« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
July 31, 2006
UN military observers killed. IIIbalizer
Some people (included a ret. Lt.-Colonel) suggest that abandoning post would mean losing a honor. Sure, abandoning position without an order means losing a honor. However, we are not talking about UN observers: Maj. von Kruedener lived and died with the honor. We are talking about their superiors who were supposed to give such an order: there is no honor in putting needlessly your subordinates in the harm way.
Needlessly is a key word here: the commanding officer often sends his troops into dangerous combat, sometimes to a certain death. It could be for a greater good. However there was absolutely no need to keep unarmed UN observers in that position. Doing so their commanders behaved as many Soviet generals and marshals sending their troops in the suicidal frontal attack knowing that outflanking enemy would achieve the goal faster and with far less casualties albeit more keen to gain reputations of the ruthless and tough commanders.
Posted by Victor at 07:27 AM
July 30, 2006
Evacuation of citizens: some thoughts
When hostilities started it became known that there were about 40,000 Canadian citizens in Lebanon, almost all of them held also Lebanese citizenship and a majority were residents of Lebanon. Around 8,000 of them (I can be mistaken) were evacuated. Many canadians began to ask: “Who should pay the bill: Canadian taxpayers or evacuees?” and suggested that only Canadian residents should be evacuated for free. Their opponents countered claiming that all the Canadian citizens are equal and thus should be treated equally.
This argument holds no water: there are residency specific duties and benefits: non-residents do not report foreighn income and not eligible for provincial health plans. Some duties like serving in jury fall only on those who are citizens and residents while many jobs are open only to those who are citizens or residents.
Posted by Victor at 02:52 PM
July 27, 2006
UN military observers killed. II
UNIFL officials claim that there was no Hezballah in the area... but IDF shelled it for weeks. This is unlikely. What could be then the target? If UNIFL base it would be hit by the first or the second shot.
It follows from emails of slain Canadian observer that Hezballah was using the area as a shelter. IDF spokeswoman asserted the same. And as I said, the simple logic implies this too. Hitting UNIFL compound was the last thing IDF wanted to do.
So, why UN is denying this? The answer is simple: UNIFL commanders are whitewashing their decision not to evacuate this post and keep observers in the harm way. Was this just a plain stupidity and recklessness?
May be. But also it is possible that the decision-makers were bribed by Hezballah. Or by Chinese who wanted their man spying on IDF to learn a tactic of the modern army... Their reaction, blaming IDF rather than UNIFL commanders seems to confirm this.
Anyway, it is apparent that UN is covering up something. And apparently my understanding of the word "apparent" differs from the one of Mr.Annan.
Posted by Victor at 11:09 PM
UN military observers killed
It is very sad that 4 UN military observers were killed in Lebanon. Canadian, Maj. von Kruedener was a great soldier. The question is: whom to blame?
Mr.Annan was quick to blame IDF, saying that the hit was "apparently deliberate". Later he backed off, and explained that he said "apparently deliberate" rather than "deliberate". Well, Mr.Annan is "apparently incompetent".
According to UN oficials they called 6 times to IDF liason officers demanding them to stop shelling. Bad, bad IDF! Instead of shelling Hezballah, they were shelling UNIFL observation post. Or may be they were shelling Hezballah? According to email sent by Maj. von Kruedener prior his death, some projectiles were falling very close to the post but he believed that "this was a tactical neccessity" which means that Hezballah was operating in the very proximity.
It is very likely: Hezballah MO is to use human shields, civilians or UNIFL personal. Let's remember Qana when they were operating from the vicinity of UNIFL compound and IDF shell killed 106 civilians who took refuge there.
In this case demands of UNIFL to stop shelling were completely of no merits. IDF had right to attack enemy even if there was Mr. Annan himself. Instead they were supposed to demand that Hezballah moved away. Since it was not likely that Hezballah would comply, and since they have no firepower to enforce this request, UNIFL was supposed to evacuate the outpost moving observers out of the harm way.
This is an opinion of Canadian PM S.Harper: he rightly does not believe that the hit was deliberate and questioned why observers were not removed. Let us notice that the area is a responsibility of the Indian unit. Let us remind that the previous assault of Hezballah to IDF took place when the soldiers of this or another Indian unit were watching but they had not interfered (Hezballah was using UNIFL marked or may be even genuine UNIFL jeep) and were extremely uncooperative in investigation; the soldiers involved were promptly sent back to India.
My opinion is that the parties guilty in this incident are Hezballah and the commanders of UNIFL. I hope that the investigation will be able to uncover the truth despite the usual UN cover-up. Then Canadian government should request court-marshalling those who are guilty with all the legal consequences.
Posted by Victor at 08:02 AM
July 22, 2006
Government of Lebanon and Taliban
The similarity is that both of them sheltered terrorists: Hezballah and Al Qaeda respectively.
