Greater than Lebanon

“Today, the resistance became greater than the Lebanese scene, its influence on the moral and mobilization levels reaching beyond the country,” said Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad during a Hizbullah "celebration" in Nabatiyeh on Monday. Raad, who heads Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, attributed the destruction to the “confrontation to defend Lebanon’s sovereign decision. The enemy could have taken a stroll in the country and confiscated its independence and sovereignty if it weren’t for the resistance.”

Raad contrasted the heroism of his fighters with that of some 350 Lebanese security officers besieged by the Israelis in their barracks in the southern village of Marjayoun during the war, and who were released after negotiations involving the Lebanese interior ministry, the US ambassador, and the Israeli defense ministry.  The negotiations led to thousands being evacuated from the predominantly Christian village, including the Lebanese officers and many Shia refugees from neighboring towns. The convoy, you may recall, was hit by an Israeli drone, killing at least 7 civilians.

The Hizbullah MP described what happened in the barracks as "despicable." And he wasn't referring to the siege itself, or the dead civilians, but to the contacts made between the Lebanese and Israelis that secured the release, and perhaps the footage of a Lebanese security officer sipping tea with Israeli soldiers (he was placed under house arrest after the footage aired). All that, to Raad, punctured people’s morales and was inconsistent with the “honor, dignity and heroism” exhibited by the "resistance". He said Hizbullah wants to know how the contacts were made, and whether they were in accordance with a “political will”, in which case “we have to hold those responsible accountable.”

Here’s what happened according to a dispatch by Robert Fisk (If you have a better account, please send it my way)

It is one of the untold stories of the Israeli-Hizbollah war; there are others - infinitely more bloody - but the ultimate tragedy of these largely Christian refugees involved a raft of Lebanese officers and ministers, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, the US ambassador and the Israeli Defence Ministry.

It all began on 10 August when the Israelis staged a small ground offensive into Lebanon after a month of massive bombing of Lebanese villages in the south. Brig-Gen Adnan Daoud, commanding a mixed force of 350 Lebanese paramilitary police and soldiers at the barracks in the pretty Christian town of Marjayoun, found a man at the gate at 9am, an Israeli officer calling himself Col Ashaya. Brig-Gen Daoud, whose men were not fighting the Israelis, called the Lebanese Interior Minister, Ahmad Fatfat, who "endorsed" - Fatfat's word - Daoud's decision to let him in. "Ashaya" spent four hours looking round the barracks to assure himself that there were no Hizbollah members there. Then he left. Daoud put a white flag on the guardhouse.

But at 4pm that afternoon, an Israeli tank unit approached the barracks and started to shoot their way in. Daoud was again told by Fatfat to let in the Israelis who, according to Daoud, informed him that "we are the occupiers and we are in charge". An Israeli officer then locked Daoud into a room.
Thousands of Christians in Marjayoun now feared for their lives. According to several aid workers, Hizbollah were firing rockets from behind the town's hospital, which was immediately abandoned by the Lebanese Red Cross. The inhabitants believed, with good reason, that Hizbollah's missiles would be redirected from Israel on to Marjayoun itself now that the town had been taken over by Israeli troops and tanks.

Locked in his room, Daoud now called Fatfat again and Fatfat called the Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, who, by chance, was talking to the US ambassador to Beirut, Jeffrey Feltman. Feltman - either via the State Department or directly to the US embassy in Tel Aviv - told his diplomats to call the Israeli Defence Ministry; and they swiftly replied that there should be no Israeli troops in Daoud's barracks. But the Israelis in Marjayoun refused to believe what Daoud told them.

Marjayoun's inhabitants, however, were now in a state of panic and Daoud called Fatfat at 7pm to start arranging for a refugee convoy north from Marjayoun to Beirut. The Lebanese government, according to Fatfat, called the United Nations command in southern Lebanon at 5am the next day, 11 August, to seek clearance from the Israelis to allow the thousands of refugees to be convoyed north. The UN, according to the government in Beirut, subsequently notified Gen Abdulrahman Shaiti, assistant to the head of Lebanese military intelligence, that the convoy had permission from the Israelis to travel.

