I think only an idiot would use NBC weapons at all. Apothesis, your reading comprehension really sucks. No where did I say it's ok to kill non-citizens. What I said was that in making a value judgement on who's life is more important, a gov't has the obligation to protect it's own citizens first and foremost. There is no corollary in there that implies wholesale slaughter of a civilian population is ok. However, war is not a video game and in the process of waging war, civilians get hurt one way or another. Even if your inflated numbers of civilian deaths in Iraq are correct, it took us 3+ years of fighting to get to that total, a total we eclipsed in one night over tokyo during WW2.
Were even then, because the fact that you wouldn't frightens me.
The NFZ was supported by the UN and agreed upon by Iraq as a condition for the ceasation of hostilities. Iraq is another great example of why having a ceasefire without a complete victory is stupid. If we had finished it then, those 100,000 people you cited earlier would still be alive.
Letter from Lebanese group to the President of the United States:
"World Lebanese Cultural Union
August 2, 2006
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to commend your constant support for fighting the evil of terror and specifically, your unshakable resolve to support Israel's fight against Hezbollah. These terrorist groups are enemies of all who want to be free in the Middle East--indeed the world. They threaten a free Lebanon, Middle East as well as America.
The U.S. National Board and chapters of WLCU is the official voice of American Lebanese, representing almost two million people in America. The WLCU represents 14 million people around the world. We pray that our people in Lebanon can enjoy the democratic rights and life that we have as an American Lebanese. Indeed, we thank God for that every morning and every night.
Mr. President, please be strong in your commitment for the world to implement UN resolutions #1559 & #1680 that require that Lebanon be rid of Hezbollah and Iranian influence. Do not let Lebanon fall into the hands of the Axis of Evil. Do not let our American Lebanese pride and spirit down.
Lebanon is finally capturing world attention. The Lebanese people have been suffering for more than 30 years from foreign interference that has shredded the country and divided Lebanon into groups with loyalty to Syria, Iran or other outside Arab interests. The Lebanese people are paying a dear price for the reign of terror.
You have our full support for your Middle East policies. We are proud of America, of you and your administration. Not only must Hezbollah and similar groups be disarmed, but their educational systems that teach hatred, terror and racism must be also destroyed.
To make the people of the Middle East free, let us close all Hezbollah operations and all terror organizations. Then there will be no more wars, destruction, blood, dying women and children in Lebanon. And only then will Lebanon, Israel and American values be secure in the Middle East.
Together let us support a free Lebanese government and peace in that region once and for all.
Very truly yours,
Joseph A. HAKIM
WLCU, US National Chapters
President"
I figured while we were looking at opposing points of view, the viewpoint of some expats with a vested interest in Lebanon might be worthwhile.
Lets see, who has the US assassinated, helped to assassinate, or tried to assassinate over the years, mostly by the CIA.
Salvadore Allende in Chile, Fidel Castro in Cuba, Congolese President, Patrice Lumumba, President Sukarno of Indonesia, Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia in 1959, Costa Rican President Jose Figueres twice from 1955 to 1970, French President Charles de Gaulle (for kicking US soldiers out), Che Guevera, Moamar Khadaffi, and the whole training death squad issue in Nicaragua, Panama, Iran, Guatamala........we could go on.
Anyway, should we have gone to war because we tried to kill all these foreign nationals including some sitting, democratically elected Presidents???
And DC, regarding your letter to president bush (small letters intended), its easy to support a war when you have no skin in the game....
What about defensive action ? Since Israel claims to be destroying Lebanon in self defense, an absurd claim I know, but since Israel claims to be destroying Lebanon out of self defense, any resolution needs to reflect this.
Hezbola seem to support Lebanese troops moving into southern Israel and securing the border.
Also its seem that the Lebanese government is also looking for an immediate withdrawl of Israeli troops and that the Shabaa Farms region be under U.N. control.
Since Hezbollah started the conflict and have since fired thousands of rockets at Israel, yes it is self defence.
Obviously you simply don't agree that Israel has the right to act in its own defence so the clarification is fairly irrelevant.
Moving on: If Hezbollah continue to try to attack Israel from populated areas in spite of the presence of Lebanese regulars, how would you feel about any civilian casualties generated by Lebanese Army action in suppressing the attacks?
Why would Hezbollah give up the soldiers? As far as Hezbollah are concerned they are prisoners of war and as for the rocket attacks, why wouldn't Hezbollah fight back? It just irritates me that people dont realise that Hezbollah are going to come out of this conflict twice as strong as they were when they went in.
You seem to have a rather biased view on what is essentially a circular argument
Of course Israel has the right to self defence, but Israelis destruction of Lebanon is not self defence !
This attack has been long in the making, but it was the withdrawal of Syrian troops that has made this latest invasion of the Lebanon possible,
A far better way of curbing Hezbolah would have been by making them redundant, this could have been achieved by supporting the Lebanese government but alas Israel decided to bomb the crap out of the country and Invade again.