Again a quiet night here, though the same cannot be said for some areas that are under Israeli fire. I am just getting ready to head to bed after a long day, and thought I would update the blog before doing that. After much debating in my mind, I decided to impose a commenting policy. All disrespectful or trollish/trouble-seeking comments will be deleted and the authors banned. I am not here to babysit. Grow up, people. If you have something of content to say, you are more than welcome to do so. Otherwise go play in your own backyard.
I want to address a point raised by someone, and I commented on it in the comments section, the issue of the Lebanese falling “prey” to the “extremist agendas” of HezbAllah. Well, HezbAllah might be an extremist organization (but not more extremist than the State of Israel), with extremist agendas, but what of that? Why should we trust the alleged goodwill of the Israelis and not stand behind HezbAllah? What guarantees do we have? How can you expect us to trust an Army and Air Force that has bombed our people, destroyed our country, all under the banner of disarming HezbAllah, implementing 1559, and returning the 2 soldiers (which one is it anyway, have the Israelis decided which explanation to stick to?), all for the sake of not falling prey to the extremist agendas of HezbAllah? Where is the “international community”? If they truly care about our sentiments why are 4 million people being punished for the “extremism” of a few? Instead of stopping the aggressor, you expect the victims not to be drawn to the extremist rhetoric of the only force that is capable of defending the country at the moment. I will tell you what. To all those who criticize the Lebanese for the clear choice they have made in siding with HezbAllah following indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure, your time is better spent addressing the root causes of such behaviour rather than attempting to convince the Lebanese to give up on it. Give up on it? After all that is said and done? 300+ civilian lives lost, and billions of dollars’ worth of damage, and we are supposed to think twice before endorsing extremism? Reality check. If the kidnapping of 2 soldiers resulted in such extremism on the Israeli side, what do you expect from us? Or is it that the mighty cannot be considered extremists?
I am sorry I had to say this, but enough is simply enough. I cannot believe that people still expect something from the Lebanese after all this has been happening in front of their eyes. Perhaps had they been sitting here in Lebanon and hearing the awful sounds of bombs being dropped on the heads of helpless civilians, or being trapped under the rubble of their houses with no one being aware of it, perhaps then they would have known the real meaning of extremism. Until then I will tell them: you have not seen extremism. Not from the Lebanese people. No matter what the world does to us, we are naive and believe you and your leaders over and over again. We might say “no more!”, but we will most probably still place hopes on you, that you will do something to stop this madness should it happen again. But maybe this time it is different. This is 1982 repeated, only this time the Lebanese are united and fighting a common enemy. To Israel: You might set Lebanon’s infrastructure clock 20 years back, but you will never set Lebanese unity 20 years back. The Lebanese have had enough of killing each other, but you, you want to turn Lebanon into a killing field. But I tell you: you have failed. Miserably failed. With every blow you receive, the Lebanese cheer. That is what you get for your monstrosity. Extremism begets extremism. And so you shall have an entire nation of extremists on your border. You may drop 23 tons of bombs on suspected HezbAllah centers and bunkers, but how many more can you drop? You might take out Nasrallah, or the entire HezbAllah leadership, but of what use is that to you? The resistance is the people, from the people, for the people. You cannot break a resistance without liquidating a people. And should you choose to do the latter, what sets you part from Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and co.? The fact that you are Jewish? You see, no matter what you do, we, the resistance, will always win. And if you still think you will get those two soldiers back, then you are the stupidest nation on earth.
Blogging the Middle East 
Anarchistan,
This is a comment I left on one of the March 14 blogs.
Stop pointing fingers at Hizbollah, no matter how rightly pissed you may be. It’s not a luxury. You need the understand the strategy of the military machine you are facing:
Israel’s strategy is to exploit secretarian divisions to its maximum impact. Divide-and-conquer is one of the oldest military strategies in the world.
(1) News stories of Christians, Sunnis, and Shia pointing fingers at each other provide an excellent diversion from stories of Lebanese civilians senselessly being killed by Israel
(2) News stories of Christians, Sunnis, and Druze pointing fingers at Hizbollah provide an excellent diversion from stories of Lebanese civilians senselessly being killed by Israel
(3) News stories of Lebanese pointing fingers at Hizbollah make it easier for Israel to frame the conflict the way it chooses. We know how Israel is presenting the conflict, “We’re fighting for our right to survive against an radical Islamic group bent on our destruction.” If you were Israel, how would want to the conflict to be presented from the Lebanese side?
