Build the Resistance by Defending Rights
All Out to Oppose US-Israeli Aggression!
Build the Resistance to Defeat U.S.-Zionist State Terror! Hold Harper and His Government Responsible for Crimes Against the Peace, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity!

National Lawyers Guild
Act Now Against Israel's Brutal Aggression Against Palestine And Lebanon
Statement from Fourth International Convention
Stand Against Inhumanity of Israeli and U.S. Aggression
Bush Is Overruling Democracy

Young Woman Reports from Lebanon
"They Will Never Destroy Our Will to Achieve Peace and Justice"
"Long ago, the Lebanese learned how to eat grass..."
Lebanese People Determined to Survive

Oppose War Crimes
Israel Aerial Bombardment Targets Civilian Infrastructure
Israel Intensifies Offensive Against Lebanese

For Your Information
Statements from Republicans and Democrats on Israeli Aggression Against Lebanon and Palestine
Senate and House Pass Resolutions Backing Israeli Aggression
U.S. Troops in Lebanon


Build the Resistance by Defending Rights

All Out to Oppose US-Israeli Aggression!

The world’s people are fiercely opposing the U.S.-Israeli effort to demoralize and crush the resistance, in Lebanon, in Palestine, in Iraq, in the U.S., wherever there is resistance. Humanity is rising as one to say No to U.S.-Israeli Aggression and Crimes! No to U.S. Imperialism! Yes to the Resistance!

Demonstrations to oppose U.S-Israeli aggression continue to take place worldwide. The week of July 16-22 alone saw tens of thousands of people across the U.S. demonstrate to denounce the U.S.-Israeli crimes and support the resistance. Actions took place in Washington, D.C., Boston, Dearborn (Detroit), Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and elsewhere. Numerous actions took place across Canada, in Brazil, Chile and Venezuela, in Britain, Denmark, Greece, Germany, Spain and other countries. Throughout the Middle East, in Asia and Africa, in Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, in Egypt and Sudan — worldwide there was mass condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli crimes against the peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity.           

Voice of Revolution urges all its readers and supporters to join the on-going actions to oppose the U.S.-Israeli crimes and support the resistance. Demonstrations, discussion-groups, teach-ins, petitions, mass leafleting to provide information and analysis, all are important contributions. Let us together direct our just anger and energy toward building the resistance to war and fascism here and supporting this resistance worldwide!

Bush and Democrats have emphasized that U.S. imperialism and its Zionist mercenaries are preparing to unleash a wider conflict and will “take whatever steps are necessary” to impose their empire of fascism and war. As Senator Hillary Clinton put it, the U.S. and Israel are standing together to “send a message to Hamas, Hizbollah, to the Syrians, to the Iranians — to all who seek death and domination instead of life and freedom — that we will not permit this to happen and we will take whatever steps are necessary.” Bush repeatedly said, “the world must confront the root causes of the current instability,” and that “the root cause of the problem is Hizbollah.” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and slaughter of civilians taking place the “birth pangs” of a “new Middle East.” The U.S. fear of organized resistance and its readiness to unleash state terrorism against that resistance is clear.

The “root cause of the problem” is not the resistance. The problem is U.S. imperialism and its striving for world empire. The peoples are organizing to eliminate this block and open the path to the new world they are fighting for, one that eliminates imperialism and is organized to guarantee the rights of all. The people of Lebanon and Palestine have long-resisted U.S-Israeli aggression Hizbollah and Hamas are part of the resistance, supported and defended by the Lebanese and Palestinians. The Lebanese are among those who defeated the Israelis and drove them out in 2000.

The peoples and their resistance movements are a powerful block to U.S. aggression and war. They targets because they are standing up to U.S. imperialism and its Israeli watchdog. We salute the valiant struggle of the Lebanese and Palestinians and say “We Are All Palestinians. We are All One Resistance to U.S. Imperialism!

[TOP]


Build the Resistance to Defeat U.S.-Zionist State Terror!
Hold Harper and His Government Responsible for Crimes Against the Peace, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity!

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) condemns the U.S. and Israeli state terror against Lebanon and the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.