The main difference is that Taliban government did not include members of the protected terrorist organization.
Posted by Victor at 10:09 AM
July 21, 2006
Ms Justice Louise Arbour
Ms Louise Arbour, former member of Sureme Court of Canada and now UN Human Rights Tsar, said "indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians. Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged military significance, but resulting invariably in the killing of innocent civilians, is unjustifiable." She also warned that "international law demands accountability ... The scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control." Ms. Arbour criticized both Israel and Hezballah.
This is an example of activist-judge. Instead of following the law, she tries to make the law. Geneva convention makes it a criminal offence to deliberately target civilians but does not mention the scale. Deliberately killing one civilian is a war crime. Killing 1000 of civilians because 100 militants blended among them and use them as human shields is a collateral damage. Ms. Arbor should read
Additional Protocol I, Article 44: If enemy combatants are indistinguishable from enemy civilians, then military forces are entitled to engage them. This entitlement extends to engaging enemy forces who are deliberately hiding among civilians.
I am very glad that Ms. Arbour became UN Human Rights Commissioner. More precisely I am glad that because of this she is no more Supreme Court Judge. I believe that on her current position she could cause far less damage than before: no one takes UN Human Rights branches seriously.
Posted by Victor at 05:46 AM
July 20, 2006
Canadians in the war zone
There are Canadians in Lebanon and their plight is the subject of many news. However not all 50,000 canadians there are in the Shia zones, probably majority is in the Christian and other zones and they are not in any danger as long as they stay there.
Even those who are in Shia/Hezballah zone are not targetted by IDF. The death of 8 Canadians was a regrettable accident.
On the other hand, there are plenty of Canadians (including my son) in Israel and all of them are targets of Hezballah/Hamas. Fortunately no one of them was killed and even probably no one was injured so far, but we must remember that all of them are targets.
Posted by Victor at 08:56 PM
The war
More than 300 Lebanese were killed. Many of them were members of Hezballah but most were not. Also a lot of civilian infrastrusture in Lebanon was destryed. What for?
The answer is not as some hate-mongers claim is that IDF attacks civilians indiscriminatory (if it was the case, there would be 100 times more victims) but that this is the nature of the modern warfare when the enemies are blended with the general population. Israel attacks headquarters, launching pads, weapon storages, training camps and other legitimate objects. But headquarters are in residential quarters, Katyusha launch pads inside of residential houses etc. So victims among civilians are inevitable. IDF does everything to avoid them, much more than any other army in the world did in the similar circumstances.
Lebanese army should not be considered as the neutral force: its radars provided information to Hezballah and attack on Hanit used them. Their are shooting on Israeli jets. Lebanese security forces arrested alleged Israeli spies (working against Hezballah) were acting against IAF and civilian population of Lebanon: with more precise targetting the civilian casualties would be less.
Finally, IDF is not attacking Lebanese infrastructure but shared infrastructure: roads and bridges, airport and sea ports which were used by Hezballah to bring weapons and reinforcements, fuel depots and power stations providing the need of Hezballah. Maintaining these installations Lebanese government was working in-facto as Hezballah proxy, as the junior partner in coalition.
On the other hand, Hezballah targets civilians. All these missile strikes inside of Israel killed no military personnel and damaged no military installation. All these H. missiles are the weapons of terror, especially loaded by ball bearings. But being too crude weapons to have any military value, the majority of these projectiles hit the fields rather than towns.
The death of the large number of Lebanese civilians is regrettable but it is not a result of any war crimes - unless using the civil population by Hezballah as human shields is considered as a war crime. But all Israeli civilian casualties are results of military crimes committed by Hezballah, because the civilians were specifically targetted.
Posted by Victor at 08:22 PM
July 19, 2006
Hezballah' guardian angels
Some European leaders (most notably Mr. Chirac) and Canadian politicians (Mr. Layton and Mr.Graham from NDP and Liberal Party) request immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. True, ceasefire would save some human lifes but also Hezballah and after it rebounds, there will be a new and even more violant fight in the future, causing much more lost lifes than would be saved now.
I strongly suspect that the lack of the strong response to the previous Hezballah agression is the reason for today bloodshed.
Posted by Victor at 06:59 PM
July 18, 2006
Peacekeepers and peacemakers
President Bush and Prime Minister Harper were absolutely right to reject the idea of the immediate ceasefire. Finishing current bloodshed would have a price to pay: Hezballah would be rebuilt, rearmed and ready for the next assault. There will be no permanent peace as long as there is armed Hezballah and there peace will come instantly after Hezballah is destroyed or at least disarmed.
And as long as there no peace there is need not in peacekeepers but in peacemakers. However there is a peacemaking force in the region, much more powerful than anything NATO (without USA) can scramble and deploy. This force is IDF and it is already deploed.
