Hiz. Begins Monumental Task of Rebuilding So. Suburbs

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com

More headlines in the Journal


These are the oddest opening paragraphs I've seen in a long time.....



1//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, August 18, 2006

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=74824



HIZBULLAH BEGINS MONUMENTAL TASK OF REBUILDING SOUTHERN SUBURBS

By Osama Habib, Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: Under a red banner which read "made in the USA," heavy earth-moving machinery, bulldozers and trucks lifted massive rubble and debris from a bombed-out residential building in the heart of the southern suburbs, an area that was once the home of 500,000 mostly Shiite residents. Four days after the UN sponsored cease- fire between Israel and Hizbullah fighters, the southern suburbs turned into one giant 20-kilometer workshop made up of buildings and shops that are either totally destroyed or partially damaged.



But the heavy machinery clearing the rubble to pave the way for reconstruction belong to Hizbullah, the party responsible for the capture of two Israeli soldiers that triggered the 34-day war.



"The party is keeping its promise to help rebuild the southern suburbs and the villages in the South that were hit by the Israeli forces," Ghassan Darwish, a senior Hizbullah official, told The Daily Star.


(SNIP)



Some critics say that Nasrallah's promise to rebuild these areas was nothing but an attempt to silence growing criticism of the war as well as a way of retaining his wide support among the Shiites that represent more than 40 percent of Lebanon's population.



But whatever the reasons behind Nasrallah's motives, most of residents of the southern suburbs believe that the party will keep its promise to rebuild the area.

MORE

[msongs]

1. israel is responsible for this mess. let israel do it and pay for it. nt

[Robbien]

2. The equipment wasn't made in the USA. The rubble was

The first thing they did when returning to bombed out Lebanon was to erect a sign saying "Made in the USA".

[babylonsister]

3. Yes, the US created the mess in their eyes;

I've seen quite a few signs amid the rubble (pics on DU).

I have to agree, too...

[neoblues]

4. Bush thrives on Chaos...

He wanted the violence/war to change the status quo between Israel and Lebanon. Obviously suffering from some delusion/fantasy that it would work to Israel's favor and cost us little or nothing.

As per usual, Dumbya got it wrong on every count. When we do finally get him out of office, we should keep him on as an advisor (well, his team I suppose--since I doubt he actually comes up with anything at all on his own)... Why? What possible use could they serve? Well, if their proposed course of action always (100% of the time), represents the worst possible choice, perhaps it would be useful--in that doing the exact opposite probably represents the best course with the most positive outcome. Alas, I suspect that even that's giving them too much credit; they're not only wrong in the worst ways, but often wrong for the wrong reasons.

When all is said and done, though, we must make sure that History is not written by the victors (since they were, and still are, the victors**).

**hopefully that will change somewhat in the relatively near future!

Edit: added **hopefully...

[IronLionZion]

5. The missiles that hit those houses were made in USA

We gave them missiles that can hit every city in the middle east, including Iran. We gave them motherfucking nuclear missiles.

[Tesha]

6. Hizbollah, like an old-time Chicago Alderman, knows...

Hizbollah, like an old-time Chicago Alderman, knows
how to keep the people voting for them: meet their
immediate needs and be sure to remind them who's
providing for them in their time of need.

Next time, there will ten times as many people
supporting Hizbollah as there were this time.

This is a lesson we completely blew past in Iraq.

Tesha

[plasticsundance]

7. Hizbollah hands out cash to Lebanese

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hizbollah handed out bundles of cash on Friday to people whose homes were wrecked by Israeli bombing, consolidating the Iranian-backed group's support among Lebanon's Shi'ites and embarrassing the Beirut government.

"This is a very, very reasonable amount. It is not small," said Ayman Jaber, 27, holding a wad he had just picked up from Hizbollah of $12,000 in banknotes wrapped in tissue.

Israeli and U.S. officials have voiced concern that Hizbollah will entrench its popularity by moving fast -- with Iranian money -- to help people whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the 34-day conflict with Israel.

