Will Americans Join Iraqis, Lebanese and Palestinians as Neocon Victims?

As of the morning of July 19, Israeli bombardments of Lebanese civilian residential districts and public infrastructure have murdered 300 Lebanese, wounded 1,000, and displaced 500,000. The Lebanese prime minister said that Israel’s attack has caused “unimaginable losses” and that his government will seek compensation from Israel.

In Gaza Israel has murdered scores of Palestinian civilians in the past few days.

In Iraq the civilian daily death toll has risen above 100.

These dead are not Hezbollah militia. They are not Hamas militia. They are not al Qaeda or Sunni insurgents. They are civilians.

Frustrated by Hezbollah, Israel is lashing out at hapless civilians, knowing that the US will protect Israel from UN Security Council condemnation.

Frustrated by Sunni insurgents, the US has instigated sectarian strife.

Bush has stonewalled the UN, our European allies, and the Lebanese prime minister, all of whom are calling and pleading for Bush to pressure the Israelis to stop their cowardly slaughter from the air of Lebanese civilians.

The Guardian (July 19) reports that Bush gave Israel the green light to attack Lebanon and has given Olmert another week to pound Lebanon.

US Secretary of State Condi Rice has announced that she will go to the Middle East to resolve “the crisis” when it is appropriate. Apparently, the appropriate time is not when people are dying and a country, which had only just recovered from the last Israeli invasion, is again being bombed into rubble.

How many more war crimes must Israel commit before Bush and Condi Rice put aside their indifference?

On July 19 the Israelis turned their air attack on the Christian area of Beirut. The Lebanese Christians can thank the American evangelical Rev. John. Hagee, who has thrown his 18,000 member Texas church behind Israeli aggression.

Bush cannot claim public support for his indifference.

As of noon July 19, 800,000 people had participated in CNN’s Quick Vote, with the result that 55% oppose Israel’s attack on Lebanon. This result is despite the fact that US television reporting explains the news from the Israeli perspective.

Similarly, in Israel a survey published by Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth showed 53 per cent of Israelis polled said Israel should hold negotiations to secure the release of the Israeli soldier captured in Gaza, while 43 per cent backed a military operation.

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http://counterpunch.com/Roberts07202006.html