About Hezbollah

[Jaga]

Now I wish some of you had LINK TV - they had really unbiased program about the political situation in the Middle east and then the news coverage from the regional news channels.

[kaima]

Pieter,

Not much to argue about there. Perhaps the word "ruthless" is one point, a point that I think is well exceeded. If someone 30km distant from me attacked the Isralies and the Isralies wiped out my family and ancestral house, there woudl not be much left in the world except for me to take revenge on the Isralies at any price. The same holds true for the Americans and careless attacks in Iraq. They many times generate more hate and more enemies than they kill.

i do not see that as good politics.

From my perspectives I would liek to see America pullout of that corner of the world and let those savages have at each other until no one was standing. I hate to think of my country in the middle and getting it from both sides whenit does not involve us.

The wholesale slaughter and destruction of civilian infrastructure isnot called for and generates a negative return.

Kai

[kaima]

Thanks for the warning about your "blah blah", Piwo. I read what you wrote despite it, though.

I disputed your argument that Jaga is anti-Semitic, and I added some points that I believe she covered earlier with which I agree. Sorry to confuse you with so much.

"You die hard liberals"? I hope you mean Bush and not me! He is too wildly die hard liberal with spending and debt for this conservative soul. I fear he has sold us down the road to debt into the grandchildren's generation. Keep an eye on your pension; they will need it to pay for his liberal ways!

kai

[piwo]

kaima said:

Thanks for the warning about your "blah blah", Piwo. I read what you wrote despite it, though.

I disputed your argument that Jaga is anti-Semitic, and I added some points that I believe she covered earlier with which I agree. Sorry to confuse you with so much.

"You die hard liberals"? I hope you mean Bush and not me! He is too wildly die hard liberal with spending and debt for this conservative soul. I fear he has sold us down the road to debt into the grandchildren's generation. Keep an eye on your pension; they will need it to pay for his liberal ways!

kai

Your quite welcome. And no confusion here: I asked a simple question, and got several paragraphs of nothing pertaining to the question asked. I've only pointing out that Israel had been invaded, even if briefly, and a country invaded cannot be condemned for responding. I also pointed out that in another thread that I applaud Israel for restricting a "news" organization sympathetic and funded by those who call for Israel's destruction. Good for them. I'd applaud that with US forces whether they were sent by W or bubba C.

To the matter at hand: heavy handed, ruthless, overboard are all adequate adjectives to describe portions of Israel's response in my opinion. What I admire, and I think many here despise, is that Israel doesn't play with the political correctness glove tying their hands, like we do. They live by the Golden Rule: well slightly modified. They do unto others as others do unto them. Those countries that call for Israels destruction and attack her are treated with the same ruthlessness. Israel rightly makes no distinction between state sponosed terrorists and the states that sponsor them. They respond with equal savagery, ususally with a little something extra. For their neighbors like Egypt, that no longer calls for her destruction and lives as a good neighbor, they have nothing but peace. There have been incidents that could have been over reacted to by Israel, and perhaps Egypt, but the effort there is genuine and so is the peace. Have the 60 years of dealing in that manner brought the peace throughout the region? Of course not. But yet Israel still exists, and if not adopting such a posture you cannot say with certainty that they would have existed. Only Opine, nothing more.

Do we still keep that "minutes to midnight" clock? I'd like to know historically where we are on that scale.

[jimpres]

Piwo,

I agree with you. The only solution the Islamic extremists want is to remove Israel from the map.
No agrrements with the UN or otherwise have ever been honored by them.
During the lulls in fighting they just arm themselves with more weaponry.
They should be crushed once and for all.

jim

[sciwriter]

From an e-mail. Carl:


Israel’s Moment, the Free World’s Gain
We are all Israelis now.

By Larry Kudlow


All of us in the free world owe Israel an enormous thank-you for defending freedom, democracy, and security against the Iranian cat’s-paw wholly-owned terrorist subsidiaries Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel is doing the Lord’s work. They are defending their own homeland and very existence, but they are also defending America’s homeland as our frontline democratic ally in the Middle East. Commentary’s Norman Podhoretz was exactly right when he coined the term World War IV to describe the global terror conflict. Repeatedly hostile actions by the totalitarians in Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and North Korea are all connected. So are the recently foiled terrorist-cell-block plans in Canada, the U.S., London, and elsewhere around the globe. We are fortunate to have a staunch ally like Israel to assist us in this fight.