The U.S. has given Israel a green light to pursue the criminal aim of wiping out the Resistance. The stands of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his government and the European Union facilitate this 60-year genocidal colonial campaign to cleanse West Asia of Arabs and resistance to a Jewish Greater Israel. CPC(M-L) holds Harper and his government responsible for the crimes against the peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity that the U.S. and Zionists are committing.

The danger of a wider conflict for redivision of the region is increasing. The U.S. financed and armed fascist project in West Asia using Zionist colonizers as mercenaries to empty Palestine and Lebanon of its original inhabitants is linked to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Syria and Iran are now being squeezed from two sides with hostile forces bent on invasion and regime change. In this way the U.S. empire-builders are waging war directly or through mercenaries to secure pacified client states from the Mediterranean Sea deep into Central Asia, to the borders of Russia, China and Pakistan. Canadian troops out of Afghanistan! U.S. out of Iraq! Hands off Syria and Iran!

CPC(M-L) is convinced that just as the Zionists have been unable annihilate the resistance of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, so too this attempt to eliminate the Lebanese people's resistance will fail. In this regard, CPC(M-L) denounces the current attempt to force the Lebanese to abandon their homes as a repeat of the Nakba of 1948 when Israel took over Arab lands. This must not pass!

CPC(M-L) also opposes attempts to blame the Palestinian and Lebanese Resistance for the Zionist response. It is not resistance which gives rise to oppression and crimes against humanity but U.S.-Israeli state terror. Furthermore, when war crimes are being committed, talk of a "proportional response" is outrageous. What the Zionist forces are doing in Lebanon and Gaza is reminiscent of the revenge of the Nazis who murdered entire villages in the lands they occupied to collectively punish the people so as to eliminate the Resistance at that time. It was a morbid preoccupation with defeat then as is the U.S. imperialist and Israeli Zionist response today.

Canadians must rely on their own strength and step up the protest movement. The world's peoples are resourceful and full of energy to resist and defeat the empire-builders. Exactly 65 years ago, few in Canada or the United States would have believed that the sacrifice of the Soviet and world's peoples would defeat the feared and invincible 110 divisions of the German Wehrmacht racing east towards the Volga with thousands upon thousands of the most modern tanks, bombers and other sophisticated military equipment. Less than two years later they would lie in ruin on the outskirts of Stalingrad, Leningrad and Moscow, heralding the end of the Nazi Third Reich.

CPC(M-L) calls on the working class and people to go all out to establish an anti-war government in Canada by bringing to power those who will uphold international law, make Canada a bastion of guaranteeing human rights and oppose the use of force to settle conflicts both at home and abroad.

Build the Resistance to Defeat U.S.-Zionist State Terror!
Hold Harper and His Government Responsible for Crimes Against the Peace, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity!
All Out to Establish an Anti-War Government!

[TOP]


National Lawyers Guild

Act Now Against Israel's Brutal Aggression Against Palestine And Lebanon

Israel's violence and aggression against the people of Palestine and Lebanon has already cost the lives of hundreds of people and may provoke a horrific regional or global war. The recent devastation in Palestine and Lebanon magnifies the ever-present reality of the brutal, violent, and racist occupation of Palestine and continued aggression against Lebanon. It is imperative for all people of conscience to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian and Lebanese brothers and sisters in their struggle against Israeli and U.S. occupation, aggression and imperialism. It is also imperative that we continue to fight for an end to the U.S. occupation in Iraq.

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) encourages local chapters to hold Press Conferences, Teach-Ins, Vigils and other activities in their cities and/or law schools to bring attention to the deadly Israeli military attacks on Palestine and Lebanon and to organize for the National Emergency March to Defend the People of Palestine and Lebanon on August 12th in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The August 12 March is organized by ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition, and the National Lawyers Guild has officially endorsed this action.

We suggest that you invite Palestinian and Lebanese members of your communities to speak and participate in your events so that their voices can be heard. We further suggest that in the events you promote the following actions and immediately begin organizing support for the August 12t protest in Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Let us collectively speak up, act up, and refuse to let international silence in the face of occupation and aggression contribute to the continued injustice of war and occupation!

Take Action Now:

1. Contact Elected Officials: Call and write to your elected officials, and demand that they call upon the United States to immediately introduce a resolution before the U.N. Security Council demanding that Israel halt its illegal and brutal aggression against Palestine and Lebanon. Demand that your elected officials hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity committed using weaponry and technology sold to Israel by the United States and funded by U.S. tax money. You can find out who your elected officials are oneline (www.congress.org/congressorg/home/). ANSWER. has a link, through their home page, to a template letter that can be sent directly to your elected officials (www.internationalanswer.org).

