessent, et ensuite, naturellement, qu'Israël cesse son opération militaire ». Ceci désigne clairement le Hezbollah comme étant le seul responsable des évènements en cours au Proche Orient.

    Reconnaissant le droit d’Israël à se défendre, le G8 affirme toutefois que l’Etat hébreu «doit se préoccuper des conséquences stratégiques et humanitaires de ses actes ».

    Rencontrant le président du Parlement libanais le chiite Nabih Berri, M. Javier Solana, Haut représentant pour la politique étrangère de l'Union européenne, a été dans le même sens en appelant le Liban à appliquer la résolution 1559 de l'Onu, qui exige notamment le déploiement de l'armée libanaise au Liban sud. En termes clairs : comme tout état souverain, le Liban est responsable de la sécurité de ses frontières internationales et donc comptable de toute agression menée depuis son territoire contre un état voisin.


    Les cinq conditions qui pourraient mettre fin aux violences sont, d’après le G8 : « le retour des soldats israéliens sains et saufs de Gaza et du Liban, l'arrêt des bombardements du territoire israélien, l'arrêt des opérations militaires israéliennes, le retrait rapide des forces israéliennes de Gaza, et enfin la libération des ministres et parlementaires palestiniens arrêtés ».

    Deux de ces conditions (la libération des militaires enlevés et la fin des bombardements du Hezbollah) ne semblent pas pouvoir être remplies. On notera de plus que le G8 n’a aucun pouvoir propre et n’émet en général, même dans le domaine de l’économie, que des vœux pieux. Par ailleurs, les Etats-Unis, qui reconnaissent le droit d'Israël à se défendre, devraient continuer à s'opposer à l'adoption d'une résolution au Conseil de sécurité.

    Jacques Chirac exige le désarmement du Hezbollah

    En marge du sommet du G8, à Saint Petersbourg, le Président Jacques Chirac a exigé le désarmement du Hezbollah « dans les délais les plus brefs ». Pour M. Chirac, il n’existe aucune "autre solution" pour trouver un règlement durable à la crise actuelle au Proche Orient : « Toute autre solution, toute autre initiative, se traduira inévitablement par des crises successives, des douleurs, des assassinats ». Le Président français a toutefois souligné que le G8 avait reconnu le caractère « disproportionné » de la réaction israélienne bien que l’Etat hébreu ait été « provoqué ».

     
  • At 7/18/06, 9:08 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Tuesday, July 18, 2006
    Excerpts: Hizbullah re Iran 18 July 2006

    Excerpts: Hizbullah re Iran 18 July 2006
    +++The Daily Star (Lebanon) 18 July '06:"Israel hits Lebanon, but thinks
    Iran" by Augustus Richard Norton, professor international relations, Boston
    University
    QUOTES FROM TEXT:
    "Hizbullah's organic relationship with Iran is well known"
    "Nasrallah ... misread the new Israeli government"
    "Israel's major adversary, Iran"
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    EXCERPTS:
    Since May 2000, the Israeli military has been chomping at the bit to equal
    the score with Hizbullah, which has often delighted at taunting and
    threatening Israel ...Border-area security was effectively ceded to
    Hizbullah by the Lebanese government, despite loud objections from Israel,
    the United States and the Security Council, which demanded the disarming of
    Hizbullah in Resolution 1559 in 2005.
    The capture of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev by Hizbullah last week
    sensationally violated the rules of game. ... .Hizbullah's organic
    relationship with Iran is well known, as is the relationship with Syria.
    Syria and Hizbullah share a strategic framework, but operational decisions
    are made by Hizbullah, not by Syria. Thus, this operation was probably the
    handiwork of Hizbullah, and its secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
    in particular.
    Since 2000, Nasrallah has enjoyed superstar status in the Arab world. ... ..
    He obviously misread the new Israeli government.
    Given the role of Hizbullah in a structure of deterrence vis-a-vis Israel,
    it is hard to understand why Iran, with its penchant for nuance and
    indirection, would wish to jeopardize that capability.
    Within hours of the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his
    Cabinet vowed to respond with "severity" to the incident and then made good
    on the promise by imposing a land, sea and air blockade on Lebanon, enforced
    by relentless attacks on Lebanese infrastructure and against Hizbullah
    facilities, including Hizbullah's so-called "security perimeter" in Beirut's
    southern suburbs.
    The Israeli response is only incidentally about the return of the
    captives.... What is under way reflects a deep strategy that focuses on
    Israel's major adversary, Iran ... .Otherwise, it is easy to imagine a very
    potent, and much more measured response to Hizbullah's abductions that
    focused on building international and regional support for implementing
    Security Council Resolution 1559 to begin the disarming of Hizbullah. ... .
    ..offensive in Lebanon is likely intended to make it easier to move against
    Iran.