The story ends with an Israeli drone targeting the convoy, killing at least seven. Here lies the tragedy, but not according to Raad, whose fighters fired rockets from behind a hospital, and who wanted the Lebanese officers and civilians to commit suicide in defense of a resistance that is, in his words, greater than Lebanon.

Comments

[bad vilbel]

Can I be the first to say Mr. Raad needs to shut the **** up! Nobody cares about his "heroism and dignity".

How dare he speak of "defend(ing) Lebanon’s sovereign decision"? Lebanon did not make any sovereign decision to abduct 2 Israeli soldiers, Hezbollah did.
I guess Mr. Raad thinks Hezbollah is now the official government of Lebanon?

Someone please arrest these traitors!!

[JoseyWales]

WANTED:

One, ONLY ONE, Lebanese politician or MP to stand up and say ONCE: "Thank you resistance. Thank you Hezbo. But the country is greater than you, a single party."

Bonus and extra pay if you also say: "and most Lebanese crap on your concept of honor and dignity."

[fubar]

According to Iran's national news agency IRNA, Iranian Executive Vice President Ali Saeedlou met with Hizbullah's political advisor Hussein al-Khalid, in the Iranian embassy in Beirut today.

[bad vilbel]

Josey,

If only you or me were a Lebanese politician....We've been saying this over and over and over. Yet not a single one of those idiots back home is willing to stand up and say it. I'm so sick of our politicians tip-toeing around Hezbollah, and making nice, while Hezbollah insults them repeatedly and robs them of their "dignity".

Howcome Hezbollah doesn't tiptoe around Siniora or anyone else from the official government? They seem to have NO PROBLEM insulting the state, accusing the government of being traitors and collaborators.

[fubar]

Bad vilbel,

How come?

Because Hezbollah has the firepower. Remember?

If civil war breaks out, who has the weapons?

If Hezbollah wants a coup, who is going to stop them?

Hezbollah is trying for a peaceful overthrow of the Siniora govt or capitulation of the Siniora govt (for now). But its message could not be clearer, its our way or the highway. One way or the other.

And these Hezbollah messages such as those by Raad are not meant for you. They are shoring up the Hezbollah Shia base. Who will protect you, the govt/army which surrenders to Israel OR Hezbollah who fights to the death against overwhelming odds -- it is a powerful message to some.

[Battal Agha]

It starts unfortunately right at the top with the @#$er Lahoud repeating how good is the Mokawama. If this @#$hole Lahoud says it, he is putting Zibballah's interest above Lebanon's. And not ONE of those 14 March group have the guts of saying STOP IT RIGHT NOW or AT LEAST DEFEND the country....

[bad vilbel]

Fubar,

My questions were rethorical. I know the answers you offered all too well, unfortunately.

This is exactly why I have been somewhat pessimistic about the whole situation, while trying to be hopeful (i know, it sounds like a contradiction) and giving Siniora more time.

You guys remember when I said civil war (or some form of armed conflict) might be the only way to deal with this, and I still tend to stand by that opinion. I simply do not see how a sheep will get a wolf to back down by "talking". At some point, either the sheep will get eaten, or it will have to go find a shotgun to blow the wolf's head off. It's that simple.

[Asiason]

Civil war.. can happen only if people are willing to shout down or face off with the HA.

The sheepfest however has no one willing to face off so there will be no civil war.

There will be subjugation though and if for nothing else Lebanon is now property of Iran with HA defining what can and cannot be done on Lebanese soil.

Just amazes me how they have all been broken and tamed and do not even bleat once to defy their new masters.

And now after border patrols have confiscated 15000lbs of explosives at the border, Mr. Kofi Annan wants to remove the blockade..