The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has also provided a direct link to sending a letter to elected officials: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1215. [ ]

2. On-Line Petition: Sign on to the on-line petition, "Take Action to Stop the Crisis in Lebanon and Gaza (http://www.petitiononline.com/hurriyeh/petition.html) and forward widely for additional sign-ons.

3. Join With Local Solidarity Groups To Organize Actions: Join with Palestine, Lebanon, anti-war and anti-occupation solidarity groups in your area, and organize teach-ins, demonstrations, protests, and awareness-raising events. For actions and demonstrations in your area, please check out the following websites:

. National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) (www.arab-american.net)
. ANSWER Coalition (www.internationalanswer.org)
. Al-Awda - The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (www.al-awda.org)
. U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (www.endtheoccupation.org)

4. August 12 Demonstration For Palestine And Lebanon: Plan Now to take part in the National Emergency March to Defend the People of Palestine and Lebanon on AUGUST 12, in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Organize contingents from your local area to attend the demonstration, and organize surrounding activities (teach-ins, flyering to publicize the protest, awareness-raising activities).

5. Arm Yourselves With Information: Don't believe the hype! Mainstream media's racist and one-sided portrayal of the occupation in Palestine and aggression in Lebanon reflects imperialist U.S. foreign policy and the politics of aggressors and occupiers. The situation is not as "complicated" as people make it out to be. It is, at its core, an issue of occupation and oppression. Read alternative informational sites about the history and current violence in Lebanon and Palestine. Challenge misinformation and disinformation where and when you see it. Write letters and editorials to media sources in support of good reporting and challenging erroneous or problematic reporting. [ ]

6. Get Others Involved: Forward this information widely and encourage your friends, colleagues, co-workers and family to get involved.

[TOP]


Statement from Fourth International Convention

Stand Against Inhumanity of Israeli and U.S. Aggression

In concluding its successful Fourth Annual International Convention, Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, takes this opportunity to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Israeli aggression being waged against the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

At this moment, while the Israeli war machine unleashes itself upon the civilian infrastructure and national institutions of the Palestinian and Lebanese people, and while the U.S. administration is once again giving a green light to Israel to continue its aggression, it is paramount that we, and all people of conscience, stand against this inhumanity and continue to assert our unequivocal solidarity with the Arab people of Palestine and Lebanon in their resistance against occupation and aggression.

Despite the overwhelming number of myths propagated by the U.S. and Zionist establishments, and repeated by the U.S. corporate media, the assaults being launched against our brothers and sisters in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip aim to destroy the civilian infrastructure of those areas.

These assaults also aim to break the will of the Palestinian and Lebanese people, such that U.S. imperial and Zionist hegemonic interests can reign supreme throughout the region. This is consistent with U.S. policies in the Arab East, specifically with regards to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, which we likewise continue to condemn in the strongest possible terms, while demanding its immediate cessation.

The events unfolding in Palestine and Lebanon represent an affront to the most elementary principles of human decency - be it with regards to subverting a democratically elected local authority, rejecting the principle of self-determination, while denying the victims of occupation their right to resist their occupiers.

We challenge the people and institutions of conscience throughout the United States to condemn, in principle and in action, the aggression being waged against the Palestinian and Lebanese people, and to stand in solidarity with the victims of this aggression. In this regard, we call for support and participation in the National Emergency March being held in Washington DC, on 12 August 2006.

Moreover, we call for the launch of educational forums and teach-ins on the Palestinian Refugees Right to Return and the reality of the situation in Palestine and Lebanon including but not limited to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian lands, the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the legitimate resistance movements opposing these acts of dispossession and occupation, and the state of the 10,000 Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The precariousness of the situation in Palestine and Lebanon compels us to be vigilant. It is incumbent upon us to engage in an escalating campaign of protest and education which will be critical for building a movement that can challenge and ultimately bring an end to the brutality and injustice which is unfolding before us. It is long past due that progressive movements and forces in the U.S. unite and raise their voice in condemning the U.S. government, Zionism and Zionist policies in the region, and demanding that our people's rights not be held hostage to the calculations of U.S. mid-term elections or any other secondary consideration. Now is the time for the anti-war movement to raise its voice in answer to the challenge that history has placed before us.

