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Open your eyes -- It is Israel that sits dominant over southern Lebanon and not the so-called army of god. The latter is 100 percent responsible for the destruction of Lebanon. Next time they will hopefully think twice before starting something that they cannot possibly win.
Answer
If we look at the events around us, we see that the occupation army is withdrawing from Lebanon even before the arrival of the international and Lebanese army forces. They fear staying even in villages bordering the Blue line. And if we have another look at the goings on in Lebanon, we will see that it took the Israeli
"invincible" army more than thirty days, not to defeat Hizbullah but , to destroy houses and kill civilians, while it failed to defeat Hizbullah or destroy its rocket arsenals as its prime minister Ehud Olmert sought to do.
Now the Israelis argue on who is responsible for this defeat in Lebanon: is it the political administration or the military one? This shows us that Israel will think over before it embarks any assaults on Lebanon or wages a war with Hizbullah in the future.
Name
Suzie Ombraker
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Profession
Oenologist Intern
Question
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about tourism returning to your lovely Paris of the Middle East?
Answer
Yes, we can say that Lebanon could come to normal as a country of tourist attractions as it was before the aggression, especially the war hit areas are not basically tourist places. In addition, the reconstruction operations will be resumed quickly, even though it will not end before two moths at least, the two months when tourism thrives.
This means that in the coming year Lebanon will be able to receive tourists in all areas once again, besides, the Lebanese are always able to resume a normal life and they have actually resumed it after the ceasefire. They also have strong loyalty to their nation and a strong will to be in touch with the world and receive tourists once again. It is not the first time Lebanon has come under aggression, but after the war, the Lebanese stand up once again and reconstruct what was destroyed and recover their tourist role.
Name
Barry U.S. Bonds
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Profession
Professional Outfielder
Question
Who won? And what was the final score?
Answer
If you follow up the discussion among the Israelis, you will know who is the victorious in this battle . The argument now holds the leaders who spearheaded the war and failed to achieve the ultimate goals of the war such as obliteration of Hezbollah and stop of rocket launching to be at least 20 km away from the borders.
One of the outcomes of this war is that none of these goals materialized ,and I expect that the political argument in Israel will evolve into a crisis that could unseat Olmert's government. Chief of Staff Dan Halutz may be brought to account over this military failure. This means that Israel has lost this war, and it is Hizbullah which won the war in spite of the dear price paid by the Lebanese including killings and destruction of their infrastructure and property.
Name
fouad
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Profession
student
Question
Why we can´t say that USA and Israil are fashist and terorsit. Haven´t USA and Israil killed children and women and old people and civilians. Is that not a Human crime? Why they can make all this and we can´t say that it´s wrong?
Answer
Yes, some people reiterate that the US and Israel perpetrate crimes against humanity in many countries especially our Arab and Islamic countries, from Afghanistan to Iraq, Palestine to Lebanon .some quarters concerned publish the documents of these crimes either in the US or the Israeli prisons, especially the recent war which disclosed such kinds of crimes against humanity including unprecedented killings of civilians.
So, I call on all NGOs and human rights organizations especially in the West to expose these crimes and show the world what Israel commits, because the Western media is unfortunately covering up such crimes and showing Israel as the offended state while we all know that Israel is the source of all crimes. Therefore, we have to exert efforts in the Western states to expose these immoral practices which Israel perpetrates in all wars with backing from the US. This could help put the Western public opinion in the picture, especially that the bulk of them have humanitarian morals and hate these crimes and the like of them.
Name
Abdulrahman Mesalam
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Profession
Question
SalmU Alikom,
Why do we Arabs still trust this so week UN.
Why is it not able to make Israel abide by its resolutions? Thank you.
Answer
Yes, it is a problem that the Arabs trust this organization although it is known to all that it is under the sway of the US. It's not really a fair and unbiased organization seeking to achieve peace among states as it is supposed to be. But since the Arab states are mostly US satellite ones which don’t dare to reject its policies, they regard the UN resolutions as a fait accompli which they have no option but to accept it. If we know that US top priority in our region is Israel 's security, it is not surprising to know them why this state does not abide by the international resolutions throughout more than fifty years either related to Palestine or the Arab states, regarding the US as its save haven from any threats.
No one can have Israel or the US abide by these resolutions, as the US always uses the Veto against any resolution condemning Israel. This is the status quo within the UN and it is not likely to change to better. So, the best thing the Arabs should do is to seek to possess the military, political and diplomatic power and adopt a unified stance over all the issues in the region against the US and Israel.
This is the only way the Arabs can do if they want to impose what they want regardless of the international resolutions.
Name
Ishmael
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Profession
Customs clerk
Question
Why is the resolution draft not including Israeli release of Lebanese in Israel jailes to ensure total end to hostility?
Answer
That's because this resolution is mainly US-worded. It tries to help Israel theoretically reach what she could not reach practically on the battlefield. That's why the resolution mentioned in a separate section that the two Israeli soldiers held by Hizbuallh should be released upon no conditions, while it mentioned that the issue of he Lebanese prisoners should be just studied and discussed.
