Mideast Dispatches

Mary Ann, The UN determined that the Sheba Farms are Syrian, so Hizbullah's complaint on that issue is with the UN, not Israel. The UN will not accept an oral statement alone from Syria that the Sheba Farms are Lebanese; they want it in writing and Syria won't provide that because Syria doesn't recognise Lebanon's autonomy.
Yep, the masses of arms are on Lebanese soil that Hizbullah has refused to let the Lebanese military get anywhere near. And the leader of Hizbullah has sworn to eliminate Israel and laments the fact that not all the world's Jews can be congregated their making the complete annihilation of Jews easier for him.
On Hizbullah's origins, I suggest you read http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/Hizbullah.htm

To Allen Maher,

I agree that Israel isn't blameless. They should have kicked up an enormous stink when Lebanon didn't fulfill its obligations under UN Resolution 1559 and it was obvious that Hizbullah was receiving massive arms shipments from Iran through Syria. They should never have traded a couple hundred live terrorists for 3 dead Israeli soldiers the last time Hizbullah pulled this stunt.

Israel did not intentionally killed Canadians, any more than Britain set out to purposely kill 83 Danish children during World War II.

And your claim that Israel has "occupied Palestine for generations" can only hold water if you count from 1949. Do you? Every Arab country does. But none of them had any problem with Egypt occupying Gaza, or Jordan occupying the West Bank from 1949-67.

Nahlah Ayed:

As a fellow broadcast journalist, I think there are very good reasons for you to be covering the Lebanese-Isreali conflict for C.B.C. News.

First of all, as you say, the news "must be told," whether people like it or not, especially if the "news" happens to be important.

The reason it's important is because Canadians citizens are dying in the Middle East, along with the Isrealis and the terrorists. Therefore, Canadian journalists obviously need to be there, with all the stresses and inconviences you have mentioned.

The Middle East bureau task is obviously not for the faint of heart and indeed, some Canadian journalists have paid the ultimate price for reporting the news, there (i.e. the brutal kidnapping and death of CTV's Clark Todd, a few years back, is just one example).

Having said that, it's important that events in the Middle East (and indeed, anywhere in the world) be covered, not only by "white" journalists, but also, by Canadian journalists of Middle Eastern, Asian and other nationalities.

The reason is that the Canadian broadcast scene is mostly a "white man's game," with the vast majority of Canadian news reporters and management people being "white."

Relatively few young Canadians of Asian, Black or Middle-eastern descent actually aspire to become broadcast journalists, which is a disturbing trend, actually.

Since your family name happens to sound middle-eastern, having a female Middle-Eastern woman cover the news for Canadians is indeed a rarity in Canadian journalism, these days.

R.J. Smith
Kelowna, B.C.

"part of an ongoing pattern in the context of a heavy buildup of arms by Hizbullah on Israel's northern border". - Laura Finsten
Let me remind you that the heavy arms build up by Hezbollah is in Lebanese soil not on Israel's. And isn't it true that Hezbollah was born when Israel occupied Lebanon in the 80's? Its claim to the disputed Shebaa Farms (which Syrian authorities have verbally confirmed that the territory is Lebanon's but have said they cannot go further to settle the boundaries with Lebanon because they do not possess the land...Israel captured it in the 1967's "Six Day War" and extended Israeli law to the region in 1981 )is the reason for Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel after Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. There wouldn't be any Israeli soldiers killed for the past six years if your beloved Israel withdrew her soldiers from that region in the first place. Hezbollah would have been disarmed long time ago. The truth of the matter is that Israel and its allies has an eye on Iran. Unfortunately, Lebanon with its Hezbollah is an easy target and excuse to spark the true agenda on Iran. Possession of nuclear weapons...LAME EXCUSE! Do you think United States, Britain and Israel do not posses any single nuclear arms. It's merely Power Struggle. They must accept the fact that Power cannot be theirs forever.

E: Your statement that 'Israels fight is with Hezbolla not Lebanon', is a hard-sell when Israel has been targetting all of Lebanon. It's an even harder sell when one considers that non-military locations such as the U.N. post and hospitals have been targetted.