We continue to affirm the inalienable right that all Palestinian refugees have to return to their homes, towns and villages. Our work in Al-Awda will continue to be dedicated to the achievement of this goal.

Defend the People of Palestine and Lebanon!
Stop the U.S. and Israeli War from Iraq to Lebanon to Palestine!
Freedom for all Arab Prisoners!
Protect and Implement the Right of Return of the Palestinian People!
Long Live Resistance to Occupation and Aggression!

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, PO Box 131352, Carlsbad, CA 92013, SA, Tel: 760-685-3243, Fax: 360-933-3568, E-mail: info@al-awda.org, http://al-awda.org

[TOP]


Bush Is Overruling Democracy

George W. Bush claims he wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. But the evidence indicates that Bush only likes democracy when the elections go his way.

The Palestinians, subjected to a ruthless occupation by Israel for nearly four decades, held a democratic election in January. Much to Bush's dismay, they elected Hamas to lead their parliament. Likewise, voters in Lebanon democratically elected representatives of Hizbollah to parliament. Yet Bush and his minions are doing everything they can to undo those election results.

After Hamas's election, Israel and the United States spearheaded the imposition of severe economic sanctions against the Palestinians that have virtually crippled their infrastructure. Israel, which continues to control Gaza's economy, withholds about $50 million of Palestinian monthly tax revenues. When Palestinians in Gaza captured an Israeli soldier and members of Hizbollah in Lebanon captured two Israeli soldiers, Israel unleashed massive armed attacks against the people of Gaza and Lebanon. Although justified as necessary to free the captured soldiers, Israel really hopes to destroy Hamas and Hizbollah in the process.

The Israeli military demolished hospitals, airports, highways, power stations, fuel depots, and entire buildings with their inhabitants in Lebanon and Gaza. Hundreds of innocents have been killed and thousands injured. Israel kidnapped dozens of Hamas leaders. Since Israel began its assaults in Gaza and Lebanon, Bush has cheered Israel on. The U.S. supplies Israel with the sophisticated weapons it employs to slaughter Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, in violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act. That law requires that military items transferred to foreign governments by the U.S. be used solely for internal security and legitimate self-defense.

"In my judgment, the best way to stop the violence is to understand why the violence occurred in the first place," Bush sensibly observed. But then he continued, "And that's because Hizbollah has been launching rocket attacks out of Lebanon into Israel, and because Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. That's why we have violence." Wrong. [ ]

When Hamas and Hizbollah captured the Israeli soldiers, they intended to use them to negotiate the release of hundreds of prisoners, including women and children, who have languished in Israeli jails for years in barbaric conditions with no charges against them. But Israel, with the blessing of the U.S. government, reacted with overwhelming military force, killing hundreds of people and crippling the infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon.

This is not self-defense. It is a war of aggression that violates the United Nations Charter. Israel is engaging in collective punishment in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

The U.S. was the only country to veto a Security Council resolution that would have accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of force" in Gaza. [...] U.S. Ambassador John Bolton echoed this sentiment when he said there was no "moral equivalence" between the civilian casualties from the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and those killed in Israel from "malicious terrorist attacks." In other words, an Israeli life is worth more than a Lebanese life, in the eyes of our ambassador to the United Nations.

Both houses of the U.S. Congress are poised to express their support for Israel and condemn Hizbollah, Iran and Syria. Bush claims that Iran and Syria are pulling the strings in Gaza and Lebanon. Although some of the arms Hizbollah is using are made in Iran, many analysts doubt that Iran or Syria is calling the shots.

So where do Hamas and Hizbollah come from? These two Islamic resistance movements were born in the 1980s in reaction to Israel's invasion, occupation and oppression.

When the civil war in Lebanon ended, Hizbollah became a political party, winning seats in Parliament, and it continues to function in mainstream Lebanese society. Hizbollah was successful in 2000 in forcing Israel to withdraw from the southern strip of Lebanon which Israel had occupied since its 1982 invasion. [ ] Hamas and Hizbollah enjoy widespread popular support because they stand up to Israeli aggression. Both combine political action and militant jihad with humanitarian, social and educational programs.

