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Author Topic:   Lebanon: A greater folly than '82 war
DayDreamer
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posted August 25, 2006 04:57 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Lebanon: A greater folly than '82 war
Aug. 24, 2006. 01:00 AM
HAROON SIDDIQUI


It has been said that Israel has made the same mistake in Lebanon as it did in 1982: using overwhelming military force to solve a political problem. It failed then and it has failed now.

In fact, this war is a greater political and moral disaster, even though it was shorter (34 days vs. three months), caused a lower Lebanese death toll (1,600 vs. 18,000) and ended without Israel occupying large swaths of Lebanon. Here's why.

Whereas the Palestine Liberation Organization was dealt a near death blow and driven out of Lebanon, Hezbollah has emerged politically strengthened. Yasser Arafat and his entourage were foreigners who had overstayed their welcome, whereas Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah represent indigenous forces.

In 1982, Israel had several Lebanese allies but this time it has none to do its bidding.

Whereas Israel has demonstrated, yet again, that it can cause death and destruction at will, its aura of invincibility has been punctured. Hence the talk in Israel of "the next round" to restore that image. On the other side, Arab/Muslim militants feel emboldened.

So, unlike the post-1982 lull in hostilities, "both sides will now be looking for an opportunity to advance their cause," says professor James Reilly, a University of Toronto expert on the Middle East. "That makes a renewal of conflict more likely, not less likely."

There are several other, less obvious, reasons why this war has left a greater impact on world consciousness.

  • While the North American media sanitized the horrors of this war, media elsewhere, especially in the Arab/Muslim world, showed the full impact of the indiscriminate bombing.

    This is a repeat of the pattern we've seen in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israeli Occupied Territories; one version of events shown in North America and quite another elsewhere.

    This inability to control the narrative enrages George W. Bush and other conservatives. They accuse the burgeoning, and increasingly free, Arab media of being biased and sensationalist — a ludicrous proposition coming from the fans of Fox-TV and CNN.

    The recent reality TV coming out of Lebanon, along with the videos and reports circulating on the Internet, created such a public backlash in Europe and the Middle East that governments were forced to pressure the U.S. into dropping its opposition to a ceasefire.

    Only Stephen Harper stayed firm in favour of letting Israel continue pummelling Lebanon, placing Canada in the odd position of welcoming a ceasefire he had so resolutely resisted.

  • Human rights advocates played a much more forceful role this time. Besides UN Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour raising the spectre of war crimes, the UN Human Rights Council condemned "the grave Israeli violations of human rights and breaches of humanitarian law," and the "massive bombardments of civilian populations, especially the massacres in Qana, Marwaheen, Al Duweir, Al Bayadah, Al Qaa, Chiyah, Ghazieh and other towns, and the displacement of 1 million civilians."

    For those who accuse the UN agency of anti-Israeli bias, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also said Israel may have committed war crimes. Rights Watch condemned Israel's use of cluster bombs. The unexploded ones in people's homes and in fields now pose a danger to returning refugees, and may take a year or more to defuse.

    Yesterday, Amnesty said the destruction of thousands of homes, roads, bridges and water and fuel storage plants "was an integral part of Israel's military strategy, rather than `collateral damage' resulting from the lawful targeting of military objectives."

  • The Israeli-U.S. selectivity in insisting on implementing UN resolutions on Lebanon while ignoring earlier ones calling Israel to withdraw from the Occupied Territories is no longer lost on the world.

    Nor is the hypocrisy of calling on Hezbollah to disarm while turning a blind eye to scores of militias in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    These double standards draw derision, including from those who favour disarming Hezbollah.

  • The Lebanon offensive coincided with the deadliest month in the Gaza Strip and Iraq, where the July death toll was reportedly 151 and 3,438 respectively.

    The headlines coming out of all three were the same: Muslims being massacred — by Iraqi insurgents or by Israel and the United States.