As for the roads, bridges and power sources that were destroyed because Hezbollah 'could also use them'--- what's next, the orange groves because Hezbollah could also eat them?

Please don't insult our intelligence by stating that Israel went into Lebanon to 'save' the Christians. They went into Lebanon to destroy the Palestinians plain and simple. If anything they stoked the anger between the Christians and Muslims by orchestrating the Sabra and Shatila massacres.

Laura: This conflict has nothing to do with Islam. Hezbollah's sole purpose when it came into existence was to kick the Israelis out of Lebanon, which it did. It now wants the Lebanese, who were captured during the Israeli occupation, released from prison.

I suspect they also wanted to open up a new front for Israel, to spare the Palestinians the bombing that Israel was raining down in Gaza when this conflict began.

Laura Finsten does a wonderful job of painting a one sided conflict. It is however not even remotely the truth. Isreal is a very agressive miltary nation that ignores many UN resolutions, and is very much a destablizing force in the region. It has occupied palestine for generations with brutal repression.

I think claims of a benign and blameless Isreal are quite far from the mark. In this particular conflict we are burring Canadian children and peackeepers killed by Isreal not Hezbolla.

Don't think that I as a Canadian will soon forget the faces of our dead Canadian children. Nor do I believe that Isreal has shown any remorse for the hundreds of other innocent bystandards it has killed.

I don't think Isreal has any moral supperiority in this conflict, and a pox on both your houses.

"Threat" is an expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment. It
is and indication of impending danger or harm.

You might want to check this link:

http://hrw.org/reports/2006/lebanon0806/5.htm#_Toc142299223

Then tell me if there is any difference between "threat" and "warning" in the minds of those people who's in the war zone for the 33 days.

RE: John of Calgary's last post Aug.11 is certainly welcome. I simply can't believe our government isn't clearly cautioning Canadians not to get entangled in foreign wars.

As is seen by the nature of this war, emotions are running high everywhere. Canada is a safe haven for a large number of Israeli and Lebanese nationals and, frankly, Canada certainly doesn't need that kind of madness unleashed onto our streets.

I think the safe-haven assurance ought to at least carry the expectation it won't be used as a staging ground for nationalistic, religious, ethnic or economic wars overseas.

Frankly, I don't see much difference between some mercenary willing to kill for a buck or a fanatic prepared to kill for his brand of culture.

It should be illegal to provide aid to any nation that is a belligerant in a dispute, especially if the nation or nations are refusing to abide by international (UN) order.

Nahlah, I want to thank you at the bottom of my heart for your reporting of the conflict. Because fo your unique perspective I was moved to write to my MP and the Prime Minister on this topic. I still have a hard time thinking anything else but the call for peace is the only option for that is truly in every nation's best interests--regardless of who started the fight.

"Unfortuately, Israel over stayed and got into its own battle with Hezbolla" Haha...that makes me laugh!! You mean Israel decided to stay and occupy southern Lebanon. That is how Hezbollah arose and fought Israel until they finally withdrew.

Paul,

I was trying to say that you can't equate Jewish with Lebonese. One is a religion and the other a nationality.

Israels fight is with Hezbolla not Lebanon. There are way more than 1200 shi'a in Lebanon you need to check your numbers. They make up about 35-40% of the population. And if you are Christian don't bother trying to get into a shi'a hospital.

In the early 80s Israel entered Lebanon at the request of the Christians and fought side by side with them. The Christians were being killed off by the muslims. Unfortuately, Israel over stayed and got into its own battle with Hezbolla.

Two posts:

#1 – "You might want to check your numbers, and as for the 30% of children, ok well how about the 90% of the Hezbollah kills being innocent civilians?"

#2 – "These numbers tell the whole story: Israel is literally killing 99% innocent people."

