With the dawn come reports of the deaths of dozens of Lebanese, many of them children, as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese village of Qana.

At least 60 civilians were killed on Sunday after the IAF fired missiles at buildings in the southern Lebanse twon of Qana.

Some 35 bodies have been recovered from a building that collapsed, but more were still stuck under the rubble, Lebanon's official news agency reported.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the area was a focal point for the firing of Katyusha rockets on Kiryat Shmona and Afula. He said that from the outset of the conflict "hundreds of rockets have been fired from the Qana area."

Olmert stressed that there was no IDF policy of targeting innocent civilians, as opposed to Hizbullah that has launched rockets "with the aim of murdering innocent civilians in northern Israel."

On one level, I feel shock and outrage. I am truly saddened by the deaths of civilians. But my anger is directed not at the Israelis, but at the Hezbollah cowards who have been hiding in and attacking from civilian areas in an attempt to protect themselves and gain a propaganda victory from the deaths of the civilians they put in harms way. It has not been that long since I posted photos that clearly demonstrate that Hezbollah tactic, and the condemnation of the jihadi group by a UN official for doing so.

Yet on another level, I am not at all troubled by these casualties. Lebanon allows Hezbollah to operate freely within its borders. It has a role in the government. It is among the largest employers in Lebanon. Indeed, the Lebanese president has even hinted that he might have the Lebanese Army join forces with the jihadis of the Party of (the false god) Allah against the Israelis who have responded to repeated attacks upon civilian targets from within Lebanon. The Lebanese government has allowed this terrorist menace to flourish, and now all of Lebanon must pay the price -- even if that price involves civilian casualties.

I need go no further back in history than WWII, "the good war". In that conflict, which was certainly an example of what one would call "total war", the casualties of the Axis aggressors were high -- and included many civilians who found themselves in harm's way due to the misdeeds of their government. While American and British casualties were under 1% of their respective populations, the Japanese suffered over 3% casualties, including the deaths of many civilians in the conventional bombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Germany suffered the loss of over 10% of its population, including many to the relentless bombing campaigns of the Allies in places like Dresden. And yet no one with an ounce of moral decency would argue that those deaths were unjustified, unnecesary, or disproportionate. Indeed, they were tragic, but they were also a necessary part of bringing about a speedy victory with far fewer casualties on both sides than would otherwise have been needed.

If Israel were to adopt the model used by the Allies in WWII, much of Lebanon would be flattened by now. Even if the much more restrained model used by America in Vietnam were employed, the civilian casualties would be much higher due to the carpet-bombing of entire sectors where the enemy is operating. Israel has not done that at all, and has sought to limit civilian casualties even when it puts Israeli troops at risk.

The events at Qana raise the specter of history repeating itself.

Ten years ago, Israel was forced to suspend Operation Grapes of Wrath against Hizbullah after artillery shells accidentally killed over 100 Lebanese refugees in the same village.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and insisted on an investigation into the Qana attack.

The withdrawal a decade ago in the face of world outrage allowed Hezbollah to regroup, rearm, and recruit a new generation of jihadis -- those who fight today. The earlier withdrawal following a tragedy in Qana can in fact be seen as the beginning of a chain of events which gave rise to the current war. Will the same mistake be made today?

War, as General Sherman told us long ago, is Hell. One part of that Hell is that unintended civilian deaths occur -- especially when one side hides among the non-combattants. And yet that cannot be the basis for putting an end to a just fight or accepting a cease-fire that allows the aggressor to regroup and continue its attacks at a later date. Terrorism must not be allowed to succeed; terrorists must not be allowed a strategic victory. Israel must continue its battle against the jihadis of Hezbollah -- not just for its own security, but also for that of Lebanon, the Middle East, and the world as a whole.

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Posted by: Greg at 12:56 AM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
Post contains 858 words, total size 7 kb.

1 Good insights. I firmly believe Israel needs to finish this. Hezbollah is responsible for the civilian deaths. Of course, the Israelis need to fire at the positions from which rockets are being lobbed at their own people. I can't figure out why anyone would be confused about the necessity of Israel's counterattacks.

Posted by: Anna Venger at Sun Jul 30 04:56:00 2006 (ZXStJ)

2 I agree with you completely!

Posted by: Beth Barnat at Sun Jul 30 07:58:18 2006 (Oaz5W)

3 I agree with you completely! The thing I was thinking was this, though -- in warning the civilians that they are going to bomb, perhaps they are giving Hezbollah an opportunity to herd civilians into those very sites and lock them in - run away and let Israel bomb. Perhaps they should just bomb targets by surprise and see what happens.