As Robin Wright wrote in Saturday's Washington Post, Hizbollah "runs a major hospital as well as schools, discount pharmacies, groceries and an orphanage. It runs a garbage service and a reconstruction program for homes damaged during Israel's invasion. It supports families of the young men sent off to their deaths. Altogether, it benefits an estimated 250,000 Lebanese and is the country's second-largest employer."

Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah told Wright that he joined Hizbollah after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. "We used to discuss issues among ourselves," he said. "If we are to expel the Israeli occupation from our country, how do we do this? We noticed what happened in Palestine, in the West Bank, in the Gaza Strip, in the Golan, in Sinai. We reached a conclusion that we cannot rely on the Arab League states, nor on the United Nations," he added. "The only way that we have is to take up arms and fight the occupation forces."

There is tremendous support for Hizbollah among Arabs. Abdel-Menem Mustapha, Egypt bureau chief of the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, said, "The Arab street feels strong sympathy with Hizbollah and Nasrallah, because its pride has been battered, and it is weary of decades of concessions made to Israel by Arab governments."

Journalist Dahr Jamail, reporting this week from the Lebanese/Syrian border, said tens of thousands of Arab protestors took to the streets, condemning Israel's invasion of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Jamail also reported that thousands of angry Iraqis marched in Baghdad in solidarity with Nasrallah and denounced Israel and the U.S. for the attacks. [ ]

Bush has been itching for an excuse to expand his war on Iraq to Iran and Syria. "The U.S. Strategic Command, supported by the Air Force, has been drawing up plans, at the President's direction, for a major bombing campaign in Iran," Seymour Hersh wrote in last week's New Yorker. Senior military commanders have warned the administration that "the bombing campaign will probably not succeed in destroying Iran's nuclear program" and "could lead to serious economic, political, and military consequences for the United States," including endangering our troops in Iraq, Hersh added. [ ]

George W. Bush, the champion of democracy, is playing with fire.

Marjorie Cohn, representative to the American Association of Jurists.

[TOP]


Young Woman Reports from Lebanon

"They Will Never Destroy Our Will to Achieve Peace and Justice"

July 18, Beirut - I want to thank all of you for your concern and worries about Lebanon and the Lebanese. The situation here is very cruel. I am trying hard to coordinate with different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to bring the necessary supplies to the refugees. Moreover, I am working on spreading the news about our difficult situation to the world.

There are now 60,000 refugees in Beirut City, 203 dead and more than 400 injured (the numbers are changing every minute). Many people from different nationalities are still stuck in villages, with no food, no doctors and medicine.

Today, the Israelis bombed a church with refugees inside! Many massacres have happened. I won't continue describing the situation because you must know what it is like to be in a war where international conventions are not respected and where illegal arms and weapons are used without any consideration to human lives. One thing that we need is your help to reach as many people as we can to stop these atrocities.

Everyone is asking why the Lebanese civilians must always pay the price. Some say it is not the right time to question that, it is time to Resist! Well, even though thousands of Lebanese left the country I just want to assure you that the spirit of the youth is strong and united. We are working to be as active as we can and we are not planning to leave. Nothing is going stop us from living, we will always remain proud to be Lebanese. They can destroy our airports, bridges, villages...but they will never destroy our will to achieve peace and justice not only for the Lebanese but for all human kind.

[TOP]


"Long ago, the Lebanese learned how to eat grass..."

Lebanese People Determined to Survive

The Lebanese resistance scored a major military objective in their fight against Israeli aggression when it took down the main Israeli navy ship that was bombing the coast.

Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave his first live TV statement since the beginning of the aerial bombardment in which the Israel destroyed the Hizbollah TV station. Nasrallah rallied the Lebanese people to stand their ground and reminded everyone of the victory of the Lebanese resistance in the fight against the Israeli occupiers from the 1982 invasion to their expulsion in 2000.

At the end of his speech, he advised everyone to look towards the sea. They were greeted with the sight of the burning ship, making the coast safe for the first time in days. The joyous celebration of the Lebanese people on that occasion arose out of their firm belief in their ability to protect themselves from Israeli aggression.

