Lebanon gripped by anti-American sentiment

[allemand]

BEIRUT, Lebanon - In trendy central Beirut, a large banner looms over the now nearly empty streets of downtown: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stares intently, with piercing fangs and blood dripping from her lips.

"The massacre of children in Qana is a gift from Rice," the banner says. It's referring to a southern Lebanese town that's now synonymous with the word massacre after the deaths of at least 28 civilians, many children, in an Israeli airstrike on July 30, and another attack in 1996, when Israeli artillery killed more than 100 civilians.

Last year, Lebanon was the beacon of the Bush administration's vision of a new Middle East. There were free elections without Syrian influence, women's rights, a free press and free speech.

Today, much of this nation feels deserted by America as Israeli warplanes dropping American-made weapons destroy apartment blocks, bridges and roads. After four weeks of bombardment, the feeling is increasingly shared by Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Christians and Druze.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/15244806.htm

[KingFlorez]

1. mmmm, wonder what spurred this?

[pscot]

21. They hate us for our freedom

N/T

[YDogg]

2. I went to grad school with a young woman from Beirut ...

... decades ago. We knew each other to say hello to, but didn't know each other well. I remember vividly, however, her anguish over some of what was going on in her country at the time, and I hope to god she is okay.

[leftchick]

3. bullshit like this exacerbates the situation...

An Israeli soldier, wearing an United States bandana, has camouflage make up applied to his face as troops gather along the Lebanon border preparing to enter southern Lebanon in northern Israel Thursday Aug. 10, 2006. Israel has put plans for a new ground offensive in Lebanon on hold to give a chance to cease-fire efforts, senior government officials said Thursday, a day after Israel's Security Cabinet approved a major expansion of the monthlong war. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/021405lebanon&curPhoto=1

[Hoping4Change]

8. Does it exacerbate the situation or merely state the obvious?

:eyes:

[drduffy]

13. or both

[saigon68]

17. It certainly doesn't Lessen It

[Lost4words]

4. What a surprise.

The new boss aint the same as the old boss.

And the new boss dont give a shit for human beings of any flavor except his precious backers. And you saw what * did for Ken Lay, a former friend.

The more blood flows the more the money pile grows.

[ShortnFiery]

5. Who da thunk it?

No worries. This Criminal Executive branch and their enabling Republican Leadership in the Congress THRIVE on hate and the dream of perpetual warfare. :thumbsdown: :puke:

[mom cat]

6. Here ya go: #5.

[Poll_Blind]

7. Why oh why do they hate Ameri- oh, riiiiight. Pulling shrapnel out...

...of your kids with the words "Made in the U.S.A.", dropped from a us-manufactured U.S. fighter jet flown by our over-financed friends, the All-Loving All-Seeing All-Bombing Israeli government is apt to give them that idea.

PB

[eccles12]

9. Very soon, Americans will not be welcome anywhere on earth.

We have lost so much of our moral authority and self-respect because of bad foreign policies and the fever-pitched warmongering to fatten the coffers of the "have-to-muches." Indeed, war is a racket and most politicians are "pimps."

[CoffeeCat]

10. What makes me so sick...

...is that Beirut had come back. After years of being a "terrorist haven" and a dilapidated, war-torn city--it was
rebuilt and a burgeoning economy emerged. The entire city had flourished. People moved back and the tourists returned.
In his book, "See No Evil," Bob Baer, a former CIA Middle-East expert noted that terrorism had lessened in Lebanon, due
to econommic expansion and growth.

Beirut was a city that--up until recently--represented what Bush touts---freedom, peace, economic growth, capitalism.

Beirut encapsulated every single lofty goal that BushCo claims to support.

Then, when Israel decides to bomb the hell out of it---and destroy the infrastructure of Beirut and other major
cities in Lebanon--the United States stands alone with Britain--in refusing to support a cease fire. We demanded
that Lebanon be destroyed. We gave Israel the bombs and we wouldn't allow a reprieve--for the thousands of innocent
civilians who did NOTHING WRONG.

This is so beyond sick. It's evil hypocrisy glaring right at us.

It's disgusting and there are no words for how sick this administration is.

[Barkley]

20. I like your analysis TwoSparkles

I wonder if Israel would have invaded Lebanon if Syria had not removed its troops.

I don't buy the official explanation of Hararri's assassination.

With a weakened Lebanese central gov't its hard to imagine how they will have the resources to combat terrorism.

[OneBlueSky]

11. we must elect a Congress that can halt the disastrous BushCo . . .

foreign policy and try to mitigate at least some of the damage -- if it's even possible at this point . . .

if we have "leadership" that can't and/o won't address this immense national crisis, the whole planet will end up our enemies . . . and with a virulent hatred that will take generations to overcome . . .

[IntiRaymi]

12. Phew!...at least it's not anti - israeli sentiment!!!!

Otherwise, they'd get accused of being antisemitic!!!

[LostinVA]

18. That made me laugh for some reason

A good way to start off the day... even if the subject is a serious one. Thanks!

[w4rma]

14. I couldn't imagine why. I guess that government won't ever be

"pro-American" now. Wow, Republicans really !@#$ed this up. Lebanon had a pro-American democracy in place. And they actually bomb it down. These people are insane.

[evox]

16. they sure are. n/t

[oasis]

15. Bush foreign policy is a miserable failure.

[mmonk]

19. Creating enemies worldwide.

Is this the war on terrorism or the war for terrorism?