Hariri's Game (part 9) Hezbolah holds Israeli troops on Lebanese soil.

by - Wed Jul 12, 2006 20:33

& a War on many fronts. Its been an interesting day - already US sources claiming both Syria & Iran have put the Lebanese "up to it". & IDF troops are now crossing the border.

it is different from 20 years ago.

by io Wed Jul 12, 2006 20:46

Israeli news perspective :-
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/737634.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/737634.html
the analysis " Israel prepares for widespread military escalation ..... On the 18th day since the abduction of Corporal Gilad Shalit, the picture has become all the more complex. From limited fighting on a single front (the Gaza Strip), the Israel Defense Forces is now approaching what might evolve into a near outright war on two fronts. This is the most complex crisis Israel has faced since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, when Israel successfully curbed Hezbollah's bid to spark a confrontation on the northern border in response to the IDF occupation of West Bank cities."
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/737744.html

oh well there's always a precedent isn't there? That's the first thing you learn in middle East & Levant peace studies. "there's always a precedent"

Al Jazeera's report
http://aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=11629

Oh and it all started with the BBC. The French being more concerned with the good reasons Zidane had for headbutting an Italian footballer in the World Cup.....He's just been explaining it on Belgian TV. "he said insulting things about the Mammy and Sister". In fact the words "bollox" & "on a plate" come into it. Oh well, that's ok then. Puts everything in perspective. Acceptable level of violence. Within your rights Mr Zidane!

This Lebanese bridge at Qasmiyeh was built in the last 20 years. The Israeli Air force just destroyed it. (again)

by iosaf who refuses to give this war the credible reporting it - craves Thu Jul 13, 2006 18:35

Israel versus :- (depending on whose TV you watch) Terrorist kidnappers of 2 soldiers, a Coalition government partner's military wing, anyone who neighbours them, the peaceful Lebanese, Ming the merciless.


* 48 confirmed Lebanese dead mostly civilian.

* Beirut airport civilian facility - 2 airstrips destroyed - blocaked by Israeli Air Force.
. . . serious economic infrastructure damage, high psychological effect - stranded tourists & working non-nationals. an act of war.

* Lebanese Military air facility at Bakaa valley attacked.
. . . serious military engagement and act of war.

* Bridges and roads through Southern Lebanon to Israeli Border bombed.
. . . high economic infrastructure damage.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5177178.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5177346.stm
http://libe.com/actualite/monde/193245.FR.php

in response :- (depending on whose TV you watch) Terrorist kidnappers of 2 soldiers, a Coalition government partner's military wing, anyone who neighbours them, the peaceful Lebanese, Ming the merciless have fired a few rockets & murdered 7 soldiers of a foreign power and one civilian of the misunderstood victims, hated by arabs, zionist entity, apartheid militarised mess left behind by the one true kosher Jesus + peace be upon him.

Meanwhile Israeli media reports that Hizbollah are going to move the missing in action IDF personel to Iran. Well not by air nor by sea..... That will be through Syria.................ye all guessed that..............then the emergent democracy of Iraq.............which bring them via the silk route through Pyongyang, Tibet on the monorail, Mumbai and Bombay, Sri Lanka and Ceylon, staying over at the Paradise Hotel to finally arrive at the court of international tribunal squeeky clean justice on the 11 of any month or year or any combination which makes you think of 11. If you're illiterate, an "11" looks like two towers.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/738310.html
Oh and they don't want to have a war with Syria as well. liars liars panties on fire.

or Iran.

.:. Christ Almight who sells these people the weapons?
shalom = saleem = pax = siochain = bake = pau = euler's identity.

by ipsiphi Fri Jul 14, 2006 00:03

Tonight's links :-
"a history of Israeli agression to Lebanon"
http://aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=11756
"No! to Lebanon war 2!" editorial of Israeli daily Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/737837.html

my comment :-

The weekend of Valentine's day 2005 saw many newsworthy things happen & I did my best to report on all of them in what's called "indymedia ireland's other press" section. It was perhaps in response to my insistence on reporting on such items of news which occur in far away places of no immediate concern to the Irish people in homeland or diasporia that the "other press" section came into being.