From crap to worse I'm sickened at what's happening in Lebanon in the politial field.

[e]

Look what happens if HA takes over Lebanon:
1) Economic ostracism. HA is on the US terror list so no bank that wants to work with the US can do business with anyone in Lebanon. Look at the predicament of the Palestinians following the democratic election of Hamas. Can you imagine what will be the attitude of the west after a coup? A HA coup is the economic end of Lebanon.
2) No more vagueness between the "resistance" and the state. This puts Lebanon in a precarious situation from a military point of view.

I believe (ok, hope) that HA understands the two points above and therefore will only initiate a coup only under very extreme duress.

Another point, if they are getting stronger, why did the retreat from their positions near the Sheba farms?

e

[bad vilbel]

e,

You're missing my point. HA doesn't need a coup as long as the Lebanese government and its politicians keep backing down (as they are doing nowadays). This status quo suits HA just fine. Time is on their side. Israel cannot maintain a blockade forever. At some point, it will be lifted, and HA can go on rearming, and mingle back into Southern Lebanon. And if the Lebanese government does not have the guts to stop them from doing so (as appears to be the case), then where do we end up?

Having said that, I don't believe for one second that the rest of the Lebanese (specially the Christians) will stand for an actual coup. Right now, the Christian community is still weak, from years of Syrian oppression. But if (and i'm thinking longer term here) it becomes clear to Israel that Syria will continue poking at it through HA, and that the Lebanese state is unable to stand up to HA, there is no reason why Israel can't start rearming the Christians, as they did during the 1975-1990 war.

Let me put it this way, right now, Israel is banking on the Lebanese government to counter HA. If that fails, Israel will not stand by idly. It will find some other "proxy" to bank on.

[hummbumm]

There can not be a coup. the one thing that will unite all the christians is the thought of a shia president, ditto with the sunni and a shiite prime minister. Given that, I would like to see more spine from Saniora and crowd. Hizbullah has weapons yes but they cannot subjugate the other communities. Let's get real here, you think Hizbullah can by force of arms come in and occupy Ashrafieh etc.. give me a break, they would be picked off so fast, their heads would spin. So any talk of coup is crap, the other communities have no weapons, now but the army would split and weapons would flow in. given that backdrop, Sanior should call hizbullah's bluff. to e's point there is no country with Hizbullah formally in power, so screw them.

[Battal Agha]

It is NOW or NEVER - We cannot sit back and wait for some MIRACLE to happen. Liberty should be fought for as is INDEPENDENCE and yes (here definitively) HONOR AND RESPECT

[e]

Bad vilbel,

You are right. Saniora has to show some backbone or everybody will lose patience. But I think HA are all talk right now. They are talking and in the same time abandoning positions. When this is reversed, it will be time to worry.

I am quite sure Israel has lost any appetite for a proxy war in Lebanon. The US and France can arm the Christians if they like, and if there is a war with HA then Israel will certainly support the other factions as best it can, but we don't want to be responsible anymore if something goes out of control. There has to be an independent front that fights HA that is not beholden in anyway or controlled in anyway by Israel. One Sabra and Shatila is quite enough and I don't think any Israeli government is going to make that mistake again. That is not to say that the united front cannot be coordinated with Israel say through France or even directly, but it has to be independent and seen as such by the international community and especially by the Lebanese themselves.

e

[bad vilbel]

e,

We're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here. I wasn't talking about direct Israeli involvement. But you get the gist of what I was getting at. The US and Israel will not tolerate Lebanon turning into another Iran.
They'd rather turn it into Iraq (i.e. having some factions fight HA).

It's that simple.

[Jeha]

I have an eerie feeling of "Deja Vu".

Back in the late 60's, the Cairo agreement and the "Higher Cause of the Palestinian Resistance" convinced many Christians to try and go their own way.

