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News from Lebanon : the Israeli attack

category mashriq / arabia / iraq | imperialism / war | press release author Sunday July 30, 2006 10:18author by Al Badil al Chououii al Taharruri - (Libertarian Communist Alternative) Report this post to the editors

Statement by the Lebanese organization Libertarian Communist Alternative

We say NO to Hezbollah as a reactionary, religious, pro-Iran party; NO to Bush, Blair and Chirac, who consider these disproportionate attacks (the destruction of Lebanon to obtain the release of some soldiers) as a legitime form of self-defence by Israel; NO to the UN Security Council’s timid and ambiguous behaviour; NO to the Lebanese government which is incapable, weak and contradictory, wasting its time begging for help, counting the casualties and hoping in the international tribunals.


The Lebanese and Palestinian peoples are being subjected to Israeli aggression with the blessing of the Western powers. Alternative Libertaire is publishing the following article written by our Lebanese comrades from Al Badil al Chououii al Taharruri (Libertarian Communist Alternative) one week after the beginning of Israeli operations against Lebanon. We send them all our support.
Alternative libertaire
27th July 2006

News from Lebanon: the Israeli attack

Al Badil al Chououii al Taharruri
(Libertarian Communist Alternative)

Once again, Lebanon is deeply engaged in a war which nobody can see the end of. On 12th July, the Lebanese Hezbollah, a political and religious Shiite movement, kidnapped two Israeli soldiers behind the South Lebanon border, killing eight Israeli soldiers. Israel did not need more than this in order to put its plan of attack into action, a plan that was prepared much earlier, exactly in the same way as in 1982, when Israel invaded Lebanon using a shabby assassination attempt against the Israel ambassador in London as pretext.

But this time the Isba attack was on an unprecented scale, that nobody had ever seen in Lebanon. It is worse than a Lebanon invasion because it consists of aerial and naval attacks everywhere in Lebanon. And we mean everywhere: the airport, the southern suburban districts of Beirut, a Hezbollah bastion, the main roads that link the towns and regions of the country, the ports, the residential districts, etc. The aim is to totally paralyse the country and spread fear, which cannot be done without killing civilians, 180 so far, eight days after the start of the war. Many signs show that the conflict is not about to end, since the Western countries are contacting the USA to ask the Israelis (!) to allow their citizens to be evacuated, something which did not happen with such haste even during the 1975 civil war...

This attack must be analyzed as part of a wider scenario. In our opinion, it arises in the context of the American plan for a Great Middle East. George W. Bush wants to create a large area that would be favourable to him and which would include Arabic countries and Israel, leading to the end, in one way or another, of conflict in the Near East. Iran and Syria are opposed to this project, which is obviously a good thing. But the bad thing is that Syria and Iran, who support Hezbollah and who fight against the plans of Bush and the Israeli government, are clearly totally reactionary countries, from all aspects.

Furthermore, Hezbollah (the Party of God!!) is a party that, despite all it has done in order to drive Israel from Southern Lebanon and despite the large number of martyrs sent to carry out their religious duty, a one-way ticket to a paradise of honey and houris, has not satisfied Lebanese expectations for many years. The "Party of God", under Iranian control, is clearly and obstinately anti-freedom. It is simple: it is not possible to live in the Hezbollah areas. In the villages where it is preponderant, one is advised to keep the volume of music down and not to play songs suitable for belly dancing. Once a party of resistance and scarifice, the "Party of God" has become unbearable: women are more or less forced to machinations (corruption, Syrian infiltration of all Lebanese institutions, etc.).

That is the way Hezbollah has provoked a strong popular reaction against itself. For several months, Lebanese political leaders have been meeting in Parliament ("Meetings for a national dialogue") in order to find a solution to the country's crucial problems, including Hezbollah arms. Hezollah, in fact, is refusing to give up its weapons to the Lebanese army, effectively forming a State within the State. And in a tremendous show of arrogance, the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, broadcasts his violent, mediaeval threats (calls to chop off heads, arms...) against all those who would try to take their weapons. But it has not done anything against Israel for several years, except for re-stating the Lebanese identity of the Shebaa farms. Hezbollah can be frightening because of its fanatism but also because of the popularity it enjoys in some sectors of Lebanese society, that comes from its promotion of the policy of "martyrs for the nation". But without Syria and Iran (and in particular Iranian financing), there would be no Hezbollah.