I recognize that this is a moving target but please back up your figures with sources and dates. As of August 8, Associated Press, counts were listed as:

Lebanon – 689 = 605 civilians, 55 Hezbollah, 29 Lebanese Soldiers (88%, 8%, 4%)
Israel – 101 = 36 cilivians, 65 soldiers (36%, 64%)

http://politics.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060809/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_fighting_casualty_glance

As of yesterday, with the large number of IDF soldiers killed, I’d say the ratio of soldier-to-civilian casualties has increased on the Israeli side. So, of the two claims cited above, claim #2 appears to be closer to the mark. Don’t know where that 90% came from in #1, but I’d say it sounds like a really good figure to select if you want to try to win the propaganda side of the war, but not draw too much scrutiny to question its magnitude. After all, when this fellow claimed to win 99.96% and then 100% of two key votes, he lost all credibility by suggesting such unanimity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2331951.stm

Jan;

Tell me then are you organizing boycotts of: All Persian (Iranian), Syrian goods?

Because these nations have armed, ttrained and rewarded terrorists (bounty to families of deceased "Martyrs" (a war crime) and have in this conflict supplied weapons to the Hezbollah who randomly fired rockets into areas they knew were populated by civilians. (FYI a war crime according to international law.)

"Threatened by leaflets? Hahaha good one! Those leaflets were a warning to leave, not a threat. But I guess it is all in the spin."

The light in my car telling me it would be a good time to change my oil is a warning. A missive dropped from a plane during a war telling me to leave or die? I would call that a "conditional declaration of hostile intention", aka a threat.

True, the author could have used "warned to leave" but to argue that "threatened" was semantically incorrect is disingenuous.

Jean,
The conflict has everything to do with Islam. Hizbullah's political agenda is to restore Islam to all the Levant by, as a first step, destroying Israel. And the other poster was, I think, attempting to make the point obliquely that Hizbullah is (virtually if not) entirely Shiite Muslim. It reality, it is probably more Iranian and Syrian than Lebanese, at least ideologically.

Disproportionate response to a border skirmish... It wasn't an isolated incident, but part of an ongoing pattern in the context of a heavy buildup of arms by Hizbullah on Israel's northern border. Do you know how many times in the past six years Hizbullah has killed and kidnapped Israeli soldiers on Israeli territory? How many times it has fired rockets into Israel before this conflict? How many missiles it had stockpiled? If someone invaded your next door neighbour's home, told you they intended to destroy you, and started bringing in massive amounts of materiel that would help them do just that, I suppose you would consider doing anything about it before they killed half yourfamily "disproportionate". Only after, when it's too late, would it be "self-defense".

Hi Nahlah

The crisis in Lebanon and Israel is overreported by the CBC and all other news organizations. I am not sure what value your presence adds. Why dont you go to Darfur or Afghanistan and give us news from there.

E says:"How many Lebonese-Canadian are serving in the Hezbolla"

As a Lebanese-Canadian I find the implicit bigotry in that question to be deeply offensive and hurtful.
And as a Lebanese-Christian, I find the ignorance implicit in this question to be infuriating.

Lebanese are 40% Christian,50% SUNNI Muslim and about 3%SHIITE Muslim.
Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim organization with about 1200 Lebanese members.
NONE ARE LEBANESE-CANADIAN AND THE IMPLICATION OF OTHERWISE IS VERY OFFENSIVE.

Israel has killed over 1000 Lebanese civilians, almost ALL are Christian and Sunni Muslims and a full third are children.

These numbers tell the whole story: Israel is literally killing 99% innocent people.

First to Nahlah Ayed, I have appreciated your reporting in this conflict, many thanks.

Secondly, I can't see how either the position of Isreal of Hezbola are defensible. The Geneva convention specificly prohibits the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. That to do so is a war crime. And yet we see both doing so with reckless abandon. The only differnce is that Isreal has thousands of tanks, planes, and heavy artillery pieces that are quite capable of reducing Lebanon to ruble in short order.

I am sure the other side would use this kind of force if they had it at thier disposal, but that is no justification of the disporportionate response of Isreal to a border skirmish and the kidnapping of 2 soldiers.