My fear is this: If Hezb keeps his weapons and sticks to a "tribal" agenda, by claiming it is "Greater than Lebanon", UNSCR 1701 would only serve to bring about a Christian-Druze alliance, with some Sunni backing...

Watch the next couple of years... Unless Lahoud's end-of-term precipitates matters.

[bad vilbel]

Jeha.

It's exactly a deja-vu.
Some of the players have changed names, but the basic equation is very much the same.

[Roger]

Lebanon appears to be a lost case.

Pourquoi aller au LIBAN ?? - Philippe Pouard

Je met ici un post du Dr. P. Pouard. Medecin dans un Hopital de Paris, Dr. Pouard a coopéré avec son équipe avec divers instituts médicaux du monde arabe. Il a visité le Liban, la Syrie, Israël, les territoires palestiniens et l'Egypte pour ne citer qu'eux. Sa connaissance du monde intellectuel arabe lui vient aussi des stagiaires originaires de pays arabes qui ont travaillé depuis trentes ans dans son équipe. C'est dire que P. Pouard connait bien les états d'esprit et leurs évolutions depuis quelques années.

R.

Pourquoi aller au LIBAN ??

Pour une raison d’incompétence politique-militaire les Israéliens ont accepté ce cesse le feu alors qu’ils étaient sur la bonne voie pour affaiblir considérablement ce mélange complexe de fanatisme religieux, de social et de terrorisme qu’est le Hezbollah. Après un début rendu cafouilleux par de mauvais renseignements, une impréparation certaine et une suffisance de la haute hiérarchie militaire les Israéliens prenaient le dessus et augmentaient le nombre des objectifs déjà réalisés.

Arrêt des hostilités et soudain, la France serait inévitable, essentielle, voire responsable d’une paix impossible.
Irons nous pour désarmer le Hezbollah ? non, c’est le rôle de l’armée libanaise dit Douste Blazy sans rire d’une bêtise aussi énorme, comme si la souris pouvait désarmer le chat !
Irions nous pour filtrer les frontières ? Les syriens ne l’acceptent pas et nous rappellent l’assassinat de notre ambassadeur et des soldats du camp Drakkar.
Irions nous pour empêcher les actions du Hezbollah ou des commandos israéliens de part et d’autre de la frontière? Non, madame la ministre a visiblement trop peur de perdre un seul homme.
Irions nous aider les Libanais ? Quels Libanais ? En pleine guerre au sud et à l’est, un ami médecin à l’Hôtel Dieu de France m’écrivait que la vie était normale et qu’il n’y avait aucun blessé dans son hôpital. Ces riches Libanais au pouvoir qui à force de ménager la chèvre et le chou, les Syriens et les Israéliens, pour s’enrichir ont provoqué la destruction du sud du pays ?
Irions nous pour faire plaisir aux « médias » ? Ceux qui nous parlaient et nous montraient les « frappes aveugles » sur les civils libanais ( les membres du Hezbollah n’avaient pas d’uniforme et tiraient leurs missiles depuis des sites civils, hôpitaux et écoles). Ceux qui ne montraient pas les destructions de Safed, Metulla, des kibboutz de la frontière par des milliers de tirs de missiles au hasard sur la population civile israélienne ? Les médias qui nous parlaient du manque total d’essence et le lendemain nous montraient les embouteillages monstres ? Ceux qui doublaient le nombre de victimes déjà effrayant à Cana en répétant bêtement la propagande Hezbollesque ?
Alors pourquoi allons nous au Liban ? Pour nettoyer les routes, vider les toilettes, balayer les éclats d’obus ? D’abord, comme des cantonniers donc et après ?? Pour gagner les sous de la re- reconstruction plus tard ???!! Notre diplomatie est de toute façon trop faible pour contrer les manœuvres Irano Syriennes

