Sunday, July 23, 2006

Genocide $ale! Corporate America Rushes to Make a Killing in Lebanon

Genocide $ale! Corporate America Rushes to Make a Killing in Lebanon

PEJ News - C. L. Cook - David S. Cloud and Helene Cooper report for the New York Times today, 'U.S. Rushes Bombs to Israel.' What more must you know about the ultimate aims of the "American" administration in this most recently created "humanitarian disaster?"

www.PEJ.org


Genocide $ale!
Corporate America Rushes to Make a Killing on Lebanon


C. L. Cook

PEJ News
July 22, 2006


Last week, say the Times' reporters, as Israel rained bombs and missiles upon the civilian infrastructure, and incidentally, the civilian population of Lebanon, the leaders of the "only true democracy in the Middle East" requested the United States put a "rush" on delivery of the already approved purchase of "precision-guided" munitions. And of course, the Bush administration got right on it.

According to the Times, the decision to comply with Israel's "pronto" was concurred with "relatively little debate within the Bush Administration." Little merit too was apparently afforded the sensibilities of U.S.-friendly "Arab governments," whose internal critics may construe "America's" military aid to Israel as hypocritical, in light of the Banshee wailings emanating Condi Rice over her allegations Iran and Syria have supplied weapons to Israel's enemy du jour, Hezbollah.

As part of a deal signed last year, the NYT alleges, Israel's "multimillion-dollar arms sale package" allows they draw munitions on an as needed basis. After all, who wants a whole lot of inventory costs?

Cloud and Cooper suggest Israel's request for expediting delivery indicates Israel still has "a long list of targets in Lebanon to strike." It could also be hypothesized; the request for expedited delivery means Israel is running out of "precision-guided" bombs and missiles.

Lebanon is a small country. Over these last days of horror and destruction, Israel's 'Shock and Awe,' all major infrastructure has been hit: Power; transportation; industry; medical; import/export; public administration; military; tourism; construction; all destroyed. Concurrent to these wanton war crimes, civilians have been directly targeted, hundreds killed, thousands wounded, and untold hundreds of thousands rendered refugees. And today, perhaps due to the "shortage" of Israel's "precision-guided" bombs and missiles, Ireland Online is reporting Israeli troops and tanks rampaging across the border into Lebanon, destroying villages as they go.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice friday said she would interrupt her weekend plans, embarking to Israel sunday, doubtless to reassure the Bombers of Beirut. Ms. Rice underscored that point, saying; "I have no interest in diplomacy for the sake of returning Lebanon and Israel to the status quo ante. I could have gotten on a plane and rushed over and started shuttling around, and it wouldn’t have been clear what I was shuttling to do!"

Finally, the lights go on!

Finally, following the reign of terror and despair wrought through the agency of these convicts-in-waiting, these Bushites, the morally vacuous, functionally incompetent Ms. Rice at last describes truthfully the essence of her's and "America's policy" in the Middle East. At long last, a glimmer of recognition of the incalculably disastrous "status quo ante" of the Bush administration.

Since its dubious ascendancy, the Bush administration has flouted all rule of law and decency, flagrantly disregarding what, in saner times, would appear the obvious duties of any government towards both "its" people, and the peoples of the world. And, since re-invented environmental champion, Al Gore's quick acquiescence to the 2000 gerrymandering in Florida, ceding the presidency to the Bush cabalists, the Democrats have supported "their" war president.

But, what about today?

Five horror-filled years later, the state of the Democrat "opposition" is exemplified by Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent statements made to a Jewish organization in New York. Aping Winston Churchill, Clinton vowed to the congregated she would never, NEVER!, allow any question Israel's "right to exist." She promises, she will fight them on the beaches; fight them in the streets; etc., ad nauseam...

In other words: Business, as usual.

But verily, nothing indeed is new under the sun. The Times "quotes" an "American official," naturally speaking under the condition of anonymity, virulently denying frenzied defence contractor's overtime efforts are an indication Israel is in need of an "emergency re-supply," as was the case during Israel's previous Arab-Israeli war in 1973. (On that occasion, Israel agreed to "test out" one of "America's" new and improved weapons of mass destruction, Depleted Uranium.)

For their part, an Israeli spokesperson says the need for the "precision-guided" (non-re-supply) is due to his nation's desire to root out Hezbollah without causing too many civilian casualties.

Heart warming.

Tight-lipped "Pentagon and military officials" don't wish to discuss the details of the expedited delivery, but publicly available documents on last year's "arms-sale package" include: 100 GBU-28, five thousand pound, laser-guided bombs; satellite-guided munitions; and, presumably access to "America's" vast satellite network, the better to guide the half-million pounds of death and mayhem on order; all to be delivered courtesy of "American-made" F-15 fighter jets. Or so the Times says.

It's all a drop in the bucket considering the reported 23 tons of bombs dropped on a Beirut mosque in a single raid last week. But, ever the optimists, an unnamed "senior Israeli official" tipped the Times: Things are still looking up for the Israeli Air Force, saying:

"[T]he campaign could go on for two more weeks or longer. We will stay heavily with the air campaign. There’s no time limit. We will end when we achieve our goals."

No time limits?

Kind of belies Condi's urgent diplomacy!

So, the bombs will fall anew, with increased ferocity, as "America/Israel" plays politics, and the targeted citizenry of Lebanon are driven from their homeland. And, much as their neighbours in Palestine were systematically killed and driven from their homes to make way for "historical" Israel's "right to exist," there is indeed "no time limit" to Israeli designs on the southern reaches of the Levant, and beyond.

And, all the while, "America's" industry will put on the extra shifts to expedite the process.



Chris Cook
is a contributing editor to PEJ News, and hosts Gorilla Radio, a weekly public affairs program, broad/webcast from the University of Victoria, Canada. You can check out the GR Blog here.


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