    Augustus Richard Norton is a professor of international relations at Boston
    University. He wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.

     
  • At 7/18/06, 9:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ribal Zweil, a spokesman for Lebanon's predominantly Christian National Liberal Party - which has expressed disapproval of Hizbullah's recent attacks - told The Jerusalem Post Sunday that his government "will not act against Hizbullah. We can go in and keep peace in the south with their consent, but there will be no political conflict."
    Zweil's statement will come as no shock to analysts, who have long held that Beirut is unwilling to stand up to Hizbullah - but it may surprise Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
    On Saturday, Saniora said his government would reassert authority over all Lebanese territory, apparently alluding to deploying the Lebanese army in the country's south, which is under Hizbullah control.
    While Saniora's statement was almost certainly a diplomatic ploy aimed at distancing his government from Hizbullah's activities, it nonetheless raised salient questions about Lebanon's military capabilities - and its political will.
    While there is debate over the military's wherewithal, one thing seems clear: the chances of Beirut standing up to its thuggish stepbrothers are slim, at best. What's more, experts say, Lebanon's army - much as its government - may represent disparate and contradictory loyalties.
    Lebanon - which has long been in the unenviable position of chafing under Syria's thumb - clearly sweats at the thought of confronting Hizbullah, which enjoys considerable backing from Syria and Iran. Any action on Lebanon's part against Hizbullah would be a direct result of the pressure that Israel continues to apply through its military operations - and would represent an enormous departure from politics as usual.
    On Friday, four Israel Navy seamen were killed when the missile ship Hanit was hit by Hizbullah - which reportedly acted on information provided by the Lebanese army. With this in mind, can Lebanon's military be trusted to act as a protective force in the south?
    According to Ephraim Inbar, senior researcher at Tel Aviv's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, the Lebanese army's role in Hizbullah's attack on the Hanit is not at all surprising.
    "A large percentage of the [Lebanese] population is sympathetic to Hizbullah," he said. "The army is not a cohesive force, and there is no strong political will. It's more of a symbol of sovereignty than an actual tool."
    While the Lebanese military does have certain resources at its disposal - a naval fleet, for instance, and an infantry force that has been largely supplied by America in an attempt to bolster the country against Syria - it is not, according to sources, a force to be reckoned with.
    According to the Jaffee Center's Middle East Military Balance, there are 64,000 members of Lebanon's armed forces, which has 36 helicopters, four shoulder-launched missiles, 27 naval patrol crafts, 350 tanks, 1,380 mechanized infantry vehicles, and 335 artillery pieces.
    Benjamin Ryan, an American journalist living in Beirut, said he did not believe Lebanon's mechanized infantry, at least, was capable of restoring order in the south.
    Walking past a Lebanese military post, Ryan said, he "did a double take."
    "A fleet of HMMWVs [Humvees] and APCs [armored personnel carriers] stood in the parking lot. The door on one of the APCs - the big one that swings down to disgorge the troops inside - had a lot of camouflage paint chipping off. Underneath, the door itself was wood," he said.