Pourtant cette guerre est en grande partie de notre responsabilité, nous (l’occident) avons accepté que le gouvernement libanais laisse un Hezbollah armé face à la frontière, nous avons accepté que la Syrie, l’Iran et la Russie lui livre des armes performantes et modernes pour faire pression sur Israël. Quand l’Iran a trouvé un moyen de diversion en faisant lancer quelques katioucha sur Israël et enlever 2 soldats, nous n’avons pas cru qu’ Israël riposterait. Heureusement Israël a riposté, même mal, même de façon lamentable pour les célèbres IDF mais a pu se rendre compte de l’armement et des bunkers du Hezbollah, détruire la plupart des plus dangereux missiles et éliminer nombre d’assassins.
Alors une guerre pour rien, (avec de nombreux morts) une résolution 1701 de l’ONU pour rien (avec une diplomatie prétentieuse et inefficace), un déploiement de force pour rien (avec un risque vital pour nos soldats)... jusqu’à la prochaine fois.

Alors Mr Chirac, prenez votre retraite, arrêtez cette tragicomédie, nous n’avons rien à faire au Liban, ce magnifique pays est mort, suicidé par ses propres habitants aidés par la communauté internationale.

Philippe Pouard

[Debbie]

Israel never considered Lebanon or the Lebanese as an enemy-on the contrary.
Violations of the terms of the Israel- Lebanon Armistice agreemnt by Arafat, and his terrorists, brought about the war against Fatah in 1982 for firing and carrying terror acts from Lebanon. In the wake of this operation Arafat was driven out of Lebanon. ( Remember Damour and Arafat's implication in the civil war?)
And now here are the present circustances beyond the smokesscreen of Hizb propaganda and it's Syrian and Iranian paymasters) and Syrian agents like Lahoud and Suleiman:

Israel Under Fire
A look at some of the myths and facts following Hezbollah's attack on Israel.

Israeli military operations in Lebanon are taking place in response to an unprovoked border attack which left 8 Israeli soldiers dead and two kidnapped by the Hezbollah. Since then many more Israelis have been wounded and killed by over 700 Katyusha missiles and mortars that have rained down on Israel's northern cities, including as far south as Haifa and Tiberias. Israel is exercising her legitimate right to self-defense.

Please stand up for Israel at this extremely difficult time and support our efforts to promote balance in the media, particularly as the volume of media coverage expands so dramatically.

MYTHS AND FACTS SURROUNDING THE CRISIS

Myth - "Israel's response is disproportionate."

Fact - The definition of a "disproportionate" response is a subjective one. The question that could be asked of any other country in the world is simply: "What would you do in the same situation?" When protecting its citizens, exercising the right to self-defense and responding to missile attacks over a recognized border, most countries would respond in a similar manner. After all, how many Israelis need to die before the world believes that Israeli responses are proportionate?

Any civilian casualties in a conflict are, of course, tragic and regrettable. Civilians on both sides are suffering. However, Israeli air strikes on Lebanon are not intended to kill civilians, unlike the hundreds of Hezbollah missiles that are targeted specifically at Israeli civilians who have been forced into bomb shelters for their own safety. Israel has even dropped leaflets on Beirut suburbs calling on civilians to stay away from Hezbollah strongholds to avoid being caught up in the fighting.

Israel has also been criticized for targeting Lebanese infrastructure such as the Beirut airport. However, it is also interesting to note what has not been targeted. For example, while the airport runway was bombed, other vital installations such as the control tower were left untouched and Lebanese civilian airliners were allowed to fly to safety. Transport hubs and bridges have been targeted in order to prevent Hezbollah moving the kidnapped Israeli soldiers deeper into Lebanon and possibly even as far as Iran, as well as to prevent the terrorist organization being re-supplied with arms from Iran and elsewhere.

Many of Hezbollah's facilities and missile launch sites are located near residential areas, such as the suburbs of southern Beirut. Terrorists hide within the civilian population and use this population as a shield. Israel's priority is to strike at the Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure that has been allowed to develop in Lebanon.

Israel has, so far, avoided initiating a major ground offensive into Lebanese territory and has barely used a fraction of the firepower available to the IDF.

