U.S. adds bombs and fuel to the fires of Lebanon

In order to facilitate the destruction of Lebanon as quickly as possible, the U.S. is doing its part for the war effort.

The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets [sic] in Lebanon, American officials said Friday.

The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said.

That's on top of last week's commitment to a stable Middle East.

The Pentagon notified Congress of plans to sell Israel jet fuel valued at up to $210 million "to keep peace and security in the region".

"The proposed sale of the JP-8 aviation fuel will enable Israel to maintain the operational capability of its aircraft inventory," the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in notice required by law.

In general, on the U.S. and international fronts, things are looking good for Israel. 

According to the jingoistic Jerusalem Post, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and the army are delirious at their success in dictating the headlines and tone of foreign news broadcasts.

Ehud Olmert's media adviser, Assif Shariv, told the Post that the international media were interviewing Israeli spokespeople four times as much as spokespeople for the Palestinians and Lebanese. Another government adviser, Gideon Meir, boasted: "We have never had it so good. The hasbara [propaganda] effort is a well-oiled machine."

The Israel uber alles crowds are out in mass in DC, urging Congress and the President to allow Israel to continue its savage slaughter of Lebanon.  There's the Jewish establishment:

In an effort to head off calls in Washington for a quick cease-fire, some officials with Jewish groups have spent the past few days urging policymakers to make sure that Israel is given ample time and freedom of action to inflict as much damage as possible on Hezbollah's infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

and the Christian Zionists:

More than 3,400 evangelical Christians have arrived in Washington to lobby lawmakers as part of the first annual summit of Christians United for Israel.

Delegates have come from all 50 states and have 280 meetings on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Pastor John Hagee said.

And it worked.  Both the Senate and House overwhelmingly passed resolutions unconditionally cheering Israel's state terrorism and war crimes.  Hillary Clinton headlined a pro-Israel rally in NY last Monday and Diane Feinstein will be featured at one tomorrow in San Francisco.  Rice had the inhumanity to refer to the bombing of Lebanon as "birth pangs."

And all the while Lebanon and Palestine are ground to dust. 

Comments

[Benjamin Solah]

The US's role in all of this was going to be clear from the start. You can clearly see the connection between the current conflict and the US gearing up for more war, with Iran and Syria.

Also, I don't think the decisions in congress would've changed without the pro-Israeli groups.

[Enver Gjokaj]

I'm with a newly forming group that is campaigning for an immediate cease fire under the conditions set forward by Kofi Annan. If you feel, as we do, that this senseless bloodshed is not the solution, then please visit our website and sign to make your voice heard. http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/

Please pass this on to as many of your friends as possible. We all must rely on the internet to provide the alternative voice.