That weekend saw Hariri killed. I collated the conflicting evidence on the internet and linked it in the series of which this article is part 9. That same weekend on the saturday Charles of Wales announced his intention to marry Camila Parker Bowles. That same Sunday the 33 storey landmark Windsor Tower in Madrid burnt down and a conspiracy theory began. But eighteen months on the one story filled with anomoly which ought beg your attention is not the reaction of the British, European or even right royal Irish dynasties to a wedding whose scheduled date was put off by one day to accomodate the funeral (illegally early) of a polish pope or the destruction of Deloite & Touche's iberian divisions files headquarters and one safe belonging to a confidential section of the Spanish armed intelligence forces.

Nope. not a bit of it.
What ought interest you is the fate of Hariri. that is to say :- "Hariri's game".

So far the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) have done exactly what any with strategic or tactical military experience would expect them to do. & so far Hezbollah have done exactly what any strategic or tactical advisor would tell them to do.

Its been a long time since I as an idealist youngster voted together with many other people to see simple lines included in a free newspaper distributed on a day of "liberated activism / riot". (the first RTS! gigs) The specific line that pops to my mind is we learn every time and do it better next .

If that adage is still fitting for members of the global justice, peace, solidarity, anti-capitalist, anti-militarist, movements - then it is surely fitting for both IDF and whomever they fight - be it Hamas, Hezbolah or Ming the merciless.


We have no shortage of readers of indymedia ireland who have direct experience of war in the Levant.

The 11th, 12th, 13th of July 2006 are different from what came before. This is not the story of the Druze, the bombing of US or French Marines, the deployment of Irish UN peacekeeping forces, this is not the past. History doesn't repeat itself. At present - I have personally weighed the probabilities of political sucess on both sides - & am of the opinion that both sides regardless of what comes next......
"lose".
* Blood (their own)
* Honour (what they cry out for)
* Money (mostly EU)

Movement to a lasting peace in the middle east was never going to rely simply on the death of Arafat, the murder of Hariri or the undeath of Sharon. Nor was it to rely on any of the incumbents of the White House (whether they do bible chat or get their cock's sucked). The levant is not orange ulster.

I call on all Irish political representatives to condemn the Israeli government of Olmert's acts of war - in equal terms as they would condemn any land or air incursion by Israel's sovreign neighbours' military forces. If not they play into the game of reactionary forces in the Islamic world, one example of which being Iran's guarantee this evening to see any attack on Syria as an attack on the "islamic world". The Soviet Union is gone now. Neither Israel nor the jewish diasporia will support war on the arab fronts

Shalom = Saleem
= the IDF get their soldiers back if they do the swap .:.

by Arthur Kennedy Fri Jul 14, 2006 00:58

"he IDF get their soldiers back if they do the swap "

If they do the swap, there'll be no end to the kidnappings

by king solomon & the frozen embryo Fri Jul 14, 2006 01:57

if they do the swap of 2 of their soldiers {enlisted to a force at illegal war with another sovreign state} with a group in democratically elected government {yet listed internationally as a terrorist organisation - there will not be an end to swaps- Just a reduction in the number of prisoners requested at each swap.
Obviously the last commentator doesn't know how many Hezbolah prisoners are in Isreali custody.
There are though a lot more Israeli soldiers and indeed Lebanese and Israeli civilians than prisoners of any type in Israeli custody. Its all about negotiation.
=
N-e-g-o-t-i-a-t-i-o-n

or...............................

Israel goes on ignoring the democratic will as expressed by its apartheid sub-state Palestine and its neighbour Lebanon until the stage is reached where all of them are :-
* dead
* democratically elected to governments at war seeking WMD capabilty.
* banged up in jail ready to be swapped for IDF conscripts.

Mister Kennedy you don't really have to be Jesus to see this doesn't work out well either way for anyone. The strongest party ought see the first.

by Arthur Kennedy Fri Jul 14, 2006 08:06

"N-e-g-o-t-i-a-t-i-o-n"

That's fine and dandy when dealing with NORMAL people. Read the Hamas charter and get back to us on that "negotaition" thingy...
Article Thirteen:

Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Abusing any part of Palestine is abuse directed against part of religion. Nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its religion. Its members have been fed on that. For the sake of hoisting the banner of Allah over their homeland they fight. "Allah will be prominent, but most people do not know."

