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Cruel campaign

The editorial "Cruel, senseless campaign" (Aug. 1) has rightly condemned Israel's bloodbath against the Lebanese. Unfortunately many seek to justify the brutal killings on grounds of Israel's right to self-defence and struggle for existence. Unleashing a reign of terror against innocent people is no way to assert one's right to exist. Israel might have been provoked into savage bombardment by Hizbollah's actions. But two wrongs do not make a right.

A.K. Muneer Hudawi,
Malappuram, Kerala

With the Bush administration blindly supporting Israel's bombing of Lebanon, the U.S.' so-called war on terror has lost its meaning. In the name of war against Hizbollah, Lebanese civilians are being killed. In what way are the leaders of Israel and America different from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda?

U.M. Nouman,
Bangalore

It is not enough to just condemn the Qana massacre in which 34 children were killed. Air strikes on a defenceless country are also acts of terror. The U.S. is only making more enemies by backing Israel. As for the U.N., it is better for it to close down its offices and go on a picnic.

S. Mahaboob Basha,
Adoni, A.P.

The devastating attacks originally intended to weaken Hizbollah are killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Israel's action is the height of unipolarism. It is time the U.N. and the so-called saviour of the world, the U.S., acted. It is strange that countries that are spearheading campaigns against terrorists and terrorism are becoming partners in perpetrating terror.

Lakshmi Ram,
Bangalore

It is not just large-scale destruction of infrastructure and the colossal loss of lives that are appalling. The fact that the so-called leaders of the world are mute spectators exposes the hollowness of their claims of bringing stability to the volatile West Asian region.

Sudha Krishnan,
Chennai

As Raji Serrani, Director, Palestine Centre for Human Rights, has pointed out, the Israeli tactic of terrorising the Lebanese is psychological warfare. The U.N. has unfortunately been rendered a paper tiger.

U.K.S. Srinath,
Chennai

Israel's criminal disregard for the loss of lives is appalling. Trying to justify its terror tactics saying Hizbollah drew first blood simply does not pass muster. There has to be some difference between the acts of a so-called terrorist outfit and a civilised nation. The painfully long time being taken on enforcing a ceasefire proves that if the U.S. is your benefactor, you can literally get away with murder.

Abhishek Mishra,
New Delhi

The already disproportionate Israeli reaction to the abduction of two of its soldiers reached its worst climax when it killed innocent civilians, including sleeping children, in Qana. Israel is in no mood to heed the repeated condemnations and appeals for restraint from across the globe. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement that the offensive in Lebanon will end only after Israel achieves its objective speaks to its unilateralism.

Naveen Marrapu,
Hyderabad

The world sits watching the murder of ordinary civilians in horror, thanks to the media that promptly wire it in. Why bother raising your voice when it is happening in somebody else's backyard? New Delhi's foreign policy ever since the end of the Cold War has been at best limited to carefully worded statements to avoid displeasure in the White House. It is time the Americans ended the double standards they apply when it comes to the Middle East.

Siyad Abdul Rasheed,
Thiruvananthapuram

It does not appear as though Israel is responding to the abduction of its soldiers. It seems Israel was waiting for an excuse to attack Hizbollah. But it is the civilians who are becoming victims of its actions. What is the U.S. doing about the rampant violation of human rights by Israel, while it speaks volumes of such violations elsewhere?

R. Seshadri,
Chennai

The U.S. hypocrisy is responsible for what is happening in West Asia today. It failed to act as an honest broker to enforce the Oslo accord, which ensured recognition of Israel's right to exist in exchange for the return of the Arab lands usurped by it in 1967. A decade-long peaceful struggle was crushed ruthlessly by the Jewish state, paving the way for the militant Hizbollah to gain ground.

Syed Sultan Mohiddin,
Kadapa, A.P.

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