As Ben Stein recently put it, “God bless Eretz Israel. God bless Israel for having the cojones to stand up for herself.” But supporters of freedom and democracy must also say a prayer for President George W. Bush, who has steadfastly stood up for Israel. He outright refuses to publicly ask Israel to stand down.



As expected, France, Spain, and Italy have responded to recent events with pacifist posturing. In the smoking rooms of Western Europe and around the coffee tables of the United Nations, we hear more lofty calls for restraint. But the terrorist groups that started this fight have shown no restraint. Rather than pull back, Israel should move forward, cleaning out all the terrorist sanctuaries, training camps, weapons caches, and missile systems it can find.



Remember, it was Israel that pulled out of southern Lebanon and Gaza. Later, when terrorist gangs kidnapped Israeli soldiers, Israel appropriately fought back. That is what sovereign nations do, and Israel’s recent military actions deserve our unyielding support. Israel has the right to put the terrorist armies of Hezbollah and Hamas out of business.



Importantly, so called moderate Arab governments Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, and the United Arab Emirates are not taking the Hezbollah or Hamas side. This is undoubtedly a function of the American effort in Iraq, where a forward beachhead has been established for liberalization and representative government. No matter how difficult that effort remains, the center of gravity in much of the Middle East is shifting away from totalitarianism and toward some form of homegrown democracy.



And we cannot delude ourselves about the role of Iran in recent Middle East events. Iran sent Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel in the hope of inflaming the Middle East against Israel and the United States. The plan was to divert attention away from G-8 and UN sanction efforts to derail Iran’s nuclear weaponization program. Iran miscalculated.



Israel’s next front may indeed be Syria, which is also directed by Iran and is a safe haven for terrorists — including former Saddam Baathists and others who move freely between Syria and Iraq in order to cause trouble. Many experts still believe that Syria is safe-harboring Saddam’s unfound inventory of weapons of mass destruction.



According to news reports out of London, senior Pentagon sources say Israel has given Syria 72 hours to bring about the release of the IDF troops kidnapped by Hezbollah. Many strategists also believe Israel should clean out the numerous missile sites, military camps, and terrorist sanctuaries that exist in Syria. It is doubtful the U.S. will interfere. Now is the time to really put the squeeze on Syria’s dictator, Baby Assad.



Back at home, doomsayers are virtually blaming Israel for higher oil prices, slumping stocks, and a potential recession. But there will be no recession. The jittery oil-price jump is a short-term event, and when military actions are completed in the Middle East, prices will plummet. If need be, the U.S. can tap into 688 million barrels of strategic oil reserves, at least two months of import protection. And if Iran attempts to stop the oil flow in the Strait of Hormuz, it will take the U.S. and Israel about 35 minutes to knock out the entire Iranian navy and air force.



Recession? American businesses have never been healthier or more profitable. Lower tax rates have spurred a tremendous boom in private investment, while new job hires continue to lift family incomes. Today’s wartime uncertainty and geopolitical risk will not turn these fundamentals around. Indeed, strong world economic growth will continue, spurred by the spread of the very-American-style free-market capitalism that the Axis of Evil and its terrorist divisions are unsuccessfully trying to overthrow.



When the dust clears the world will applaud Israel for its courage. Sensible freedom-loving people everywhere will realize that Israel’s furious response in the face of senseless terrorist attacks will have made the world a better place.



In fact, we are all Israelis now.



— Larry Kudlow, NRO’s Economics Editor, is host of CNBC’s Kudlow & Company and author of the daily web blog, Kudlow’s Money Politic$.

[jimpres]

And here are the words of Nasserallah,

Just listen to Hassan Nasserallah own words in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV aired on July 24, 2006.

Read it carefully and you will understand why there is no victory for Israel at the end of the process, just a new political agreement that will hold as long as it serves the interests of Iran and Syria.

A major blow to Hizballah and Nasserallah will be a cease-fire agreement with Hamas and the end of military operations in the Gaza Strip. This will leave Hizballah isolated, lacking Palestinian, Arab and other support, but Iran and Syria.





"Victory in this case does not mean that I will enter and conquer the north of Palestine, and liberate Nahariya, Haifa, and Tiberias. This is not one of our slogans. This is a long process, which pertains to the Palestinians and to the nation. This is another issue. The victory that we are talking about - If the resistance survives, this will be a victory. If its determination is not broken, this will be a victory. If Lebanon is not humiliated, if its honor and dignity remain intact, if Lebanon continues to face all alone the strongest military force in the region, and if it perseveres and refuses to accept any humiliating terms in the settlement of this issue - this will be a victory. If we are not militarily defeated, this will be a victory. As long as a single missile is launched from Lebanon to target the Zionists, as long as a single fighter fires his gun, as long as someone plants an explosive device for the Israelis, this means that the resistance still exists."