Now and then the call goes out for the convening of an international conference to look for ways of solving the (Palestinian) question. Some accept, others reject the idea, for this or other reason, with one stipulation or more for consent to convening the conference and participating in it. Knowing the parties constituting the conference, their past and present attitudes towards Moslem problems, the Islamic Resistance Movement does not consider these conferences capable of realising the demands, restoring the rights or doing justice to the oppressed. These conferences are only ways of setting the infidels in the land of the Moslems as arbitraters. When did the infidels do justice to the believers?

by iosaf Fri Jul 14, 2006 17:31

All 9 parts deal with Lebanon.
You are commenting about Hamas.
Hamas live in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza and the refugee camps of Jordan.
Lebanon is an independent country to the north of Israel on the Mediterranean.
If you read the series linked to in my article above you will learn about Lebanon and its route to a democratically elected government, the withdrawl of Syrian military and the rise of Hezbollah.

I hope that makes it clear. I'm not discussing Hamas on this thread. I'm bringing attention to a war which your representatives as a citizen of the EU are calling for immediate n-e-g-o-t-i-a-t-i-o-n to end.

____________________________________________________________________________

During Spring 2005, a colleague of mine who makes documentaries managed to get a tourist visa from the Syrian authorities, since she is part jewish and a US citizen this was no mean feat. For several weeks she travelled through Lebanon, Syria & Turkey on the principle roads you will see in the attached map. These roads and a secondary one which doesn't appear on the map - leads from Northern Lebanon through Syria to Turkey are used normally by migrant workers. It is impossible
to know now many workers normally travel these roads - but i can tell you the journey is long. It took 26 hours non-stop bus ride for my friend to get through Syria to Turkey, during which only one telephone kiosk appeared and not a single power point. I know this because during those 26 hours I had to deal with a personal crises which was unfolding in her family in Brooklyn NYC. & as we say in the business - "she was out of coverage area".

Today there are hundreds of thousands of people who want to be "out of coverage area". the BBC reports that the passport offices in Lebanon have collapsed, and the border crossings are crammed.
All remaining roads out of Lebanon lead to Syria, and most of Lebanon wants to be there now.

If the Israeli Defence Forces thought to keep the 2 captured soldiers in southern Lebanon by destroying the roads there, they might just have made a mistake. The last time the roads from the Bekaa valley to Syria were so busy - it was for the departure of the Syrian military which fulfilled a UN resolution allbeit years & years late. If the reader goes through the whole series "Hariri's Game" (links above) they will learn of the largest popular demonstrations in Lebanese history. They were in order of magnitude (biggest to smallest) Thanking Syrian Military, Supporting Hezbollah against Bush, Demanding Syria to withdraw, Demanding democratic elections and in favour of Bush.

Democratic elections happened. No-one appeared to like the results. But that's not important now.
What's important is the fate, phsyical and psychological of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians who are going to be out of coverage area".

Its a long road without phones and plug sockets or much water. The UN calls this sort of thing a "humanitarian disaster". They send in the UNHCR. I call it war.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5180452.stm

roads out of Lebanon. allsouthern routes destroyed. Bekaa Valley route unsafe. Refugees going north.

by iosaf Fri Jul 14, 2006 18:17

The documentary my friend was making was in 2006, not 2005 as I wrote, (sorry!) it was only a few months ago - everyone who has seen Beirut and Lebanon in the last months commented on the "normality" of the place. The airport was the jewel in the infrastructure crown of Lebanese peace. Cafés, bars, cinemas and all sorts of urban life and even some jobs on offer. ( ! )
Hariri's epoch saw him accumulate billions of the Lebanese economy in personal accounts, and his son and heir to his political faction (now in government coalition) inherited most of the construction side of the massive dynastic wealth which I seem to recall was estimated at over 5 billion$.

