Christians Fleeing Lebanon Denounce Hezbollah

Read more than the headline.

TYRE, Lebanon, July 27 — The refugees from southern Lebanon spilled out of packed cars into the dark street here Thursday evening, gulping bottles of water and squinting in the glare of the headlights to find family members and friends. Many had not eaten in days. Most had not had clean drinking water for some time. There were wounded swathed in makeshift dressings, and a baby just 16 days old.

But for some of the Christians who had made it out in this convoy, it was not just privations they wanted to talk about, but their ordeal at the hands of Hezbollah — a contrast to the Shiites, who make up a vast majority of the population in southern Lebanon and broadly support the militia.

“Hezbollah came to Ain Ebel to shoot its rockets,” said Fayad Hanna Amar, a young Christian man, referring to his village. “They are shooting from between our houses.”

“Please,’’ he added, “write that in your newspaper.”

The Grey Lady

Who would ever accuse Hezbollah of being lice on the face of the earth?

Or wait, are you making a blanket statement about all christians everywhere in typical overgeneralized style so popular around here when it comes to people of faith?

Just checkin in. :)

Yesterday many in the Christian community had turned their anger to Israel, after Israel bombed refugee columns which were clearly marked with white flags. Christians in Lebanon have long been allies of the Israelis.
There is enough blame go around - Israel for indiscriminate bombing, Hezbollah for firing inaccurate rockets with no way to predict (and no apparent concern) for where they land, the U.S. for continuing to arm (and even expedite shipments during the conflict) the IDF, Syrian & Iran for arming Hezbollah, the E.U. for cravenly caving in to U.S. pressure not to call for an immediate cease-fire. U.S. media, for relentlessly promoting the Israeli viewpoint.

You can't just read the headline and react emotionally though.

As for the other business, the "shooting between buildings", well it's a vicious business. I don't defend it in any way, but it's neither better nor worse than Olmert starting the war when he knew damn well it was going to get N. Israel rocketed. All guerillas anywhere will endanger their own civilians, there is no other way for them to have a chance to succeed; and all governments anywhere endanger their own people in pursuit of war, and whine and weasel about the other guy doing it too.

was the picture at the top of the page, and the extensive quote from the father at the end.

Xians condemn Hezbollah, the reader takes away from the article, but also condemn Israel. Why, just look at the injured boy, he and his Christian father don't mention Hezbollah.

But if you read closely, they're Shi'ite. They're not reflected in the headline. But they provide balance.

Who knows....Times tying to be fair?

Snip from rest of article:

American citizens remain in some southern villages. Mohamed Elreda, a father of three from New Jersey, was visiting relatives in Yaroun with his family when two missiles narrowly missed his car, while he was parking it in front of his family’s house. His 16-year-old son Ali was sprayed with shrapnel and is now in a hospital in Tyre.

“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” said Mr. Elreda, who arrived here on Thursday morning. “They see civilians, they bomb them,” he said, referring to the Israelis.

“We had to move underground like raccoons.”

He said a person affiliated with the United States Embassy arrived in Yaroun and shouted for everyone to join a convoy that the Israelis had promised safe passage.

He said Yaroun had been without electricity and clean water for more than a week, and he had stirred dirty clothes in a pail of water and bleach to make bandages for his son’s wounds.

The village is largely Christian, but has Muslim pockets, and Mr. Elreda said he walked at night among houses to the Christian section, where a friend risked his life to drive his son to Tyre, while Mr. Elreda stayed with the rest of the family.

On Thursday he joined his son at the hospital.“He’s my son,” he said, standing at the foot of the boy’s bed. “I just can’t see him like this.”

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both the Israel sycophants and the Shia Lebanese/Hizbullah sychophants can go fuck themselves. People who support neither side are dying because both sides' disgusting actions.

Where I don't is where I'm confused - "Shia Lebanese" sycophants?

Are you suggesting that all Shia Lebanese support Hezbollah? Kind of racist, as well as flat-out untrue. so please clarify so we don't think the wrong thing!

Hizbullah is the defacto Shia party in Lebanon, hence "Shia sychophants", though you're right that I could of worded it better.

Thanks for clarifying, it DID seem an odd comment from you.

Cheers!

...for indiscriminately bombing their neighborhood, innocent civilians be damned?

Interesting timing, this report - a few days after people pointed out that Israel was bombing the Christian section of southern Lebanon, where (as even this article in the Judith Miller-supporting NYT notes) there is no real support for Hezbollah.

"Who could have predicted this?"

But it is not 100% as yet, probably never will be.

That's the thing - if Israel's intent is to drive people away from Hezbollah, collective punishment meted out upon innocent Lebanese civilians is having the opposite effect.

Which, of course, we could have told them before they started bombing!

who are Christians has been dropping for 20 years. This will probably speed up the emigration even more.

that Hezbollah itself has placed in civilian communities. Who is at fault for doing this? How can Israel defend itself against these rockets within killing civilians? Doesn't this look like a deliberate attempt (and a despicable one, against their own people) of Hezbelloah to defame Israel, who is trying to defend itself?

Hizbullah drives up, sets up, fires off a few rockets, packs up, and leaves.
Some minutes later the Israeli retalition comes in and does whatever damage and killing it does, not harming a head on a guerrilla or damaging any rocket launchers, trucks etc., they are gone.

Now, the question is: In what way does this "defend Israel?" One can certainly understand a certain frustration on Israel's part, but this doesn't actually do anything useful, defends nobody whatsoever, and killing strangers because you are frustrated is anti-social.

journalists there. That's not what they report when they are able to report.

I feel for the Isrealies; It seems as if they have just gone freakin mad from all their fear of being bombed; it's something I have no idea of.

But I do feel for them, they deserve a better government than they've ever really gotten, though Rabin got closer than the others to peace.

doubled

should Iran get nukes and Hezbullah still have rockets within range of Israel.

There are more Lebanese and Palestinians dying than Isreali's. I feel worse for them because the world seem's to take less stock in their lives. It's like they are subhuman in the eyes of the world.

Surely the IDF would love to publish photos of one of these rocket launchers in a civilian area...

at Israel? Is that what you are saying? Then, why is Israel firing back? Just 'cuz they want to?

Have you ever looked at a map of that region? Israel is a tiny country surrounded by enemies that are large and powerful. What are they supposed to do in your opinion? And what if what you opine that they do means their destruction?

The IDF SAYS Hezbollah is firing rockets from civillian areas. They have had 19 days to show ONE photo of such a weapon emplacement, and yet they haven't.

As for why Israel is firing "back" well hell, two IDF soldiers were "kidnapped" - someone has to pay!!!

will just stop too? These people and Hamas are on record for wanting to destroy Israel. Israel does not want to destroy other countries, only terrorists.

Tell me what you would do if you were the head of IDF, given that situation?

And they are doing it on purpose because it isn't necessary for what their state objectives are. So this is intentional bombing and killing of Christians and they should face up to it.