About those civilian casualties...
By AcademicElephant Posted in User Blogs — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
As I noted earlier today, the anti-Israel faction is up in arms over the civilian casualties that are occurring in Lebanon. The line runs that because the Israeli response to Hezbollah's aggression is "disproportionate," innocents are suffering unnecessarily. It has been widely reported that Jan Egeland, the head of the UN Humanitarian Relief effort, criticized Israel on Sunday for this "violation of international humanitarian law."
But Mr. Egeland had more to say after he visited Lebanon yesterday. Apparently, those mighty fighters of Hezbollah are "proud" that they have managed to avoid large numbers of casualties in their ranks--because the brunt of the violence has been born by the civilians with whom they have "blended" in order to evade the Israelis. What a thing in which to take pride. Mr. Egeland was rightly appalled by this callous disregard for innocent lives, and called Hezbollah for what they are:
Cowards.
There are those who are already declaring the failure of the Israeli incursion into Lebanon because Israel has not been aggressive enough in pursuing Hezbollah. The sense that Israel is not finishing Hezbollah is almost certainly caused by Israel's knowledge of Hezbollah's craven policy of exploiting civilians. Out of human decency, Israel has been trying to weed out the terrorists while minimizing collateral damage. From the escalation of violence today, though, it seems that the Israelis have realized that they're not going to be able to do this surgically. Hezbollah has winnowed itself so deeply into civilian populations in Lebanon that it will be impossible to eradicate them without hurting the people behind whom they cower. The situation is deeply unfortunate, but it is born of Hezbollah's, not Israel's, actions.
So when the anti-Israel bleeding hearts start bemoaning the state of Lebanese civilians, ask them about the Hezbollah policy of "blending" with the local population. The terrorists are congratulating themselves on their clever saving of their own skins. But how much concern are they showing for the civilians they have thrown to the Israeli lion at their door?
organization, anyway?
Did you expect them to come out and fight face-to-face with the Israelis? Surely our little soiree in Mesopotamia has been instructive enough that you didn't actually expect that they would, did you?
Of course they hid among civilians. Reports I'm seeing are that they intentionally tried to draw down fire on Christian neighborhoods as payback for the Christians not supporting them.
But, seriously, what did anyone expect? There was never any chance that Hezbollah (or Hamas) wouldn't hide behind babies. If Israel or any other power launches a war against a terrorist organization, then the fact that they follow Mao's dictum to swim through the people like a fish in water is quite disingenuous.
This does not excuse Hezbollah's behavior, or Hamas' for that matter. They are dangerous, terrorist organizations that need to be dealt with. The problem with dealing with them from the air is that Hezbollah is evading the strikes and all you end up with a dead kids.
That makes for bad TV. It isn't just about fighting terrorists, it is about beating terrorists. To do that, the situation in Lebanon must be fundamentally altered so that a government is in place that can control the Shia and keep Hezbollah disarmed, and, preferably, bury the leadership in a mass grave.
Will the Israeli attacks contribute to the ultimate demise of Hezbollah, or will the civilian casualties eventually force a cessation of hostilities which a) leaves Hezbollah even stronger than before b) leaves much of Lebanon destroyed, c) creates even more permenant refugees that contribute to anti-Israeli terrorism and d) support for what turns into a humanitarian catastrophe that blows back on the U.S. Starving kids who can't get food because the roads are blown makes very, very bad TV.
Hezbollah must be destroyed. That is a fact. I am not at all sure that the current strategy, however, is the way to do this.
that the majority of "innocent civilians" in Southern Lebanon support Hezbollah --- that's how Hezbollah got their seats in parliament. They have transformed themselves into "innocent civilians" because the Israelis are teaching them that there are consequences for their actions in voting for and harboring terrorissts.
If I hear the term "proportionate response" one more time my head may explode. "Proportionate response" is the cessation of hostilities resulting form reducing the enemy to the point where they can no longer fight.
The Lebanese people are suffering for one reason and one reason only; for six years they have tolerated the presence of terrorists in their midst.
And I will say it again:
The Lebanese have 3 options and 3 options only.
- They can pick up the easily available weapons and throw Hezbollah out.
- They can get the [insert profanity here] out of the way and let the Israelis do what needs done For them.
- or they can stand and Die alongside their beloved "Lebanese resistance fghters"
They have apparently chosen the 3rd option. I am sorry for those that truly are innocent who have been and will be killed because of this, but you know what? It may just be time for Puff the Magic Dragon to make a visit to Southern Lebanon... And I don't see Any reason to cry for the collateral damage...
there have been no civilians killed by Israel. Those who support Hezbollah are not civilians. If you live next door to a rocket storage area and fail to report it, tough noogies when your house gets bombed. Please look elsewhere for sympathy or empathy.
Def: When attacked by a neighbor whose intention is to kill you and your family, the "proportionate response" is to kill all of the individuals who are threatening you, along with all those who support them in any fashion. Note: if there is a UN outpost near you, you should assume they are supporting those threatening your family and act accordingly.
Source: NewWorld Dictionary of mbecker908
is not in the innocent part, but in the civilian part.
They are ALL civilians...their innocence is a different matter, but I am personally on jsteele's side-they elected them they dig tunnels for them they let them hide among them as they fire rockets...nah, not innocent...they are only civilians, and only that because no one has designed a terrorist jihadist uniform yet...
Why do Hezbollah fighters transport themselves in ambulances? Because not enough Christian elementary school buses were available when they were out stealing vehicles.
Maybe the Lebanese or UN forces could have fixed the situation had these complicit neighbors helped the good guys instead.
Schweinfurt.
Hamburg.
London.
Tokyo.
Normandy (June 6th, 1944).
Many, many others.
Very, very sorry to note that civilian casualties are, simply, part of the equation of war.
Most of the MSM's coverage of the Israeli reaction to Hezbollah is bleating about civilian distress and casualties in Lebanon.
Has anyone - anyone - seen an MSM broadcast about the extensive civilian distress caused by over 2000 Hezbollah rockets launched into Israel?