Israel and Lebanon Ready for More
31 July 2006 4:48 pm by Taylor Marsh
| The troops are getting restless. via my friends at The Agonist |
The latest lunacy from conservative blogs: Qana was staged. Ho-boy.
Hezbollywood?
Frankly, I simply don't know what to say about this,
this or this.
The conservative blogs have taken to calling it “death porn.” They're
also pointing to this
article, which states the bombing happened hours before the building actually
fell. So why the delay in the building collapsing?
I offer the conservative blogs so everyone understands the wingnut radio tactics online. This is what right-wing radio has done successfully for years: misinformation to spike emotion. (A late link you will definitely find interesting.) It's immoral, but it often works and makes people feel like their side is righteous.
We're part of the reality-based community, so you won't hear conspiracies here.
There is also a
video supposedly showing that Hezbollah fires rockets out of Qana. That's not a shocker.
But it's a tale of two wrongs make two wrongs. Hezbollah shelling Israel doesn't
excuse Israel for bombing a civilian sanctuary.
We need a cease fire. Both Hezbollah and Israel need to stop the escalation
now. The fate of Lebanon lies in the balance. In fact, Israel's hope for some
peaceful neighbors, amidst Hezbollah, may too.
Senator Chuck
Hagel agrees and said so today on the Senate floor. He's been quite feisty
and even more
independent than usual these days. He's now undecided on John Bolton. As
for his comments today regarding the Israeli – Lebanon escalation, he was greeted
by a collective silence from everyone else in Congress. Spine alert.
VIEW THE VIDEO |
As for America's image, we couldn't look worse. Olmert is ignoring Condoleezza
Rice, and Bush won't push.
When the subject turns to Iran you get a varied response, though this New York
Times article is all over the map. Frankly, I find the beginning sections of
the article absolute rubbish. This isn't:
… Iran has also worked hard to convince the Lebanese, and Muslims around
the world, that Hezbollah is not to blame for the destruction in Lebanon and
that it is a legitimate resistance force. That is viewed here as essential
to preserve Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon after the war, and with
it Iran’s in the region.Even as Iranian officials fret about the potential risks, they are savoring
the ideological boost. If Hezbollah emerges as the primary political force
in Lebanon, Arab governments, which have not pressed hard for a cease-fire,
may find that in order to deal with Hezbollah they will have to work through
Iran.One foreign policy expert who is a sometime consultant to the government
said that if Hezbollah continued to lob missiles into Israel for another six
months to a year, the resulting turmoil in the region could make Iran a power
to reckon with in Lebanon as it is in Iraq. …Iran
Hangs in Suspense as War Offers New Strength, and Sudden Weakness
The whipsawing from one philosophical point to another illustrates the WHO
KNOWS? quotient of this current battle. It also illustrates something very
odd about New York Times reporting.
Since the 48-hour cease fire, Israeli attacks have gone from 172 attacks per day to 2.
Hezbollah launched around 152 rockets yesterday, none today.
There will be no permanent cease fire from Israel until they've accomplished their goals:
disarm Hezbollah, and get their two soldiers back. But even knowledgeable Israelis
admit that Israel's military objectives have not been accomplished. But the
Times actually got this
one right.
And now we've got the
son king popping off. Puh-leaze.