[...]



"Today, we Shiites are fighting Israel. Our fighting and perseverance ultimately serve our brothers in Palestine, who are Sunni, not Shiite. In other words, we, Shiites and Sunnis, fight side by side against Israel, which is supported and strengthened by America. I'm telling you that if [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert reaches a point at which he says to the Americans, 'I cannot complete this,' Bush will say to him, 'You go on, and if you encounter a problem, I will resolve it for you.' This is what I meant when I talked about 'a battle of the nation,' and I saw [on TV] that you commented on this. I am not fighting on behalf of the nation. But I say that the outcome of the battle that Hizballah is fighting in Lebanon, for better or worse is an outcome for the nation. Defeat in Lebanon is defeat for the nation, and victory in Lebanon is victory for the nation, just like in 2000."



[...]



"For 23 years, we have been talking to our people, motivating them, talking about martyrdom, the honor of martyrdom, and the place of the martyrs. Do the Zionists, or those who encourage them, believe that I, or anyone in the Hizballah leadership, fears martyrdom? We love martyrdom. We take precautions in order to prevent Israel from making any gains. But on the personal level, and as a personal aspiration, each and every one of us hopes to be destined to martyrdom at the hands of those people, the killers of the prophets and the messengers, and most hostile to the believers, as it says in the Koran."

[pieter]

kaima said:

Pieter,

Not much to argue about there. Perhaps the word "ruthless" is one point, a point that I think is well exceeded. If someone 30km distant from me attacked the Isralies and the Isralies wiped out my family and ancestral house, there woudl not be much left in the world except for me to take revenge on the Isralies at any price. The same holds true for the Americans and careless attacks in Iraq. They many times generate more hate and more enemies than they kill.

I do not see that as good politics.

From my perspectives I would liek to see America pullout of that corner of the world and let those savages have at each other until no one was standing. I hate to think of my country in the middle and getting it from both sides whenit does not involve us.

The wholesale slaughter and destruction of civilian infrastructure isnot called for and generates a negative return.

Kai

Kaima,

I can understand your standpoint, but the Middle eastern reality is differant than in our
peaceful Western countries and societies. An old desert, Old testamonial mentality is
stil in place in that region, and sometimes it seems like if the Palestinians and Lebanese
are the Kananites and Philestines of our time and the Israeli's the Israelites of king Saul,
Samuel and David. Mutual deep distrust, hatred, ambivalence, feelings of revenge and
constantly changing realities (changing coalitions, unreliable ceasefires, a thin line between peace and war), generations who are accustomed to losses and societies who
are heavily armed and closed into ethnic thinking and communities.
Complicated is the fact that there are Arabs (and Druz) fighting on both sides and that there are Arabs (and Druz) under the victims and wounded on both sides.

Yesterday I watched the very fascinating movie "The Syrian Bride", directed by
Eran Riklis, which gave me a good insight in the complicated border situation,
and the life of the Israeli and (Pro-) Syrian Druz of the Golan hights.

Pieter

[bescheid]

I wonder as to the Arab conception of what their idea of war actually is. They seem so child like in their execution of their military expertise. As exampled by their idea of marching. A simple observation of their {death head troops} doing the jumping, camel flea in pants energetic marching, is simply silliness.

These people are simply not realistically in step with modern combat technological progress. Human flesh against modern steel panzer forces, is not combat, it is slaughter...

It is little wonder that Israeli combat forces take such a toll of their troops in casualties lists.

The Israeli defense forces learnt their lessons well from their teachers in the last war.

Charles

[sciwriter]

