Lebanon - Proxy Battleground

Following the bombing by Israel of Beirut Airport on 13 July 2006, I began e-mailing my friends with news from Beirut. My wife, daughter and I were evacuated from Beirut on 20 July 2006, but my wife's family and our friends remain there. I created this blog to post my original e-mails, and express my anger and frustration at what is happening in Lebanon - once again, a proxy battleground. I hope you find something to think about in the posts below. I welcome your comments.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Hush Money

President Bush has announced that US reconstruction aid to Lebanon would be boosted to 230 million dollars. "Today, I'm announcing that America will send more aid to support humanitarian and reconstruction work in Lebanon for a total of more than 230 million dollars," Bush told a news conference at the White House.

Yeah, nice try, George.

According to the UN Development Program (UNDP), Lebanon's 15-year economic and social recovery from the Civil War was wiped out in the recent Israeli offensive against Hizbullah. "Fifteen years of work have been wiped out in a month."

Acc0rding to the UNDP, overall economic losses for Lebanon from the month-long conflict between Israel and Hizbullah totaled "at least $15 billion, if not more". Within this figure is direct structural damage, estimated at $3.6 billion. Some facts and fugures:
  • 15,000 housing units, 80 bridges and 94 roads destroyed or damaged;
  • About 35,000 homes and businesses were destroyed;
  • 25% of the country's road bridges or overpasses were shattered.

I see how it works. You give Israel the green light to get rid of Hezb'allah on your behalf, smash Lebanon, then write a cheque for a sum that is less than 10% of the direct damage inflicted.

The arrogance of this astounds me. But does anyone actually expect anything more?

posted by John @ 10:05 AM  

3 Comments:

  • At 4:59 PM, Anonymous Peter said…

    That's about the total pricetag of four F-16's, which are soon to be replaced.

    Compare $250 million to the aid given ti Israel each year.

    Yes, the arrogance is astounding. The greater the arrogance, the greater the awe instilled. Westerners dig power.

     

  • At 12:15 AM, Blogger What is "Occupation" said…

    well peter, the USA has spent 300 Billion to rebuild Iraq.

    has given BILLIONs to egypt that exceeds the amount given to israel

    has given a billion to the palestinians

    and that aint counting the OIL money the USA SPENDS WITH THE ARAB WORLD each year, about 600,000,000,000..

    so the truth? be grateful for any assistance that the USA gives lebanon, since lebanon allowed hezbollah ( a nazi-like group) to be part of their country they are lucky to not be blamed for the evil that lives within lebanon.

     

  • At 9:54 AM, Blogger John said…

    Dear "What is Occupation":

    Thank you for your thoughts. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you believe what you say, and that your post is not a joke. Working on that assumption, I have a couple of questions and some comments.

    (a) Am interested if you can provide the sources for the figures you provide. They seem odd to me;

    (b) You equate US spending on oil from the Middle East with aid. It's not. It's a commercial transaction;

    (c) Lebanon should "be grateful for any assistance since lebanon allowed hezbollah (a nazi-like group) to be part of their country they are lucky to not be blamed for the evil that lives within lebanon".

    Wow, where to begin with this.
    To begin with, my views on Hezb'allah should be clear from my earlier posts. I am not a supporter. But:

    What do you mean by "Nazi-like"? I'd be interested if you could expand on this. And also if you could clarify the nature of the "evil" that lives in Lebanon, that would be great.

    Allowing Hezb'allah to "be part of" Lebanon. Well, around 40% of Lebanon are Shi'a Muslims. And Hezb'allah's members are Shi'a muslims. Hezb'allah was formed in 1982 to resist the invasion of Lebanon by Israel in the same year. In any democracy, which apparently is what the Bush administration is so keen to promote in the Middle East, opposition movements are the norm. That's the essence of democracy. And in a multi-confessional country like Lebanon, with a complicated history, you can't simply crush new movements (unlike Hafez Al Assad's crushing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Homs) because they don't represent what the majority.

    But what I find the most appalling about your post is your assertion that Lebanon should be grateful for whatever the US chooses to give it. Israel's attacks on Lebanon were pre-planned and carried out with the tacit approval of the US, with weapons provided to Israel by the US. To then say that Lebanon should get down on its knees and lick the shoes of the US with gratitude for receiving less than 10% of the damage inflicted on it indirectly by the person who writes the cheque is ignorant and arrogant.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home