The Lebanese people are using all their strength, wit and political consciousness to resist in other ways. They are finding creative solutions to the effects of the bombing. For example, on the first day of Israeli bombing on July 12 the electrical plant that supplies electricity to all of southern Lebanon was taken out. Electricians on their own initiative came together and were successfully able to reestablish electricity that also meant that the water was back on.

Other stories of people's creative fortitude include taking private vehicles and filling them with sand, stones and whatever material is readily available to refill the roads that are bombed out. They stay all day on the side of the roads and every time a bomb falls, they refill it.

A young carpenter in the city of Sidon said, "Long ago the Lebanese learned how to eat grass." Hence in all aspects, the Lebanese people will find a way to survive and are anxious to let their supporters around the world know this is so. They fight with hope and positive energy when standing with the Lebanese struggle.

[TOP]

Oppose War Crimes

Israel Aerial Bombardment Targets Civilian Infrastructure

The Israeli aggression in Lebanon escalated July 16 with increased aerial bombardment. Israel began its attack on Lebanon early morning July 12 under the pretext that Hizbollah had taken two Israeli soldiers hostage. It was not mentioned that those soldiers were part of a covert Israeli military action inside Lebanese territory.

The bombardment began as an attack on the newly rebuilt infrastructure of Lebanon, particularly in the south and in the part of Beirut where Shiite Muslims live known as the Suburb. The residents of this area are mainly refugees from southern Lebanon from the 1982 Israeli invasion.

Lebanon's infrastructure was destroyed during that invasion and occupation. It wasn't until May 2000 that the Lebanese people were victorious in expelling the Israeli occupiers. Since then reconstruction has been underway with Beirut being rebuilt. During the 1982 invasion, known as "Operation Peace for Galilee," Beirut was razed to the ground by two months of daily aerial bombardment. The city was rebuilt at great cost to the country, mainly on high-interest loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Southern Lebanon was particularly devastated. There was no electricity, no reliable water source, few roads and few services. These have been rebuilt and reestablished since 2000. It has only been a few years since southern Lebanon has had steady electricity, although it still isn't available 24 hours a day.

In a matter of days, Israel has destroyed this infrastructure. Israeli ships destroyed the newly rebuilt airport in Beirut. The highway spanning the length of the coast of southern Lebanon, linking it to Beirut and the rest of the country, was also only built a couple of years ago and destroyed on July 12.

On the morning of July 16 Israel began attacking residential areas. Information from CNN and BBC confirmed the destruction of Beirut's suburban area. Refugees forced to leave their homes are staying at surrounding schools, which are closed for the summer. Various villages close to the Lebanese-Palestinian border have also been bombed. Israel also attacked the northern city of Tyre for the first time. There are also reports of Israel using phosphorus bombs, which are illegal under international law. If so, this would be the first time Israel has used chemical weapons in Lebanon.

Israel has also now sent ground troops. The Lebanese resistance has already begun its self-defense operations. Besides taking down the Israeli naval ship off the coast, reports indicate they took down an Israeli aircraft. They are also bombing military posts in northern Israel. Hizbollah and other resistance organizations such as Amal have called for maximum mobilization of their troops. Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated July 16 that Israel underestimates the capabilities of the resistance and promised to defend Lebanon by any means necessary.

Meanwhile, leaders at the Group of Eight Summit in St. Petersburg issued a communiqué blaming the Palestinians and Lebanese for the violence, while saying Israel is "exercising the right to defend itself" and simply saying Israel should "be mindful of the strategic and humanitarian consequences of its actions." This refusal to hold Israel to account gives it the green light to continue and escalate its aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, including a ground troop invasion. All these possibilities are being examined calmly by the Lebanese resistance, and they are preparing accordingly.

[TOP]

July 20

Israel Intensifies Offensive Against Lebanese

Israeli warplanes dropped more than 20 tons of bombs on a single building July 20. Israel claimed the building was a bunker for Hizbollah in south Beirut. Israel has continued bombing bridges, schools and fleeing refugees and imposing a naval blockade-another act of war. It is striving to isolate and terrorize the Lebanese. On Wednesday alone Israel's relentless campaign killed 72 people, the bloodiest day since the attacks began last week.

"The country has been torn to shreds. Can the international community stand by while such callous retribution by the state of Israel is inflicted on us?" Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told foreign ambassadors. "We the Lebanese want life. We have chosen life. We refuse to die," he added.