www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20060726&articleId=2824


The War on Lebanon and the Battle for Oil


by Michel Chossudovsky

July 26, 2006
GlobalResearch.ca


Is there a relationship between the bombing of
Lebanon and the inauguration of the World's
largest strategic pipeline, which will channel
more a million barrels of oil a day to Western
markets?
Virtually unnoticed, the inauguration of the
Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline, which links
the Caspian sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, took
place on the 13th of July, at the very outset of
the Israeli sponsored bombings of Lebanon.
One day before the Israeli air strikes, the main
partners and shareholders of the BTC pipeline
project, including several heads of State and oil
company executives were in attendance at the port
of Ceyhan. They were then rushed off for an
inauguration reception in Istanbul, hosted by
Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in the plush
surroundings of the Çýraðan Palace.
Also in attendance was British Petroleum's (BP)
CEO, Lord Browne together with senior government
officials from Britain, the US and Israel. BP
leads the BTC pipeline consortium. Other major
Western shareholders include Chevron,
Conoco-Phillips, France's Total and Italy's ENI.
(see Annex)
Israel's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was present at the venue
together with a delegation of top Israeli oil
officials.
The BTC pipeline totally bypasses the territory of
the Russian Federation. It transits through the
former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia,
both of which have become US "protectorates",
firmly integrated into a military alliance with
the US and NATO. Moreover, both Azerbaijan and
Georgia have longstanding military cooperation
agreements with Israel. In 2005, Georgian
companies received some $24 million in military
contracts funded out of U.S. military assistance
to Israel under the so-called "Foreign Military
Financing (FMF) program".
www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/states/GA.html


Israel has a stake in the Azeri oil fields, from
which it imports some twenty percent of its oil.
The opening of the pipeline will substantially
enhance Israeli oil imports from the Caspian sea
basin.

But there is another dimension which directly
relates to the war on Lebanon. Whereas Russia has
been weakened, Israel is slated to play a major
strategic role in "protecting" the Eastern
Mediterranean transport and pipeline corridors out
of Ceyhan.
Militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean
The bombing of Lebanon is part of a carefully
planned and coordinated military road map. The
extension of the war into Syria and Iran has
already been contemplated by US and Israeli
military planners. This broader military agenda is
intimately related to strategic oil and oil
pipelines. It is supported by the Western oil
giants which control the pipeline corridors. In
the context of the war on Lebanon, it seeks
Israeli territorial control over the East
Mediterranean coastline.
In this context, the BTC pipeline dominated by
British Petroleum, has dramatically changed the
geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is
now linked , through an energy corridor, to the
Caspian sea basin:
"[The BTC pipeline] considerably changes the
status of the region's countries and cements a
new pro-West alliance. Having taken the pipeline
to the Mediterranean, Washington has practically
set up a new bloc with Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Turkey and Israel, " (Komerzant, Moscow, 14 July
2006)
Israel is now part of the Anglo-American military
axis, which serves the interests of the Western
oil giants in the Middle East and Central Asia.
While the official reports state that the BTC
pipeline will "channel oil to Western markets",
what is rarely acknowledged is that part of the
oil from the Caspian sea would be directly
channeled towards Israel. In this regard, an
underwater Israeli-Turkish pipeline project has
been envisaged which would link Ceyhan to the
Israeli port of Ashkelon and from there through
Israel's main pipeline system, to the Red Sea.
The objective of Israel is not only to acquire
Caspian sea oil for its own consumption needs but
also to play a key role in re-exporting Caspian
sea oil back to the Asian markets through the Red
Sea port of Eilat. The strategic implications of
this re-routing of Caspian sea oil are
farreaching.
In April 2006, Israel and Turkey announced plans
for four underwater pipelines, which would bypass
Syrian and Lebanese territory.
"Turkey and Israel are negotiating the
construction of a multi-million-dollar energy
and water project that will transport water,
electricity, natural gas and oil by pipelines to
Israel, with the oil to be sent onward from
Israel to the Far East,
The new Turkish-Israeli proposal under
discussion would see the transfer of water,
electricity, natural gas and oil to Israel via
four underwater pipelines.
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961328841&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