    The Lebanese army does have the strength Its impotence isn't in its military capabilities, but in its internal politics," he said.
    Inbar echoed those sentiments. "This is not a question of military capability, but of political will," he said.
    According to Zweil - who declined to comment on whether the Lebanese army has the technical capabilities necessary to disarm Hizbullah - the question is not whether his government has the military power to confront the rogues in the south, but how the country can maintain its unity.
    It is exactly this political reality, say the experts, that make any chances of the Lebanese military acting against Hizbullah highly unlikely.
    In a recorded television speech on Sunday evening, Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah urged Arab states to come to the organization's aid.

    Theyb are not so enthusiastic about his attacks ( excepting his masters in Damscus and Teheran)

    See Khameini having a fit of Islamic orgasm:

    Monday, July 17, 2006
    MEMRITV: Iranian leader Ali Khamenei: Hizbullah Will Not Be Disarmed

    The following are excerpts from a speech given by Iranian leader Ali
    Khamenei, which aired on Channel 1, Iranian TV, on July 16, 2006.
    TO VIEW THIS CLIP: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1193

    *Clip # 1193 - Iranian leader Ali Khamenei: Hezbollah Will Not Be Disarmed

    Ali Khamenei: The Zionists would like Lebanon to be meat between their
    teeth, so they could do to it whatever they want, whenever they want.

    Today, the strong arm of the Lebanese resistance and the Lebanese Hezbollah
    has prevented this nightmare from coming true. This is why the American
    president says Hezbollah must be disarmed. Yes, of course this is what you
    want. Of course this is what the Zionists want. But this will not happen.

    The Lebanese people value Hezbollah and the resistance, because they know it
    is this strong arm that has prevented the Zionists from doing whatever they
    want, whenever they want, to Lebanon.

    Man in crowd: Hezbollah is victorious. Israel is doomed.

    Crowd: Hezbollah is victorious. Israel is doomed.

    Hezbollah is victorious. Israel is doomed.

    Hezbollah is victorious. Israel is doomed.

    Hezbollah is victorious. Israel is doomed.

    Ali Khamenei: Well, this is what I am saying too.

    TO VIEW THIS CLIP: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1193

     
  • At 7/18/06, 10:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Nobody should have any illusions about the Lebanese government doing anything even if the whole country is leveled. The country's leaders simultaneously use, fear, and support Hizbullah. To cheer on the extremists protects their careers, and none of them have gotten where they are today by caring very much about the nation's interest.

    HAMAS AND Hizbullah are now in the drivers' seat of the Arab world. It is worth underlining the fact that these two groups were supposedly going to be moderated by winning elections and participating in governments.

    Now we know that the effect went the other way: The situation gets pushed in a radical direction when terrorists are in government.

    This does not mean, however, that Arab regimes are altogether pleased with these developments, even if they will often exploit them demagogically to build support while blaming all their problems on Israel, the United States, and the West. They are quite happy if their people believe that fighting Israel, rather than their own corrupt dictatorships, is what needs to be done.

    The crisis sparked by Hamas and Hizbullah is more important and revealing in psychological terms for the Arab world than any military or direct political impact. The most poignant statement of its meaning is a leading Arab liberal's anguished cry in a letter, summing up how these events mark the death of the dream of democracy and pragmatism among his people:

    "I have been watching some 20 Arabic-speaking television channels (Egyptian, Emirate, Qatari, Syrian, Sudanese, Lebanese and Kuwaiti). The outcome is: Either these (hundreds of) people who appeared on the screen(s) and talked passionately about 'our' dignity, raising 'our' heads, 'our' national pride and the victory that God will grant 'us' were mad, or I am the one who represents madness."

    In short, extremist groups with an assist from the media controlled by Arab regimes can still stir up the old-time hysteria quite successfully. Who needs peace, stability, economic progress, women's rights, an independent judiciary, an accurately reporting media, control of corruption, a good educational and health system, free speech and all that stuff when you can kidnap Israelis?

    Of what importance is the Arab weakness in commercial hi-tech if you can purchase a rocket that hits an Israeli patrol boat? Why keep your children in school learning how to make a living if they can be deployed as martyrs?

