First person account from Lebanon

[GoneOffShore]

Received from a friend in Paris, who got it from his friend.
When is the madness going to stop?


Subject: Fwd: First-person account from Lebanon
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:34:54 -0400

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Farah, Laila
Date: Jul 25, 2006 11:37 PM
Subject: RE: Beirut
To: Rahilla Zafar

Dear Rahilla

here is the latest post i sent to the folks in the US and elsewhere
yest. no end in sight i am afraid. latest is that they allowed a
convoy of wounded to be evacuated from the south to Beirut
hospitals tonight but no humanitarian corridor in sight yet...will keep you
posted...be well

sorry my writing has been so sporadic. can't seem to get myself to
write what is going around me...don't seem to have words...and now
it is all sound bytes...bombing, destruction, deaths, counts, types
of explosions, what they have destroyed next, how many children,
how many children, how many children...was at a vigil yesterday to say
they should stop killing children...lots of press, no people--
exhausted and fearful already....and they haven't even started on
us randomly...the southern suburbs are getting flatter and flatter by
the day as the death toll rises...hospitals to capacity with
shortages on everything already...more refugees flooding in every
day and no way to accommodate them in the schools anymore...they
are being painfully relocated yet again to schools in outlying
cities and towns...and now Sidon...terrorizing with leaflets and
flyovers all day as mass graves are dug out and filled in...84
yesterday in Tyr...the Bekaa valley is being raised, all these
places still unreachable via the "humanitarian corridor" that is
supposed to up and running by today...no food water, medicine,
supplies to all outlying villages in the south and the southern
mountain range...at least a 200 more dead that cannot be reached
since they bombed vans leaving towns they forced to evacuate and
even hit a red cross team and one of the poor fellows died... so
they are not willing to risk their lives to go dig out corpses.
can't blame them really--and Bekaa is unreachable--roads are bombed
out...

Meanwhile we get news clips of tearful folks leaving as families
are ripped apart again...and still the US says patriot "protective missiles" to Israel] it feels for the people and will
do everything they can to move the humanitarian aid along...which
cannot be distributed duty to Israeli bombs...so bloody
convoluted...and now Condi has come and made more mess...the only
good news we have is that Hezbollah is willing to give the two
soldier hostages to the Lebanese govt. it seems that much behind
closed door diplomacy is underway, but not fast enough to stop the
murder and destruction...too little too late as ever...

last night was quiet...except for a few huge ones in the south
suburbs to last us the night...but no electricity--thus the
sporadic writing--and thus no water and now half the phones are out due to a
tower being hit in the mountains. I slept well.

we need a ceasefire desperately...we need the US to listen
carefully to the chief humanitarian officer sent by the UN...to the voices of
the screaming relatives who are now avowing to avenge their
dead...the US and Israel have just succeeded in 12 days to create
more hatred than they did in 3 years in Iraq...and there are those
internally who are trying to separate the factions again and drive
wedges further between Sunni and Shiite and between Moslems and
Christians in general...and then saner voices who are calling
for the Lebanese to stay united...

I saw refugees on almost every street corner of Beirut today...they
are looking for food housing shelter...the crisis will continue as
floods more are arriving daily from the south in any way they can.
they are being offered places in schools in outlying towns but feel
they want to stay in Beirut...800,000 displaced and counting...

I saw jasmine in bloom on the wall of my building. I played with my
roommate, a gorgeous 3 1/2month old kitten named fistouk, which
means nuts which he is, the sea is sparkling and blue, the breezes
are delicious and warm, I ate knefe bi jibn with friends, I did
laundry...and I am glued to the TV like everyone else...

dad fell yesterday and broke his shoulder and is in a sling for 6
weeks and is in bad pain. am in the village for the day and night
with him...thus the electricity to write this post...we expect that
after the evacuations are done, the shit will really
fly...inshallah
that is not true.