Some imc global community made documents for people to look at :-
a report from a Canadian activist this week in Beirut-
http://mostlywater.org/node/8071

a documentary made in 2004, which is finally available to download
(in arabic with english subtitles)
http://mostlywater.org/node/3872

If you're more interested in facts :-

* The mobile phone company of Lebanon is out of service. (this belongs to the Hariri family)
so I suppose everyone is "out of coverage".
* The Jiyyeh power plant has been bombed.
so no-one needs a plug socket anyway.
* The road from Beirut to Damascus Syria is now "closed". All those refugees will just have to turn around.
* In retaliation for all this wanton destruction of a country's infrastructure, Israel claims Hezbollah have fired 130 missiles into their territory in the last 48 hours with 2 deaths. Oh well, I'm sure some of those Hezbollah types would like a nuke.

last link to Lebanon's english language daily
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/home2.asp

by Tank Girl Fri Jul 14, 2006 18:32

Thanks for all the information you are providing. I also wish the Hezbollah had larger and more powerful missiles. Ones that would reach the Israeli Cabinet buildings in Jerusalem. Or better still whatever building contains those Israeli PR ghouls who keep appearing on TV and radio.

The Hezbollah carried out a heroic and legitimate raid into Israel. Israel is still holding hundreds of Lebanese prisoners so its hardly wrong for Hezbollah to take two Israeli prisoners of war. If Israel wants them back then it should prepare to release hundreds of Lebanese prsoners.

by hmmmmm Fri Jul 14, 2006 19:07

& at present there are no less than 400 missiles in the region capable of hitting them.
which brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to the Golan Heights & Nablus which is the only place where such missles may be intercepted by radar with sufficient time to launch counter-strikes or get everyone into the bunkers.

Of course if the Middle East does nothing else - it helps us all appreciate how little War achieves, be that Cain & Abel war with sticks and stones, or modern aviation war fare with slaughtered kids.

That's why God gave us the Levant - to make us better people & really want peace.

____________________________________________________________________________
editorial reproduced in Syria's english daily originally published in San Francisco USA on why Israel hit back so hard -
http://article.wn.com/view/2006/07/14/why_israel_hit_ba...hard/
Syria Daily also reproduced The Guardian (UK) article - which someone has just C/P'd the image to this site (the Getty ones)
http://article.wn.com/view/2006/07/14/Israel_Blasts_Bei...ay_a/

http://www.syriadaily.com/

by pat c Fri Jul 14, 2006 19:40

just checked. the prime ministers office is at :
3 Kaplan St. Hakriya,
Jerusalem 91919

if you want to contact him thru a form, go to:
http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Public+Applications/Public...ions/

or phone or mail him

tel 02-6705555
fax 02- 5664838
pm_eng@it.pmo.gov.il

heres the foreign office

Foreign Minister's office - sar@mfa.gov.il
Director General's office - mankal@mfa.gov.il
Spokesman's office - dover@mfa.gov.il
Public Relations - pniot@mfa.gov.il

Ministry Address:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
9 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd.
Kiryat Ben-Gurion
Jerusalem 91035
Tel. 972-2-5303111
Fax 972-2-5303367

by :-) Fri Jul 14, 2006 20:21

the (occupied) Golan height defense shield / strategy , is one of the few military and geo-political issues which has not altered in the last 30 years. As soon as Pat C. fires off his missiles, that radar shield will warn the ministers in Jerusalem ( & Tel Aviv ) to get safely into their bunkers. This ensures that they really are the only civilians who never get properly - t-e-r-r-o-r-i-s-e-d.

supplemental maps to the current Lebanese story are at these comments -
http://indymedia.ie/article/77240?comment_limit=0&conde...23093
http://indymedia.ie/article/77233?comment_limit=0&conde...23095

by Arthur Kennedy Fri Jul 14, 2006 20:40

"You are commenting about Hamas.
Hamas live in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza and the refugee camps of Jordan.
Lebanon is an independent country to the north of Israel on the Mediterranean."

Not sure if you've noticed, but Hamas is attaking Israel's flank and Hezbollah is attacking Israel's northern border.
Looks like a combined effort, or do you see these as two completely separate events that coincidentally occured (perhaps because of the full moon) at the same time.

by iosaf Fri Jul 14, 2006 21:04

If you have nothing to add to discussion of Hezbollah, Lebanon or Israeli military efforts which are destroying & displacing Lebanon.

why don't you comment on another thread, since Hamas seems to be your "special area" ?
Or are you arguing a military solution which suits both crises?

Put it another way - do you think Hezbollah chose their moment relying on Hamas? Do you think Israel or Hezbollah waited till Syria had withdrawn from Lebanon? Do you think Hamas wanted Hezbollah support? Do you think the Lebanese "potential for civil war" in the last year is affected by what has occured? Do you think Israel has a right to wage war on an independent nation? You seem to think they have a right to wage war on occupied territories of their apartheid state.... How big do you think that apartheid state ought be? How big do you think it can be and remain cohesive or viable either culturally or ethnically?