    This analysis is not mere cynicism; it is the actual situation in the Arab world. Once again, as happened so often in past decades, the terrorists (with a little help from the privileged) are directing events.

    And rather than abandon the idea of finding the right murderous savior, much of the Arab world has just switched to the latest fad and the newest messiah.

    Gamal Abdel Nasser, Hafez Assad, Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, and Osama bin Laden all failed. But no lesson is drawn from this. Now it is on the Hamas-Hizbullah axis that people place their faith.

    Iran, of course, is the patron of both groups and played a central role in provoking the crisis. Yet while Iran may be the only indigenous regional power, its direct gains are going to be limited.

    THE ARABS in general are not giving credit to Teheran. After all, the whole point of this being an Arab and (Sunni) Muslim victory is ruined if the new hero is Persian and Shi'ite.

    Lebanon is playing both sides at once. Christians, Druse and even Sunni Muslims are angry that Hizbullah has dragged them into the war, destroyed their tourist industry and wrecked the prospects for the country's economy for years to come. In private, Lebanese say they would like Israel to wipe out Hizbullah for them. Publicly, though, most Lebanese politicians are standing beside Hizbullah and will not lift a finger to help.

     
  • At 7/19/06, 8:30 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Address for complaints:

    Nous présentons nos excuses à nos abonnés pour le retard à les informer en temps réel. Les protestations sont à adresser à :

    Sayed Hassan Nasrallah
    QG Du Hezbollah
    Al Dahia
    Ruines du Quartier Sud
    Beyrouth
    Liban



    mardi 18 juillet 2006, 14h58
    [b]Une Libanaise baptise son bébé du nom d'un missile du Hezbollah [/b]

    [img]http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afpji/20060718/060718125816.3i2epua90_le-petit-raad-et-sa-maman---l-h-pital-de-sa-da-le-b.jpg[/img]

    BEYROUTH (AFP) - Raad est né. Pas le missile de longue portée lancé contre Israël par le Hezbollah, mais un bébé libanais dont la maman voulait rendre hommage par ce nom au combat du parti chiite libanais contre l'Etat hébreu.

    "Ce matin, ma femme a donné naissance à un garçon. Elle va voulu l'appeler Raad en l'honneur de la résistance, du Hezbollah et de (son chef) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," a déclaré son mari, Mohammad al-Khaled.

    Toujours souffrante à l'hôpital Labil de la ville de Saïda, au Liban sud, son épouse, déjà mère de sept autres enfants, a ajouté: "Et j'ai l'intention d'avoir aussi un Raad 2 et un Raad 3".

    Elle a pourtant eu une césarienne difficile, selon son époux qui a raconté leur arrivée dans une école de Saïda pour fuir leur village de Marwahine dans le sud "où beaucoup de civils ont été tués dans les attaques israéliennes".

    Le Hezbollah a tiré pour la première fois des missiles anti-chars de longue portée iranien du nom de Raad contre des villes du coeur d'Israël, dont Haïfa, à une quarantaine de kilomètres de la frontière libanaise depuis le début du conflit avec l'Etat hébreu le 12 juillet.


    ******************************


    C'est la dernière photo de Nasrallah pendant son apparence a la Télévision. Remarquez que sa barbe est subitement blanche. Il est coincé dans son bunker, ayant peur de partir pour teinter sa barbe. Il se méfie de tout personne et ne laisse pas un coiffeur entrer et faire la teinture.


    [URL=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/3452/anass11ej4.jpg[/img][/URL][/quote]

    HOOO ???? Ben mince !!! C'est encore un fil exotique à ben yaoulêd Chirak !!!Il fait sa priêre .. :Papaaa ...vient me cherchéééé les vilains Juifs veulent me rasés la baaarbeee vitee sa pressseee ..snifff ..ouiinnn..! :lol: :lol:

    ********************************


    "Thank you Israel "

    By Brigitte Gabriel

    For the millions of Christian Lebanese, driven out of our
    homeland, "Thank you Israel," is the sentiment echoing from
    around the world. The Lebanese Foundation for Peace, an
    international group of Lebanese Christians, made the
    following statement in a press release to Israeli Prime
    Minister Ehud Olmert concerning the latest Israeli attacks
    against Hezbollah:

    "We urge you to hit them hard and destroy their terror
    infrastructure. It is not [only] Israel who is fed up with
    this situation, but the majority of the silent Lebanese in
    Lebanon who are fed up with Hezbollah and are powerless to
    do anything out of fear of terror retaliation."