Since Syria's humiliating retreat from Lebanon, two large political trends have developed: the 14th March current (the date of the huge demonstration that took place after the assassination of ex-Prime minister Rafik Hariri), and the pro-Syrian 8th March current, which has been joined by the Christian supporters of General Aoun, since he was promised the presidency of the Republic. We believe that the 14th March camp constitutes a relatively "revolutionary" current, in comparison with the 8th March current which comprises corrupt elements under Syrian control and nostalgics of Lebanon's dark past. The behaviour of the Lebanese Communist Party is nothing short of scandalous. Together with a few others, most of whom nostalgic for Arab Nasserism, it makes up a very weak third camp with little or nothing to offer. There has, however, been a split within it (Communist Intifada), which Al-Badil is close to.

Finally, once again, the political position we must take with regard to these events has to be clear, beyond a simple denunciation of the Israeli attacks. We say NO to Hezbollah as a reactionary, religious, pro-Iran party; NO to Bush, Blair and Chirac, who consider these disproportionate attacks (the destruction of Lebanon to obtain the release of some soldiers) as a legitime form of self-defence by Israel; NO to the UN Security Council’s timid and ambiguous behaviour; NO to the Lebanese government which is incapable, weak and contradictory, wasting its time begging for help, counting the casualties and hoping in the international tribunals.

A wide coalition of the new left that has begun to take shape within the 14th March camp, is the only way, in our opinion, to advance the situation. But in the meantime, we must find food and especially medicines for about one million Lebanese people who have been displaced since the beginning of the war. In the meantime, we need forces that can intervene in support of a ceasefire, now indispensable, that can only be obtained with pressure being put on both sets of belligerents, and to whom everyone is now crying: we don’t like you!


Al Badil al Chououii al Taharruri
(Libertarian Communist Alternative)

Lebanon, 17th July 2006.

author by Anarkismo Editorial Group - Anarkismopublication date Mon Jul 31, 2006 18:58author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Please note that this is a revised English translation of the article.

author by Red Libertaria Argentinapublication date Thu Aug 03, 2006 05:32author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Novedades desde el Libano por nuestros camaradas de Al Badil Al Chououii Al taharruri

Nuevamente, el Líbano se ve envuelto en una guerra a la que nadie puede ver un fin. El 12 de Julio, el líbanes Hezbollah, un movimiento político y religioso shiita, raptó a dos soldados israelíes detrás de la frontera Sur del Líbano, matando a ocho soldados israelíes. israel no necesito más que esto para poner en acción su plan de ataque que venía preparando desde mucho antes, exactamente de la misma manera que en 1982, cuando Israel invadió al Líbano usando un endeble intento de asesinato de su embajador en Londres como pretexto.

Pero esta vez, el ataque del ejército de israel fue de una escala sin precedentes, que nadie había visto antes en el Líbano. Es peor que una invasión al Líbano porque consiste de ataques aéreos y navales en todas partes del Líbano. Y queremos decir literalmente en todas partes: el aeropuerto, los distritos suburbanos del Sur de Beirut, un bastión de Hezbollah, los principales caminos que enlazan los pueblos y regiones del país, los puertos, los distritos residenciales, etc. El objetivo es paralizar totalmente al país y esparcir el miedo, algo que no puede hacerse sin matar civiles, 180 hasta ahora, ocho días después de iniciada la guerra. Hay muchos indicios de que el conflicto no está por terminar, ya que los países occidentales están contactando a los Estados Unidos para pedir a los israelíes (!) que les permitan evacuar a sus ciudadanos, algo que no paso con tal celeridad incluso durante la guerra civil de 1975.

Este ataque debe ser analizado como parte de un escenario más amplio. En nuestra opinión, surge en el contexto de un plan americano para un Gran Medio Oriente. George W. Bush quiere crear una gran aréa que sea favorable a él y que incluya a países arábes e Israel, llevando al final, de un modo u otro, al conflicto en Oriente Próximo. Irán y Siria se oponen a este proyecto, lo que obviamente es algo bueno. pero lo malo es que Siria e Irán, que apoyan a hezbollah y luchan contra los planes de Bush y el gobierno israelí, son países totalmente reaccionarios, en todos los aspectos.