"Baku oil can be transported to Ashkelon via
this new pipeline and to India and the Far
East.[via the Red sea]"
"Ceyhan and the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon
are situated only 400 km apart. Oil can be
transported to the city in tankers or via
specially constructed under-water pipeline. From
Ashkelon the oil can be pumped through already
existing pipeline to the port of Eilat at the
Red Sea; and from there it can be transported to
India and other Asian countries in tankers.
(REGNUM )
Water for Israel
Also involved in this project is a pipeline to
bring water to Israel, pumping water from upstream
resources of the Tigris and Euphrates river system
in Anatolia. This has been a long-run strategic
objective of Israel to the detriment of Syria and
Iraq. Israel's agenda with regard to water is
supported by the military cooperation agreement
between Tel Aviv and Ankara.
The Re-routing of Central Asian Oil
Diverting Central Asian oil and gas to the Eastern
Mediterranean (under Israeli military protection),
for re-export to Asia, serves to undermine the
inter-Asian energy market, which is based on the
development of direct pipeline corridors linking
Central Asia and Russia to South Asia, China and
the Far East.
Ultimately, this design is intended to weaken
Russia's role in Central Asia and cut off China
from Central Asian oil resources. It is also
intended to isolate Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel has emerged as a new powerful
player in the global energy market.
War and Oil Pipelines
Prior to the bombing of Lebanon, Israel and Turkey
had announced the underwater pipeline routes,
which bypassed Syria and Lebanon. These underwater
pipeline routes did not overtly encroach on the
territorial sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria.
On the other hand, the development of alternative
land based corridors (for oil and water) through
Lebanon and Syria would require Israeli-Turkish
territorial control over the Eastern Mediterranean
coastline through Lebanon and Syria.
The implementation of this project requires the
militarisation of the East Mediterranean
coastline, sea ways and land routes, extending
from the port of Ceyhan across Syria and Lebanon
to the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Is this not one of the hidden objectives of the
war on Lebanon? Open up a space which enables
Israel to control a vast territory extending from
the Lebanese border through Syria to Turkey.
"The Long War"
Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert has stated that
the Israeli offensive against Lebanon would "last
a very long time". Meanwhile, the US has speeded
up weapons shipments to Israel.
There are strategic objectives underlying the
"Long War" which are tied to oil and oil
pipelines.
The air campaign against Lebanon is inextricably
related to US-Israeli strategic objectives in the
broader Middle East including Syria and Iran. In
recent developments, Secretary of State Condoleeza
Rice stated that the main purpose of her mission
to the Middle East was not to push for a ceasefire
in Lebanon, but rather to isolate Syria and Iran.
(Daily Telegraph, 22 July 2006)
At this particular juncture, the replenishing of
Israeli stockpiles of US produced WMDs points to
an escalation of the war both within and beyond
the borders of Lebanon.

[pieter]

The Power of Amal is back, Nabih Beri is the guy!


Power steering

By Zvi Bar'el

Although Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the leader of the majority bloc in parliament, Saad Hariri, were the ones who attended this week's international Rome Conference on Lebanon, at the moment the real political power in the country seems to be in the hands of Nabih Beri.

After almost 14 years as speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Beri is doing it again. The experienced Shiite, an enthusiastic supporter of Syria, the leader of the Amal movement (a Lebanese Shiite organization) and the man who was the sworn enemy of both the Palestinians and Hezbollah, is now "the mediator": Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah authorized him as the go-between who will act on his behalf in contacts with the Lebanese government and the international community.

This week, during his meeting in Beirut with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Beri outlined his position as though it were that of Lebanon. According to him, there is only one way to solve the crisis: an immediate cease-fire and negotiations over an exchange of hostages and prisoners. His stance, which is also based on what he heard from Nasrallah, does not accord with that of Siniora and Hariri, who are demanding an overall settlement. In the context of such a settlement, Hezbollah would be disarmed and the military threat it represents would be neutralized, the south of the country would be demilitarized, Israel would withdraw from the Shaba Farms and the controversial border with Syria would be set.

Thus Beri has once again become the deciding factor - a position to which he has been accustomed since the time when the late Rafik Hariri was prime minister. The Amal leader has been carefully maintaining this position ever since the beginning of the "national dialogue" this year, in which the various political streams in Lebanon tried to reach a consensus. If Beri decides to support the government position, Nasrallah will find it difficult to persevere in his political views. If he adheres to his current position, the Lebanese government will be unable to promote an overall agreement. That will happen only if a powerful outside force compels it to do so.

Beri is in no rush. He is very familiar with the political game - after all, that's how he earned a substantial portion of his private fortune. Rafik Hariri once related how Beri used to extort huge sums from him every time he needed parliamentary approval for a government program. According to the Lebanese opposition, Beri, who was also in charge of the activity of the oil refineries in Zaharani, used to charge a commission on all fuel produced there.

But now the political map is somewhat distorted. It is not entirely clear to Beri what Syria's position is: Will it decide to help in the negotiations, to join the new regional policy being conducted by the United States and to sever itself from Iran, or will its president, Bashar Assad, continue with the policy familiar to Beri and others? Will the international plan go forward and require Beri to change sides, or is it all fruitless talk, meaning that he will be able to continue to adhere to the nationalist line, which supports the resistance and constitutes a prop for the Syrians?

Even the military situation is not entirely clear to Beri. Where will he be able to profit from it, politically and financially? Where is the line where a Hezbollah loss will be his loss as well - since at present he is linked to Nasrallah's policy? On the other hand, if Hezbollah loses, Beri can lay claim to the leadership of the Shiites, a position that he lost in the 1980s when Nasrallah and his supporters split off from Amal to establish Hezbollah. Beri well remembers how in 1987 he lost in a military campaign against Hezbollah and was forced into exile in Syria for nine months. He won't let that happen again.