    Their statement continues,

    "On behalf of thousands of Lebanese, we ask you to open the
    doors of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport to thousands of
    volunteers in the Diaspora willing to bear arms and liberate
    their homeland from [Islamic] fundamentalism. We ask you for
    support, facilitation and logistics in order to win this
    struggle and achieve together the same objectives: Peace and
    Security for Lebanon and Israel and our future generations
    to come."

    The once dominate Lebanese Christians responsible for giving
    the world "the Paris of the Middle East" as Lebanon used to
    be known, have been killed, massacred, driven out of their
    homes and scattered around the world as radical Islam
    declared its holy war in the 70s and took hold of the
    country. They voice an opinion that they and Israel have
    learned from personal experience, which is now belatedly
    being discovered by the rest of the world.

    While the world protected the PLO withdrawing from Lebanon
    in 1983 with Israel hot on their heals, another more
    volatile and religiously idealistic organization was being
    born: Hezbollah, "the Party of God," founded by Ayatollah
    Khomeini and financed by Iran. It was Hezbollah who blew up
    the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon in October,1983 killing
    241 Americans and 67 French paratroopers that same day.
    President Reagan ordered U.S. Multilateral Force units to
    withdraw and closed the books on the marine massacre and US
    involvement in Lebanon February 1984.

    The civilized world, which erroneously vilified the
    Christians and Israel back then and continues to vilify
    Israel now, was not paying attention. While America and the
    rest of the world were concerned about the Israeli / PLO
    problem, terrorist regimes in Syria and Iran fanned Islamic
    radicalism in Lebanon and around the world. Hezbollah's
    Shiite extremists began multiplying like proverbial rabbits
    out-producing moderate Sunnis and Christians. Twenty-five
    years later they have produced enough people to vote
    themselves into 24 seats in the Lebanese parliament. Since
    the Israeli pull out in 2000, Lebanon has become a terrorist
    base completely run and controlled by Syria with its puppet
    Lebanese President Lahood and the Hezbollah "state within a
    state."

    The Lebanese army has less than 10,000 military troops.
    Hezbollah has over 4,000 trained militia forces and there
    are approximately 700 Iranian Revolutionary Guards in
    Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. So why can't the army
    do the job? Because the majority of Lebanese Muslims making
    up the army will split and unite along religious lines with
    the Islamic forces just like what happened in 1976 at the
    start of the Lebanese civil war.

    It all boils down to a war of Islamic Jihad ideology vs.
    Judeo Christian Westernism. Muslims who are now the majority
    of Lebanon's population, support Hezbollah because they are
    part of the Islamic Ummah-the nation. This is the taboo
    subject everyone is trying to avoid.

    The latest attacks on Israel have been orchestrated by Iran
    and Syria driven by two different interests. Syria considers
    Lebanon a part of "greater" Syria. Young Syrian President
    Assad and his Ba'athist military intelligence henchmen in
    Damascus are using this latest eruption of violence to prove
    to the Lebanese that they need the Syrian presence to
    protect them from the Israeli aggression and to stabilize
    the country. Iran is conveniently using its Lebanese puppet
    army Hezbollah, to distract the attention of world leaders
    meeting at the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, from its
    pursuit of nuclear weapons. Apocalyptic Iranian President
    Ahmadinejad and the ruling Mullah clerics in Tehran want to
    assert hegemony in the Islamic world under the banner of
    Shia Mahdist madness. Ahmadinejad wants to seal his place as
    top Jihadist for Allah by make good his promise to "wipe
    Israel off the map.

