Saturday, August 12, 2006

But We're All "People of the Book", Right?


Sorry if this was already posted. If not, I find it important. This is a report from AINA, the Assyrian International News Agency on Hizballah using Christians in Lebanon as shields. Yes, the Assyrians still exist despite centuries of attempts to eradicate them. This is just a more recent blow:

"Launching attacks behind human shields is in violation of the Geneva Convention's provision for the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, which prohibits the use of civilians as military shields.

This is not a new strategy for Hezbollah. Col. Charbel Barka, a former South Lebanese Army commander, says Hezbollah is repeating what it did in attacks against Israel in 1996.

A Christian from the village of Ain Ebel, who requested to remain nameless for fear of a reprisal from Hezbollah, reported that he found Hezbollah fighters setting up a launcher on his rooftop. Hezbollah fighters ignored his pleas to stop and fired the missiles. He immediately gathered his family and fled his home, which was bombed 15 minutes later by an Israeli air strike.

Hezbollah has also attempted to stop Christians from fleeing their villages. According to Christian Solidarity International, on July 28, Hezbollah fighters fired upon several Christians fleeing Rmeish with their families, wounding two.

Sami El-Khoury, president of the World Maronite Union, adds that media reports about Christian support for Hezbollah are inaccurate.

"Contrary to Western press reports, indicating high percentages of Christian support for Hezbollah, 90 percent of Christians, 80 percent of Sunni and 40 percent of Shiites in Lebanon oppose Hezbollah," El-Khoury told Christian Solidarity International."

So much for respecting those dhimmis. Ooooh, I'm so shocked.

This report courtesy of TROP. The news of Lebanese parties deciding to possibly bring suit against Israel for "war crimes" (the good news is that a counter suit by Israel would be de rigeur in that case) from the recent stagings, um, I mean Hizballah dictated casualties in the conflict is courtesy of CNN.

The recent switch on America's National Public Radio from "Hizballah" to "Hizballah fighters" to "Hizballah guerrilla fighters" is courtesy of pure idiocy and kind of like one of those time-lapse films showing a storm coming in. My biggest MSM worry at the moment (aside from CBS' constant campaign to destroy the US and their ability to finally live up to their station's name since 9/11) is the reporters in Lebanon. I'm seeing a lot of this on CNN in particular, but the reporters stationed in Beirut and a few others in Lebanon are definitely going native. I can't say that the reaction isn't to be expected; they are surrounded by Lebanese and probably frightened of being on that side of the war zone. But the bias is starting to show.

That, and when you are still posting on the screen "Developing Story : Crisis in the Middle East/ Day 31" it's time for some new graphics. We all know how quickly and how tastelessly they can be done, complete with music. But when you're still posting which day of the "crisis" you're reporting on and it's been a MONTH, that's really a sign that you need to wake up and realize that it's a WAR.

I'll track down the sources as best I can later, but I'm posting what I've just seen and what I've heard on NPR's "Morning Edition" as well as other NPR programs (www.npr.org).

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