Birth of the New Middle East?

Tanya Nasr Beirut 4 August 2006

Smoke rises in the southern Lebanon village after an explosion, 2 August 2006. (MaanImages/Moti Milrod)


At 7:00 am this morning the enemy’s air strike got us out of our beds, devastated. The Israeli air force hit the Maameltein bridge which is around 500 meters away from my house. The ceiling felt like it was going to collapse over our heads! Less than 30 minutes later, and while I was standing on my balcony still overwhelmed by the first bombardment, another strike hit the Casino Du Liban bridge right before my eyes. And in the hour that followed, they hit the bridges in this chronology, Maameltein bridge, casino bridge, Halat bridge (complete destruction), and Madfoun bridge (not to mention the rest of the bridges that connect Mount Lebanon, Beirut to the south and the Bekaa).

To those who don’t know Lebanon and who haven’t been to Lebanon, I would like to tell you that Lebanon today has woken up to the devastating fact that it has become a detached puzzle, literally. To those who think that Israel is aiming at Hizbullah or terrorists, let me correct you — every single bridge from the south of Lebanon to the north has been hit and destroyed partially or completely! To give you a clearer picture, my house falls between the bridge that leads to northern Lebanon and the other that leads to the capital Beirut. In other words, I am in a spot that is absolutely detached and as of this moment we are isolated and this is the case all around Lebanon. This, besides all the casualties that have fallen as a result of this monstrous attack! If they say they are making the earth a better place by killing terrorists, please, it’s about time they stop underestimating people’s intelligence! Ripping a whole country apart into pieces as if it were some kind of video game is not fighting terrorism! I don’t understand — where the hell is the inernational community? People are being massacred and a whole country ripped apart and the world is not moving and they act as if they are doing a favor to humanity and getting rid of the bad guys!! Isn’t the UN ashamed? Why should we take part of the UN if this UN has absolutely no power and with the US’ stupid VETO, they control the whole game! I really am out of words … no matter what we say, you should be here to see for yourself the intensity of what I am trying to explain. The acts are clear and they should stop underestimating the international community’s intelligence:

  • What logic says that it’s a fair war when there are hundreds, more than 3,000 wounded and more than 800,000 refugees! While Israel has 65 casualties!
  • What logic gives Israel the right to own nuclear weapons and receive airplanes of “clever-stupid” bombs, very casually before the eyes of all the international community — which stop by to have a coffee and fill up fuel in London — and use chemicals in the bombs that are universally prohibited, and kill hundreds of children with them?
  • What logic gives the right to the hypocrite, low-life Condoleezza the right to decide on a new Middle East and bring us democracy! Democracy! Is this democracy, Condi?

    Finally, I would like to ask you not get taken by what they say. Research and find out what is really happening because you are being exposed to the ultimate cases of hypocrisy and lying. We could only pray and light a candle for this war or whatever it could be called to end.

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    Tanya Nasr is a college student from Jounieh, Lebanon