    No matter how much the west avoids facing the reality of
    Islamic extremism of the Middle East, the west cannot hide
    from the fact that the same Hamas and Hezbollah that Israel
    is fighting over there, are of the same radical Islamic
    ideology that has fomented carnage and death through
    terrorism that America and the world are fighting. This is
    the same Hezbollah that Iran is threatening to unleash in
    America with suicide bomb attacks if America tries to stop
    Iran from developing nuclear weapon. They have cells in over
    10 cities in the United States. Hamas, has the largest
    terrorist infrastructure on American soil. This is what
    happens when you turn a blind eye to evil for decades,
    hoping it will go away.

    Sheik Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, is an Iranian agent.
    He is not a free actor in this play. He has been involved in
    terrorism for over 25 years. Iran with its Islamic vision
    for a Shia Middle East now has its agents, troops and money
    in Gaza in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, and
    Iraq. Behind this is this vision that drives the Iranian
    President Ahmadinejad who believes he is Allah's "tool and
    facilitator" bringing the end of the world as we know it and
    the ushering in of the era of the Mahdi. He has a blind
    messianic belief in the Shiite tradition of the 12th or
    "hidden" Islamic savior who will emerge from a well in the
    holy city of Qum in Iran after global chaos, catastrophes
    and mass deaths and establish the era of Islamic Justice and
    everlasting peace.

    President Ahmadinejad has refused so far to respond to
    proposals from the U.S., EU, Russia and China on the UN
    Security Council to cease Iran's relentless quest for
    nuclear enrichment and weapons development program until
    August 22nd. Why August 22nd? Because August 22nd, coincides
    with the Islamic date of Rajab 28, the day the great Salah
    El-Din conquered Jerusalem.

    Ahmadinejad's extremists ideology in triggering Armageddon
    gives great concerns to the intelligence community.

    At this point the civilized world must unite in fighting the
    same enemies plaguing Israel and the world with terrorism.
    We need to stop analyzing the enemies' differences as
    Sunni-Hamas or Shiite-Hezbollah, and start understanding
    that their common bond in their fight against us is radical
    Islam.


    on http://euphoricreality.com/2006/07/16/thank-you-israel/

     
  • At 7/19/06, 8:30 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    19.07.2006


    Le Hezbollah et le Hamas se battent au Moyen-Orient, mais c’est en fait bien Téhéran et Damas qui tirent les ficelles dans le but très simple qui est d’obliger l’occident à les prendre au sérieux.


    Les appels aux accents simili-gaulliens du Président Jacques Chirac pour envoyer des troupes d’interposition serait un cadeau aux organisations terroristes présentes sur le territoire libanais et à la république islamique d’Iran, le maître d’œuvre de cette guerre par procuration dont les Libanais sont les victimes collatérales.

    Le régime des mollahs aura le beau rôle, un rôle dans lequel il excelle : celui de la victime qui crie à qui veut l’entendre que l’occident est en guerre contre les musulmans. L’envoi des forces de maintien de l’ordre sera un prétexte supplémentaire offert aux mollahs pour qu’ils dénoncent une nouvelle ingérence des occidentaux sans que nécessairement cette police des frontières ne soit en mesure d’empêcher que les mollahs ne continuent d’équiper le Hezbollah et de lui fournir des armes de combat.

    Si on avait des doutes sur l’implication directe des forces du régime de Téhéran dans les attaques contre Israël, celles-ci ont volé en éclats avec les restes du missile C-802 de fabrication iranienne qui s’est abattu sur le navire israélien. Le C-802 n’est pas un simple Katioucha de la seconde guerre mondiale mais bien un engin sophistiqué qui demande un personnel formé pour la mise à feu. Selon un agent des renseignements israélien qui s’exprimait sous couvert d’anonymat, Israël avait la preuve qu’une centaine de miliciens des Pasdarans s’étaient déplacés dans le Sud Liban pour encadrer le tir de ce missile.

