The tragedy at Qana (revised)
Let there be no mistake. The Israeli Air Force intentionally bombed the village of Qana from which 150 Katyusha rockets have been fired against northern Israel. The killing of 28 civilians (not 50 or 60 as previously reported) in the Lebanese village of Qana was however a tragic miscalculation. Israel did not intend to kill innocent civilians.
It is a tragedy that innocent civilians get killed in war although this has been happening since the start of time. The citizens of Qana received clear warnings (through dropped leaflets) that the Israeli Air Force would attack because Hezbollah has been firing from there. There are many proven cases of the Hezbollah firing Katyusha rockets from within civilian homes and those civilians sometimes pay the deadly price of hosting (in their homes) terrorists who are firing rockets against population centres in Israel. It is a tragedy that the Hezbollah cynically uses the civilian population as human shields and prevents some of them from fleeing and saving their lives. It is a tragedy for the citizens of southern Lebanon that they support an organisation that wants to eliminate its powerful southern neighbour.
If you were being fired on by someone who hides among women and children, are you sure you would desist from responding? Terrorists like Hezbollah know that we have more inhhibitions than they do and they blackmail our morals. 28 civilians killed tragically in the course of a legitimate response to attacks is not a massacre whatever the inflamed Arab media may say.
Israel is well aware (at least after the fact) of the adverse effect on world public opinion of the pictures of childrens' bodies being removed from the ruins of a building. We in Israel have much criticism of Israeli intelligence for not having known there were civilians in the building because, if they had, they would have desisted. I also criticise the government for not thinking that a tragedy like this might happen i.e. of not weighing correctly the benefits to the risks. I shared with many people my concern about another tragic incident on the Israeli side.
Life will be forever changed for some families in Qana and the question is what will happen in the wider picture. It is a terrible shame that the Israeli military has not suceeded more against the Hezbollah and has taken many Lebanese lives. The Israeli government has been weak and ineffectual. Let us hope that the suffering on both sides will not be in vain.
posted by David Lisbona | 7:24 PM
14 Comments:
The media keeps on saying how the Israeli army has warned the citizens of Lebanon to flee their homes because the army will be dropping bombs. Where are the citizens going to flee to? Some can't even get passed the check points. Emphasizing the fact that the citizens got fair warning is just a way to place the blame of the army for killing innocent civilians.
I'm Lebanese christian.it is a stupid lie to tell that Hizballah use the citizens as a human shield.I wish david that you only could speak arabic so you could listen to the people interwied afer each shelling that they are willing to give their lives for Hassan Nasrallah.The insane plot of anew middle east who pushed your army into war for 2 kidnapped soldiers will be the cause for a lot of suffering for both our people.
You have 3 lebanese in your jails,you are occupaying illegally 20 sqkm in Chebaa Free the prisonners and give us back our land and there is no more problems.
You create a monster ,Nasrallah now is the new Abd el Nasser of the arabs.They needed desperatly for a leader you gave them one.
As for terrorism ,you have a short memory :The Irgun who is now the Likud, the stern group the King David hotel does it ring a bell? for you they are "feedom fighters" for the british they were terrorist.
anyway a have a freind whose family is originated from haifa they lived there for centuries maybe you are living now in their home ,in the name of the bible
Actually David, the UN Security Council quickly confirmed that more than 50 people were killed in its meeting a few hours after the airstrike.
"They got a fair warning" Maybe you forgot that your invicble army destroyed in the first days of the war nearly all the bridges in south lebanon that all the gasoline and fuel station are deserted or destroyed and that the people killed in Cana were not originated from Cana but from villages near the border.they went to Cana to escape from the shelling on their own villages.
As long as your settlers are occupying the west bank,the Golan,you will never know peace.you have to understand it
as long as a Kiev jew say to a friend of mine, palestinian christian, who's family is in Jerusalem for at least 500 years "This town is my town you dont have the right to be here" you will never know peace neither your children or your children's childrens
What are the IDF doing?
* They bomb a well-known, clearly identified, UN observation post despite 12 phone calls in 5 hours from the UN personnel.
* They bomb the border crossing between Lebanon and Syria in the early days of the conflict, even though there can be no military/terrorist target on the highway which was crammed with fleeing civilians.
