Viewpoint
Hands off Lebanon
SHELLEY WALIA
|
What is happening in Lebanon is a contravention of the laws of war.
|
It has to be realised that wars are not a deterrent to terrorism...
IN the face of unimaginable suffering in southern Lebanon, the Anglo-American juggernaut has sent out an admonition to Iran to end its support of the Lebanese-based militia group Hezbollah. In reaction to the American caution, President Ahmadinejad of Iran, a foremost sponsor of the Hezbollah militant group, cited a proverb that says: "He who raises the wind will get a hurricane." He has always considered the West Asian condition deeply volatile and the unscrupulous Israeli bombing of Palestine and Lebanon objectionable. "All issues of international security must be resolved through dialogue, because force does not bring a solution," the Iranian leader said. "The use of force will only exacerbate the situation."
Disproportionate retaliation
The two Western leaders base their support for Israel on the view that their motivations lie in the promotion of peace and democracy, ignoring utterly the disproportionate retaliation by the Israeli forces in waging a full-scale war on Lebanon as reprisal for the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. This is an unashamed contravention of the laws of war. If the Palestinians or Hezbollah kidnap a couple of Israelis, it amounts to grave provocation, notwithstanding the 9,000 Palestinians who languish in Israeli jails. Apparently, State terrorism does not draw enough censure compared to terrorism by Hamas or Hezbollah.
The instantaneous shipment of precision guided bombs, including U.S.-made GBU-28 bunker buster bombs, capable of demolishing concrete bunkers located deep underground makes it evident that Israel was not alone in this operation against Lebanon. The supply of such advanced military hardware is a forerunner to further escalation in West Asia and a perceptible pointer towards employing such lethal bombs beyond Lebanon. On the other hand, the ever-looming nuclear threat from Iran is itself an irritant that is a rationale for this military alliance with Israel. But let us not overlook that Israel already has in its stockpile more than 200 nuclear bombs, a fact that seems to be of no anxiety to the U.S.
The recent ceasefire stands utterly violated in the face of the Israeli commandos' raid deep inside Lebanon. The media too has deftly remained silent on the Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline that was launched on July 13, the time of the beginning of the invasion of Lebanon. Britain, the U.S. and Israel are partners in this venture that aims to ensure that Israel remains the custodian of much of the oil flowing out of the Caspian sea and safeguards the Eastern Mediterranean transport and pipeline corridors out of Ceyhan. This visibly is of enormous interest to oil companies operating from the West, most of all, British Petroleum.
Facade of concern
It is also clear that the U.N. humanitarian efforts have been insignificant in the face of the non-stop pounding of Southern Lebanon where more than a thousand civilians have died, with a third being children and a million people displaced. The ceasefire is a mere façade of concern. If 40 resolutions by the U.N. condemning Israeli actions have been vetoed by the U.S., there is really no tangible function of the peacemaking body or its decisions. Already there is a blockade on Lebanon which Israel's prime minister Ehmud Olmert has refused to lift in spite of requests from the U.N. Secretary general Kofi Annan, arguing that it would only allow Iran to sneak in weapons to Hezbollah. Annan has completely failed to persuade Israel to at least allow the opening of Beirut airport if only for the reason that it would strengthen the democratic government in Lebanon. But Israel is adamant and refuses to pull out of Southern Lebanon until the full implementation of the U.N. resolution.
The last few weeks have shown that the intimidation of Iran and Syria has brought no results; Iran is still unyielding and has not responded to the August deadline that calls for a suspension of uranium enrichment to avoid facing international sanctions. Iran is not yielding to international pressure to end its nuclear programme, which it argues is purely civilian; there is absolutely no evidence of any military motives behind its experiments. The Hezbollah continues to be a tough military force difficult to suppress even with the American-backed Israeli military. Undeniably, it has been a victory for the Hezbollah, which through its ground forces has put up a strong challenge to Israeli air force and has proved that without foot soldiers it is difficult to win a war. To have provoked Israel to war by abducting two Israeli solders, Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah, appears to have not only paid heed to the Palestinian call for help but has also made certain that the erstwhile peaceful state of Lebanon does not culminate in a general consensus for the end of militancy which is a prerequisite for the existence of the Hezbollah.
On their part, the Israelis got what they wanted — a timely provocation to annihilate the Hezbollah once and for all as well as send a warning to Iran to refrain from producing nuclear fuel or face a military invasion in the near future. Here, however, Israel has miserably failed and instead, the Hezbollah has gained in prestige, especially in its present efforts in putting Lebanon back on its feet from a $12-billion-dollar damage to its civil infrastructure. The recent Stockholm Donors conference brought 60 nations together who have pledged to donate $500 million towards the rebuilding of Lebanon and, more significantly, has sent a message to Israel to lift the embargo.
Israel's agenda of "cleaning up" Hezbollah within the 20-km zone from the border has led to a complete pulverization of the basic amenities of power, food and medicine, schools and bridges not only in Lebanon, but in Gaza too; it has not only completely annihilated the civilian infrastructure but has generated more hatred than ever before. Under the Geneva Convention, the on-looking western powers are as guilty of war crimes as Israel.
How much longer?
As Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan writer and journalist, writes, "How much longer will the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier be allowed to justify the kidnapping of Palestinian sovereignty? How much longer will the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers be allowed to justify the kidnapping of the entire nation of Lebanon? How much longer will we accept that this world so in love with death is the only world possible?" The world has to stir out of its slumber and denounce Israel and its allies without fear of being labelled anti-Semitic, being fully aware that the West Asian animosity will result in manifold killings which would give birth to further terrorist attacks, sponsored either by the State or by private agencies. The recent conflict has left negative messages of victory for Hezbollah, which has further become an impetus to the Islamic youth to escalate their war against the West. It has to be fully realised that such wars are not a deterrent to terrorism, but a reinforcement of the recoil that is so obviously generated, especially when International Law and fundamental human rights are thrown to the wind. How long will a world tolerate the lies, unauthorised interventions and indiscriminate destruction of historic cities like Baghdad and Beirut, and the holocaust of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib by allies that bask under a horrific agenda of gaining world hegemony?
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