Posted by: Beth Barnat at Sun Jul 30 07:59:43 2006 (Oaz5W)

4 Bizarre reasoning on this site by what appear to be mostly folks totally disconnected from reality. Hezbollah may be a diabolical organization but rest assured the world is not blaming them for this incident. They are blaming Israel, while Hezbollah and Nasrallah have become heroes throughout the muslim world. This attack was not only morally wrong, has anyone sat and looked at the dust covered corpses of those children, just as are Hezbollah's rocket attacks, but they are a terrorist organization while Israel is supposed to be responsible state. But above all it was completely stupid. As becomes more apparent every day, the chances of Israel eliminating Hezbollah are becoming increasingly remote. Even if the US damages its own interests by trying to hold the world back for a year while they bomb Lebanon into the stone age and kill 200,000 in the process, they will still not manage it. I think that penny is starting to drop in Tel Aviv, hence some uncertainty in their conduct of this operation. They are also taking on board that these do not appear to be the Arabs they are used to fighting. I have been a supporter of Israel all my life, but for the first time am starting to believe that they will never impose their settlement on the middle east. They have been trying it for forty years and it hasn't worked any more than our more recent attempt to impose a settlement in Iraq. One of the by products of that has been to make Hezbollah's patron Iran the pre-eminent power in the region, who are basically immune from any action we can take against them. I'm sure many of the posters on this site want to start dropping bombs on Tehran, without giving much thought to the economic impact on a country which consumes 25% of the worlds oil and whose industrial and financial system is heavily dependant on a stable world. These no doubt are the same people who claimed invading Iraq was going to stabilize the middle east. Wake up this is a disaster for Israel.

Posted by: John at Sun Jul 30 08:47:26 2006 (xLm0S)

5 Let me remind all the people who want to stop Israel from eliminate the Hezbollah. I wondered if thousands of missles falls into Beijing, Moscow, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Geneva,.... you know the idea then how many of the citizen of those countries will demand immediately ceased fire w/o skined alive the responsible killers regardless what kind of collateral damage in the process. It is easy to be yell peace unless when a 2000lbs missle is shooting at you everyday. Israel has the right to eliminate all the people that want to kill her. If they have to level Lebanon or the whole Arab world to survive then so be it. I have no doubt that China, India, Russia, US, France, Germany, or any country.... would terminate the whole world if that is the only mean of survival on outbreak of war.

Posted by: Michael at Sun Jul 30 10:44:59 2006 (uloLc)

6 I hear that America has been shipping Depleted Uranium weapons through an airport in Scotland to Israel.

Israel has been using those weapons in Lebanon. That certainly explains why they wiped out the UN Obsevers on the border .. after all it would not do to have witnesses to that dirty game .. would it?

The Americans are complicit in this latest Israeli atrocity along side with the British .. The whole world can see who the real axis of evil is.

By their fruits ye shall know them .. and the fruits are hard bitter and poisonous .. Mussolini is reported to have said that Fascism should be rightly called Corporatism because it a union of state and business .. By the fruits .. I dub thee Facists .. God rest your rotten black souls

Posted by: Pax at Mon Jul 31 04:34:38 2006 (mCO+0)

7 You hear, but have you any proof?

No doubt you've also heard that Jews use the blood of Christian and Muslim childrent to make matzo bread as well.

But if you believe that support for Israel makes one a fascist -- then I wear the label gladly and with pride. After all, since the Jews are God's Chosen People,that means God is a fascist as well. And i mean the One True God, not the false god Allah.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 05:50:20 2006 (93/tm)

8 Well the proof is to be found in the British Newspapers and the questions raised in the British Parliment about the DU weapons being shipped through Prestwick on the way to Israel.

Ask the UN about proof of the deliberate shelling of the UN observation post .. the UN stated 4 peace keepers were killed.

and as for the blood and matzos .. such over the top remarks can only be Zionist Propaganda to garner sympathy .. Israel is an out of control illegal Nuclear power. That needs to be dragged before the International Court at the Hague for crimes against humanity.

As for the Jews being Gods Chosen People then we only have the Jews claim for that .. show me the contract .. and dont give me garbage about its written in the Bible .. The words of Jesus are quite straight forward .. try the Sermon on the Mount.. Oh and let us not forget the 10 Commandments in the Old Testament.

Have a nice day.

Posted by: Pax at Mon Jul 31 06:36:23 2006 (mCO+0)

9 Pax,

Depleted Uranium? Please. Unless you inhale the stuff as dust it's harmless.


John: "Hezbollah may be a diabolical organization but rest assured the world is not blaming them for this incident. They are blaming Israel, while Hezbollah and Nasrallah have become heroes throughout the muslim world."

Comment: So what else is new?

Posted by: Jose Chung at Mon Jul 31 06:38:14 2006 (ApvpI)

10 Ghenghis khan killed half of the population fo Khoresm when it killed his 30 men. Why do not Israel adopt that strategy? Just kill all Lebanons as retaliation for its 2 soldiers. That is my suggestion for Israel. The man race except Arabs and Jews has grown more humane since WW2 even Vietnam war.