Hizbollah said that none of its officials or members had been killed by the massive nighttime Israeli raid on Burj el-Barajneh, which Israel said was carried out by 20 planes on the site of a "bunker" it believed was used by the group's leaders. "The truth is that the building bombarded by the enemy jets with 23 tons of explosives was only a mosque in the process of being built," Hizbollah said in a statement.

Warplanes destroyed four bridges linking Lebanon to Syria in Akkar and the Bekaa Valley. Twenty-five people were killed and 26 wounded in a single village where residents said 10 houses were turned to rubble by shelling from Israeli gunboats and warplanes. Eleven other civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a four-story building in the eastern Lebanese village of Nabi Sheet, near the ancient city of Baalbek.

The U.S. continues to fund and back the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and oppose diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli aggression. President George W. Bush said that a "clear message" must first be sent to Hizbollah, Hamas in Palestine, Syria and Iran. Israel pressed on with a new wave of attacks from air and sea against southern and eastern Lebanon, flattening houses, destroying roads and hitting trucks, officials on the ground said. A land invasion with tanks has also begun. Like the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Israel's efforts to suppress the people through massive bombing has failed and ground troops are now required. And like the Iraqi people, the resistance of the Lebanese continues to mount and grow.

[TOP]


For Your Information

Statements from Republicans and Democrats on Israeli Aggression Against Lebanon and Palestine

President George W. Bush:

"It is now clear for all to see that there are terrorist elements who want to destroy our democratic friends and allies and the world must work to prevent them from doing so I want the world to address the root cause of the problem and the root cause of the problem is Hizbollah."

"Part of these terrorist attacks are inspired by nation states, like Syria and Iran. And in order to be able to deal with the crisis, the world must deal with Hizbollah and Syria and continue to isolate Iran."

"Imagine how the United States would react if somebody provoked us with this kind of action [the capturing two soldiers]."

"I strongly believe every nation ought to be able to defend herself from terrorist attacks It's in our interest that Lebanon be free and the Siniora government succeed We're never going to tell a nation how to defend herself, but we are urging caution in terms of the survival of [Prime Minister of Lebanon's] Siniora government."

July 18, meeting with Bipartisan Members of Congress

Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton:

"I think it would be a mistake to ascribe a moral equivalence to civilians who die as a direct result of malicious terrorist acts" and Israel's military action, which is self-defense and has "the tragic and unfortunate consequence of civilian deaths."

"It's simply not the same thing to say that it's the same act to deliberately target innocent civilians, to desire their deaths, to fire rockets and use explosive devices or kidnapping versus the sad and highly unfortunate consequences of self-defense."

Commenting on the deaths of a family of eight Canadian citizens in Lebanon, bombed by Israel.

Senator Hillary Clinton, Democrat, New York:

"The United States must stand by Israel as she defends herself. No government can stand idly by when its citizens and soldiers are attacked and abducted and when terrorist groups make incursions into its territory Israel's right to exist and exist in safety must never be put in question. We must also continue to send a very clear message to Syria, Iran and others to join in condemning these attacks and to exercise their influence over Hamas and Hizbollah." (July 13 statement)

"We will stand with Israel because Israel is standing for American values as well as Israeli ones." America will support Israel in "her efforts to send a message to Hamas, Hizbollah, to the Syrians, to the Iranians - to all who seek death and domination instead of life and freedom - that we will not permit this to happen and we will take whatever steps are necessary." This is "a message that we want not only those in the Middle East to hear, but the world, because no nation is safe from these terrorist extremists. They do not believe in human rights, they do not believe in democracy. They are totalitarians, they are the new totalitarians of the 21st century."

"I want us here in New York to imagine, if extremist terrorists were launching rocket attacks across the Mexican or Canadian border, would we stand by or would we defend America against these attacks from extremists?"

"All Americans, whether Democrats or Republicans, stand behind Israel."

Speaking at a rally defending Israel, in New York City, July 17

[TOP]


For Your Information

Senate and House Pass Resolutions Backing Israeli Aggression

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives both passed similar resolutions this week, expressing their full support for Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Palestine. Both measures passed on voice votes. Both turn reality completely on its head, calling Israeli aggression "self-defense." The resolutions also say Israel which dropped more than 20 tons of bombs on civilians in a single day, show "great restraint" and that it is the Lebanese who are indiscriminately targeting civilians.

