LIVE from Beirut blog

[Strawman]

Two fellow graduate students I know are currently in Lebanon blogging about what is going on.

http://www.livefrombeirut.blogspot.com/

Food for action and thought...

Three items right now.

1 – DON’T JUST SIT THERE! TAKE ACTION! Prayers are great, and your concern and well-wishes are definitely appreciated, but may we request that you expend more time and effort on one or more of the following:

- If this suits your particular ideology, contact your elected officials (members of Congress and the President) demanding that they use their influence to curb the Israeli attacks.

- Regardless of your view on the proper attribution of blame for this siege, contact those same elected officials and DEMAND that they stop making American evacuees pay for their trip out of Beirut. This practice is appalling, especially considering the fact that these same Americans (also, we must add this extremely ironic note, Lebanese citizens who work in the United States) have been paying their tax dollars to finance the very Israeli military that is necessitating the evacuation in the first place.

- Educate friends and colleagues about the Lebanese side of the conflict – direct them to this blog, the Daily Star (see link from a previous posting), and other alternative news outlets to encourage a more balanced view of what’s going on.

- Donate money to one of the many humanitarian relief organizations that are struggling to help the 500,000+ displaced Lebanese people and provide much-needed food and medical attention in hard-hit areas. Go to this site for a good list of very reputable organizations: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/17/help.center/index.html

[leftchick]

1. truth in the fog of war....

<snip>

Second, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is not being as discriminating in its targets as its public statements suggest. It is claiming to only be bombing Hizballah-related targets – again, without engaging in any sort of ideological discussion, this is simply not true! For example, the IDF says that it is not bombing Lebanese military installations, because it is maintaining the distinction (which I hope is being echoed in the US) between Hizballah and the Lebanese government and military. I know of at least one Lebanese army base in the city of Jamhour that was hit 3 times by the IDF. This base was responsible for carrying out construction projects like building roads and refurbishing bridges, quite easily distinguishable from a combat-related facility. Another example of this wide definition of “Hizballah-related targets” is the bombing of privately-owned factories that produce dairy products, medicines and medical supplies, and paper and plastic goods.

[DELUSIONAL]

2. Information like this -- from eye witnesses is very important

and far more credible than government propaganda PR jargon.

Other eye witness reports are saying that it is impossible to remove dead bodies -- the living and injured can escape -- but the dead bodies are left.

Logic tells us that the immediate death will be due to bombs etc. but the secondary causes of death -- disease from lack of sanitation, infection will be high. Especially with 500,000 people displaced.

Tell me again why this is happening?? Logic defies any reason I've heard so far.

[bdamomma]

3. I would like to know also

I want to know what is really happening to these people, I would keep calling my Senators and Reps to get things under some control.