    Le régime des mollahs déploie divers missiles sur le sol Libanais, outre les C-802, il y a les Katiouchas qui sont des orgues de Staline montés sur des camions ou des bateaux de pêche : ils peuvent être tirés de n’importe où et la mobilité du lanceur les rend difficiles à intercepter ou à détruire. Le 3e modèle est le Fajr qui a été tiré sur le port de Haïfa. Le Fajr est une fusée d’une cinquantaine de kilomètres de portée mise au point par la république islamique durant la guerre Iran-Irak avec l’aide de la Chine et de la Russie.

    Les 5 premiers Fajr offerts par Téhéran au Hezbollah au Sud Liban remontent à 2001. De manière générale, les armes ou l’argent transitent par Damas avant d’arriver dans les bases du Hezbollah par la route. Ce transit nécessite la complicité des forces libanaises qui ont été recrutées et formées par les Syriens. De la même manière, d’autres armes iraniennes affluent en Irak via la Syrie et sont distribuées avec la complicité des policiers irakiens dont un grand nombre sont très officiellement des employés de la république des mollahs [1].

    Si les mollahs disposent d’une bombe nucléaire ou d’une bombe sale, il leur sera facile de l’acheminer vers le Liban par les mêmes routes avec les mêmes complicités. Il faut couper la chaîne de transmission décrite par le ministre libanais des communications, Marouan Hamouda : «Téhéran fournit les équipements et l'argent, Damas se charge de l’encadrement, le Hezbollah exécute et les libanais sont les victimes». Sans le concours des forces libanaises, une force internationale d’intervention sera totalement inefficace.

    Pour empêcher qu’un jour le Hezbollah ne dispose d’une force de frappe nucléaire, il est nécessaire d’agir aujourd’hui et briser la chaîne de transmission : le seul moyen sera de limiter les moyens à la source. Il faut donc sanctionner le régime des mollahs et installer une police des frontières autour de l’Iran et non pas autour du Liban, le dernier maillon de la chaîne.

     
  • At 7/19/06, 8:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Mes Amis Libanais
    A force de mentir et de dire "Il n'y a pas de problèmes", "nous nous entendons bien", "Nous sommes d'abord Libanais" , allez-vous, un jour réaliser que ces mensonges ne servent à rien !
    Michel Aoun est rentré au Liban, mais pour quoi faire ?
    Vous, les Libanais, vous n'êtes pas comme ces occidentaux ignares qui ignorent ce qu'est l'islam.
    Vous savez comment se comportent les musulmans, vous savez que leur rêve c'est " dîn wa dawla" = religion et Etat !!
    Pourquoi - monsieur Antoine Basbous- avec votre "observatoire des pays arabes- défendez-vous ce nationalisme "arabe", alors que vous savez très bien qu'en tant que chrétien vous serez un jour mangés !!!
    Pourquoi vous taisez-vous, chaque fois que l'on met sur le tapis les dangers de l'islam.
    Vous ne cessez de répéter " c'est politique" , "c'est le sionisme".
    Vous savez très bien, vous les Georges Corm, les Antoine Sfeir, les Antoine Basbous & co
    que même s'il n'y avait pas Israël , il y aurait le problème de l'islam.

    Je dois beaucoup au Liban mais l' hypocrisie des Libanais m'a toujours sidérée.
    Soyez francs. Vous avez toujours eu tout faux. Il y a fort longtemps vous aviez fait confiance à l'imam Moussa Sadr , ce beau mollah aux yeux verts qui faisait craquer les nanas libanaises, même chrétiennes ( et qui a été enlevé, le pauvre, par les Libyens ). Mais les chiites sont aussi dangereux que les Sunnites et par certains côtés ...plus car c'est l'islam de la révolution et des fins dernières, de la souffrance et du MARTYRE ; Ce sont des bombes ambulantes ces mecs là.
    Alors quand j'entends les médias français en parler comme s'ils parlaient des Anglais de la city , j'ai envie de casser ma télévision.