    That, combined with the rhetorical war over Iran's nuclear program, prompted American geo-strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski to say: "Today, it's becoming increasingly difficult to separate the Israeli-Palestinian problem, the Iraq problem and Iran from each other. Neither the U.S. nor Israel has the capacity to impose a unilateral solution on the Middle East."

That is the growing consensus in the world, increasingly among Canadians as well, even if not yet in our political and media establishment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haroon Siddiqui, the Star's editorial page editor emeritus, writes Thursday and Sunday. hsiddiq@thestar.ca.


http://www.thestar.com/NASApp /cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1156326727963&call_pageid=968256290204

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jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted August 25, 2006 05:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Who is HAROON SIDDIQUI? He sounds a lot like Baghdad Bob

Let's see, Israel lost the war with Hezbollah...even though IDF forces advanced almost 20 miles into Lebanon in a few days...killing the Hezbollah terrorists who stuck around.

Israel bombed and destroyed virtually the entire list of command and control centers, personnel, long range missiles, blew up caches of stored arms, cut supply and resupply lines, blew up trucks and other supply vehicles, bridges and put the airport out of commission. Blockaded Lebanon by sea to prevent resupply of Hezbollah by Syria and Iran....AND Israel LOST

But the reports were all an evil Israeli controlled western media production to fool the world and dishearten the terrorists...ummm, "resistance fighters".

This guy may well be Baghdad Bob for all the smoke he's blowing out of the wrong orifice.

The Collected Quotations of "Baghdad Bob," Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf: The Iraqi Minister of DisInformation

Mocking the Coalition's Attempt To Target Saddam Hussein:
"These villains, and in particular the villain Bush, said they had struck Iraq with 40 cruise missiles to assassinate President Saddam Hussein. Not only are they disappointed, I think they are hysterical."

Attempting to Acknowledge What Was Happening Militarily Beyond Baghdad:
March 22, 2003
"Maybe they will enter Umm Qasr and Basra, but how will they enter Baghdad? It will be a big oven for them. They can penetrate our borders but they cannot reach Baghdad. They will try to pull our army and troops out but we are well aware of their plans and they will fail."

March 23, 2003
"In Umm Qasr, the fighting is fierce and we have inflicted many damages. The stupid enemy, the Americans and British, failed completely. They're not making any penetration."

As Televised Reports of U.S. Forces Approaching the Outskirts of Western Baghdad Are Shown:
"They are not any place. They are on the move everywhere. They are a snake moving in the desert. They hold no place in Iraq. This is an illusion."

After U.S. Forces Seized Baghdad's Airport:
"We butchered the force present at the airport. We have retaken the airport! There are no Americans there!"

After U.S. Troops Penetrated Central Baghdad:
April 5, 2003
"Nobody came here. Those America losers, I think their repeated frequent lies are bringing them down very rapidly.... Baghdad is secure, is safe."

April 5, 2003
"They are not near Baghdad. Don't believe them.... They said they entered with... tanks in the middle of the capital. They claim that they - I tell you, I... that this speech is too far from the reality. It is a part of this sickness of their plan. There is no an... - no any existence to the American troops or for the troops in Baghdad at all."

April 6, 2003
"Whenever we attack, they retreat. When we pound them with missiles and heavy artillery, they retreat even deeper. But when we stopped pounding, they pushed to the airport for propaganda purposes."

April 7, 2003
"The Americans are not there. They're not in Baghdad. There are no troops there. Never. They're not at all."

April 7, 2003
"U.S. forces learned a lesson last night they will never forget. We slaughtered them and will continue to slaughter them."

April 7, 2003
"There is no presence of American infidels in the city of Baghdad."

With Media Pictures of U.S. Troops Being Shown Standing Under the Giant Crossed Swords in Saddam's Favorite Parade Grounds in Baghdad, While Giving a Press Briefing Around the Corner:
"There you can see, there is nothing going on."

After U.S. Missiles Destroyed His Office in the Information Ministry and He was Forced to Give Press Briefings on the Street:
"They will be burnt. We are going to tackle them."

