Lebanese don't have much faith in Rice's show of 'support'

[bigtree]

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Daily Star --

After aggressively supporting Israel's siege of Lebanon - a brutal military campaign that has threatened the very existence of the Lebanese state - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came to Beirut to profess American "support" for the Lebanese government. Rice's arrival in Beirut - but failure to demand an immediate cease-fire - was not seen by many here as a sincere show of concern for their alarming humanitarian situation.

Admittedly, Rice did not have time during her brief visit to tour the scenes of destruction. Perhaps she would have had a greater sense of the utter devastation in Lebanon had she seen the many civilian neighborhoods, bridges and factories that have been reduced to rubble, or visited the more than 800,000 terrified refugees who are huddled in tents and schools around the country. Perhaps then she would have realized the human toll of Israel's military actions and would have recognized the need to expedite a cease-fire, not just with haste, but with urgency. Instead, Rice met with members of a Lebanese government that is reaching the point of near-collapse under the pressure of growing social tensions and a burgeoning humanitarian disaster.

Throughout this crisis, Rice has been right about one thing: that it would be pointless to resolve the current conflict in a way that will only bring us back to the same situation in six months' time. She is right that any lasting truce will require a dramatic change in the Lebanese-Israeli status quo. But the status quo is likely to deteriorate further without a cease-fire and will never improve until all of the core causes of the conflict are addressed.

In this sense, it is promising that Rice's talks addressed the whole package of concerns that have long plagued the Lebanese-Israeli front. These issues include Israel's air, land and sea incursions into Lebanese territory, which have occurred nearly every day since its withdraw from South Lebanon in 2000; the decades-long occupation of the Shebaa Farms; and the detention of Lebanese citizens in Israeli jails.

Addressing these and other core issues will be a prerequisite to any lasting resolution of the Lebanon-Israel file . . .

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&article_id=74228&categ_id=17

[CuteNFuzzy]

1. The only thing Rice supports

is Israel's right to merciless brutality against innocent people

[ShortnFiery]

2. Maybe if we flood the Lebanese with cable USA M$M reports, they'll

be convinced? NOT!

Beware of those who have nothing to lose.

Our Country's leaders have jumped the shark. We must remind them that Armageddon is NOT an exit strategy.

May these EVIL War Profiteers Rot in the 7th Ring of Hell for ALL of Eternity! :grr: :puke: