Mike has some more info on the Lebanon/Israel conflict:
Caught in the middle
Lebanese Christians appear to be right in the middle of what’s going on right now in the Middle East, more so than innocent Israelis under Hezbollah rockets, or Hezbollah fighters and sympathsizers under Israeli attack — but so far, their losses have been fewer.
They sit in a bad spot, which could worsen if Israel does indeed launch a full-scale ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Following is a message from a Lebanese friend…Lebanon is under siege: Regardless of what your political beliefs are, Lebanon is being destroyed at the time you read this. And there is one thing you can do to help cease the fire: you can make your voice heard against the disaster that’s being forced upon the Lebanese people.
Scream your indignation and call for a cease-fire and for the support of the Lebanese government position.
At a horrible time like this, we ask the international community, our friends, you, to stand together with us and react. Only by showing how united you are, will we be able to achieve massive sensibilization and help Lebanese children have a future.
Take a minute to read the note below: it’s a summary of the main points of the Lebanese government legitimate sensible call for a cease-fire. Print it out and send it by post, by fax, by email to your local government office, to international newspapers, to international TV stations, to the UN headquarters and missions around the world…anything will help. It only takes a minute.
Thank you.Calling for a Cease-Fire
July 18th, 2006
Israel is destroying Lebanon. It has no right to do so.
Children, women, innocent civilians are being killed by the Israeli attacks. Entire families are being chased out of their home villages. Bridges, roads, airports, ports, highways, energy plants and communication networks are being pounded to the ground. The whole country has been cut off from the rest of the world.
We, Lebanese people, are sad, we are suffering, we are angry, we are determined and mobilized to work together towards saving our nation.
Israel’s initiative is an unfair disproportionate collective punishment inflicted upon Lebanon for the wrong reasons: what is happening today goes beyond the issue of a prisoners exchange.
Neither the government nor the innocent people of Lebanon had been informed or agreed on the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers.
Lebanon is in despair: it’s a humanitarian and economic disaster.
We call for an immediate cease-fire under the auspices of the UN,
We call for the establishment of the government’s sovereignty on all Lebanese territory in cooperation with the UN,
We call for your help to pressure Israel to stop its attacks.
Help us achieve it as soon as possible.
So that Lebanon will survive. Lebanon will survive.
Lebanon should have handled their own problem but because they didn’t. They were provoked and had to do something about it. It is an unfortunate situation all around but what should they do?
Hezbollah is like a cancer that has been allowed to grow and has even been nurtured by some. It is sad to see the death of civilans and the innocent, but war brings death.
As the saying goes, “The only truth in war is that people die.”
What is also distrubing is the unrelenting and venomous hate in the hearts of so many.