Practically speaking, I assure you that these two soldiers will not be released without any conditions and without addressing the issue of the Lebanese prisoners. The Italian prime minister arrived in Lebanon following the cessation of fighting to discuss the prisoners issue and how they can be exchanged. And I think that Israel will try hard this time to swap its soldiers as soon as possible to cover up its military failure in Lebanon.
What I'm saying is, the resolution is one thing , and what will happen on the ground is another.
Name
Hilary Toadstool
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Profession
Lecturer on Female Anatomy
Question
How should I respond when my students ask me about who started this latest war? They are all younger than springtime and may not be able to understand what I say.
Answer
We can say that any state in the world cannot launch a war on another one over the abduction of two soldiers. We can also say that any state cannot take such a serious decision in two hours. We also can say that the war was predetermined.
If anyone wants to make sure that this war is predetermined, one has to think of some factors, such as the ultimate goals set by the Israeli government for this war, including obliteration of Hezbollah and implementing of resolution 1559, and Rice's statements on a new Middle East and her refusal to stop fighting before everything wanted by Israel materializes. Besides, some reports have stressed there was an American Israeli joint scheme to launch this war by using any pretext, of any incident, in Lebanon or Palestine to justify the war.
This leads us to conclude that it is Israel which started this war with a US decision, not for saving the two soldiers but for implementing an entire scheme related to the Middle East as a whole.
Name
Ziad A.Alhady
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Profession
Question
The latest war against Lebanon showed more clearly how weak the UN is. Do you agree? And what makes the US fully control this organization? If so why do we still need it, I mean why do we not work together to down this fragile organization that plays no part important in our lives?
Answer
It is difficult to talk of the cancellation of this international organization which constitutes all the world states, because this requires a unanimous agreement from these states and also requires an alternative international body to go between these states in case of disputes.
We know for sure that this organization is under the US sway but it may be different in the future. So, I think that we have to work so that the Arab and Islamic states get the veto right in the security council, given that the right of veto is exclusively confined to some superpowers. We can, through economic or oil pressures or the like to restore balance to this organization until great changes happen in the international balance of power in a way that restores the real role of this organization.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Do you think a final settlement to this conflict could be reached soon? And how, in your opinion, the two key issues of Lebanese
prisoners in Israeli jails and the Shebaa Farms would be addressed?
Answer
I do not think that there will be a final settlement to this conflict soon. That's because Israel is the source of concern and tension in the region. It is the only source of threat since its existence in the Middle East. Lebanon's fears will go on even though there are no disputed issues with Israel, as the Israeli past aggressions took place this way.
As to these two main issues, I think Israel will release some Lebanese prisoners to swap its soldiers. But the Shebaa Farms issue will not see any settlement soon, even if the UN decided to tackle it as the Resolution 1701 mentioned.
This means the conflict will not see a forthcoming end when it comes to the Shebaa Farms as Lebanon will never stop seeking to return this territory either through the available political means or the publicly supported resistance.
We are sure there will still be manifest reflections to this conflict on Lebanon and the whole countries of the region, that's why I said previously Israel is the root source of this conflict in the Middle East.
Name
Muhammad.
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Profession
engineering student
Question
How long will we endure the obliteration and tyranny of westrens.
Answer
We live in a world where there is almost no justice or human rights, with the superpowers using their military, political and economic influence to further have their sway over the peoples of the world. Given that we own tremendous natural resources and a strategic location, we are more apt to invasions and hegemony from the Western states rather than the other world countries, with the Western states vie for stealing our resources.
On how long we will continue to endure this injustice, we must not wait until Western states change their policies and head for justice and right, but it is our responsibility to start with uprising against injustice, knowing that he will suffer from injustice who doesn’t reject it.
When one rejects injustice and despotism, it is easy for him to liberate himself from this injustice. One has to know that he will offer many sacrifices. But we have first to underline the whereabouts of this injustice so that our efforts are not used for pointless or meaningless issues.
What matters is willpower and resolve, as well as identifying where injustice and despotism come from so that we can tackle it, as is the case with the resistance in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.
Name
Truthseeker
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Profession
Question
What do you say to the Arab leaders who are silenced by America? Why do they really fear America and why do they not want to unite? Are not they traitors? They betrayed their peoples and most of them are brained washed.. Don't you agree?
Answer
The Arab rulers suffer from a problem which sums up in two factors. First is that those rulers have no popular base which could support them or consider them as legitimate ones. The second problem is that those rulers resort to the US mainly for protecting themselves and secure their stay in power. For this latter reason they find themselves obliged to offer compromises to the US and keeping away from opposing it in most cases at the political or even the economic level.
This furthers the problem of these rulers with their peoples who reject the American policies and seek freedom, independence and dignity, a state of affairs which could bring about acts of violence against these governments or even against the US.
Unfortunately, this is the status quo in many of our Arab countries. This requires that the popular and political movements with all their national and Islamic spectrums must be powerful enough to exert as many pressures as they could on these rulers to bar them from offering compromises or spinning around the US policy. I believe that once the peoples become able to have to decide on a target and take proper steps for achieving this target, the governments will not be able to stand in their face, but this is a dream which requires much work and many sacrifices to materialize.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
.
Answer
Dear visitors,
The session has ended. We would like to thank both Dr. Talal Atrisi for taking the time to answer the questions of IslamOnline viewers, and all those who have participated in this live dialogue.