A Katyusha at home

The home of D. in southern Lebanon was destroyed during the present war, and he fled with his family to Beirut. Now they are sleeping in a public park and receiving refugee food rations. From his uncle, who lives in Canada, I got a description of someone who "keeps a Katyusha in his house" - as Chief of Staff Dan Halutz described the civilians whose homes are being bombed by the Israel Defense Forces, because they are considered guilty of assisting Hezbollah.

"We are Shiites, like the entire village. Some of us making a living from agriculture, and some from commerce," said the uncle. "Others, like me, live outside the country. During the Israeli occupation, my nephew had it good. One of our relatives enlisted in the South Lebanese Army (SLA) and in exchange, he was allowed to provide work permits for 15 of his friends. That was the usual arrangement between members of the SLA and the IDF. Hezbollah knew about the arrangement, but did not prevent the villagers from working in Israel, because it knew that without a livelihood all the residents of the south would oppose it. Anyone who worked in Israel paid $50 a month to the SLA man who gave him the work permit, and another sum for "the resistance" [i.e., Hezbollah - Z.B.]. It was a convenient arrangement.

"Then Israel left Lebanon and my nephew was left without work. That's when the settling of accounts began as well. The fact is that Hezbollah gave instructions not to harm those who had worked in Israel and pardoned many SLA men, who came to work for it. My nephew returned to work in agriculture and his wife, who before the [Israeli] withdrawal had worked in a packing house in Metula, began to work in a Hezbollah school. They didn't harass them and they didn't cause them any problems.

"But in the village, a settling of accounts began. Anyone who had made a good living in Israel and built a nice home - some of which have now been bombed - had to make a serious effort to prove his loyalty to Hezbollah, which quickly took over the entire network of services and the economy in the south. Women who in the past had worn regular dresses began to wear a hijab (headscarf) and the men went to the mosque.

"Hezbollah ordered that its flag be flown from every house, and the residents were required to join the demonstrations and celebrations initiated by the organization. Every arrangement, license or visit to the hospital in Nabatiyeh required the approval of a Hezbollah representative in the village.

"Then they began to draft people for training exercises. There was no choice. My nephew also underwent training and received a weapon to take home. As far as I know, he never used it. But it was clear that if anything happened, he would have to report to the organization headquarters and serve as part of the Hezbollah force. At first, nobody thought that he would really be involved in military action. After all, Israel had withdrawn and they promised that the war was over and there would be no more problems.

"But there was always something new. The Hezbollah members confiscated a storeroom and a cellar in his neighbor's house and put crates of bombs or explosives there. They installed antennas on other houses. Nobody resisted, because it was clear that such a person would not find work or would not receive a reduction on school tuition and medical treatment.

"It's true that not everyone was like that. Some became active and enthusiastic members of the organization. I don't understand them. They volunteered to store explosives in their homes, where they lived with their many children. Weren't they afraid for the children?

"Now my nephew's house is gone. He didn't have bombs, but somebody apparently informed on him to your Military Intelligence. The settling of accounts among the villagers has not yet ended - the envy exists, and this is a good time for revenge.

"And do you know what's happening now? My nephew told me that he hopes Hezbollah will continue to control south Lebanon - not because he likes them, but because they're the only ones who can build his house or compensate him. He doesn't expect anything from the Lebanese government."

Reactions of the readers of Haaretz:

Talkback

Title: Nabih Beri`s Amal movement joins the Hizbollah
Name: Amir
City: State:

So much for that hope of Nabih Beri helping the Israelis out of this quagmire by anything but fighting the occupiers. JIHAD!!!

-----------------------------------------

Title: power steering Zvi Bar`el
Name: jihad
City: beyrouth State:

I agree with you;
It is always good to tell everybody the truth.

Could you please make the same for the way the israeli soldiers managed to let the druze militia of joumblat make ethnic cleansing in 1982. Or how Sharon commanded palestinian massacre in sabra and chatila.

-----------------------------------------

Title: Nabih Berri is a dog for Syria
Name: Lorenzo
City: Beirut State:

Mr. Nabih Berri is one third of the problem; he is and always has been a dog for Syria. The national dialogue was a JOKE! designed as a dog and pony show by his handlers in Syria. The entire country when they were not ignoring it, were rolling on the floor in gut wrenching laughter at the sight of little boys playing grown-up. Where were you during this pathetic, retarded excuse for even more photographs?

