http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?D=2006-07-30&ID=161319&HC=1

THIS is the picture that damns Hezbollah. It is one of several, smuggled from behind Lebanon's battle lines, showing that Hezbollah is waging war amid suburbia. The images, obtained exclusively by the Sunday Herald Sun, show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons. Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with cannon. The photographs, from the Christian area of Wadi Chahrour in the east of Beirut, were taken by a visiting journalist and smuggled out by a friend.

They emerged as:
US President George Bush called for an international force to be sent to Lebanon.

ISRAEL called up another 30,000 reserve troops.

THE UN's humanitarian chief Jan Egeland called for a three-day truce to evacuate civilians and transport food and water into cut-off areas.

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice returned to the Middle East to push a UN resolution aimed at ending the 18-day war, and:

A PALESTINIAN militant group said it had kidnapped, killed and burned an Israeli settler in the West Bank.
The images include one of a group of men and youths preparing to fire an anti-aircraft gun metres from an apartment block with sheets hanging out on a balcony to dry. Others show a militant with AK47 rifle guarding no-go zones after Israeli blitzes. Another depicts the remnants of a Hezbollah Katyusha rocket in the middle of a residential block blown up in an Israeli air attack.

The Melbourne man who smuggled the shots out of Beirut and did not wish to be named said he was less than 400m from the block when it was obliterated. "Hezbollah came in to launch their rockets, then within minutes the area was blasted by Israeli jets," he said. "Until the Hezbollah fighters arrived, it had not been touched by the Israelis. Then it was totally devastated. It was carnage. Two innocent people died in that incident, but it was so lucky it was not more."

The release of the images comes as Hezbollah faces criticism for allegedly using innocent civilians as "human shields". Mr Egeland blasted Hezbollah as "cowards" for operating among civilians. "When I was in Lebanon, in the Hezbollah heartland, I said Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending in among women and children," he said.

If Israel does not deliberately target civilians, then how can you explain events such as their attack which killed four UN staff, in which they were notified several times that they were firing on UN staff, or their attacks on ambulances and lorries carrying food supplies?

In addition, while Israel may not specifically target civilians in every attack, they have a habit of firing missiles and cluster bombs into civilian areas...what do they think will happen? They know that civilians will be killed and injured in such attacks, and they do not care. Is there a difference between deliberately targeting civilians and carelessly putting them at risk? The end result is the same. If a person is driving recklessly and hits and kills someone, in the end, is that really any different than if they purposely run someone over?

Is that video supposed to justify Israel's attack, in which 54 civilians were killed? They were poor people who were unable to flee!

(Sorry-I hit post too soon previously). Finally, Hezbollah was not firing missiles into Israel until Israel attacked Lebanon.

"then how can you explain events such as their attack which killed four UN staff, in which they were notified several times that they were firing on UN staff, or their attacks on ambulances and lorries carrying food supplies?"

As you've been told, and could find out on your own if you wanted to, they hit a UN position most likely because Hizballah was using it as a firing position. Whether they were notified, how, and who was notified is still being investigated.

"while Israel may not specifically target civilians in every attack, they have a habit of firing missiles and cluster bombs into civilian areas...what do they think will happen? They know that civilians will be killed and injured in such attacks, and they do not care. Is there a difference between deliberately targeting civilians and carelessly putting them at risk?"

Yes, although Hizballah does both -- targets them AND puts them intentionally at risk. Both are war crimes. I am not aware of Israel's use of cluster bombs in populated areas. Source?

"If a person is driving recklessly and hits and kills someone, in the end, is that really any different than if they purposely run someone over?"

This is a silly comparison. Israel is firing a tremendous amount of ordinance into Lebanon as a product of the war Hizballah started. If they were intentionally targeting civilians or simply careless, casualties would be much higher?

"Is that video supposed to justify Israel's attack, in which 54 civilians were killed? They were poor people who were unable to flee!"

It helps explain the context. You have no idea why the people were there, or were still there hours after the building was hit but before it collapsed. Hizballah has also been preventing civilians from escaping as well as blending in among them and firing from behind them.

"Finally, Hezbollah was not firing missiles into Israel until Israel attacked Lebanon."

Not true. But so what even if true? You mean that as a justification? That does nothing to justify their war crime of intentionally targeting Israeli civilians -- by preference.
Hezbollah came across the border, killed several soldiers and kidnapped two others -- something they had been promising to do and an act of war. Everything flows from that act.

Israel is a State with a right and obligation to protect itself and its citizens. Hizballah is an illegitimate terrorist group that was supposed to have been disarmed months ago.

Are you a Hizballah supporter?

The final frame says:
When a Lebanese child is killed Israel mourns. When an Israeli child is killed, Hizbullah celebrates.

It might also include:

...Israel mourns, and the international community is outraged.
...Hizbullah celebrates, and the international community is silent.

Casey

Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of Using Cluster Bombs in the village of Blida

I will be interested to read Israel's explanation, as well as their explanation of the conditions of the battlefield on which they were used. You and HRW are certainly ferociously interested in every use of weapons the Israelis decide to make -- particularly before the facts are in. Where is your similar interest and your condemnation of Hizballah's far more blatant and wide-spread choices? Do you support Hizballah?