Myth - "Lebanon bears no responsibility for the actions of Hezbollah."

Fact - UN Security Council Resolution 1559 of September 2004, which referred back to Resolution 425, called "upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon"; "for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias"; and supported "the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory".

Syria eventually complied with 1559 and removed its occupying forces. However, the Lebanese government has not disarmed Hezbollah nor has it sent its armed forces to secure southern Lebanon and the border with Israel.

In addition, Hezbollah is actually part of the Lebanese government, which contains two Hezbollah members in the Cabinet. The Lebanese government, therefore, cannot abstain from responsibility for the actions of a part of its own leadership.

Myth - "Hezbollah is an indigenous Lebanese 'resistance' organization."

Fact - According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Hezbollah:

is a Lebanese umbrella organization of radical Islamic Shiite groups and organizations. It opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah, whose name means "party of God," is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people.

Hezbollah and its affiliates have planned or been linked to a lengthy series of terrorist attacks against the United States, Israel, and other Western targets. These attacks include:

a series of kidnappings of Westerners in Lebanon, including several Americans, in the 1980s;
the suicide truck bombings that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines at their barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983;
the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847, which featured the famous footage of the plane?s pilot leaning out of the cockpit with a gun to his head;
and two major 1990s attacks on Jewish targets in Argentina - the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy (killing twenty-nine) and the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center (killing ninety-five).
In addition, Hezbollah is sponsored, funded and armed by Iran and Syria who use the organization as a proxy to fight Israel and to destabilize the region. Hezbollah is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department.

Myth - "Outside actors such as Iran are not fuelling the crisis."

Fact - A number of analysts have suggested that the timing of the Hezbollah operation is no coincidence, occurring just prior to the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg. The G8 was expected to concentrate heavily on Iran's refusal to comply with demands to curtail its nuclear program. A wider Mideast crisis, provoked by Iran's Hezbollah proxies, has now moved to the top of the G8 agenda, thus relieving some of the pressure on Iran.

In addition, Iranian fingerprints are to be found in the current conflict. The Katyusha missiles that are currently raining down on the north of Israel are supplied by Iran. An Israeli Naval vessel was also struck by an Iranian-made C802 missile, killing four sailors.

Myth - "Israel continues to occupy Lebanese land, specifically the Shebaa Farms area."

Fact - On May 24, 2000, Israel completed the unilateral withdrawal of all IDF forces from southern Lebanon, in accordance with Israeli government decisions and UN Security Council Resolution 425, ending an 18-year presence there.

On June 18, 2000, the UN Security Council endorsed the Secretary-General's conclusion that, as of 16 June, Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with Resolution 425.

As explained by Israel's Foreign Ministry, the Shebaa Farms area is not, and should not be, considered disputed territory - its status was clarified by a number of United Nations statements following the withdrawal of Israel forces from Lebanon in May 2000.

The United Nations views the Shebaa Farms area as Syrian territory. Therefore, UN Security Council Resolution 425 - which concerns Lebanon - does not require Israel to withdraw from this area.

While Lebanon claims to be the owner of the Shebaa Farms area, the UN has encouraged the Lebanese and Syrians to negotiate between themselves as to who is the rightful owner. If Syria were to cede ownership of the area to Lebanon, then it is probable that Israel and the UN would then reconsider the status of the territory. In the meantime, the issue of the Shebaa Farms is used simply as an excuse for the Hezbollah to maintain itself as an armed force in the region.

Myth - "Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails were kidnapped from Lebanese soil and should be released."

Some Lebanese and other Arab spokespeople have defended Hezbollah's actions as a legitimate form of "resistance" aimed at securing the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails from the period of Israel's presence in its southern Lebanon security zone.

Fact - The prisoner whom Hezbollah is demanding, above all others, be released, is Samir Kuntar, jailed in Israel since a 1979 attack in the northern Israeli town of Nahariyah, in which he entered an apartment and murdered three family members and an Israeli police officer.