Hizbollah has not said where the funds are coming from to compensate people from an estimated 15,000 destroyed homes. The scheme appears likely to cost at least $150 million. The Lebanese government has yet to launch anything similar.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-08-18T115224Z_01_L13492527_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C1-TopStories-newsOne-2">more ...

[Waya]

8. Say what you want about Hezbollah - but at least they are helping.....

.....people in need. I don't care if it's for propaganda or recruiting purposes - if the government doesn't want more people to support Hezbollah, then maybe they should get with the program.

[zonkers]

21. Sure, rebuilding is good. But Hezbollah's really doing Iran's bidding

-- in Iran's attempt to dominate the region at any cost. And the death, destruction and the rebuilding is the price Iran is all to eager to pay for the prize of Lebanon. Iran's arming of an independent militia within a soveriegn country w/ thousands of missiles was very wrong.

Maybe, in the big picture, if the U.S. had not had an embargo against Iran for so many years, these events would not have unfolded as they have.

It is a big sad mess.


EDITED

[scarletwoman]

22. You're just repeating propaganda "Hezbollah's really doing Iran's bidding"

I call bullshit. Iran gives them material support, it does not control Hizbullah. Hizbullah is an indigenous Lebanese resistance movement.

sw

[zonkers]

27. To call training and outfitting an army "material support" is a BS

euphemism. And calling Hezbollah a resistance movement is more BS They are now a political party in a sovereign state that holds Parliament and cabinet seats. You and Hezb. can't have it both ways.

[scarletwoman]

29. I chose the term "indigenous resistance movement" very specifically,

because the word "movement" encompasses all 3 aspects of Hizbullah -- the political party, the social service organization and the armed militia. "Resistance" because the historical fact is that Hizbullah first arose as an armed resistance against the 18-year Israeli occupation of Lebanon. And finally, "indigenous", because they are a Lebanese movement consisting of Lebanese citizens.

Perhaps you'd like to expand your knowledge? Here's a good place to start:

Hizballah: A Primer

sw

[saigon68]

28. Please just change a few words

in Iran's (amerika's) attempt to dominate the region at any cost. And the death, destruction and the rebuilding is the price Iran (amerika)is all to eager to pay for the prize of Lebanon. Iran's (amerika's) arming of an independent militia (zionists) within a soveriegn country w/ thousands of missiles (Bombs,napalm and White Phosphorus) was very wrong.

IE

1. Iran's =(amerika's)

2. an independent militia = (zionists)

3. thousands of missiles = (Bombs,napalm and White Phosphorus)



LOL-- WHO IS ISRAEL'S DADDY--- ITS THE CHIMPANZEE

[zonkers]

30. The topic of the O.P. was about Hezbollah's rebuiliding, not U.S./ Israeli

domination of the M.E. U.S. My post in response merely stayed on topic. Beleive me, I have plenty of harsh words for the U.S. and Israel.

[Kagemusha]

9. Note that when the US Army passes cash around it's to chiefs only

The US Army does not shower cash on mere commoners, but targets it at "local leaders" (Sheiks leading tribes) and so forth. The US is willing to shower the rich with large amounts of money, but ask it to support the poor and disadvantaged (disadvantaged due to say, your house being blown up), the US is cheap to the extreme, and parts with money only with the greatest of difficulty.

And they wonder why the US Army and Marine Corps can't replicate Hezbollah's success.

[Lerkfish]

10. yeah, God forbid anyone should alleviate their suffering

how dare they !

:sarcasm:

here's a thought: if the US and Israel are upset about it, why don't they offer their OWN war reparations, seeing as how they caused the damage and all?

nah, that would never occur to them. Better to bellyache about someone else's generousity than provide any of their own.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. well should they not be helping their own citizens?

[Igel]

15. "Their own citizens"?

Did they declare independence, or do they simply own the commoners?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. helping ones citizens doesnt implying ownership

just that if an American organization chooses to hand cash out to american citizens, especially if Canada had just destroyed their homes, would this not be acceptable behaviour?