It is a terrible shame that the innocent civilians in this conflict are dying by the hundreds and the murderous bastards responsible are giving interviews from a safe distance. I'd rather see the leaders of both sides tell it to the judge in the Hague.

I would like to thank Nalah Ayed for the great reporting you do from the Middle East. It certainly takes a special person who is dedicated and professional to go to these war torn countries, where in many cases, life means little to some of these groups and individuals, especially if they can capture or kill individuals just to promote their causes
Sam.

Thank you, Nahlah.

Laura Finsten

"Any pick-up or truck of any kind moving on the coastal road as of 8pm (1700GMT) will be attacked because it is suspected of carrying rockets, military hardware and saboteurs.

"You must know that anyone who moves in a pick-up or truck is endangering his life."

"The State of Israel"

Indeed "THREATENING". I pray for your safety Nahlah.

Some say the difference between Hezbollah and Israel is that Israel does not deliberately target civilians and that it shows remorse for the innocent lives lost. I think it's obvious by the staggering number of civilian casualties that either the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) are very incompetent (as we all know is not the case) or they are lying to make themselves look better. But please, don't take it from me. Please, read this report by the Human Right Watch and tell me, does 'sorry' cut it?
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/lebanon0806/5.htm#_Toc142299223

Laura Finsten:
"People die in wars, and Israel didn't pick this one"
Your' blinders are astonishing.Last I checked Israel invaded Lebanon, by definition that LITERALLY means that Israel did "pick this one". Also, this is not a war. This is a full scale attack on an unarmed civilian population. If this were a war,Lebanon would have tanks,guns,cluster and bunker bombs,biological weapons, missels, warplanes, warships and a zionist propaganda budget in the BILLIONS.

Ms.Finsten: "No other country in the world that I know of puts its own soldiers and its own military strategy at risk by giving people 24-48 hours notice prior to bombing military installations in their communities"

You are wrong on two counts:

First, Israel never,ever gave civilians 24-48 hours to get to safety. NEVER. Israel would often give unarmed men,women and children anywhere from 30minutes to 2hours to flee and then kill them on the roads in the cars they're fleeing in. Disgusting.

Second, are you mad? What military installations was Israel aiming at when bombing UN posts, milk factories, airports and entire families with WHITE SHEETS ON THEIR CARS to let the IAF know they're civilians??

I guess those DOZENS OF CHILDREN in Qana that Israel killed were military installations. Vulgar. And a war crime.

To E,
"National military service (IDF) is compulsory for Jewish and Druze men, and Jewish women, over the age of 18"

Yes. That is exactly what I said , only Jews are permitted to serve in the Jewish military. Canadians serving in the Israeli military MUST be Jewish, which was the ENTIRETY of my point. I dont care who in the ME serves in the IDF/IAF, my main concern is Jewish-Candians serving in any foreign military.

I dont know if Druze serve in the Israeli killing machine but, even if that is so, the Druz are such a small number of people they're not even 1% of the population.

E: "Also, you don't have to be a Canadian to serve in the Canadian Army".

Yes, I'm fully aware of this and that's why I said I do not want Canadians serving in foreign armies.You need to re-read what I wrote before writing unrelated, irrelevant information.

E: "How many Lebonese-Canadian are serving in the Hezbolla"

ZERO LEBANESE-CANADIANS ARE SERVING IN HEZBOLLAH. ZERO.
And you're implication is offensive and utterly transparent in its defamatory nature. You are merely attempting to distract from the real issue at hand, which is this:

THOUSANDS OF JEWISH-CANADIANS SERVE IN OUR MILITARY AND IN ISRAELS MILITARY. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL, OUTLAWED AND EVEN TREASONARY.

Finally the picture is clear; it is not about Lebanon and not about Palestine and not Iraq, and not Iran and not Afghanistan. it is about OIL, peace will never hover on the middle East as long as there is a drop of oil left ,that’s the sad truth about the whole thing whether we like it or not. It is about the west and the east, oil is a source of power, who ever control it will prevail and become powerful.