Actually Mr Kennedy do you have any relevant opinions which fit the comment criteria at all? Or do you just want to register your opinion again & again on a page which is and will be an english language archive of Lebanon's political development 14/2/05 to present?

well just humour you here is a link to "Al Ahram", Egypt's daily newspaper with significant state influence on editorial policy - which sees Serene Assir reflect on "Enter Hizbullah" to the Palestinian situation, since Egypt borders Gaza, where Hamas live - they're "your speciality" Mr Kennedy.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/803/fr1.htm

by iosaf Sat Jul 15, 2006 05:41

French media (leftish) timeline minimal comment
http://libe.com/actualite/monde/193417.FR.php
Spanish state announced evacuation of citizens in Lebanon. EFE the spanish agency estimates 600 present, the French media report only 160.
the Swiss condemn Israel
BBC does timeline, and a map which shows you where the IAF attacked and suggests where Hezbollah are firing their rockets from, (the later being quite simple geometry) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5182048.stm and a comment article too!!!! (adressed to their allies) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5182290.stm "The US does not want to be the only country left defending Israel's actions. Washington wants to turn international condemnation towards Hezbollah, Syria and Iran instead. "

which brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to the Golan Heights & .....Iran
this is the Iranian news agency. They daily print different things with really finely honed spin in several languages. Yesterday they did loads of "zion-z-" stuff and reminded the U$ they're not scared of them.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news

That's cool. I'm not scared of any of them. They're not in my back garden. just on a little bit of TV which is cosy.

by iosaf Sat Jul 15, 2006 23:15

As we know Syria has no military in Lebanon. We also know (coz we've all read the complete Hariri's Game series) that Hezbollah's militia controls the southern province, which we can look at it in the maps provided.
We also know the in less than 72 hours Israel has done more damage to the fragile Lebanese economy than anyone would have thought concievable. Put it this way - the "coalition of the willing" when they entered Iraq were very careful not to do so much damage.
We know that most EU and Swiss "personel" are out of the area.
We know that lots of civilians are being killed.
We just don't really know why Israel has reacted so forcefully, causing billions of euros of damage to a one of the world's emergent democracies............................... though I keep crypto-quoting James Joyce's first and last line of Finnegan's Wake...........

which brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to the Golan Heights & .....
Now :-
here's the link to Syria's news agency.
http://www.sana.org/index_eng.html
here's the report of the telephone conversation between their president ( named by the USA as a sponsor of terror) and the president of Lebanon (named by the USA as an exemplary democrat) about "how Syria can help".
http://www.sana.org/eng/21/2006/07/15/47601.htm

If you read all the "Hariri's Game" series you will know how many "pro-Syrian" deputies are in the Lebanese government, and also know they are distinct from Hezbollah, and have grasped the fact that Hezbollah is not terribly popular in either Beirut or Damascus - and even begun considering...................... who really started all this & how do they want it to end?

Meanwhile the only Europeans left in Lebanon are either very stupid tourists or very clever intelligence workers. & yes - they all skipped the queue out. They just jumped in helicopters flew over the hundreds of thousands of refugees and "slán abhaile!".

Most analysts in Europe and on the Mediterranean do not consider this a "regional war". But we ( & yep I'm your trusted analyst) do consider this a war by Israel on Lebanon which may not be covered by the morality or international practise or license of the "war on terror". But just because we say its not a "regional war" doesn't mean we don't believe there are many interests in the Levant and Middle East who would like to see a "regional war" happen soon. Because there are......................

