Dahr Jamail: Lebanese Tremors Rock Syria

2006-07-14

Richard Moore

--------------------------------------------------------
To: •••@••.•••
From: •••@••.•••
Subject: Iraq Dispatches: Lebanese Tremors Rock Syria

** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** Visit the Dahr Jamail Iraq website http://dahrjamailiraq.com **
** Website by http://jeffpflueger.com **

      Lebanese Tremors Rock Syria

*Inter Press Service*
Dahr Jamail

*DAMASCUS, Jul 13 (IPS) - Syrians are outraged over Israeli air strikes in 
Lebanon that have killed 53 civilians and closed down Beirut's international 
airport.*

Early Thursday morning Israeli air strikes targeted the new Rafiq al-Hariri 
international airport. Israeli naval vessels entered Lebanon's territorial 
waters and blocked access to ports while its forces launched an offensive in 
southern Lebanon against Hezbollah fighters.

Hezbollah is a militant group that has long engaged in armed conflict with 
Israel. It is believed to be strongest in the south of Lebanon, in the areas 
bordering Israel.

The Israeli offensive was launched in response to the killing of eight Israeli 
soldiers in clashes with Hezbollah fighters Wednesday near the border 15km from 
the Mediterranean. Two Israeli soldiers were taken hostage. An Israeli soldier 
had earlier been captured in Gaza.

In an escalation of the conflict, an Israeli woman was killed after Hezbollah 
fighters fired rockets across the border into the Israeli town Nahariya. An 
Israeli air base was hit by rockets, along with other towns in the area. Several
Israeli civilians have been wounded.

The Israeli military entered Lebanon for the first time since withdrawing six 
years ago.

"I doubt you will find one Syrian who will not denounce what Israel is doing in 
Gaza, the West Bank and now in Lebanon," independent publicity consultant 
Ibrahim Yakhour told IPS. "Syrians believe that what the Palestinians suffer is 
what the Syrians suffer."

Yakhour, a 60-year-old retired journalist said political parties in Syria have 
been calling for a peaceful political process in the Middle East for the past 30
years. "But when people are humiliated, attacked and killed, radical reactions 
commence which are deleterious to the political process."

People in Damascus also fear that a regional war may spread to Syria. "The 
entire region is now involved," said Emad Huria, a 45-year-old literary critic. 
"All Arabs should raise their voices against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon."

Maher Skandyran, a 37-year-old worker at a watch store in downtown Damascus said
Israeli double standards are making people furious.

"I feel angry. Ninety-five percent of the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel 
are innocent civilians, including women and children. Nobody says a word about 
this. But when three Israeli armed soldiers are detained, this is such a big 
crime, and everyone is outraged. Is this justice?"

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Israeli soldiers had been 
seized to push Israel to release prisoners.

Israel reacted with unexpected aggression. An Israeli military spokesman told 
reporters, "Since this morning Israeli naval vessels have enforced a full naval 
closure on Lebanon, because Lebanon's ports are used to transfer both terrorists
and weapons to the terror organisations operating in Lebanon."

Another official said that the attacks had been launched to pressure the 
Lebanese government to deal with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's al-Manar television station in Beirut was bombed. Israel also bombed
several bridges that link southern Lebanon with the rest of the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the action was in response to "an act of
war by the state of Lebanon." His cabinet promised a response with "appropriate 
severity."

But the root of the Lebanese problem could lie in the occupation of Palestinian 
areas.

"Everything which is happening illustrates the main problem, which is the 
Israelis invading and occupying Palestine and taking the land," 55-year-old 
local merchant Faez Ashoor told IPS. "When that situation ends, we will have 
peace.."

Some of the Syrian anger is directed inevitably at the United States.

"I feel upset because our neighbours like Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine are being 
attacked," said Hamad al-Khatib, 26-year-old owner of a mobile phone store in 
central Damascus. "Israel doesn't care about international law. We thought 
America was peaceful, but we see them support Israel, which is killing women and
children. What are we to think of America now?"

Syrians are also now worried about themselves, he said. "This Israeli attack 
makes all of us feel insecure now. We are all very anxious."

_______________________________________________
(c)2006 Dahr Jamail.

All images, photos, photography and text are protected by United States and 
international copyright law. If you would like to reprint Dahr's Dispatches on 
the web, you need to include this copyright notice and a prominent link to the 
http://DahrJamailIraq.com website. Website by photographer Jeff Pflueger's 
Photography Media http://jeffpflueger.com . Any other use of images, 
photography, photos and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on
another website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of
course, feel free to forward Dahr's dispatches via email.

More writing, commentary, photography, pictures and images at 
http://dahrjamailiraq.com

You are subscribed to the Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches because you requested a 
subscription at some point.

You can visit http://dahrjamailiraq.com/email_list/ to subscribe or unsubscribe 
to the email list.

Or, you can unsubscribe by sending an email to 
•••@••.••• and write unsubscribe in the subject 
or the body of the email.
-- 

--------------------------------------------------------
Escaping the Matrix website     http://escapingthematrix.org/
cyberjournal website            http://cyberjournal.org
subscribe cyberjournal list     mailto:•••@••.•••
Posting archives                http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/
Blogs:
  cyberjournal forum            http://cyberjournal-rkm.blogspot.com/
  Achieving real democracy      http://harmonization.blogspot.com/
  for readers of ETM            http://matrixreaders.blogspot.com/
  Community Empowerment http://empowermentinitiatives.blogspot.com/
  Blogger made easy             http://quaylargo.com/help/ezblogger.html