Michael Behe in Beirut, writing for the Metula News Agency, has written an extremely important article that must be read in its entirety. It has been posted by The New Republic Online:
Before the Israeli attack, Lebanon no longer existed, it was no more than a hologram.
In Beirut, innocent citizens like me were forbidden access to certain areas of their own capital. But our police, our army, and our judges were also excluded. That was the case, for example, of Hezbollah's and the Syrians' command zone in the Haret Hreik quarter (in red on the satellite map).
A square measuring a kilometer wide, a capital within the capital, permanently guarded by a Horla army, possessing its own institutions, its schools, its crèches, its tribunals, its radio, its television and, above all . . . its government. A "government" that, alone decided, in the place of the figureheads of the Lebanese government -- in which Hezbollah also had its ministers! -- to attack a neighboring state, with which we had no substantial or grounded quarrel . . .
And if attacking a sovereign nation on its territory, assassinating eight of its soldiers, kidnapping two others and, simultaneously, launching missiles on nine of its towns does not constitute a casus belli, the latter juridical principle will seriously need revising.
Thus almost all of these cowardly [Lebanese] politicians, including numerous Shia leaders and religious personalities themselves, are blessing each bomb that falls from a Jewish F-16 turning the insult to our sovereignty that was Haret Hreik, right in the heart of Beirut, into a lunar landscape. Without the Israelis, how could we have received another chance -- that we in no way deserve! -- to rebuild our country?
Each Irano-Syrian fort that Jerusalem destroys, each Islamic fighter they eliminate, and Lebanon proportionally starts to live again! Once again, the soldiers of Israel are doing our work. Once again, like in 1982, we are watching -- cowardly, lying low, despicable, and insulting them to boot -- their heroic sacrifice that allows us to keep hoping. . . .
As for the destruction caused by the Israelis . . . that is another imposture: Look at the satellite map! I have situated, as best I could, but in their correct proportions, the parts of my capital that have been destroyed by Israel. They are Haret Hreik -- in its totality -- and the dwellings of Hezbollah's leaders, situated in the large Shia suburb of Dayaa (as they spell it) and that I have circled in blue. . . .
[A]ll those who speak of the "destruction of Beirut" are either liars, Iranians, anti-Semites or absent. Even the houses situated one alley's distance from the targets I mentioned have not been hit, they have not even suffered a scratch; on contemplating these results of this work you understand the meaning of the concept "surgical strikes" and you can admire the dexterity of the Jewish pilots. Beirut, all the rest of Beirut, 95 percent of Beirut, lives and breathes better than a fortnight ago. All those who have not sided with terrorism know they have strictly nothing to fear from the Israeli planes, on the contrary! One example: Last night the restaurant where I went to eat was jammed full and I had to wait until 9:30 p.m. to get a table. Everyone was smiling, relaxed, but no one filmed them: a strange destruction of Beirut, is it not? . . .
Like the overwhelming majority of Lebanese, I pray that no one puts an end to the Israeli attack before it finishes shattering the terrorists.
There is much more.
rick
i'd like to chime in from Dubai.
as a 20 year expat in the m.e., i'd like to say that the featured brave arab soul is not alone. we sit 2 hrs from a major iranian port (Bandar Abas). many gulf arab know and hate the iranian mullahs. there is a silent prayer on everyones lips that hizballah-the iranian' foreign legion' -to quote caroline glick- gets their butt kick. gulf arabs are also part of the investment army that put lebanon on its' feet. if the city was in rubble...believe me the cries and screams from the gulf investment 'heavies' would be loud and clear.
great post...the middle east is in the war for resolution of the growth of evil in the region.
rock steady!!!