Solomon:

You really shouldn't waste your breathe responding to such people as Perla who are afflicted with a terminal disease called Jew-Hater. (I will not use the term 'anti-semite' because the arabs are Semitic in origin.) Anyhow, I am rendered speechless when I observe just how omnipresent this disease is among not just white supremacist but also the general population of europe. As for the arabs a.k.a. ishmaelites (sp?), their hatred of Jews appears to be breed into them leaving an indelible mark in their DNA.

Reasoning with such people is pointless. For the foreseeable future, force will be the only way to keep this in check.

Nevertheless, what’s the point of maintaining a blog if you don’t give a well-reasoned response to such visceral and emotional claptrap as Perla’s comment. Carry-on!

Peace,
John D. Infidel

"As you've been told, and could find out on your own if you wanted to, they hit a UN position most likely because Hizballah was using it as a firing position. Whether they were notified, how, and who was notified is still being investigated."

I hadn't heard any mention of Hezbollah using that post as a firing position. Please let me know the source. After reading your post, I found a mention of it on some website that I had never heard of, World Net Daily. I checked the bio of the founder, and he was a Lebanese-American conservative Christian. Might he possibly be a bit biased? I didn't find any mention of this fact on BBC or any other sites that I check regularly, and you didn't mention your source, so I am interested to know it. According to a UN report,Israel was notified. As for Israel's "investigation," I will refrain from making comments on it until they make public their results.

One reason that civilian casualties are not higher in Lebanon is that people who have the means and ability to leave are leaving before their homes are flattened. (As for the others, we know what their fate is.)

As for why the Qana victims were in the building, "the civilians [in Qana] had taken refuge there because it was one of the larger buildings in the area and had a reinforced basement, according to the deputy mayor of the town, Dr. Issam Matuni."

"Hezbollah came across the border, killed several soldiers and kidnapped two others."

Israel has made incursions into Lebanon in the past and kidnapped people, as well. And regardless of the soldiers, Israel has been planning that attack on Lebanon for a year!

"Hizballah is an illegitimate terrorist group that was supposed to have been disarmed months ago."

Are you referring to the UN resolutions that demand the disarmament of Hezbollah? If so, if Israel is suddenly so concerned about UN resolutions, then maybe they should start obeying some UN resolutions and let Palestinians return to their homes that they were forced out of.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I am generally opposed to the use of violence (except in legitimate cases of self defense), regardless of who commits it.

Excerpt from your very own link Perla:

"Israel's military response by air, land and sea to what it considered a provocation last week by Hezbollah militants is unfolding according to a plan finalized more than a year ago.

"In the years since Israel ended its military occupation of southern Lebanon, it watched warily as Hezbollah built up its military presence in the region. When Hezbollah militants kidnapped two Israeli soldiers last week, the Israeli military was ready to react almost instantly."

And it wasn't only kidnappings, eight soldiers were killed as a result of the kidnappings. And you're skipping all the hard questions both in this thread and in this one.

"I hadn't heard any mention of Hezbollah using that post as a firing position."

It's in the UN's own reports. I've linked to them here before. Continue your research.

"One reason that civilian casualties are not higher in Lebanon is that people who have the means and ability to leave are leaving before their homes are flattened. (As for the others, we know what their fate is.)"

Yes, they're shields for Hizballah, and yet Israel does what it can to avoid them.

"Israel has made incursions into Lebanon in the past and kidnapped people, as well. And regardless of the soldiers, Israel has been planning that attack on Lebanon for a year!"

It would be negligent of Israel not to have been making plans to fight Hizballah..long before a year ago, considering Hizballah's declared genocidal, eliminationist goals. Plans are not actions, Hizballah started the war.

"Are you referring to the UN resolutions that demand the disarmament of Hezbollah? If so, if Israel is suddenly so concerned about UN resolutions, then maybe they should start obeying some UN resolutions and let Palestinians return to their homes that they were forced out of."

There are no such UN resolutions. The Palestinian Arabs are several decades of war, hate indoctrination and suicide bombing to ever realistically think they're going to move into Israel. Their Arab "brothers" should do what's been done for every other refugee population -- settle them in new homes.

"In conclusion, I would like to say that I am generally opposed to the use of violence (except in legitimate cases of self defense), regardless of who commits it."

Do you support Hizballah? That's a specific question that merits a specific answer. Your inability to answer it tells me all I need to know. I stand with those Lebanese who want to have a normal, peaceful country without foreign domination and a pseudo-state run by Islamist, Jew-hating madmen.

John,

Having a blog means I don't have to get into it with everyone. That's a benefit. :) Usually I've said all I want to say in the post itself. But once in a while...

Instead of DNA, let's say it's often a learned thing that seems to all too often be delivered like mother's milk. Sad, but not inevitable, and not genetic (I'm sure we can name many Arabs who it doesn't describe).

Also, don't let them have the word "anti-Semitism." It's had a specific and consistent use for over a hundred years. Some people are trying to redefine it away...mostly people whom it describes. For awhile I stopped using it and started using the original term -- Judenhass (Jew Hate) -- but started using it again for this reason.