Sure if France, UK, Germany or Russia want to send their ground troops to erradicate Hezballah launch sites and weapon stockpiles, it would be welcome. However if they have a goal to stop IDF assault and thus to protect Hezballah from IDF, they will be terrorist rescuers.
Better to deploy them in Chechnya then.
Posted by Victor at 09:04 AM
Double citizenship, tripple loyalty
There are plenty of Canadians in Lebanon. Majority of them seem to have a double citizenship. Some of them were killed - tragic and unfortunate event, by no means intended by IAF which attacked the radar on the rooftop.
Now we hear accusations that Canadian government "let them down". Sorry, it was not Canadian but Lebanese government which let them down because this inept government allowed not only existence of the terrorist organization but its free reign. And placed the military radar in the residential area, on the rooftop.
We also hear claims that "Hezballah is our protector" from their relatives. Sorry guys, Hezballah is a terrorist organization. This is the Law of Canada. Support of Hezballah is a felony. Now the good question to those Canadians who have double Canadian/Lebanese citizenship and also support Hezballah, where is you loayalty? With Canada - fine! With Lebanon - also not bad as long as it does not contradict interests of Canada. With Hezballah - it is bad, very bad: then you are loyal neither to Canada nor to Lebanon, but to terrorist organization which brought the current disaster upon Lebanon.
I know few Lebanese Canadians. They are nice people, rightly hating Hezballah. And I strongly believe that the majority of Lebanese Canadians are loyal to Canada. My question is not to them but to the minority of Hezballah supporters and aplogists.
Posted by Victor at 07:47 AM
July 17, 2006
Palestinean and lebanese prisoners
Those who suggest that palestinean or lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails should be released should remember that they are terrorists, murderers (like this seductress which lured a teen over internet or that lebanese who killed 4-years old child smashing his head by the rifle butt; both of them should rot in jail).
There are some palestinean women and teens caught with explosive belts. The latter should be actually thankful to Israelis who saved their lives and allowed to get some education while in prison.
Also, let's imagine that some armed group killed some Lebanese diplomats and kidnapped some others and demanded in exchange the release of captured Israeli soldiers while RCMP declined to do anything because of the just cause. Looks ridiculous, does not it?
Posted by Victor at 07:19 PM
July 16, 2006
My advise to Mr Fuad Saniora
Stop screaming like a baby, act like a man!
Declare marshall law. Move against Hezballah.
Arrest and execute Nasralla and other top Heballa leaders including MPs.
Arrest and execute Mr. Lahoud.
Then ask for a ceasefire.
Posted by Victor at 08:12 AM
Solidarity
I am expressing my solidarity with my colleagues in Technion and University of Haifa, with all my colleagues in Israel and with all Israeli people.
I am proud that I was a Lady Davies Fellow at Technion, Haifa, Spring of 2000.
I hope that this ordeal will be over soon and the threat from the North will be permanently eliminated.
Posted by Victor at 05:47 AM
July 15, 2006
Afghanistan - Gaza - Lebanon
Canadian troops in Afghanistan and Israeli troops in Gaza and Lebanon fight the same islamofascists enemies
Posted by Victor at 10:12 PM
Lebanon's soverenity
Those who call to preserve Lebanon' soverenity, are either non-sincere or confused. Lebanon's soverenity was given away by the Lebanon's government, which allowed the creation of the terrorist statelet on its territory. The other problem is that some part of Hezballastan in intertwinned with the rest of Lebanon. Capital of Hezballastan is in the Sothern Beirut. Leaders of Hezballa sit in the Parlament and in the Government.
Clearly there is the way to stop the war: L. government should arrest leaders of Hezballa, disarm its army, destroy all missiles and force Hizballa to release captured Israeli soldiers including Ron Arad. In the case if H. refuses, the government should force it, by the book or by the hook. If they are already in Syria or Iran, L. government should arrest agents of these countries and threaten to execute them if Syria or Iran fail to comply.
We are told that it can start the civil war in L. Well, it is their problem, of their own making. We should not care if they live in peace or cut one to another throats. The only important thing: they should leave theit Sothern neighbors alone. And L. government so far is giving a free reign to Hizballa, considering IDF reprisals as the lesser evil, IDF should strike Lebanon so hard that the civil war would become the better choice for the government.
Posted by Victor at 03:55 PM
Kosher pork
One Rabbi was asked: "If some Rabbai says that the pork is kosher, would it become kosher?"
Rabbi answered "No, but also this Rabbi would cease to be kosher".
Similarly, if some terrorist is elected to Parlament, becomes a Minister or even Prime Minister, this terrorist does not become legitimate, but the Parlament or Government loses its legitimity.
Palestineans and Lebanese have a right to elect anyone into their Parlament, including terrorists. However IDF has right to select any terrorist as the target, including MPs and Ministers.
Posted by Victor at 02:51 PM