I miss you so....my regression is complete, but I am well overall.
this is madness. it will also be survived...as ever before...I had
an interview with NBC which will air on nightly news tonight your
time...I miss normalcy which is what I told them. but then, so does
everyone else here...

please pass my posts on. don't have the energy or the wherewithall
to repeat myself over and over...the bombs doing that enough...and
now with Condi arriving all smiles and pledging aid 12 DAYS LATER
WHILE THEY RUSH A SHIPMENT OF LASER AND BUNKER BUSTER MISSILES TO
ISRAEL TOMORROW...MAKES ME SO ANGRY AND SICK TO MY STOMACH...LOVE
THE USE OF MY 28 % TAX $$$$$

inshallah the next few crucial days will prove fruitful...despite
the continuing murder and destruction...

love and salaam
L

[uppityperson]

1. k&r and an interesting thing

I almost didn't type k&r so as to not get labeled with "supporting the terrorists". I am not supporting any terrorists, but want to get word out from ordinary people such as myself. Why should I be fearful here to do this? bah and to hell with fear. k&r to get word out from ordinary people such as myself.

And for anyone who might jump on anyone for k&ring this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1751840&mesg_id=1752055

[QuestionAll...]

8. your fearful response is almost as sad as the opening story...

don't be afraid that your feelings of simple compassion will be twisted in some way.

[cali]

12. That's ridiculous

Stop being so fearful and building up bogeymen. Of course this deserves a kick and recommend.

[uppityperson]

14. thank you Cali for your kind supportive words

You do have such a way. Of course this deserves a kick. My written response was about writing something about the OP's friend's letter, putting myself on the line as supporting something, publically.

I hate that the world has become so divided. Bigoted hate crimes, threats due to supporting the end of wars, nasty name calling. What I find interesting, and scary, and sad, that this is the second time since 9/11 that I have had to watch what I say to whom where about what, moniter how I look (what clothing I wear) due to those nasty bigoted people looking for some stereotyped person to use as a receptical for their madness.

And if you think that "they" cannot figure out who I am, and do not hate me and wish me harm for what I write, what I do, you are wrong. I am small potatoes, not even big enough for a good seed spud, but I have heard from them by email and in person.

Yes, I am still posting things that some may not like, just ocassionally, like last night, I have the passing thought that perhaps I should stay out of it, not enter personally into it. But that will get us nowhere.

[uppityperson]

17. Bogeymen? Hate crimes are starting.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2420602
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003159826_webbelltown28.html
I really fucking hate being right. damn damn damn

[Ecumenist]

2. Oh my God!!!

This is madness, just complete and utter insanity!! How can they kill innocents like that? I am ashamed to have this government in cahoots with what I laughingly refer to as this 'repubilcan government". The world is in full tilt... HORRIBLE, JUST HORRIBLE!!

[Ms. Clio]

3. heartbreaking - I just don't have any other words right now

nominated.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. K&R. nt

[Hatalles]

5. kr

[fooj]

6. what have we become?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

10. A nation that, under the guise of fighting terrorism...

...actually performs, promotes, and sponsors it---We're a rogue terrorist nation, as is Israel.

[LSK]

7. k&r

[rainbow4321]

9. Lebanese and Israeli bloggers...

have interesting websites..cuts thru the bullshit from the MSM and gives
info on what is happening in the cities being bombed <both countries>:
Sample entries from each are below..the Lebanese blogger even directs readers to the Israeli blogger website at one point.


http://israelnorthblog.livejournal.com/

They missed again. But it was close. I'm working here, G-d damn it.
They didn't miss the Arab village across the road, though. That same one that runs fireworks every night since all this started. No firework so far. I'm disappointed they should have gotten the petard storage.

Yesterday, I got an email from my good friend from Tennessee. The lady was totally confused and worried. So I called her on the phone and ended up explaining the whole thing from A to Z.
Apparently their news said Haifa was a ghost city with - read this carefully - about 50 people left and the rest evacuated south. They said Saudi Arabia was supplying Hezbollah with ammunition and that there was an official war between Lebanon and Israel and Lebanon was taking over.

From the news reports, people can derive, for instance, that Hezbollah is a place, that Lebanon is as big Syria. What's next? Jews have horns? Uh, sorry, that's the old stuff. I wonder, how much more bullshit the west can consume.
-----------------


Lebonese blog:
http://cedarseed.livejournal.com/

Date: 2006-07-27 13:22
My connection was down all morning. Major catching up.

