Rebuilding Lebanon

[Shaihulud]

Israel, of course, you cannot leave a potential enemy behind you. Israel will propably try to rebuild Lebanon to their advantage, a mighty endeavour and not possible without monetary aid from the Americans. I would rather Lebanon in the hands of Israel than Syria or Iran, if Israel leaves Lebanon the burning hulk they leave it... That would be pure stupidity, doesn't everyone agree? There will be international outcries, and leave the position of Israel in an even more precarious spot among the nations of the world.

 

[Elrohir]

How is a couple of hundred dead, regardless of thier intentions, 'win'?

It's a win for the Israeli's, and for freedom and democracy everywhere. It's a loss for terrorists and tyranny, I suppose, but I'm willing to accept that. "Win-win" just sounds better than "Win-loss".

 

[IceBlaZe]

The fact is that the Hezbollah was deeply integrated within the Lebanese cities and villages.
Until later stages of the war, the IDF used the following measures to minimize civilian casualites:
1. Dropping flyers in areas designated for bombing calling for civilians to leave the area
2. Using relatively small and only guided missiles.
There's evidence for cases in which Hezbollah prevents Lebanese civilians from leaving areas used by them. There's a reason the families of many Hezbollah members went to bed each night when missiles were hidden in the room next to them.

Israel has spent enough money on Lebanon bombing the hell out of Hezbollah, saving money that should have been spent years ago by the Lebanese government / Useless UNIFIL forces to dismantle the Hezbollah according to UNSC Resolution 1559 that was never implemented and the results of that we see today.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

The Arab world should foot the bill. At almost $80 a barrel oil, they can afford it.

 

[moggydave]

Yet again and again I see in these threads people somehow trying to argue that whilst Hezbollah is terrorist, the Israeli Army is not. How can this be argued??? Just because the Israeli Army reperesents a state and Hezbollah doesn't and is prominantly an undergroundmovement doesn't make it terrorist. It's just as much an army as any other in the world, whether it be Hamas, US Army, French Army, or Royal Army of Wekeepgettingcalledterroriststan.

And then we must ask, what do armies do?? Well the kill people. Why?? To get what they believe to be in their best interests- in other words to get what they want.

Now personally I wold consider killing people to be the height of humanities ability to strike fear and (yes here it comes........) terror.

Thus armies create terror, or terrorise, to get what thy want. Thus ALL ARMIES AND ALL PEOPLE WHO KILL OTHERS TO GET WHAT THEY WANT ARE TERRORISTS. All are guilty.

So why are so many westerners (like, well Mr Bush and His Tonyness) unable to put two and two together and just see that all killers are terrorists.....well I don't know.

Military or civilian, the targets don't matter. It's all killing. It's all wrong.

Those who took part in 9/11, July 7th and the Madrid attacks were fighting a war just as much as those in Iraq.

It's all wrong, it's all depressing, it all stems from human arrogance, selfishness and pride.

I voted for an international aid. We should all try and help in someway the people who have been affected by this nonsense, whoever they are.

 

[newfangle]

Yet another over-simplifying idealogue conveying some twisted notion of geopolitics.

Ok, don't label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. What changes?

 

[amadeus]

Military or civilian, the targets don't matter. It's all killing. It's all wrong.

We wouldn't be having this discussion today if Osama and his kooks agreed.

 

[Che Guava]

It's a win for the Israeli's, and for freedom and democracy everywhere. It's a loss for terrorists and tyranny, I suppose, but I'm willing to accept that. "Win-win" just sounds better than "Win-loss".

Yeah, win-win would be convincing them to stop fighting, or disarming them without a los of life, IMHO. Not likely, but I can dream....

 

[BirraImperial]

It's a win for the Israeli's, and for freedom and democracy everywhere. It's a loss for terrorists and tyranny, I suppose, but I'm willing to accept that. "Win-win" just sounds better than "Win-loss".

OMG Do you live in a fairy tale? Israels attack will only make Hizbollah stronger. Now people in Lebanon are only seeing that the only ones defending them from the Israelis are the Hizbollah millitia. Whom do you think they will support?

 

[Arminius]

Yes, but my country isn't a loose coalition of sexually promiscuous kleptocrats and religious fanatics bent on destroying our neighbors.

Indeed! Thank god for our strong coalition of sexually promiscuous kleptocrats and religious fanatics bent on destroying our nation and us *EDIT* in pursuit of greater power and money.

 

[Arminius]

The Arab world should foot the bill. At almost $80 a barrel oil, they can afford it.

Please, allow American oil companies to pay some, too. They're hanging on to quite a bit of cash themselves thesedays.

 

[Eli]

The USA, they are the Masters of Israel and they should pay for the damages it caused.

Why dont you demonstrate all of us here that you know what you're talking about and compare the funding and connections between Israel and the US to those between Hizballah and Iran. I'll help you with basic points:
1) How many percents of Israel's budget comes from the US, vs the same number only with Hizballah and Iran?
2) How much of Israel's military capability is gifted to it by the US, vs the same number with Hizballah and Iran?
3) How many times in the past, say, 10 years did Israel act against the US will, again comparing it with Hizballah and Iran?

Oh, you cant? Whoops, I guess you shouldnt have talked out of your arse.

 

[classical_hero]

Humm, Kosovo?

You must be blind because it was NATO that intervened, not the UN. The UN is a powerless organisation. Read this for a simple history of that war and who actually stopped it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_War

 

[Gladi]

You must be blind because it was NATO that intervened, not the UN. The UN is a powerless organisation. Read this for a simple history of that war and who actually stopped it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_War

What about my examples?

 

[classical_hero]

I wasn't even disputing your examples. I was just correcting a blatantly false statement.

 

[Gladi]

I wasn't even disputing your examples. I was just correcting a blatantly false statement.

But my examples would dispute your statement

The UN is a powerless organisation

"UN" is as powerfull as "it" allows "itself" to be. It is not about power of UN. It is that "UN" as a complete organization does not exists. (I do not say that there no programs and council and comitees though)

 

[classical_hero]

"UN" is as powerfull as "it" allows "itself" to be. It is not about power of UN. It is that "UN" as a complete organization does not exists. (I do not say that there no programs and council and comitees though)

Isn't the UN meant to be about bringin world peace? If it is then they are doing a lousy job at it and thus they are powerless to do their job.

Your examples were Egypt and Jordan.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Please, allow American oil companies to pay some, too. They're hanging on to quite a bit of cash themselves thesedays.

What do American oil companies have to do with the Lebanese crisis?

 

[Che Guava]

Isn't the UN meant to be about bringin world peace? If it is then they are doing a lousy job at it and thus they are powerless to do their job.

IMO, the UN is simply a communication and cooperation facilitator rather than a peace-maker. Increased com/coop *should* bring about peace, but only if all sides are interested in peace.

What do American oil companies have to do with the Lebanese crisis?

They're worried that the price of olive oil might dip below the price of crude, making Lebanon and Italy the most powerful nations in the world

 

[classical_hero]

IMO, the UN is simply a communication and cooperation facilitator rather than a peace-maker. Increased com/coop *should* bring about peace, but only if all sides are interested in peace.

Exactly. Peace will only occur if two sides are willing to agre on terms and that is something the UN can never do because often it is outside forces or one nation being very much stonger causes the other nation to submit and show that they must accept the terms of the strong nation.