E:
Do you have any evidence that Lebanese-Canadians are fighting for Hezbollah? If not then please don’t make claims that are unsupported by facts. Canadian Jews on the other hand have openly stated that they are/will serve in the Israeli army. Here in Edmonton a local man is heading to Israel next week to join the Israeli army --- he proudly appeared on CBC television to acknowledge this.

Laura Finsten:
What’s with the references to ‘dhimmitude’? This is a debate over the current conflict in Lebanon, not a debate over Islamic teachings.

And this is for the commentator, whose comment I can’t seem to find now, who said that if we refer to ‘Canadian Jews’ then we should refer to ‘Lebanese Muslims’ and not ‘Lebanese-Canadians’. Sorry but contrary to Israeli propaganda, not all Lebanese are Muslim. A substantial number are Christian and Druze so unless we are going to refer to them as ‘Lebanese Muslims, Lebanese Christians and Lebanese Druze’, it’s more appropriate to refer to them as ‘Lebanese-Canadians’, not ‘Lebanese Muslims’.

Nahlah I would like to thank you for the excellent news coverage that you are providing for our nation, and we admire your courage for putting your self in danger to keep us updated for the sequence of events that have been going on in Lebanon, hope that you are in a safe place, and steer away from danger cause we are going to need you for a news coverage for the next war (kidding).
Thank you and take care.

To Jama

The US govenment does not send suicide bombers to attack the poor iraqis.

There is no need for you to call people names and make accusations. As for the information that we see and read about, what truth are you referring to? The fact that 920 of the photos presented by the media with regards to photos coming out of Lebanon have been retracted becasue they have been altered? The fact that the death toll numbers (from Lebanon) have been revised because the inital numbers have been upto 40 times greater then the actual toll? I don't agree with the killing of even one civillian, but let's not distort the truth!!

I would like to add one more thing in response to Lenny Horrissey's post: We fully support the idea of boycotting Israel and we've already started doing so in Europe. You should see the Israeli products just sitting on the shelves in stores all over the country! I saw a poster in one of the windows with a picture of an orange that read "Israeli oranges taste like blood"! As human beings we are all responsible to put an end to this tyrany.

To E from Winnipeg: What a silly post you've submitted! Particularly the last paragraph. Do you by any chance work for the Israel Lobby? Because if not you really should apply, they can use people (spin doctors) like you. So pathetic!

Jan

First of all, I like to say how proud I am to be Canadian - Governments come and go but, common beliefs by the majority of the public seldom change, why? for example, those beliefs arise from the absense of the accumulated guilt feeling by atrocities conducted in the name of any given country particularly Canada. See, even when Canada finds itself in these situations in the past as when Shidane Haroon was tortured in Belet Wayne Somalia (Operation Restore Hope (circa 1993)) Canada responded by having and honest and thurough investigation of that incident and dismantled the whole regiment. ( Can anyone even conceive the notion that The U.S. Governtment in the countless killing it does to the poor Iraqi civilians on a daily basis or Israel would respond and reprimand their soldiers? I think NOT. The whole world observes and takes notice to responses like that to a shameful incidents commited in the name of a peace loving nation. That is Canada's History ! Going back all the way to WW1 and WW2 from every corner of the globe people have nothing bad to say about Canada and I hope Stephen Harper doesn't last long enough to change that proud honest peace loving., justice and "real" democracy spreading country to the likes of Bush's America or Olmert/Sharon's Israel.

Ps. Once again the neocons and zionist are having so much difficulty in their attempt to distort the plain truth which is being watched and read by billions around the globe.

Jama Karshe

Thank you for this piece Nahlah. I have just read that Israel has tentatively agreed to a cease-fire proposal worked out this morning.
No word on Lebanon's position, but given the efforts it has put into getting the stoppage in place, no doubt, it will sign on.

It would appear the main stumbling block was the US, but thanks to world-wide pressure do to all the publicity even the US had to bend and accept France's push for a fairer stoppage.

