How bad is the Israeli assault on the Lebanese people? So bad that
AP could write this today:
Israel intensified its strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 33 people in one of the heaviest tolls in days.
"One of the heaviest tolls in days." Not
the heaviest toll, mind you, nor one of the heaviest tolls in months. Just "one of" the heaviest tolls in "days." So, let's say out of the last four days, it might have ranked maybe second. Or even third.
How bad is the Israeli assault on the Lebanese people? So bad that Israel, who has committed a war crime every single day of this war, but has always had some excuse or denial, now has reached the point where they not only don't deny it, but boast about planning war crimes:
A senior General Staff officer told Ha'aretz that for the first time since the fighting began, Israel plans to attack strategic infrastructure targets and symbols of the Lebanese government.
Other than bombing the Beirut airport to prevent arms transfers to Hezbollah, Israel has hitherto not targeted Lebanon's infrastructure [Ed. note: I'm afraid there were just a few more parts of the infrastructure already bombed other than the airport], insisting that it is only at war with Hezbollah, not with the Lebanese government or people.
However, the officer said, "we are now in a process of renewed escalation. We will continue hitting everything that moves in Hezbollah - but we will also hit strategic civilian infrastructure."
How bad is the Israeli assault on the Lebanese people? So bad that the
vicious murder of 33 mostly Syrian fruit pickers in eastern Lebanon by U.S.-made bombs dropped by Israeli pilots from U.S.-made planes just two days ago has already been forgotten by the media, as has the brutal murder of dozens of Lebanese civilians, the majority of them young children, in
Qana just a week ago.
Saturday, August 12, is our chance to raise our voices here in the U.S. to put a stop to these atrocities. On Saturday 100,000 demonstrated in London against the war, and even 5,000 in Tel Aviv. But this is an American war, fought with American planes dropping American bombs, and paid for with American tax dollars. Some would say its being done at the behest or even the direction of the U.S., but we hardly need to go that far to know that it is up to American voices, first and foremost, to put a stop to it.
Please join us this Saturday to raise your voice against this war! There are demonstrations planned for Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and probably other cities as well; details are here and undoubtedly available from your local antiwar group as well.
Stand up! Speak out!
Reprinted from Left I on the News