http://www.sana.org/eng/21/2006/07/15/47601.htm
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detai...75000
which brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to the Golan Heights & ..... why we never left them

by iosaf Sun Jul 16, 2006 05:40

Now I mentioned the Europeans getting out and skipping the refugee queue in helicopters ever so subtley yesterday. We now know the Irish, Spanish & Swiss are officially out of Lebanon. & that sort of numbered 900 people. But if you thought by that, that all your EU and continental pals were out - You missed realpolitik by a long shot.
& it seems other people now want to go along and watch within shooting distance...
= 2 warships of the UK navy are taking up position in the east mediterranean. Their names are HMS illustrious and HMS bulwark. One thing they teach you in senior officer school is that though the Israelis have a shit hot conscript army, and a very well equiped and excellently trained airforce - the navy was never really something they got together. Strange no? Perhaps all the fishermen followed Jesus and became Christians and moved to Lebanon and some distant point in the past. I don't know. I don't care either.
Some of us will tootle our little fifes to know the "royal navy" complete with all its marines and amphibious gear is on spot to rescue Britons in Lebanon - others will wonder where the V th Fleet of the U.S. navy is & why the Brits are doing the "we can see you on the beaches" gig. Well I can't tell you where the Vth Fleet of the US Navy is - coz that would be classified information & if put in email I'd get shot by tea time.
.........dead.
..............shot dead..
.............................deader than Sharon.
I'm braver than that
The US Mediterranean nuclear capable aircraft carrier flagship fleet are "in coverage area".

____________________________________

Meanwhile back in homeland US media is seeking to show a united front at the G8 on everything from Al Qaeda to stopping Iran having Nukes to stopping North Korea sending its nukes as far as Colorado (or Israel actually) and making everything cheaper for rich people. Our world is in safe hands. U.S. media is really playing the "...........hezbollah = lebanon only coz Lebanon is weak = if Lebanon was stronger and not just an emergent democracy it could stop Hezbollah = forget Lebanon had such a high voter participation = when less people vote democracy is stronger = stop democracy and Hezbollah will stop = Hezbollah are terrorists and you only get terrorists in democracy = stop emerging democracy and you stop emergin terrorists = leave them all alone! democracy was shite for us = Sharon still isn't dead

this U.S. news without spin was brought to you courtesy of Bibleland incorporated.

by iosaf Mon Jul 17, 2006 18:11

There was a ceasefire offered by Israel yesterday amidst the strongest US media onslaught of hawkish Israeli commentators ( & their allies) in at least 10 years. Even Kissenger was brought out of the crypt to comment to US satelite networks about how Iran was behind this, how Israel has to win & why everyone in bibleland (which as we know occupies most of the North American continent in imitative form from Utah to Boston) ought support them. Because its all about Iran wanting to destroy Israel by destroying Lebanon...... (oh that man Kissenger is very clever but its so odd he still has such an accent).

Fox TV did a special "compare their firepower" show. Most american telly viewers know their way around guns, and warplanes. You can hold a conversation with the average american by only quoting letters and numbers and ocassionally mentioning "millimetres". F16, F14, 15mm, 60mm &c.... & the super duper secret was revealed ------bibleland (middle east version) has between 100 and 200 nukes.
Gosh! they never used to mention that much, and if they did it was only along the lines of "Israel is believed to have nuclear arms capabality". Nothing series like two hundred, just a little one in a storeroom in Tel Aviv which Bono and U2 could dismantle in a jiffy. What is really fun to watch (along the lines of Boston and Dublin being neighbours type geography) is how Fox and NBC and these american channels list off Iranian military firepower as if it was a direct neighbour and right now two million revolutionary guards were on the banks of the Jordan oiling the firing pins on their 12mm F11's.

Hezbollah rejected the ceasefire. no surprise there. They've started firing new rockets (which the Israelis say have Syrian ball bearings and were sold to them 18 months ago - but also are Iranian).
Anyway these new rockets reach Haifa. That's far.

The G8 opened its little meeting in St Petersburgh (as we know) and found it hard to make a common statement - Apparantly the Russians are "keeping all options open" (this is because as I've told you before - the Russians are the only "great power" to have met with both Hezbollah ( & Hamas) since their general election wins. They're also pushing an Iranian strategy too....

But what was most interesting at the G8 thing was the position taken by France and the French.
Lebanon was once their protectorate. Until last year they exerted a lot of influence in the place, but as I pointed out during this "Hariri's game" series one geopolitical effect was to see French influence reduced. Chirac wants it seems "more condemnation" of Israel's actions than he's getting. He really is the tweedledee. But today he's sent his prime minister to Beirut - whilst the French begin their evacuation operation.

You know the Irish are out. You know there's been a bit of confusion as to how many Spaniards are there. You know the British have brought a naval task force (complete with amphibious landing gear) right up to the beaches. But the figures bandied about for the remaining British and French contingents are really quite something - 10,000 britons and over 15,000 French.