* They bomb the airport and port of Beirut to further cut off avenues of escape for civilians/intimidate the Lebanese and foreign people trying to flee the country.
* They bomb highways making it almost impossible for traffic to drive along those roads.
* They attack convoys of civilian motor vehicles filled with fleeing civilians, ambulances carrying the wounded.
* Qana.
Is there a rogue element in the IDF? One that ignores the government, acts as it pleases and ends up forcing the government to shut down all air strikes for 48 hours because of its rogue activities?
Since when has a war against terrorism/insurgency been won when waged almost entirely from the air (it didn't work in Vietnam, it's not working in Iraq, it certainly won't work in Lebanon)?
Hizbollah canot be destroyed from the air by imprecise air strikes that only strengthen its support both in Lebanon, in the Arab world and from the West. It is ludicrous from a strategic perspective to drop bombs on terrorist groups - only land assault works to shift them. And the air force's inept and arrogant behaviour has now destroyed the goodwill of many of Israel's supporters - and for what? To say that 37 dead children were being used as human shields?
Honestly, I was wondering when Israel was going to make a military move somewhere in the middle east. No Israel is not always right, however...Israel does what it believes is right for it's own people despite the views of the outside world and the UN. Unlike OUR president.
hello,
Message to UN and Kofi Annan.
With hope he can make leadership and end this crisis.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
July 31, 2006
Is UN a Peace-promoting force or not?
UN could, at once Lebanon attack Israel, - take step to separate civilians from the "bad" Hezbollahs in the south.
- Why they do not do so?
The Israel proposal of yesterdays of 48hour stop of air-fire, to make possible for UN to bring out the civilians, could had be done earlier of UN, and 100s of life could be saved.
- Why has that not be done?
The Hezbollahs are cowards in "our" eyes, but "heroic figures" in Lebanese eyes, - should not been helped of UN to implement hiding behind women skirts, firing their deadly racket, target civilians, in aim, or to perform an act to kill them.
Hezbollah’s started a evil attack against innocent in Israel. And he use his own brainwashed Slaves as human shields, only to let them be killed, so he can advertise false evidence against Israel to the whole world. Because no one can believe that Hezbollah’s are so evil bad, killing his/their own Slaves.
Real investigations what really happened in Qana should had be done, maybe Hezbollah’s after lunching racket from the building, place plenty dynamite under it, so it easy could blow up then rackets from Israel arrived.
- Hezbollah’s twisting of brains and misleading of peoples intellect, is that terrorism and a crime or not ?
- Will Hezbollah also this time go free for his crime?, and show up again very soon?
- Do not let it be necessary for Israel to move into Lebanon again in the future,
- This, next time, UN have to monitor right and honest everything who can destroy the peace in the area.
- Corrupt people in UN administration granting this, have to leave the organization in shame.
The whole world have to wake up
and help UN to perform better leadership and
to capture Hezbollah and put him into a Insane Asylum,
so his own people, - and the rest of the world, - can be protected from his sickly massacre of his own people and others.
Thank you for your time,
Regards
Norwegian Volunteer.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
UN has to show that they still are a trustworthy Peace-Force.
July 28, 2006 – Lebanon
Today – UN is a exclusive and expensive joke.
Tomorrow’s UN, - have to be different.
Why? - And, how?
1. 2000 UN’s troops has monitoring over the last 6 years South Lebanon and has not seen any Hezbollah’s, either their Great Arming up - for attacking Israel in the area.
2. UN has not seen or registered that; - 400,000 Lebanese living there, are closer to Hezbollah than himself.
3. UN let terrorists use them as shields, to add unnecessary loss of Israel’s defenders and their rights to still survive as a nation.
4. To end this evil coward hiding attack, the UN have to separate the “Good” one from the “Bad” one, by proclaim the Lebanese to move to the coastline, and get support for their needs there. And stay there and be disarmed.
5. (Today, by giving needed UN-aids and support to all Hezbollah’s in their fields, - have to stop, - it is only to extend the war and killing more innocent human beings.)
6. Thereafter the “Bad” Lebanese / Hezbollah’s are back in their hiding places – Isreal can stop targeting them, and UN and the legal Lebanese army can move in and disarm them.
