While the assault on Lebanon rages on, the attention of the public has been diverted from other areas suffering from pretty much the same if not more of what Lebanon is getting. I'm talking about my homeland, Palestine, and the Cradle of Civilization, Iraq. Although the destruction in both nations may have not reached the magnitude as that in Lebanon, with billions of dollars in damage lost to the Zionist war machine, both have been suffering under tension still newsworthy and worthy of mention. Make no mistake: Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi and Israeli lives are all human lives being lost here (though I doubt that many Israelis consider that the case).
I have become disgusted, if not appalled, at the Arab media these days (most notably Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya) because they have failed to provide continued coverage for the conflicts in Palestine and Iraq. I was actually surprised to read this report by the Electronic Intifada, which claims that over 35 Palestinian children have been killed in just one month. That's about one child each day! But that's just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. What really found me puzzled was the fact that Israel killed over 38 people, 7 of them children, since last Wednesday. Many of those killed were innocent women and children. Even more shocking was this casualty count by the MidEast Policy Council, which shows that well over 100 civilians have been killed by Israeli "Defense" Forces in the past few weeks. During the period from July 1-15, no Israelis have been killed, while well over 50 Palestinians lost their lives to this disproportionate Israeli onslaught.
Many U.N. agencies and other independent commissions in Gaza have expressed their outrage against what they have deemed a state of fear, or, more accurately, an environment where more than 1,000,000 Palestinians
Another aspect of the Israeli invasion that has escaped much of public attention is the use of white phosphorus and other incendiary weapons. This is ironic. According to F.A.I.R., the use of the "chemical weapons" designation regarding WP was hypocritically used; that is, some double standards were involved. Now, ever since the Fallujah raid, WP has been almost dropped off the list of non-conventional weaponry. Using that as an excuse, the U.S. decided to send cluster bombs, WP, and other indiscriminatory weapons to Israel, as per this report by F.A.I.R. (wow, I never knew that F.A.I.R. was that good of a website). The Human Rights Watch already confirmed the use of such munitions in Lebanon. The same has been going on in Gaza, even though the U.S. media does a good job in downplaying what happens to Palestinians and other Arabs.
Speaking of Fallujah, what's going on in Iraq these days? Well, like Palestine, things aren't looking too bright. Even after Monsieur Maliki's "reconciliation plan", the country is already once more on the verge of civil war that could threaten many innocent lives. According to the Los Angeles Times, a handful of U.S. generals, including Lebanese-born John Abizaid, claim that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating, contrary to how U.S. media portrays it. He said to the Senate Armed Services Committee,
Whatever it is, I will try to continue to bring up as much as I can regarding not only Israel and Lebanon (for they have started to preoccupy us these days), but also Palestine and Iraq. They are all nations under aggression, oppression and occupation of a foreign entity that seeks to divide us Arabs and gain more for its own political aspirations. Someone has to stand up and speak up against these injustices, and put an end to this mess once and for all.
Salaam, from
Saracen
I have become disgusted, if not appalled, at the Arab media these days (most notably Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya) because they have failed to provide continued coverage for the conflicts in Palestine and Iraq. I was actually surprised to read this report by the Electronic Intifada, which claims that over 35 Palestinian children have been killed in just one month. That's about one child each day! But that's just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. What really found me puzzled was the fact that Israel killed over 38 people, 7 of them children, since last Wednesday. Many of those killed were innocent women and children. Even more shocking was this casualty count by the MidEast Policy Council, which shows that well over 100 civilians have been killed by Israeli "Defense" Forces in the past few weeks. During the period from July 1-15, no Israelis have been killed, while well over 50 Palestinians lost their lives to this disproportionate Israeli onslaught.
Many U.N. agencies and other independent commissions in Gaza have expressed their outrage against what they have deemed a state of fear, or, more accurately, an environment where more than 1,000,000 Palestinians
"are living in an environment of extraordinary violence, fear and anxiety."The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem claimed in this report that almost half of the July fatalities (an alarming 163 fatalities) were not in the midst of hostilities (i.e. they were simply shot on sight). Those that were killed in hostilities were either militants or civilians "caught up in the crossfire" (though this report, which talks about how Israeli soldiers used civilians as human shields, seems more plausible). And just think: all this is for the sake of an Israeli soldier holed up in the midst of Hamas militants, even though Israel has about 10,000 Palestinians holed up in its prisons, most of them innocent, and that number just keeps rising, as can be seen by this report from the Palestine News Network. Even worse is that even after the rising civilian toll, Israel still kept shelling. If anything, Israel sinking to a low level barely describes how far Israel's humanity has fallen... that is, if it had a strong belief in one.
Another aspect of the Israeli invasion that has escaped much of public attention is the use of white phosphorus and other incendiary weapons. This is ironic. According to F.A.I.R., the use of the "chemical weapons" designation regarding WP was hypocritically used; that is, some double standards were involved. Now, ever since the Fallujah raid, WP has been almost dropped off the list of non-conventional weaponry. Using that as an excuse, the U.S. decided to send cluster bombs, WP, and other indiscriminatory weapons to Israel, as per this report by F.A.I.R. (wow, I never knew that F.A.I.R. was that good of a website). The Human Rights Watch already confirmed the use of such munitions in Lebanon. The same has been going on in Gaza, even though the U.S. media does a good job in downplaying what happens to Palestinians and other Arabs.
Speaking of Fallujah, what's going on in Iraq these days? Well, like Palestine, things aren't looking too bright. Even after Monsieur Maliki's "reconciliation plan", the country is already once more on the verge of civil war that could threaten many innocent lives. According to the Los Angeles Times, a handful of U.S. generals, including Lebanese-born John Abizaid, claim that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating, contrary to how U.S. media portrays it. He said to the Senate Armed Services Committee,
"I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it, in Baghdad in particular, and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move towards civil war."Another general, Peter Pace, confirmed Abizaid's comments on the situation, although on a much more positive note, considering the recent plans to deploy more Coalition troops in Iraq (great...). Moreover, it seems that the Coalition has still not learned from its lessons at Abu Ghraib: a human rights report claims that torturing is still commonplace, and all the while violence is still rife. Despite all this, reports of unity amongst Sunnite and Shi'ite communities are still growing, and this is a good sign that at least the people are with each other, as they have been for years even before Saddam's toppling. But the real fright coming out of Iraq is from this report by the much disputed IBC. According to IBC, no matter what source you use for body counts, this year has seen not only some of the worst violence, but the highest death toll yet. I mean, can you imagine over 70 people dead in 2 days? Even this MidEast Times report confirms my point: I find the MidEast Times to be at most supportive of the Iraq War and a bit sympathetic towards Israel, though I hate all forms of biased news sources. Anyways, on the bright side, Rumsfeld was slammed for the continuing war on Iraq and its people by the U.S. Senate... well, him, Abizaid and Pace to be specific (after all, you can't let an old coot like Donny Rumsfeld get all the blame now, right?).
Whatever it is, I will try to continue to bring up as much as I can regarding not only Israel and Lebanon (for they have started to preoccupy us these days), but also Palestine and Iraq. They are all nations under aggression, oppression and occupation of a foreign entity that seeks to divide us Arabs and gain more for its own political aspirations. Someone has to stand up and speak up against these injustices, and put an end to this mess once and for all.
Salaam, from
Saracen
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