Aún más, Hezbollah (el Partido de Dios!!) es un partido que, a pesar de todo lo que echo para echar a Israel del Sur del Líbano y de la gran cantidad de mártires enviados a cumplir sus deberes religiosos, un pasaje de ida al paraíso de la miel y las mujeres, no ha satisfecho las expectaciones libanesas por muchos años. El "Partido de Dios" bajo control iraní, es clara y obstinadamente contrario a la libertad. Es simple: no es posible vivir en las aréas de Hezbollah. En los pueblos dónde es preponderante, uno es consejado a mantener la música baja y no poner música que pueda ser utilizada para los bailes de vientre. En un principio un partido de resistencia y sacrificio, el "Partido de Dios"se ha vuelto insoportable: las mujeres son más o menos frozadas a maquinaciones (corrupción, infiltración siria de todas las instituciones libanesas, etc)

Esta es la manera en que Hezbollah ha provocado una reacción popular fuerte contra sí. Por varios meses, líderes políticos libaneses se han juntado en el Parlamento ("Encuentros por Un Diálogo Nacional") en busca de una solución a los problemas cruciales del país, incluyendo las armas de Hezbollah. Hezbollah, de hecho, se rehusa a entregar sus armas al ejército líbanes, efectivamente formando un Estado dentro del Estado. Y en una tremenda muestra de arrogancia, el líder de hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, transmitió por televisión amenazas violentas y medievales (llamados a cortar cabezas y brazos) contra todos los que intenten quitarles sus armas. pero no ha hecho nada contra israel desde hace varios años, excepto insistir con la identidad libanesa de las granjas de Shebaa. Hezbollah puede ser estremecedor por su fanatismo pero también por la popularidad de la que disfruta gracias a su política de "mártires por la nación". Pero sin Siria e Irán (y en particular financiamiento iraní), no habría Hezbollah.


Desde la humillante retirada siria del Líbano, dos grandes corrientes políticas se desarrollaron: la corriente 14 de Marzo (fecha de la enorme movilización que tuvo lugar luego del asesinato del ex - Primer Ministro Rafik hariri), y la pro-Siria corriente 8 de Marzo, a la que se han unido los cristianos que apoyan al general Aoun desde que se le prometiera la presidencia de la República a este. Creemos que el campo del 14 de Marzo constituye una corriente relativamente "revolucionaria", en comparación con la corriente del 8 de Marzo que comprende a los elementos corruptos bajo contro, sirio y los nostálgicos del pasado oscuro del Líbano. El comportamiento del Partido Comunista Líbanes es escandaloso. Junto a algunos otros, la mayoría nostálgico del Nasserismo Arábe, conforman un tercer campo muy débil sin nada que ofrecer. Ha habido, sin embargo, una escisión dentro de este (Intifada Comunista), al cual Al-Badil esta cerca.

Finalmente, una vez más , la posición político que debemos tomar con respecto a estos eventos debe ser clara e ir más allá de la simple denuncia de los ataques iraelíes. Decimos NO a Hezbollah por ser un partido reaccionario y religioso, pro-iraní; NO a Bush, Blair y Chirac, que consideran a estos ataques desproporcionados (la destrucción del Líbano para obtener la liberación de algunos soldados) como una medida legítima de auto-defensa por aprte de Israel; NO al comportamiento tímido y ambiguo del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU; NO al gobierno líbanes por ser incapaz, débil y contradictorio, desperdiciando su tiempo suplicando por ayuda, contando los muertos y poniendo esperanzas en los tribunales internacionales.

Una amplia colaición de la nueva izquierda que ha comenzado a tomar forma dentro del campo del 14 de Marzo, es la única salida, en nuestra opinión, de avanzar en la situación. Pero mientras tanto, debemos encontrar comida y especialmente medicinas para cerca de un millón de libaneses que han sido desplazados desde el comienzo de la guerra. Mientras tanto, necesitamos fuerzas que puedan intervenir en apoiyo a un cese al fuego, ahora indispensable, que sólo puede ser obtenido presionando a ambos beligerantes, y a quienes todos estamos gritando ahora: no los queremos!