    * Et puis, cher Roger D qui êtes retourné au Liban. Vous allez en rentrant, j'en suis sûre, accuser Israël.
    Votre père qui était gendarme dans le village de Dammour -et qui a vu ce que les Palestiniens ont fait à la population chrétienne-une horreur - pourquoi a -t-il toujours refusé d'en parler?
    Mais parlez, mille sabords, des Palestiniens et de la haine que vous aviez envers eux. On dirait que cela est oublié !!!
    ...... au lieu d'accuser les Juifs

     
  • At 7/19/06, 8:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Bonjour,
    Israel est en guerre au Liban.
    Mais pas contre le Liban en tant qu'etat.
    Israel est en guerre contre le terrorisme chiite incarné par l'Iran et son prolongement le Hezbollah.
    Une guerre de défense de ses interets vitaux. Une guerre qu'il doit absolument gagner.
    Les USA l'ont compris. L'Europe commence à le comprendre.
    Mais on entend comme d'habitude le reproche de réaction excessive.
    Quelle reaction excessive ?
    il y a à la frontière nord d'Israel une organisation terroriste qui a créé un etat dans l'etat, dirigée depuis Teheran par les pires ennemis d'Israel et un president iranien obsédé par sa haine du sionisme et des Juifs..
    Cette orgaznisation dispose d'un arsenal considérable et elle est payée, entrainée, encadrée, ravitaillé par les Iraniens sans que l'etat libanais ne veuille ou ne puisse s'y opposer, sans que l'ONU et les Nations ne réagissent.
    Il y a pourtant une décision du Conseil de sécurité qui en 2004 demandait le desasrmement de toutes les milices libanaises. Toutes ont été désarmées sauf le Hezbollah.
    Les Libanais ont obtenu le départ de l'armée syrienne qui occupait le pays depuis des lustres, mais il ne font rien pour s'opposer à la presence irano-hezbollienne.
    Le G 8 demande l'arret des bombardements israéliens et des négociations.
    Quelles négociations et avec qui ?
    Avec le Hezbollah ? Pour lui accorder un cessez-le-feu, une oudna comme ils disent qui lui permettrait de se rearmer et de se renforcer ?
    Israel ne peut accepter un tel piege.
    Il ne peut negocier avec une organisation terroriste. Il ne peut reconnaitre comme interlocuteur que le gouvernement libanais.
    Celui-ci a un moyen tres simple d'arreter les bombardements israéliens, c'est de réoccuper les parties de son territoires qui ont été induement occupées par l'Iran au moyen de son armée au Liban sud baptisée Hezbollah.
    Si le Liban n'a pas les moyens de se livrer à une telle opérat, ion l'ONU, l'europe, l'OTAN doivent l'y aider; En envoyant par exemple sur le terrain non pas une nouvelle FINUl dont l'inefficacité a été largement prouvée pendant plus de vingt ans mais comme l'a dit Jacques Chirac une force internationale dotée de moyens coercitifs.
    Le voudront-ils ?
    Le pourront-ils ?
    Le Liban multi confessionnel et son armée sont-ils disposés à prendre des mesures drastiques pour sauver leur pays de l'anarchie ?
    Je ne puis vous le dire.
    Mais les pays civilisés doivent absolument l'aider à echapper à l'emprise de l'Iran et également de la Syrie son pâle comparse.
    S'ils y arrivaient, ce serait une début de victoire contre l'internationale terroriste islamiste..
    S'ils reculaient une fois de plus devant les terroristes, ils peuvent s'attendre à voir un jour les missiles iraniens pleuvoir sur les villes d'Europe, du moyen-Orient et peut-être encore plus loin.
    Et cette fois-ci. il ne s'agira pas d'armes conventionnelles.
    Comme l'a dit Ehoud Olmert, nous sommes à l'heure de vérité et pas seulement pour Israel.
    Encore un mot pour vous dire que le ministre israélien du tourisme nous demlande de ne pas annuler nos projets de voyage là-bas.

     

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