The War is over,
and the free country Lebanon can still be runn of the legal elected government of Lebanon for building up a trustworthy new peace in the area.
Regards, Norwegian Volunteer
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
July 25, 2006
New Message to Kofi Amman,
Now today it has started. Who attack Red Cross ambulances in Lebanon???
Good question to find out of.
My advice to you, (look below) for some days ago, is still the only way to do it.
Separate the good one from the bad one, and give humanitarian help from the sea to the good one.
If you make so-called corridors through bad ones land, you are unfair to Israel by supporting the bad one to extend the war.
The bad one has been brainwashed in 24 years now.
Growing up as babies, hiding weapon under their cribs, since they can remember.
- What has been their target in the future?
- Of course delete Israel people from the map/earth.
They are today, ROBOTS, interpreted and ready to kill on command. No one can changes theirs mind to day. Look at all interviews with them and their answers.
60% of Lebanon population has this un-healable sickness today.
The whole Middle East has to be insulated from the rest of the world,
- if not the rich normal Arabic stats can move into Lebanon and secure the rights of Israel to still be alive as human beings in this earth.
The 3rd world has begun as the prophets have climbed.
I'm an american and from this experience, I will be very wary of muslims now. the more I learn about them, the more I realize they have very little tolerance for other cultures. I realize that not all muslims are the same, but I will not look at someone who is a muslim with the same innocence ever again.
I don't know the history of Israel and its neighbors well enough to make any judgemental remarks. What we saw in the news yesterday was appalling and no one deserves that. Had Israel over-reacted?
One "anonymous" said it's a lie that Hizballah is using the Lebanese as human shields, as the Lebanese are more than willing to do so without force or coercion.
Based on these facts alone, I see Lebanese abbetting, protecting and encouraging Hizbollah's actions (who started this whole incident anyway). By taking part in such terroristic acts, I feel they CEASE TO BE CIVILIANS. They voluntarily choose to be part of this sinister plan. They choose WAR over PEACE.
They can't cry out saying I'm civilian and at the same time, invite Hizballah into their home and backyard, to launch missiles against the enemy. Then something happens, they cry for justice and blood.
That's typical fundamentalists thinking. No one can be right, only they are right, ALL THE TIME.
Fundamentalist thoughts also defines victory in different ways.
1) Defeat enemies, bath in their blood = Victory
2) Inflict heavy casualties on enemies, even if you lose war and life and civilian life, its VICTORY
3) Force enemy to inflict heavy casualties on own civilians, drawing sympathy and attention of international communities, that's also VICTORY.
To them civilians are there to do God's bid, which is to enforce their WAY, even if it means innocent lives.
Anyway, that's just my personal view.
I supported Israel when this started because I believe all nations have the right to self-defense. But come on, Israel is basically destroying the only fledgling Arab democracy, and you will likely end up radicalizing the entire population again, leading to another extended conflict (or guerilla war, more likely). I fail to see the need to completely decimate the Lebanese infrastructure and destroy their economy. That's incredibly shortsighted. Israel should have retaliated to show it is serious about self-defense and capable of inflicting harm upon Hezbollah, but then attempted to build some diplomacy into the solution. Instead, Israel is making Hezbollah more popular by the day. That will be bad in the end for both Israel and Lebanon. I hope someone knocks some sense into your leaders sometime very soon.
Lebanese christian, get rid of your seige mentality and face the truth. Who are you trying to kid telling us that the the babarians of hizbollah are not hiding behind civilians, even a kid can see that, so stop denying everything. Unfortunately these very children are dying because the hizbollah barbarians don't have the guts to face their foe head on beacuse they know they are nothing. Hizbollah and hamas will be wiped out by their very own kind who will turn on them someday. As the war cry goes out, God is Great, Allah Akkba!!!
Jennifer,I'm glad to see that there are a few americans left who can think clearely and not blindly support Israël
Well, nothing makes me think that Hizboula are hiding behind their women. To say truth, when men are brave enough and courage enough to fight a great army like israel with all its arms and training, those people can not be at the same tome coward to hide behing thier women and children. It simply does not make sence. I think IDF is just saying this to justify its random killing because, sadly they cant reach the reall fighters, at least we never saw someone carrying his gun or next to a rocket-base being killed by the IDF.
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