Destroying the 'Bridges' of Negotiations
Walid Choucair Al-Hayat - 15/07/06//
Israel has launched an all-out war on Lebanon that is as massive as the 1982 incursion. It goes without saying that such a wide-scale war must have had the US green light. However, no matter how much US officials try to justify this war by calling it a reaction, in accordance with Israeli logic, what is happening on the ground is much more than that. This is not the first time that the US administration has taken a step, regardless of the consequences, which further complicates the situation. This has happened in Iraq and Palestine; and this is what we will continue to see in the next stage.
Accordingly, it is impossible to believe US President George Bush when he says, while giving Israel the right to defend itself, that its actions should not "weaken" the Lebanese government. Bush claims to be anxious not to weaken the government in an attempt to justify his contradictions. Whereas he has backed Lebanon's sovereignty and independence from Syria over the past few months, Bush supports Israel's bloody aggression that destroys this independence and sovereignty. The allegation has become more like a joke that only raises a dark irony. It is a cover for massacres committed against civilians. It further fuels Arab hatred against the America's double-standard policy in the region and in Lebanon.
Israel has weakened the Lebanese government and Lebanon in general with its military operations over the past few hours. Also, the complete siege Lebanon is suffering has led to the unprecedented damage to the economy and infrastructure at a time when the government was expecting a booming tourist season this summer. This damage will halt Lebanon's development for years, even if the Israeli aggression were to end today.
What is the kind of independence that Bush supports in Lebanon, when he fully backs Israel's efforts to destroy its economy, the most important element of Lebanon's independence? This is not the first time Israel has targeted Lebanese economic facilities.
Much is being said about the abduction of the two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah, whether it is right or wrong, and about the timing of the operation. Regardless of what is said, the problem remains that Israel continues to take more Lebanese prisoners and consolidate its occupation of the Shebaa Farms. There is the same problem is in Palestine, where Israel continues to imprison more than 10,000 Palestinians. The Israeli government is pressing on with its policy of killing and starvation. It continues to deny the presence of a Palestinian peace partner for negotiations. The abduction of an Israeli soldier by the Palestinians and two others by Hezbollah, then, was a reaction.
The blind US support for Israel will lead to the reverse impact. Israel is besieging Lebanon, perpetrating massacres and destroying its bridges in order to divide it to pressure Lebanon into negotiating other issues, not only the exchange of prisoners and the disarmament of Hezbollah. But this will only further complicate the situation beyond the expectations of Washington and Tel Aviv.
Bombing bridges in Lebanon destroys the 'bridges' of negotiations with its government and leaders, negotiations which the US and Israel say are necessary - unless they mean to negotiate with Damascus and Tehran.
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