First, this ridiculous bit that is making people speculate for nothing: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3281971,00.html
One word: bullshit. The vagueness of the info (and bias of the source) alone should have made you smell a rat. Without knowing SPECIFICALLY what question was asked, to what section of the population, when and in what areas, I won't believe a word of it. The majority of the Lebanese may be angry at Israel right now (and rightly so), but I don't believe for an instant that THAT many of them are so dumb and vindictive that they suddenly think this kidnapping, that brought them all this misery, was a good idea. Even if Israel had not reacted the way it did, this percentage would not be achieved. So please, don't spread rumors before verifying them.

Anyway, you don't hear anybody crying over the dead HA, do you?? Anyone noticed that the army was Not sent to help them?

Second: This is very good complementary reading, from the other side of the border: http://israelnorthblog.livejournal.com/


Date: 2006-07-26 23:08

I would like to know why this Israeli jet is circling so loudly overhead for the past 10 mn and if it would just please drop that bomb and get it over with, because the suspense is killing me.

[Emit]

11. Tx for the links - very interesting

and sad.

I keep putting myself in these people's position, wondering how I would feel if our country was being bombed, civilians and all, because we never 'took care of Bush & Co.' Imagine how angry and frustrated we would feel if we had to take a hellish bombing because of Bush? Jeesh. This is unreal.

Did you catch this recent one from the Lebonese blog you linked to?

I can't believe I still have to explain away our "president"... I am SO pissed off at journalists who are interviewing him. The man is boycotted by government's like France, shouldn't that give them a clue about the bastard? Jesus Christ! I'm writing this post so that I never have to answer a "Is this your president??" comment again.

The man was not elected, he was imposed by Syria, and this is not something whispered among ourselves, it is a widely established fact. Syria violated our constitution to re-name him as head of state, and you may not know this, but it is this fact that caused the ripples that led to Hariri's assassination and the so-called Cedar Revolution. Can you guess what 2 million Lebanese demanded on March 14, apart from "Syria out"? That's right, Lahoud's resignation.

~snip~

OF COURSE the douche bag supports HA! They serve the same master, and they're the only people who'll still give him the time of day if he sucks up to them enough, given the rest think he should at least kill himself to regain some kind of dignity. I mean give me a break, other presidents are not even acknowledging his existence (he was not invited to the Francophonie summit this year, the PM was instead). Don't tell me the press is not aware of that when they publish those sensational "I adore nasrallah" interviews of his.

And I will add, he's a moron. No, seriously, he's dumb as a rock. I know people who;'ve known him since his teens. He. Is. A retard. Listen to him speak and tell me this is someone who has a brain of his own and is not spouting up a nicely memorised lesson, if you dare.

I just want to kill somebody when someone comments implying this subhuman speaks for us. And I definitely want to tear journalists a part when they deliberately make it look like he does.

[Joanne98]

13. Now they're bombing Red Cross workers. That's nice.

But I'm sure they'll say it's an "accident". Like everything else.

<snip>
even hit a red cross team and one of the poor fellows died... so
they are not willing to risk their lives to go dig out corpses

[Greyskye]

15. K & R

Salaam. :cry:

[GoneOffShore]

16. Just heard Nanci Griffith's song

"It's a Hard Life".

and from 8 years ago the lyrics still ring true - and all it takes is changing the names and the places.
It's a Hard Life

It's a Hard Life
(Nanci Griffith)


I was a child in the sixties
When dreams could be held through T.V.
With Disney and Cronkite and Martin Luther
And I believed, I believed, I believed.
Now I am the backseat driver from America
And I am not at the wheel of control.
And I am guilty, I am war, and I am the root of all evil,
Lord, and I can't drive on the left side of the road.


'Cause it's a hard life, it's a hard life, it's a very hard life
It's a hard life wherever you go.
And if we poison our children with hatred
Then the hard life is all that they'll know.
And there ain't no place in this world for those kids to go,
'Cause it's a hard life wherever you go.

Copyright Nanci Griffith
KX
OCT98