If Mr. Nabih Berri, Mr.Emile Lahoud, or Mr. Nasrallah are to be any part of the new Lebanon, then those of us who have chosen to stay should without reservation reconsider and be on the first flight out, and never look back.

[pieter]

sciwriter said:

www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20060726&articleId=2824


The War on Lebanon and the Battle for Oil


by Michel Chossudovsky

July 26, 2006
GlobalResearch.ca


Is there a relationship between the bombing of
Lebanon and the inauguration of the World's
largest strategic pipeline, which will channel
more a million barrels of oil a day to Western
markets?
Virtually unnoticed, the inauguration of the
Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline, which links
the Caspian sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, took
place on the 13th of July, at the very outset of
the Israeli sponsored bombings of Lebanon.
One day before the Israeli air strikes, the main
partners and shareholders of the BTC pipeline
project, including several heads of State and oil
company executives were in attendance at the port
of Ceyhan. They were then rushed off for an
inauguration reception in Istanbul, hosted by
Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in the plush
surroundings of the Çýraðan Palace.
Also in attendance was British Petroleum's (BP)
CEO, Lord Browne together with senior government
officials from Britain, the US and Israel. BP
leads the BTC pipeline consortium. Other major
Western shareholders include Chevron,
Conoco-Phillips, France's Total and Italy's ENI.
(see Annex)
Israel's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was present at the venue
together with a delegation of top Israeli oil
officials.
The BTC pipeline totally bypasses the territory of
the Russian Federation. It transits through the
former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia,
both of which have become US "protectorates",
firmly integrated into a military alliance with
the US and NATO. Moreover, both Azerbaijan and
Georgia have longstanding military cooperation
agreements with Israel. In 2005, Georgian
companies received some $24 million in military
contracts funded out of U.S. military assistance
to Israel under the so-called "Foreign Military
Financing (FMF) program".
www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/states/GA.html


Israel has a stake in the Azeri oil fields, from
which it imports some twenty percent of its oil.
The opening of the pipeline will substantially
enhance Israeli oil imports from the Caspian sea
basin.

But there is another dimension which directly
relates to the war on Lebanon. Whereas Russia has
been weakened, Israel is slated to play a major
strategic role in "protecting" the Eastern
Mediterranean transport and pipeline corridors out
of Ceyhan.
Militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean
The bombing of Lebanon is part of a carefully
planned and coordinated military road map. The
extension of the war into Syria and Iran has
already been contemplated by US and Israeli
military planners. This broader military agenda is
intimately related to strategic oil and oil
pipelines. It is supported by the Western oil
giants which control the pipeline corridors. In
the context of the war on Lebanon, it seeks
Israeli territorial control over the East
Mediterranean coastline.
In this context, the BTC pipeline dominated by
British Petroleum, has dramatically changed the
geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is
now linked , through an energy corridor, to the
Caspian sea basin:
"[The BTC pipeline] considerably changes the
status of the region's countries and cements a
new pro-West alliance. Having taken the pipeline
to the Mediterranean, Washington has practically
set up a new bloc with Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Turkey and Israel, " (Komerzant, Moscow, 14 July
2006)
Israel is now part of the Anglo-American military
axis, which serves the interests of the Western
oil giants in the Middle East and Central Asia.
While the official reports state that the BTC
pipeline will "channel oil to Western markets",
what is rarely acknowledged is that part of the
oil from the Caspian sea would be directly
channeled towards Israel. In this regard, an
underwater Israeli-Turkish pipeline project has
been envisaged which would link Ceyhan to the
Israeli port of Ashkelon and from there through
Israel's main pipeline system, to the Red Sea.
The objective of Israel is not only to acquire
Caspian sea oil for its own consumption needs but
also to play a key role in re-exporting Caspian
sea oil back to the Asian markets through the Red
Sea port of Eilat. The strategic implications of
this re-routing of Caspian sea oil are
farreaching.
In April 2006, Israel and Turkey announced plans
for four underwater pipelines, which would bypass
Syrian and Lebanese territory.
"Turkey and Israel are negotiating the
construction of a multi-million-dollar energy
and water project that will transport water,
electricity, natural gas and oil by pipelines to
Israel, with the oil to be sent onward from
Israel to the Far East,
The new Turkish-Israeli proposal under
discussion would see the transfer of water,
electricity, natural gas and oil to Israel via
four underwater pipelines.
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961328841&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