Kuntar is quite simply a terrorist and a murderer who committed a terrible atrocity on Israeli soil. Those prisoners held in Israeli jails captured during Israel's stay in southern Lebanon are, likewise, held for terrorist offences and due to the inherent risk that they will return to their previous activities

[Debbie]

Seniora tries do curry favour with Syria

Lebanese PM says his government is holding no direct talks with Israel, vows Lebanon would be last country to sign peace deal with Jewish State; Olmert said earlier ceasefire is cornerstone for peace

Associated Press Published: 08.30.06, 14:52

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Wednesday that he refused to have any direct contact with Israel and Lebanon would be the last Arab country to ever sign a peace deal with the Jewish state.

At conclusion of meeting with PM Olmert, UN secretary-General says bases assumption soldiers are alive on talks with senior Lebanese officials, including Hizbullah ministers. Annan urges Israel to lift Lebanon blockade. Olmert expresses hope for peace with Lebanon
Full Story



"Let it be clear, we are not seeking any agreement until there is just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab initiative," he said.

He was referring to a plan that came out of a 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. It calls for Israel to return all territories it conquered in the 1967 Mideast war, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem - all in exchange for peace and full normalization of Arab relations with Israel.

Israel has long sought a peace deal with Lebanon, but Beirut has hesitated as long as Israel's conflicts with the Palestinians and Syria remained unresolved.

Siniora said Lebanon wants to go back to the 1949 armistice agreement that formally ended the Arab-Israeli war over Israel's creation.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said earlier Wednesday that the Israel-Hizbullah ceasefire could be "a cornerstone to build a new reality between Israel and Lebanon."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also said they hoped the ceasefire deal could evolve into a full-fledged peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

Implementation of the ceasefire "gives us a foundation to move forward and settle the differences between Israel and Lebanon once and for all, to establish a durable peace," Annan said.

Also Wednesday, Siniora said that his government would pay USD 33,000 per house to compensate residents whose homes were destroyed by Israeli attacks. The government has been criticized for being slow to respond with financial support for people who lost homes in the fighting.

Siniora said 130,000 housing units had been destroyed or damaged in more than a month of Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting with Hizbullah guerrillas, mostly in south Lebanon. He did not give a breakdown of the completely destroyed houses.

Hizbullah launched rebuilding campaigns in its strongholds within days of the Aug. 14 ceasefire, burnishing its support among residents.

Siniora said he would ask delegates to an international donors' conference in Sweden on Thursday to take responsibility for rebuilding specific villages hit by Israeli attacks. Organizers of the conference are aiming to raise USD 500 million in aid for Lebanon, Sweden's aid minister said Tuesday.

The European Commission said Wednesday it will pledge USD 54 million at the conference on top of the USD 64 million that the European Union's head office has already earmarked for emergency relief to Lebanon.

So he does NOT want Peace he will get War.

******************************

Arab papers slam Nasrallah, dub him irresponsible

Arab newspapers openly criticized Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

Several of them specifically targeted his speech on Sunday, during which he said that had he known Israel's response would be so harsh, Hizbullah would not have gone through with July 12 kidnapping .
On the front page of Kuwait's Assi Assa's newspaper, Nasrallah was labeled an "adventurer" who was "unaware of his actions" and "does not understand what he has done to Lebanon".

The newspaper's editor, Ahmad Aljarala, called on Nasrallah to submit to the Lebanese government's authority and to give up all arms in the possession of Hizbullah to the government.

Egyptian newspaper Al Ahbar reported that Nasrallah's words came too late after the loss of thousands of Lebanese civilians.

Saudi Arabia's Al Watan called Hizbullah's kidnapping "irresponsible."

[bad vilbel]

Ugh. We were having a decent debate in here. And now we have to go back to this finger-pointing routine? I'm over it.