(a) “Lebanon is fighting for its existence against a savage Israeli enemy.”
(b)”Hizbollah and Israel are fighting a war, and the Lebanese people are caught in between.”
Why do you think Dan Gillerman keeps quoting Marwan Hamadah and Ilyas `Atallah? It’s
certainly not because he cares about Lebanon’s welfare.
Wake up. You are fighting for your survival. Unity is not a luxury
Yes indeed, but while the leaders might always be ready to exploit such situations, the people have so far shown true unity and maturity.
Anarchistian, ya rafiq: Sahh and mazbout on all that you’re writing, it’s so refreshing reading this blog in the midst of all the shit that is pouring out from official Western media. The hype is spinning so powerfully that the vast majority here doesn’t get any meaningful idea of what
is really going on. Wish this blog could replace all the consciously or unconciously Zionist pundits and hacks posing as informed commentators here in Sweden… But the resistance
is alive here as well, and indeed, it will eventually win: al harb a-shabiye tarik al intisirat.
Anarchistan,
Where I’m from in the United States, I see lots of stories about Lebanese divisions.
The March 14 bloggers are all venting at Hizbollah.
The March 14 bloggers are an insignificant minority from the Lebanese scene (as are the March 14 forces in Lebanon). I have seen few Lebanese bloggers (one other person who goes by the name “BOB”) who are venting at HezbAllah, countered by significant support of it in the face of mounting Israeli indiscriminate attacks.
Let the March 14 bloggers be. Attributing any significance to their venting would merely convince them that the Lebanese people support them.
You might want to check out these fine blogs:
http://lebanonunderattack.wordpress.com/
http://jamalghosn.blogspot.com/
http://urshalim.blogspot.com/
http://perpetualrefugee.blogspot.com/
http://archmemory.blogspot.com/
http://salamcinema.blogspot.com/
http://libanomio.blogspot.com/
http://welcometomydream.blogspot.com/
http://www.ramziblahblah.blogspot.com/
http://shlonkombakazay.blogspot.com/
http://abutakla.blogspot.com/
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://bassemmroue.blogspot.com/
http://beirutbeltway.com/
http://lettersapart.blogspot.com/
http://hilalchouman.blogspot.com/
http://zaza133.skyblog.com/
http://mysteriouseve.blogspot.com/
And a Swedish national blogging from Beirut:
http://www.beirutundersiege.blogspot.com/
Of course, you must also realize that the blogosphere is not really a scientific sample of Lebanese opinions… Nevertheless, I am reporting from the ground and on the ground (at least what is said in public) there is near unanimity when it comes to Israel. In private – I can speak for myself – my family has been fiercely anti-HezbAllah. But now they are supportive and in fact await more attacks by it.
Dark side?
WOuld you post pictures of Lebanon and Lebanese victims. Somehow western media outlets always seem to “miss them”.
On a different note, i’m not sure if you have heard of myspace. However; there is a very strong Lebanese movement within myspace to bring the attention to the Lebanese suffering.
Good Job!
Right. Israel is the enemy of Lebanon. For 6 years those clever Jews had not responded to Nasralla’s provocations, letting your pathetic colonial remnant of a country to rebuild itself. For 6 years, we hoped that after we left your land on our on volition, you’ll reciprocate. But no – you bought Hizbulla’s preposterous claim to be a “liberator”, and you was all to happy to let Shia madmen to do what they want on the Israeli border, so long as Israel was timid enough and otherwise busy to turn its full attention to that insignificant little bug. Well, you’ve got our attention now. Are you suffering? Good. I hope that when Samir Quntar retuns to Lebanon, you’ll give him an ovation for all it worth.
I dont know if i believe you because in england on the bbc news every nnight they manage to find someone who is against hizbullah and blame them not israel.They were talking to a christian woman in some part of beirut and she said she blamed hizbullah and syria not israel and then some woman down the south who i think is christian as well who said this might be painful but it will be worth it if hizbullah is gotten rid of.
It seems Western media is spending more time trying to find people who wish that HezbAllah be disarmed than they are reporting what’s happening on the ground (including popular sentiments). As such they are not really journalists but Israel’s propaganda network. Since when is BBC the authority on the Middle East anyway?
The bbc are not on anyone side they said that hizbullah has not had any real damage done to them.Its just that they seems to be some lebanese even now who are only blaming hizbullah who ever they are.And can you please answer me this question why did you get so pissed off yesterday when i asked wether you were Lebanese of armenian decent i was only asking out of curiosity nothing else no alternative motives.And by the way the bbc is probably the opnly network in the west to have people in the south there
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Actually, my Anonymous friend, from day 1 BBC has been showing the whining of Israelis whose house windows have been broken, while not even showing any videos of entire apartment blocks leveled, in many cases with civilians inside them.
