`A former top American diplomat says the US deliberately resisted calls for a immediate ceasefire during the conflict in Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Former ambassador to the UN John Bolton told the BBC that before any ceasefire Washington wanted Israel to eliminate Hezbollah’s military capability. Mr Bolton said an early ceasefire would have been “dangerous and misguided”.’
From the Beeb. Just in case anyone was in any doubt about the extent of U.S. complicity in the destruction of Lebanon.
You’ll no doubt remember that last year, during the height of the slaughter in Lebanon, when Siniora and Nasrallah were begging for a ceasefire, Bush and Blair conspired to block a ceasefire in Rome that would have prevented much of the killing.
(the front page of The Independent illustrates exactly who stood in the way of a ceasefire, via Mash)
When Bolton says he is “damned proud of what we did”, he’s talking about this and this and this and this.
And, courtesy of Amnesty International, this:
“Israeli forces pounded buildings into the ground, reducing entire neighbourhoods to rubble and turning villages and towns into ghost town, as their inhabitants fled the bombardments. Main roads, bridges and petrol stations were blown to bits. Entire families were killed in air strikes on their homes or in their vehicles while fleeing the aerial assaults on their villages. Scores lay buried beneath the rubble of their houses for weeks, as the Red Cross and other rescue workers were prevented from accessing the areas by continuing Israeli strikes. The hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who fled the bombardment now face the danger of unexploded munitions as they head home?The Lebanese government estimates 31 “vital points”, for example water and sewage treatment plants, power stations, airports etc., have been totally or partially destroyed. More than 25 fuel station and 900 commercial enterprises were hit. The number of residential properties, offices and shops completely destroyed exceeds 30,000. Two government hospitals – in Bint Jbiel and Mais al-Jebel – were completely destroyed in Israeli attacks and three others were seriously damaged.” [my emphasis]
Cross-posted at The Heathlander