Associated Press
Billmon points us to a Sfgate story about the IDF bombing of a Lebanese Red Cross Ambulance.
Qana was a convenient meeting point for the two Red Cross ambulances from Tibnine, a town about 12 miles southeast of Tyre. Since it had become too dangerous to make the run to Tyre directly, the drivers decided to meet in Qana to pick up the wounded. Both vehicles were plainly marked with Red Cross logos and flashed a blue emergency light to signal their humanitarian intent.
snip
As he closed the back hatch on his white Toyota van, Chaalan's world became one of heat, light and concussion wave. A guided missile struck the vehicle with the three civilians inside. Overhead, an Israeli Apache helicopter buzzed. It was the first attack by Israel on a Red Cross ambulance in the two-week conflict, wounding five volunteers and three patients, according to the Red Cross.
In previous conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel has struck ambulances when it believed the vehicles were being used to smuggle weapons and personnel to militants. In a statement Monday, an Israeli army spokesman said the ambulances in Qana were attacked "in an area known to be one of the main sources of the launching of hundreds of missiles," according to Cox News Service. The Red Cross has asked Israel for a more detailed explanation.
Anything is fair game in this war. The Israelis have apparently adopted Cheney's One-Percent Doctrine and applied it to war time tactics. "Is that ambulance carrying arms? is there at least a one percent chance? Bombs away!! That house over there... I can't see it very well, but it might be a Hezbollah stronghold... I think I see a Hezbollah flag in the window... better safe than sorry, AIRSTRIKE!!"
At this point the Israelis remind me of the doomed marines in Aliens, pointlessly shooting at anything moving out of sheer terror.
In the Levant, no one can hear you scream.
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And so, now is the time for congressional Democrats to boycott the visit of Iraq's prime minister, because he hasn't sufficiently condemned Hezbollah. Chuck Schumer is uncertain which side of the war on terror Maliki is really on. Because Maliki isn't clear enough. In condemning Hezbollah. For their terrorist attacks against Israel.
I feel like I'm living on a completely different planet than these people.
OK, so now, just like bushco wanting the "diplomacy" to be "shaped" by letting civilians get bombed, the dems are going to try to use this tragedy to score domestic political points. That's all it is to them. The bizarre thing is, can they possibly score points this way? Are there Americans who are really going to say, Hey, those democrats are right, I better vote for them, cuz who cares about bombed civilians and Red Cross ambulances and UN posts as long as Israel is doing the bombing.
What country am I living in anymore?
I am sooo completely conflicted reading Billmon anymore. There's no single better source of analysis of whats going on in Lebanon, but it's depression central over there. Bad news following worse news following sheer evil.
Then I come here -- and there's PLUSH!!!
Speaking as one with years of experience in the depression biz, let me just say, I think under the circumstances depression is really the only rational response to the situation...
But yeah, thank goodness (and 4LG) for his royal plushiness, the Maxx! Always manages to mellow my heart a little, even on days like this.
What country am I living in anymore?
We are living in crazy land.
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