Accordingly the French have now deployed "800 troops" in Lebanon (with the permission of the Lebanese government). and also decided to deploy 2 of their naval vessels (one a hospital ship) on the coasts -http://libe.com/actualite/monde/193874.FR.php
I think that's significant.

Links :-
to some state & regional news agencies of the region -

* Syria's news agency.
http://www.sana.org/index_eng.html
* Iran's news agency.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news
* Syrian Press -
http://www.syriadaily.com/
* Lebanon's english language daily
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/home2.asp
* Israel's english language daily
http://haaretz.com
* Egypt's english language news-site
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/index.htm

in addition to the map above there are also 2 other maps at these pages showing the areas under attack and giving you an idea where different religious types live.
http://indymedia.ie/article/77240?comment_limit=0&conde...23093
http://indymedia.ie/article/77233?comment_limit=0&conde...23095

by redjade Mon Jul 17, 2006 23:38

A reader writes:
''I am currently enrolled in an intensive summer arabic program at the American University in Beirut, and am holed up at the university, probably the safest place in the city right now. Basically my choices have been to make a run for the border with Syria and try to catch a flight out, or wait for the USG to carry out the evacuation plan. Because I heard reports about the dangers of the former (and based on a statement by the American embassy), I opted for the latter. They are finally getting everything together today, but they dropped a little surprise: they are going to be billing us for giving us emergency transport to Cyprus, and then basically dropping us off on our own to get commercial flights back to the US. Most other goverrnments evacuating people here are actually flying them back to their home country without cost. But not the USG....''

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/07/email_from_bei....html

by montreal Tue Jul 18, 2006 01:56

texts & photos from global imc community people -

you can see the images here -
http://gallery.cmaq.net/montreal-lebanon
member of that collective is presently in Beirut and their neighbourhood has been bombed.
http://gallery.cmaq.net/beirut1

___________________________
Israel has closed Haifa port claiming their shipping is at risk - British and French NATO navy warships have taken up position off the coast of southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

Déjà vu is happening.
Several days ago the Irish and Spanish and Swiss were reported to be safely airlifted out of Lebanon.
(we presume they were VIP's)
Because today other Irish and Spanish, Cypriot, Greek, Belgian, Austrian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish & Swiss citizens are beng reported as being "evacuated". A lot of other déjà vu is happening as well - the IAF have hit the same targets several times now. No-one is in those buildings and they were destroyed in the first attacks last week so the renewed attacks only has propaganda or psy-op value.
Israel's diplomats have now expressed in the most resolute terms their position that Syria & Iran are orchestrating the attacks but have shown no evidence of spent ordinance supplied in the last months, or deployment of military advisors or military intelligence personel in southern Lebanon. Israel is also now pushing Western (U.S.) media & public opinion reaction to the threat to Haifa and "almost playing" the "we're in a long slog here, the terrorists are better than we thought".

* Lebanon is an emergent democracy.
* Lebanon is a sovreign state.
* Lebanon is a member of the community of international nations.
* Lebanon deserves all support for its legitimate government to protect its frontiers, civilians & establish peaceful conditions free of terrorist groupings within its territory.

What is not clear is which of Lebanon's allies or which of the advocates of democracy and nation-state sovreignity or sponsors of Lebanon's peaceful economic and social development (now ruined) will equal the score.

But analysts are coming to the conclusion that many interests in the international Western & European community do not wish see Lebanon left to defend herself reliant on support from only the "extremist" axis of arabic states. Those regional interests of Jordan and Egypt initially most critical of Hezbollah, now expressing support for increased "traditional power" influence.


which brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to the Golan Heights & Bible land & how the British & French wanted them to be -


* Syria's news agency.
http://www.sana.org/index_eng.html
* Iran's news agency.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news
* Syrian Press -
http://www.syriadaily.com/
* Lebanon's english language daily
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/home2.asp
* Israel's english language daily
http://haaretz.com
* Egypt's english language news-site
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/index.htm

in addition to the map above there are also 2 other maps at these pages showing the areas under attack and giving you an idea where different religious types live.
http://indymedia.ie/article/77240?comment_limit=0&conde...23093
http://indymedia.ie/article/77233?comment_limit=0&conde...23095

at least 175 Lebanese civilian dead in the last 6 days :
Mohamed Jalife minister of Health - Lebanon

by ipsiphi .:. iosaf Tue Jul 18, 2006 19:38

Factual link to help you Below this block of text.