Your attempts to insist that the Lebanese are “divided” on this issue is merely wishful thinking. But then again, your Western ignorance has merely made you think that you know BETTER than the people ON THE GROUND. The blogs I posted the links to above were, before all this happened, FOR the COMPLETE DISARMING of HezbAllah. As were some 60% of the Lebanese. But now almost 99% of Lebanese do not advocate the disarming of HezbAllah – least of all by Israeli force. Why? Because they saw the hypocrisy of the international community, the violations of human rights by Israel, and the helplessness of the Lebanese Army. Though I dare say, when the Lebanese Army’s Commando Regiment starts getting involved, the Israelis will stop thinking even about their 1 km “buffer” zone.
Perhaps BBC should start showing these:
http://fromisraeltolebanon.info/
All tv networks in england have been shwoing tyre beirut the picture of the dead kids the newspapers are the same in every new bulitin.Look i never said the lebanese were divided all i said was i saw some on the news who had differnt views to you.I think you are mixing up english media with american ones
And as for the lebanese army anyone can see they are a bit of a joke what about an international force there would that be acceptable to you and the and people there.
I have been watching English news, as well as American ones. We have satellite dish here, and I am yet to see them show charred bodies of babies who have been bombed with chemical weapons. I am yet to see them mention that the Israelis have used illegal chemical weapons.
I am not mixing up English media with American media. Though for anyone who does not know anything about the joke of a media that you have, it is easy to mix it up, and it is easy to mix it up with Israeli media too.
The Lebanese Army is not a joke on the ground. The Lebanese Army fought heroically against the Syrian Army and its stooges the Lebanese Forces militia (previously Israel’s proxy). What is Israel afraid of? Let them invade, we will see how far they will get. But no, they choose to take the coward’s way out, hiding behind jets and bombing innocent civilians and an army that is helpless to defend itself against aerial attacks. There is nothing embarrassing in that. Our country is not the one that gets $4 billion in tax-free military and economic aid every year.
International force? It’s too early to talk about that. Maybe when the international community starts to panic from the extent of damage that Israel will get.
Israel has no intention to harm Lebanon or to overthrow the Lebanese government. Israel want Lebanon to be free and democracy and not let the Nasserallah personal military to fix and influence the Lebanese agenda and still attacking Israel each time Syria or Iran need to blow up the peace and silence. No country would have sat quite when a legal terror organization acts against her. As a matter of fact the Hizbullah acts against both countries interests.
I think now there is no other choice but to understand that the Hizbullah have to turn away its rockets and bombs and be ONLY political party and leave southern Lebanon/ If Hizbullah leaders want to keep run their party they have to act legally as all other political parties.
What are you watching because the reports i see are on the side of the lebanese civillians and its the radio programes are interviewing people in all of lebanon all the time really its not biased.
And how israel going to get all this damage missels on telaviv whatever missels on telaviv would be the same as calling for the entire destruction of telaviv.If they manage to get rid of israel hizbullah will then probably start trying to turn lebanon into a little mini iran and for a secular person like you that cant be good.After all nasrallah said this was the battle of the islamic nation and that does not include you or any secular person
I meant the entire detruction of beirut if missels fall on telaviv that will most likely happy
I personally believe that all of the trouble that exists between the west and Islamic nations is going to lead to a much larger world war in the future, possibly closer than many might think. Think what will happen if Lebanon or other nations keep lobbing missles into Israel, and Israel’s security cannot be secured. Look at what Bush did in Afganistan and Iraq over the 911 attacks, and that was just a few buildings in the NY. What he did was pretty much 100% backed by the American people at the time, and ask yourself what will be allowed the next time there is a large scale attack in the West or an allied nation. And you know it’s coming, because Islamists seem to want to push the issue into a doomsday scenario. Look at Iran’s position, and perceived arrogance, as it is viewed by the West, and they seem to depend upon world opinion and commercial interests to protect them from harm. IMO, everyone will play the diplomatic game for a while, but then there will be another “big” attack on western interests, and those in the West will back mass scale destruction on countries like Iran, Syria, etc. The issue is that the West is full of people who are ued to their comfortable way of life, their standard of living. When anyone does something that threatens their way of life, or causes discomfort, and people can become amazingly callous concerning the protection of innocent life, etc. I think that’s what you’re witnessing now in Lebanon. The reason that people in the West aren’t as up in arms as they should be is that they equate Arabs with elements that disrupt their comfortable way of life, etc, and they’re selfish to a great extent, and they don’t differentiate between civilians and militants when doing what they feel is necessary to address the issue.