[plasticsundance]

20. What are you implying?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. that hizbollah has every right to help the lebanese people

[plasticsundance]

24. I agree ... that's why I posted the article.

[Donnachaidh]

12. wtf?

Should the Lebanese wait for Bush to help with the re-construction? Chimpie pouting because he missed the photo-op? :sarcasm:

[scarletwoman]

13. The displaced people of Lebanon deserve all the help they can get, period.

It was OUR (U.S.) money that paid for all the destruction. For Hizbullah to be taking care of its fellow Lebanese citizens is the right thing to do. And if the funds to do so are coming from other regional governments that's also completely appropriate.

The Shi'a in southern Lebanon stand a far greater chance at recovery and rebuilding under Hizbullah than U.S. citizens in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans do under their own government. And lets not forget the state of recovery and rebuilding in Iraq under the grand U.S./neocon project to "reshape" the Middle East.

sw

[Kittycat]

14. Bush would require that the money be filtered through

Halliburton first, and by the time they're done with it - the people would still be homeless and starving. Oooh, that sounds kind of like Katrina :sarcasm:

[FlavaKreemSnak]

16. Uh-oh. That is going to so make Israel mad

Do you think they will tell the UN troops and the pro-American Lebanese who are supposed to be enforcing the occupation to take it away from them?

[OhioChick]

18. Interesting......

They've quickly begun rebuilding. How's NOLA looking these days?

[Kagemusha]

19. When they joked about Hezbollah helping New Orleans on TDS

the audience cheered, I do believe... or at least profusely clapped.

[Tempest]

25. Hezbollah has always been Johnny on the spot when it comes to rebuilding

They did it twice before after Israeli bombing attacks in Lebanon.

They were there long before the Syrian controlled government stepped in.

Hezbollah's version of FEMA is head and shoulders above ours.

[Javaman]

26. Lets do a a very small comparison between S. Leb and New Orleans...

I heard on the Rachel Maddow show this morning, a report from the BBC stated, that many of the bombed out area have already been surveyed by Hizbollha engineers. They have assigned 5 men crews to each village to do such work. They also have moved in heavy machinery to clear some of the wreckage.

One guy that was interviewed stated, his gas station was bombed twice. He went to the store to pick something up, he came back, his area was surveyed and had a chit for cash waiting for him.

Now call me crazy, but doesn't this seem like the workings of an organized group?

As opposed to the moron rove that was supposed to be in charge of NO?

I weep every day for the new and creative ways, 3rd world countries continue to out do us.

[scarletwoman]

31. Another article on the same theme: Hezbollah guerrillas reflect on damage

From the Associated Press (on yahoo) Hezbollah guerrillas reflect on damage



By LAUREN FRAYER, Associated Press Writer Fri Aug 18, 3:51 AM ET

ADAISSE, Lebanon - In ruined towns along Lebanon's southern border, Hezbollah fighters swerved their motorbikes around flattened houses and sewer pipes protruding from bombed-out roads. One offered up mineral water with a Hebrew label — taken from the stash of some Israeli soldiers who never made it home.

"I am a Hezbollah fighter, and this is my town," (my emphasis) proclaimed 35-year-old Ahmed, who declined to give his full name. His voice echoed off the shells of vacant, gnarled buildings in Adaisse's main square. A yellow Hezbollah flag hung in tatters from the top of a monument of bronze rockets near a cedar tree.

<snip>

A tattered band of ex-fighters patrolled the streets of this Shiite Muslim hamlet on Thursday, within a mile of the Israeli border. Monday's cease-fire forced them to consider their previous lives as civilians. But with this war's heaviest battles fought in the alleys of their own homes, these men may never be able to go back to life as they knew it before the war.

It was difficult to find a building in Adaisse that was not blackened, pockmarked by artillery or collapsed altogether. Wreckage was strewn through the streets, but new Hezbollah flags flapped in the wind over piles of rubble.

(more at link)

sw