Disputing His Own Assertions of No Coalition Troops in Baghdad:
"We blocked them inside the city. Their rear is blocked.... They pushed a few of their armored carriers and some tanks with their soldiers. We besieged them and I think we will finish them soon."

While American Soldiers Are Showering in Saddam's Bathroom Nearby Presidential Palace:
"We have killed most of the [coalition] infidels, and I think we will finish off the rest soon."

After Being Shown Footage of Iraqi Soldiers Surrendering:
"Those are not Iraqi soldiers at all."

April 7, 2003
"This invasion will end in failure."

April 8, 2003
"Baghdad Bob" disappeared, perhaps forever. On the other hand, perhaps he will return as Minister of Information for France or be awarded a drive time show on the new liberal talk radio network.
http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/baghdad_bob.htm

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pidaua
Knowflake

Posts: 67
From: Back in AZ with Bear the Leo
Registered: Apr 2009

posted August 25, 2006 05:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pidaua     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
jwhop.. you're still trying to talk to the lady that lives in her Fantasy Island Bubble?

She is the person that believes we went to war to take over Iraq and all the oil reserves.


She is like the nutbars we see on TV in the streets (or like the one that heads up Iran) stating that Israel lost, meanwhile it is Lebanon that has to be rebuilt.

She still thinks that there are no Islamic terrorists- maybe she even thinks the news made up 9-11.

In any event, she is one of the few posters that I have ever seen here that absolutely refuses to acknowledge the facts and evidence presented to her.

Crazy.....

Great post though jwhop

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jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted August 25, 2006 05:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well Pid, some people have an enormous capacity for self deception and are even more susceptible to propaganda which agrees with their mindset.

FantasyLand is well populated.

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DayDreamer
unregistered
posted August 25, 2006 05:39 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Who is Haroon Siddiqui, you ask?


Haroon Siddiqui with Order of Ontario medal

Not "Baghdad Bob"

He's Indian

quote:
Haroon Siddiqui is editorial page editor emeritus of The Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper.

He writes a twice-weekly column which explores, among other things, the pioneering theme of cosmopolitan, post-modern Canada as a global village and a 21st century trend-setter in peaceful heterogeneity. He seeks a broader definition of Canadian collectivity, inclusive not only of the distinct identities of our First Nations and French-Canadians but also newer immigrants. Hence his critiques of outmoded cliches and stereotypes of immigrants and minorities in our public discourse.

From 1990 to 1998, Mr. Siddiqui was The Star's Editorial Page Editor.

Earlier, he was National Editor, News Editor, and a foreign affairs analyst. He has visited 40 countries, and covered, among others, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the American hostage crisis in Iran, and the Iran-Iraq war.

Before joining The Star in 1978, he worked for 10 years at the Brandon Sun in Manitoba, the last four as managing editor.

Mr. Siddiqui is a member of the:

  • Order of Ontario, awarded in December 2000.
  • Editorial Division of the Canadian Newspaper Association where he chaired its diversity committee which works with newspapers to reflect Canada's diversity, both in news coverage and in hiring.
  • Advertising Standards Canada's diversity committee, which cajoles advertisers and advertising agencies to better depict minorities in outdoor, print and television ads.
  • Advisory Board of Ryerson School of Journalism.
  • Board of directors of the Canadian Club, Toronto.
  • Board of directors of Calmeadow Foundation, which provides micro-lending in Canada, and abroad.
  • He has also served as director of PEN Canada and director of the Canadian Managing Editors' Conference.


http://canada.metropolis.net/events/ottawa/siddiqui.html

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DayDreamer
unregistered
posted August 25, 2006 05:43 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Did someone mention Fantasy Island?

Check this out....

The Fantasy World of Bush, Blair, and Harper
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/002625.html

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jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted August 25, 2006 05:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, a little thinner perhaps but given the denial of reality and bombastic style, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.

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