Why did the Lebanese government not build up its armed forces so as to be able to put up some sort of defense of the Lebanese people. It is the primary aim of a government to protect its people. Why were the armed forces of Lebanon not equipped withmodern weapons, anti-aircraft misslies, aircraft, submarines and ships and the like, when there was the opportunity to do so ?
Mapleleaf – when was this opportunity that you speak of? I must’ve missed it. Lebanon was just freed from Syrian occupation which was supported for years by USA-UK-Israel, and now it has been completely destroyed. Also, Lebanon is short on money and is not an aggressive state like Israel, so it never saw the need for such weaponry especially that it was always been under the “protection” of Syria or France or some other power. If we received $4 billion / year in military and economic aid, we would far surpass Israel in military and economic might.
Nicely constructed rant…love it….
In my view Isreal is right to take the action it has.
1.) Lebanese President has declared he backs the Hezbollah leader. And, as he speaks for his people, well, Lebanon will pay for failing to fully commit itself to the road of peace and democracy. The protesters who drove the Syrians out seem to have gone away, why have they not demanded the disarming of Hezbollah. Surely the argument goes, that if Isreal is doing these things because they are pissed with them then they will stop doing it if we remove the reason??? Because surely Isreal will have no justifiable reason.
2.) Iran. Pure and simple. What has the current crisis done? Removed attention from Irans nuclear question. It has stopped people from focusing on them and moved the heat to Lebanon. Given that the Iranian and Syrians are supplying Hezbollah, who has shown every willingness to launch missiles into Isreal, should Isreal not send a message that it is willing to destroy any threat to peace? What happens if Iran supplies Hezbollah with chemical/biological/nuclear material? I wonder how people would react if and Isreali city was wiped out in a chemical attack.
To me Isreal must face Hezbollah head on, it must destroy it. The Lebanese have shown an unwillingness to do so, as has the government, a Hezbollah MP (of which there are quite a few) is a cabinet minister. The government, have failed to face the problems head on, the people failed to keep up their momentum. They are now suffering as a result. I am by no means saying that civilian deaths are acceptable, but in war thats what happens.
Many like to make out Isreal is the aggressor. WHo kidnapped the soldiers? At least Isreal is attempting to keep civilian causalties low, the problem is the terrorists hide among civilians and do not wear uniforms. However Hezbollah is mercilessly launching missiles indiscriminately. Due to public and governmental support for Hezbollah actions, the people are paying a price. Just like the Germans in WW2.
Dear Anarchistian,
I have been following your comments as well the comments of the
people who are posting them on your blog.. I would just like to say
a few things… first, as a Saudi national who has both lived
and worked in Lebanon, I would like to express my deepest
shame for my country’s weak and inexcusable response to the
Israeli aggression.
Second, living in Canada and being subjected to the Western
media’s point of view really drives home the fact that
no matter what Israel does, says or destroys in its
“righteous” path of “self-preservation and self-protection”,
the world is spoon-fed (or rather force-fed)the same disgusting
rhetoric of
Israel being the victim! I am sick and tired of this biased
“Bush-like” mind set.
In the end, if Western media wants to portray Arabs as extremists
or merely a thorn in Israel’s side that needs to be neutralised
at any price, then I say… long live Hizbollah, long live the
resistance, long live Lebanon free…
I am proud to be an Arab, and if that means that I will support
the just cause of your nation’s fight against Israel’s
terrorist machine then so be it…. and if the west wants to
call people like me extremists…. I will accept with great
honour!
Hey Nermeen,
Glad to have you here!
Where in Canada are you? I’ve lived in Canada for a number of years.
I live in Victoria, B.C…. it’s nice, but I miss living in the Middle East! The feeling of being home sick for the entire region is growing
exponentially with every Western-biased comment I hear being uttered by people about Lebanon and Palestine, or even the region as a whole. I have realised that sometimes people are simply more ignorant than biased and that they only choose to believe what is dictated on television, because they really can’t be bothered with trying to make up their own minds! I am sure you know how it’s like, having lived in Canada… you must have noticed how unusually biased the media is… and how gullable the people are!
Nermeen
do you know what the difference between Canada and Mexico is?
neither do I.