Last "news" HMS Gloucester docked at Beirut to get people to Lacuna Cyprus. The sneaky Brits didn't report that ship's movement earlier. The US has started flying out people by helicopters, being even sneakier than the Brits they haven't said where. Back when the Brits were much more sneakier than they are now, they partitioned Cyprus which in the last EU stamp Bertie's regime made up looked like Crete instead. The Brits were so craftily sneaky at that stage that they held on to two military basis on Cyprus. But modern day britons & fellow EU citizens are not going to stay there. Instead they will be job seeking in Cypriot economy land.

I am closing the Hariri Game series.

Simply because the name is no longer apt, and "apophenia" set in with all the déjà vu repititions, the shock of hearing Bill O'reilly the FoxTV anchor man "the spin stops here" repeating one of the most ridiculous phrases written by me on this page. :- "many analysts think and I'm your analyst by the way" .
Things really started getting creepy when Madeliene Albright used key elements of what I and many other contributors have said and twisted them right round through doublethink doublespeak spin.
Then they started leaving the open microphone in Russia. By tea time today CBS had wheeled out the Republican (naturally) Congressman for Utah. (you remember the other bibleland which is closer to Boston than Ireland I mentioned a b it further up the page?).

I might call the news series
"Déjà Vu : Déjà être : Déjà ecouté... "Sharon's Passion" the Endgame (part 1)"
and link it to this :- http://indymedia.ie/article/73823
& of course I'll be arguing that Lebanon is a democracy, nation state, inviolate and her political or economic development may not legitimately, legally, morally or sensibly planned by War.
The War on Terror has seemed to cover the doublethink "help start emergent democracies and provoke insurgencies". We many not as Europeans stand on and watch the doublethink "help stop emergent democracies by provoking insurgencies".
HZB are running out ordinance.
IDF are running out of targets. it gets boring hitting them again & again & again & deja vu..,
Middle East News sites with English translation & coverage

* Syria's news agency.
http://www.sana.org/index_eng.html
* Iran's news agency.
http://www.irna.ir/en/news
* Syrian Press -
http://www.syriadaily.com/
* Lebanon's english language daily
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/home2.asp
* Israel's english language daily
http://haaretz.com
* Egypt's english language news-site
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/index.htm

in addition to the map above there are also 2 other maps at these pages showing the areas under attack and giving you an idea where different religious types live.
http://indymedia.ie/article/77240?comment_limit=0&conde...23093
http://indymedia.ie/article/77233?comment_limit=0&conde...23095

The Hariri's Game series

Hariri's Game (part 8) "it was Syria who killed him to get their troops out and sanctions!"
http://indymedia.ie/article/72571

Hariri's Game (part 7) Hezbolah are in government
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70985

Hariri's game (part 6) a weakened france (&EU)withdraws and the USA increases pressure on the Levant
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70034

Hariri's Game (part 5) all sides move to peace.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69572

Hariri's Game (part 4) all sides look for their allies.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68964

Hariri's Game (part 3) Hezbollah mobilise dwarfing previous pacifist gig.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68901

Hariri's Game (part 2) The Lebanese Government Quit.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68813
Hariri's Game (part 1) Mr Lebanon is dead.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68645

Other current coverage of Lebanon on the site :-

http://indymedia.ie/article/77299
http://indymedia.ie/article/77240
http://indymedia.ie/article/77233
http://indymedia.ie/article/77232
http://indymedia.ie/article/77221
http://indymedia.ie/article/77204

.:.

Cedar revolution anyone?

by Tank Girl Tue Jul 18, 2006 19:44

A great series and your off beat style is a nice contrast to so much of the staid leftyism you get around here. Still waiting for Pat to launch his missiles at the Israeli PM. Could your sattelite systems give him more accurate co-ordinates?

So the HMS Glouster has docked. I suppose the Israelis thought it was best not to enforce the blockade on that occasion. Now if only the French Navy would escort a convoy to Lebanon and lift the blockade. Dream, dream, dream.