July 18, 2006

Letter from Beirut

Israel is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Lebanon.

As of this morning, July 19, 300,000 Lebanese have fled their homes. Israel warned people of the south to flee but bombed all roads in the south; families are fleeing on foot. Many refugees
are housed in schools; Israel bombed a school yesterday.

This morning Israel bombed a tourist bus and an truck carrying medical aid from the UAE. Israel is dropping illegal phosphorous incendiary bombs on civilians. As of this morning 230 people have been killed: 208 civilians, many of them children; 22 Lebanese Army soldiers (who are forbidden to fight); and 5 members of Hizballah.

The Lebanese infrastructure has been bombed back at least 20 years: all roads, airports, ports, bridges, power plants, gas storage, gas stations, a milk company, a medicine supply company, a paper plant, a plastics plant-everything useful.

Does Hizballah brings arms in through the airport, the Damascus Road (where Israel has bombed fleeing civilians), the ports? No it does not.

Are tour buses, ambulances, milk, medicine, and roads by which civilians flee and food reaches the capital, terrorist targets? No: it is an onslaught aimed to devastate the people of Lebanon.

Only civilian targets remain, and Israel will terrorize them while the US-with Canada's support--gives them the green light.

I urge readers to contribute to the Lebanese Red Cross, Unicef Lebanon, or other aid agencies for the wounded and displaced.

Laura Marks (Simon Fraser University, B.C.)
Beirut


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