Statements Of Force

The global impact of the unilateral invasion of Iraq in 2003 should not, in my opinion, be overlooked when examining the degree of force that Israel has chosen to display over the last nine days. It should also not be overlooked that the disproportionate number of civilian deaths to those of actual Hizbollah guerrillas has not incurred significant condemnation from the international community, primarily the West, and has not abated since military operations began. This has, in my opinion, as defined by the principles of Shock And Awe, been done to send a very clear message to the civilian population of not only Lebanon, but neighboring Arab states. At its root it is a message that is shaped to deter populations from supporting the participation in formal government of those groups deemed undesirable by Israel and the West.

For example, Israeli strikes against the Shiite neighborhoods in southern Beirut are aimed at Hizbollah’s political infrastructure. And even though there is a difference between the political party and the paramilitary wing (the former largely concentrates on social services, such as medical facilities and local food assistance programs), the southern suburbs of Beirut have been bombed rather indiscriminately with little regard for the civilian population. And in Gaza, some 40 members of Parliament belonging to Hamas’ political wing have been detained by Israel in an operation that was actually planned prior to the abduction of Corporal Gilad Shalit.

At this point there is little doubt that a coordinated ground invasion of Lebanon is imminent and that Israel has little choice left but to follow through with engaging Hizbollah on the ground – according to Haaretz there are already thousands of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, though there is no objective way of confirming that assertion. No matter the numbers produced by Israel with regards to the destruction of Hizbollah’s infrastructure, the reality is that air sorties aren’t going to significantly reduce the capabilities of a guerrilla force, despite recent Israeli claims that they have succeeded in doing so. No matter how many bombs the Israeli air force drops in southern Lebanon, for their stated goal of confronting and eliminating Hizbullah’s paramilitary wing of some 5,000 fighters, who are responsible for the rocket attacks and the seizure of Israeli personnel, they will have to move into southern Lebanon in concentrated force. The creation a buffer area between Israel and Lebanon is a very real possibility, as too is the use of use backchannels, most likely through foreign intermediaries as has been done in the past, to negotiate a prisoner exchange.

The Perks Of Self Defense

The US ambassador to the United Nations yesterday demonstrated the sort of unbelievable arrogance that has become the hallmark of his and other nations, Canada included. When asked to comment on the deaths of 8 Canadians in an Israeli air strike, John Bolton commented…

“I think it would be a mistake to ascribe moral equivalence to civilians who die as the direct result of malicious terrorist acts,” he added, while defending as “self-defense” Israel’s military action, which has had “the tragic and unfortunate consequence of civilian deaths.â€?

“It’s simply not the same thing to say that it’s the same act to deliberately target innocent civilians, to desire their deaths, to fire rockets and use explosive devices or kidnapping versus the sad and highly unfortunate consequences of self-defense,” Bolton noted.â€?

It’s interesting that he mentioned kidnapping. While I certainly don’t condone Hizbollah’s seizure of Israeli soldiers, it should be pointed out that they were military personnel and not civilians. That said, one gets the feeling that Bolton’s comments were directed more at Louise Arbor than anything.

Media

This piece by The Independent’s Kim Sengupta is worth a look, as is Patrick J. Buchanan’s piece No, This Is Not Our War and Dan Freeman-Maloy’s Israel, Racism, and the Canadian Media.

Propaganda

Yesterday I posted a link to an article about Israel’s chief military censor and the power that she wields over the Israeli press. It shouldn’t be overlooked that both sides are capable of producing inaccurate information, not to mention the censoring of it. In situations such as these, how well one can control information is crucial, and one need only to turn on their televisions and watch North American coverage of events in the region to realize that Israel is no PR slouch. Many of us are familiar with those now famous photographs of young Israeli children writing on shells. I, myself, featured them recently. To balance the story behind them, check out Adolyada. Like anything else, process such information as you will.