Let us hope no one else has to die between now and when the various parties actually formally abide by the agreement, if they do at all.

Isreal's acts are not justified at all. Bombing civilians, UN outpost, children, etc. is disgusting. It is true that war generates money, but murdering innocence will bring down terrifying consequences. The entire world is unsafe and headed for disaster; Armagedon...

Israel, the so-called superior Semite tribe, stop what you are doing and choose a superior and intelligent alternative to killing, please...

To John and Friends,

You are wrong, its is not only the Jewish People that serve in the IDF.

National military service (IDF) is compulsory for Jewish and Druze men, and Jewish women, over the age of 18.

Also, you don't have to be a Canadian to serve in the Canadian Army.

How many Lebonese-Canadian are serving in the Hezbolla. If you think that they shouldn't be allowed to do this, then please write to your MP. I can give you the addys if you need them.

I've learned something about Canada from reading messages here, something I probably should have realised before but didn't. I think that the internet has made the difference, because in the previous wars Israel has fought to defend itself it wasn't possible for so many people to express their viewpoints in a national forum. People die in wars, and Israel didn't pick this one. There is a long history behind the current conflict that has to do with Iranian political and ideological aspirations and Syrian facilitation, and that involves Israel's complete destruction, but so many people are totally oblivious to this. No other country in the world that I know of puts its own soldiers and its own military strategy at risk by giving people 24-48 hours notice prior to bombing military installations in their communities. Jews are damned if they do and damned if they don't, even in Canada. I never used to believe that, but you've taught me this. I guess I should thank you.
Not in dhimmitude.

In the last day or so India and Bangladesh had a border skirmish involving a handful of troops in each side, and arguments about who started it. So far however, India has managed to not flatten Bangladesh in response.

Also, an interesting link from Israel:

http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/?articleid=9486

Great story, I pray for your safe return to Canada, and admire your bravery in going through this so the story can be told at all. It's only through brave journalists such as yourselves holding up the mirror so the rest of the world can see what's happening that we will be able to add our voices to the call for reason, compromise and peaceful solution.

Best wishes,

Jeff Hawker
Nanaimo, BC

The leaflets as Naylah mentioned indicated that residents should leave the area.

Interesting though, telling people go get out cause we are going to bomb your ass.

If this is such a proactive mission, why isn't israel aiding in protecting the civilians? You know, invite them to the bomb shelters in israel???

To Laura Finsten ...you always concentrate on the REAL issues.

what do you think the leaflets said?
"get out"
"run for your life"
"if you run, we'll bomb you on the roads"
"Israel loves you,now die and give us your' land"

I think you're intentionally confusing the point to this report filed by Ms.Ayed.

I watch the CBC evening news every night and would like to thank you Nahlah for the excellent unbiased reporting that you deliver. The CBC is very fortunate to have a quality reporter as yourself. Please don't leave when CNN comes a knockin!
Take care and be safe!

As Karim so intellegently and accurately discussed in his post, this is a descent into hell ...

I will pick up that thread and take it to the next level:

Israels attacks on Lebanon are part of the larger plan to attack Iran.

Israel wants to destroy Iran so that Israel has no opposition whatsoever in the middle east and can continue to expand its borders by further stealing land,resources and wealth that rightfully belongs to Lebanese and Palestinians.

The US wants Iran destroyed for the same reasons as Israel as at this point in human histroy the American government is merely a puppet of Israeli and zionist lobbyists. (a full analysis of these lobbies can be further researched at www.ifamericaknew.org)

And of course the US wants Irans formidable oil riches.

And thanks to the greed and imperialist thirst of Israel and the US, the whole world is going to be dragged into this decent into hell.

Threatened by leaflets? Hahaha good one! Those leaflets were a warning to leave, not a threat. But I guess it is all in the spin.

Wassim, I think you're mistaken if you think that the Bush administration can end this war through dialogue. As long as Hezbollah keeps Katyushas in the kitchen, the war will drag on. You speak of ignorance and yet your comment reeks of it.