"Baku oil can be transported to Ashkelon via
this new pipeline and to India and the Far
East.[via the Red sea]"
"Ceyhan and the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon
are situated only 400 km apart. Oil can be
transported to the city in tankers or via
specially constructed under-water pipeline. From
Ashkelon the oil can be pumped through already
existing pipeline to the port of Eilat at the
Red Sea; and from there it can be transported to
India and other Asian countries in tankers.
(REGNUM )
Water for Israel
Also involved in this project is a pipeline to
bring water to Israel, pumping water from upstream
resources of the Tigris and Euphrates river system
in Anatolia. This has been a long-run strategic
objective of Israel to the detriment of Syria and
Iraq. Israel's agenda with regard to water is
supported by the military cooperation agreement
between Tel Aviv and Ankara.
The Re-routing of Central Asian Oil
Diverting Central Asian oil and gas to the Eastern
Mediterranean (under Israeli military protection),
for re-export to Asia, serves to undermine the
inter-Asian energy market, which is based on the
development of direct pipeline corridors linking
Central Asia and Russia to South Asia, China and
the Far East.
Ultimately, this design is intended to weaken
Russia's role in Central Asia and cut off China
from Central Asian oil resources. It is also
intended to isolate Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel has emerged as a new powerful
player in the global energy market.
War and Oil Pipelines
Prior to the bombing of Lebanon, Israel and Turkey
had announced the underwater pipeline routes,
which bypassed Syria and Lebanon. These underwater
pipeline routes did not overtly encroach on the
territorial sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria.
On the other hand, the development of alternative
land based corridors (for oil and water) through
Lebanon and Syria would require Israeli-Turkish
territorial control over the Eastern Mediterranean
coastline through Lebanon and Syria.
The implementation of this project requires the
militarisation of the East Mediterranean
coastline, sea ways and land routes, extending
from the port of Ceyhan across Syria and Lebanon
to the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Is this not one of the hidden objectives of the
war on Lebanon? Open up a space which enables
Israel to control a vast territory extending from
the Lebanese border through Syria to Turkey.
"The Long War"
Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert has stated that
the Israeli offensive against Lebanon would "last
a very long time". Meanwhile, the US has speeded
up weapons shipments to Israel.
There are strategic objectives underlying the
"Long War" which are tied to oil and oil
pipelines.
The air campaign against Lebanon is inextricably
related to US-Israeli strategic objectives in the
broader Middle East including Syria and Iran. In
recent developments, Secretary of State Condoleeza
Rice stated that the main purpose of her mission
to the Middle East was not to push for a ceasefire
in Lebanon, but rather to isolate Syria and Iran.
(Daily Telegraph, 22 July 2006)
At this particular juncture, the replenishing of
Israeli stockpiles of US produced WMDs points to
an escalation of the war both within and beyond
the borders of Lebanon.

I don't believe Michel Chossudovsky's statements, because the present situation
in Lebanon does not secure the situation in the region at all and does not
favor a secure oil connection between the Caucasus and Turkey, because the
previous situation of relativly calm in Lebanon and the relative moderate powers
that had the power there were preferable above the second chaotic and insecure
situation. Lebanon is and has always been an uncontrolable country, because of
the counterveiling powers. Even when Syria and Israel occupied large parts of it,
both the anti-israeli and anti-Syrian powers were there to stay.
Separated from the Lebanese conflict the Oil pipe line from Azebeidjan to Turkey
via Georgia was and will be endangered by Seperatist and Islamist forces in
Georgia and Turkey. In Georgia Abkhazian and South Ossetian seperatists
could be engaged in Sabotage actions, backed by the Russian FSB (KGB) or
special forces (Spetnatz), or Chechen rebels could damage the pipelines,
out of solidarity with their Muslim brethern in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In Turkey speratist Kurd rebels could damage Turkish and Western interests
there, and Turkish extreme Left and Islamist (Al Qaida affilitated groups)
could attack the pipelines.

Pieter

[bescheid]

Carl

Do I have this some what on target with Mr. Chossudorsky, the pay off to the Hezbollah was to instigate a war with Israeli forces. This in self to create a smoke screen for the cause and effect of Israeli occupation of the coastal area of Lebanon.

This then for regional stability in the interest of the oil pipe line?


Charles

[bescheid]

Pieter

Just a short comment of Mr. Nabih Berri: The man is a survivor and interesting back ground.

www.lebanonembassyus.org/country_lebanon/berri.html

www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=66046&d=28&m=6&y=2005

Charles

[sciwriter]

Charles & Pieter, I think we need to wait & see how this war ends. Carl