Posted by: downtowndubai | August 09, 2006 at 08:23 AM
Dear Mr. Behe,
It's been very enlightening to read the above article. However, I have some reservations concerning "Like the overwhelming majority of Lebanese, I pray that no one puts an end to the Israeli attack before it finishes shattering the terrorists". How come, then, that a large minority voted in the last elections for the Hezbulla and there are two representatives in the Government? Thus it is hard to be optimistic regarding the disarmament of the Hezbulla by the government since they sit in it and they won't go against themselves. Israel can't do your work. The vast majority of the world, being afraid of the Muslems, will not let ua do it. Same with the legal Lebanese army - I'm sure that many of them belong to the Hezbulla and they will be back on our boarders. As long as Iran and Syria continue to support the Hezbulla there will not be peace in our region. Like me, most of our people were sure that the second country to make peace with us would be Lebanon, but alas, it did not happen. As long as you, not you personnaly, will support the Hezbulla, there won't be a lasting peace between our two countries. I wish we had and then you could come and visit with us. Good luck
Posted by: ilana | August 12, 2006 at 11:06 PM
Dear Mr. Behe,
It's been very enlightening to read the above article. However, I have some reservations concerning "Like the overwhelming majority of Lebanese, I pray that no one puts an end to the Israeli attack before it finishes shattering the terrorists". How come, then, that a large minority voted in the last elections for the Hezbulla and there are two representatives in the Government? Thus it is hard to be optimistic regarding the disarmament of the Hezbulla by the government since they sit in it and they won't go against themselves. Same with the legal Lebanese army - I'm sure that many of them belong to the Hezbulla and they will be back on our boarders. As long as Iran and Syria continue to support the Hezbulla there will not be peace in our region. Like me, most of our people were sure that the second country to make peace with us would be Lebanon, but alas, it did not happen. As long as you, not you personnaly, will support the Hezbulla, there won't be a lasting peace between our two countries. I wish we had and then you could come and visit with us. Good luck
Ilana
Posted by: ilana | August 12, 2006 at 11:07 PM
The Lebanese people fought the Ottomans in order to preserve their autonomous mutasariffiya. They knew how to establish their national movement and win a state. They knew to cooperate (Sunnis and Maronites) in order to rid themselves of the French in 1943 (National Pact). They even fought a cruel war amongst themselves. How come, then, they cannot fight the Hizbullah? Where are the Lebanese who love their homeland. Are not you willing to fight for it anymore?
Posted by: Tom | August 13, 2006 at 09:03 AM
u whoever wrote this or faked this, or even claimed this, i have ur own jewish preists in england swearing on the holy torah that the israelies are the ones to blaim about this war.they are absolutlely ashamed of u, u keep digging more problems in in the muslim world, but im sorry we cant let u have the evil victory that u want.
lebanon need not to become famous by killing the villian that have always live on weaker people and took advantage of them. but what a surpraise we are not as weak as u thought we were , or are we?
if a person like that wrote an article and he was lebanese, then i got hundreds of jews saying stuff about u, i dont beleive just for the reason that i dont wanna be like u.
but do u seriously beleiev ur self, u r very very very narrow minded, if ur mum taught u to hate muslims since u were bron, doesnt mean that u limit ur thinking by putting muslims on the bad side.
have u ever felt that ur concsience is haunting u, the prophets u beleive in is the same i beleive in, and so is heaven and hell. and do u seriously beleive that by u taking other peoples rights and using media to teach wrong facts about them is good. c im not narrow minded, cos i dont hate jews, although i am a muslim, and i am a strict one too. well my religion doesnt teach me to hate u and neither does urs. ill be sinful if i do. if i hate israelis, (well most of them ) thats because of what they do to my country and to palestine, but if they are peaceful (and thats not being peaceful without giving the rights of people back) then, i am supposed to like them, cos they have the same god as i do, despite some differences.
if u have a bit of a heart, u will stop doing this to the muslim world, thats not me pleading for them , thats me pleading for u, because u could be really good people if u wanted to , but apparantly, u think being good does not include being good to the muslim world.
shalom, and salam (only if u want it for muslims too)
isnt ur conscience hurting u?
Posted by: ur conscience | November 21, 2006 at 11:45 AM