Posted by: Enkh at Mon Jul 31 06:40:28 2006 (4KSOT)

11 Pax wrote: "...and as for the blood and matzos .. such over the top remarks can only be Zionist Propaganda to garner sympathy."


You have no idea what goes on in the Arab world, my friend, and in its media and textbooks. Look at the school books used in the Palestinian Authority that compare Jews to donkeys and pigs, or that claim hating the Jews is a commandment of Allah. In the maps section of these textbooks there is no nation called Israel. It just doesn't exist.

I could go on, but why bother?

Pax, little buddy, in your favor I will stipulate that you are not as brainwashed as these poor ignorant Palestinian youths, but brainwashed you are, whether you know it or not. The ignorant and gullible liberal media in the west and its high priests (the professors) have fallen for much of this nonsense propanda put out by terrorist elites
and their scribes.

Posted by: Jose Chung at Mon Jul 31 08:10:09 2006 (ApvpI)

12 Interesting, Pax, that you cite not one source -- and your vague comments refer to "questions raised" not evidence produced.

And the UN -- if you look at my site, you will see actual evidence that Hezbollah ahd been operating in the area, just as at Qana.

By the way -- if you want to reject the Biblical teachings about the Jews as God's Chosen people, you need to give up on the 10 Comandments and the Sermon on the mount as well -- for they are all three from the Bible.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 08:48:04 2006 (mUNeU)

13 Pax,
Arab television stations show tv programs depicting Jews kidnapping a boy and slitting his throat to make matza for Passover.

They also show cartoons to children of Israeli leaders drinking the blood of Muslims.

Their own programs condemn them for the Jew haters that they are.

Posted by: Anna Venger at Mon Jul 31 08:57:50 2006 (ZXStJ)

14 I accept the words of Jesus .. they are quite clear. Problem seems to be is that the money changers have reoccupied the Temple.

I am old enough to remember the King David Hotel massacre quite clearly .. I suppose they were Jewish freedom fighters? .. Zionists would like to have it both ways .. intellectually dishonest .. living walking lies .. read the words of Jesus and open up your shrivelled black hearts and let some milk and honey flow.

I spent 9 years in the British Army and served all over the middle and far east .. I know exactly what goes down .. and when I look at some of the rabid comments here .. and the source then I understand quite clearly who are the ones that have been brainwashed.

You really must understand that the majority of the civilised world is revulsed by the Zionist/Israeli response .. and its never been any different with Israel .. they have broken nearly every UN resolution on Palestine.

The whole world can also see that monsterous wall and how Israel has Gulagized Gaza and the West Bank .. and they also see the deliberate genocide practiced by the Israeli Government .. I know that much of it is not the people themselves .. its the Government egged on by rabid attack dogs.

And Anna .. what is it that the Zionists have been saying about the Palestinians? .. can you not understand why people are turning against Israel .. and your comments about Jew Haters just does not cut it .. heard that nonsense so many times that I understand it for the propaganda it is .. well it does not work any more .. by and large people are sick of it.

I understand what the Geneva Convention says and especially about Civilians .. Do you?

Posted by: Pax at Mon Jul 31 12:45:23 2006 (mCO+0)

15 You must understand that accepting the existance of israel is an essential element of qualifying for membership in the civilized world -- the rest fit in well with the Nazis, the Communists, the Islamists, and other malign, genocidal ideologies.

I'll leave you with the words of a great American, generally held to be something of an expert in the area of human rights.

“When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You are talking anti-semitism.” Rev. Martin Luther King

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 12:51:31 2006 (vrARD)

16 Oh, and let me give you another quote -- this one from someone whose experience with the actual institution of apartheid regime.

“I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel within secure borders.” Nelson Mandela

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 12:54:41 2006 (vrARD)

17 Oh, and you may want to consider Article 28 of the Fourth Geneva Protocol. It addresses the Qana situation perfectly.

Art. 28. The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.

So -- when Hezbollah sets up shop in civilian areas, it is acceptable under international law to attack those areas. The responsibility for civilian casualties that result from such attacks fall squarely on the shoulders of Hezbollah.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 13:15:08 2006 (vrARD)

18 John,

"This attack was not only morally wrong, has anyone sat and looked at the dust covered corpses of those children, just as are Hezbollah's rocket attacks, but they are a terrorist organization while Israel is supposed to be responsible state."

Have you seen those photos in a different context?

EU Referendum

Posted by: loboinok at Mon Jul 31 17:18:26 2006 (6VFW4)

19 I appreciate your placing that link here. I saw that particular post just before I went to bed, and was going to post them in the morning.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Mon Jul 31 17:25:13 2006 (+zyg2)

20 You are welcome.

Here is another you may find interesting;

The Corner

Posted by: loboinok at Mon Jul 31 22:37:38 2006 (6VFW4)

21 If there is a shooting, against Isreali soldiers coming from the house, call air support and have the destroy the house.

All Hezzbollah will be finished quickly.

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