The resolutions begin in a similar fashion. From the Senate: "Condemning Hizbollah and Hamas and their state sponsors and supporting Israel's exercise of its right to self-defense." (Senate Resolution 534)

The House resolution states, "Condemning the recent attacks against the State of Israel, holding terrorists and their state-sponsors accountable for such attacks, supporting Israel's right to defend itself, and for other purposes." Both also say Israel has showed "great restraint." Both were passed following the week-long and continuing U.S-backed Israeli bombings now destroying Lebanon, with civilian infrastructure, including schools, bridges and power plants main targets, as well as refugees forced to flee on foot.

The Senate specifically:

"1) reaffirms its steadfast support for the State of Israel

2) supports Israel's right of self-defense and Israel's right to take appropriate action to deter aggression by terrorist groups and their state sponsors

3) urges the President to continue fully supporting Israel as Israel exercises its right of self-defense in Lebanon and Gaza;

4) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers who are being held captive by Hizbollah or Hamas." The resolution urges Bush to "use all available political and diplomatic means, including sanctions, to persuade the governments of Syria and Iran to end their support of Hizbollah and Hamas.

The House followed suit, also calling for "steadfast support" for Israel. It condemned Hamas and Hizbollah for "continuing to indiscriminately target Israeli civilian populations with their rockets and missiles." It said that the House "recognizes Israel's longstanding commitment to minimizing civilian loss and welcomes Israel's continued efforts to prevent civilian casualties." It also said that "all governments that have provided continued support to Hamas or Hizbollah share responsibility for the hostage-taking and attacks against Israel and, as such, should be held accountable for their actions." The resolution also urges Bush to "bring the full force of political, diplomatic and economic sanctions available" against Syria and Iran.

Both resolutions are completely silent on the more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, many of them women and children. In defending Israel's actions, including the "conduct of operations both in Israel and in the territory of nations which pose a threat to it," they are also defending the massive bombings of civilians and the stated goal of Israel to bomb Lebanon and Gaza back to dark ages. The Israeli ambassador to the UN demanded at a recent pro-Israel rally in New York City, that the UN permit Israel to "finish the job!" of leveling Lebanon and Palestine and eliminating Hamas and Hizbollah. He added, "To those countries who claim we are using disproportionate force, I have only this to say: you're damn right we are!"

The Congress is responsible for ensuring that Israel receives about $3 billion in U.S. funding yearly, which is about 1/5 of total foreign aid. It has the second-largest fleet of F-16 bombers in the world, second only to its sponsor, the United States. Israel is about the size of New Jersey and has about one one-thousandth of the world's population.

[TOP]

U.S. Troops in Lebanon

In a letter to Congress July 19, President George W. Bush informed Congress that U.S. troops, ships and helicopters have been deployed to Lebanon. He said that while "there is no evidence that Americans are being directly targeted, military forces are needed. These include combat-equipped helicopters which were sent July 15 and nine military ships. Thousands of marines are also involved. Bush states that their main role is to "assist in planning and conducting the departure from Lebanon of U.S. embassy personnel and citizens and designated third country personnel.

There are an estimated 25,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon, and to date less than 5,000 have been evacuated. This is despite the large military deployment and ready ability of the U.S. to rapidly move Americans and many others to safety.

According to the letter, "It is likely that additional combat-equipped U.S. military forces may be deployed to Lebanon and Cyprus and other locations, as necessary, in order to support further efforts to assist in the departure of persons from Lebanon and to provide security." Given the record of U.S. military forces in rescuing hurricane Katrina survivors and now occupying New Orleans to "provide security," it is quite possible that U.S. citizens in Lebanon will also be stranded and that the military deployment to Lebanon will be long-term.

The U.S. must act immediately to stop Israeli aggression, the quickest means to ensure the safety of all and, as a main instigator and backer of this aggression, take full responsibility for the safety of the Lebanese, Americans and all the many people now trapped in Lebanon.

[TOP]

Voice of Revolution
Publication of the U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization

USMLO • 3942 N. Central Ave. • Chicago, IL 60634
www.usmlo.orgoffice@usmlo.org