To Karim

Are Arab nationalism and radical Islamism the same thing? I ask because radical Islamism is what I've seen Bush, Olmert, Blair (and a lot of other people) cite as the problem. The kind of radical Islamism that led 9/11, 7/7, the Madrid bombings, the Bali bombings. I didn't think they were the same thing, but perhaps I am wrong.

Israel understands Lebanon’s ethnic dynamic as well as anyone. By thrusting 750,000 Muslim refugees into Christian and Druze areas, we can anticipate that traditional antagonisms will resurface leading eventually to another civil war. The blistering attack on the south and cutting off humanitarian aid creates the perfect laboratory-setting for incubating a new round of sectarian violence. This is what Israel wants. In fact, the new world order requires endless cycle of internecine, Muslim on Muslim violence. As Henry Kissinger said, "I hope they all kill each other." American-Israeli foreign policy has never evolved beyond Kissinger’s callous axiom, in fact, it is an apt summary of the racist themes and homicidal doctrine which animates the entire war on terror.

Bush and Olmert agree that the "real enemy" is Arab nationalism and Muslim solidarity; the 2 vital threats to the US/Israeli occupation strategy. The same solution applies to Lebanon as Iraq; divide and conquer; pit one group against the next until the whole society is torn apart in a paroxysm of bloodshed.

Will Israel succeed in inciting chaos and civil strife or will they have to jump-start the process by packing explosives in the trunks of cars and detonating them in marketplaces and mosques like counterinsurgency operations in Iraq? We’ll have to wait and see.

Lebanon is at the beginning of a long descent into hell. Every opportunity for peace has been foreclosed by the Bush administration. The failures in Iraq and Afghanistan have done nothing to slow the machinery of state terror. The ghastly specter of mutilated corpses crushed beneath the twisted iron and powdery debris of bombed-out buildings only whets the appetites of the imperial warlords. They won’t be happy until the fire they started in Iraq consumes the entire Middle East in a pyramid of flames.

Nahlah, I hope you and your associates are able to return home safe and sound after all this slaughter and madness, or at least your assignment, is complete.
Your insightful reporting on the real story and issues are greatly appreciated by those of us who see through the biased propaganda espoused by other news sources to an unwitting public.
Thank you for your honesty and the risk you take for our benefit. God bless...

Excellent article by Nahlah. I appreciate you risking your life to give us Canadians excellent journalism. Keep up the good work and be safe!

Question for Ms. Ayed: What exactly did the "threatening" leaflets dropped in Chiah by the IDF say?

I saw on the news the other day that the Israeli Air Force had bombarded a house with 7 family members in a Lebanese village, and it turned out to be that those 7 members are the family of the Hezbollah soldier that had been captured by the Israeli’s 3 days ago.
I cannot believe that insanity has reached this far, and if you think that insanity has reached the top, you are mistaken, because today I heard the Israeli news and they were saying, that since they have a lot of casualties and injuries, the Israeli Armey is going to flatten south Lebanon, everything that is standing up in this area is going to be wiped out, And what is sad about the whole thing, that I cannot believe that the world has become so ignorant once again , it is like we haven’t learn anything from our past wars, every country in this world want to see a ceasefire , and they cannot do anything about it. But why Bush Administration insist to carry on, when enough is enough ,what does it take to end the war ,more killings and destruction from both sides, is that the way that you plan for new middle east , cause certainly that’s not the way , because every boy and girl who lost their family is never going to forgive, and by this , these children are going to grow up angry and violence will never end , Bush Administration are you people smarter than Jesus, Jesus had said love you enemy, and forgive the ones who hurt you. The only people who can stop this war is the American people , I don’t know why they had become so ignorant, please show us that there is a light in the end of the tunnel , show us that there is hope for peace ,and don’t stand still, cause you have the power to Stop this madness. Once a great guy said when you have the ability and the advantage on others it is graceful to show compassion, that way you will accomplish victory. If you succeed to make everybody love you, you have concurred their heart, so you don’t need to force them to obey you!