Al Badil al Chououii al Taharruri
(Alternativa Comunista Libertaria)

Líbano, 17 de Julio de 2006.

author by javier - Red Libertaria Argentina (iniciativa personal)publication date Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:35author address author phone Report this post to the editors

la traducción fue hecha por javier, de la red libertaria argentina, bajo iniciativa personal

author by Jpublication date Fri Aug 11, 2006 00:10author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Comrade, the title of this post is one that you should remember when faced with opponents coming from all angles and catching you in the crossfire. Sure, the Israeli IDF are brutal monsters, and the US coalition is firmly behind Israel. Whereas Hezbollah? They were founded to protect Lebanon from the Israeli invaders way back when, and now they're still doing their job. I think that if the west gets its claws into Lebanon, you'll never be free.
But keep safe Comrade.
J

author by Vertical - Autonomiapublication date Wed Aug 16, 2006 22:48author email vertical at riseup dot netauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

After reading this statment, i realized that the communist ( or the former ones of course ), have managed to find their ways through the international websites and platfrom , gaining from the shyness of our existance as anarchist , situationist, and non authoriterians in such websites and platforms to make fales statments .

14th of march is the coalition between Al hariri son and other right wing christians in lebanon that took over the goverment last year and have failed to do any progress or change in the lebanese society because they are focused to power, profit and globalisation.

Please check the websites of IMC beirut, Sammidoun and you will discover the truth .

iam sorry but this statement is false and belongs to New Left that have sold it is principles to be represented by ALIAS Attalah the Democratic left with in the 14th of march .

author by José Antonio Gutiérrezpublication date Thu Aug 17, 2006 02:33author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Certainly, Hizbollah mightn't be angels and surely they do not represent the totality of Lebanese population (no political group has ever been able to do this, and surely no one will). Though it is completely inaccurate to say that Hizbollah wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Syria and Iran: their main base of support definitely remains in Lebanon, as they represent a big portion of the people of that country. A much bigger portion than, let's say, any party of the "left" (including us humble anarchists, of course). Wether we like it or not, that's a fact.

Maybe they wouldn't have developed their military capacity to the current state without Syrian or Iranian support, that's one thing. But to portrait them as an "alien" factor in local politics, without a strong base of support, as they obviously do have, is completely inaccurate and misleading. Probably as misleading as portraying pro-Western tendencies as realtively "revolutionary".

And this influence, in the face of the current conflict is likely to increase. It has actually increased, as the bourgeois media has to recognise all over the world, instead of creating a "popular reaction against itself" -as maybe Israel expected to happen. For the wind than fans their flames, again, do not come from Syria, but from the enduring Israeli threat and the continuous imperialist aggressions of the Zionist-fascists against the Lebanese people.

And it is this aggression, that has come to a climax for the past month, what we, as anarchists, should denounce the most, with all of our strenght. I personally felt quite dismayed when reading the statement of our Lebanese comrades: they spent just one parragraph criticising the Israeli invasion and dedicating the next four parragraphs criticising Hizbollah. That is not to keep in any rational way the proportions of the huge tragedy that the Lebanese people has had to put up with. Probably the Irish Times wouldn't have done it any better.

And then almost at the end, felt dismayed again while reading "Finally, once again, the political position we must take with regard to these events has to be clear, beyond a simple denunciation of the Israeli attacks."

Unfortunately, there is not a denunciation of the Israeli attacks in the way they deserved -the impression the reader gets at that point is that Hizbollah are an "equivalent or worse" evil than the Imperialist military might of Israel. Strangely enough, our good comrade Tanya Reinhart from Israel, has been far more critical and accurate in her denunciation of Israel's imperialism and brutal "blitzkrieg" type offensive than our Lebanese comrades -maybe, because being Israeli herself, she does not need to distance from Hizbollah in order not to be called simplisticly supportative of them.

And keeps going on: "We say NO to Hezbollah as a reactionary, religious, pro-Iran party; NO to Bush, Blair and Chirac, who consider these disproportionate attacks (the destruction of Lebanon to obtain the release of some soldiers) as a legitime form of self-defence by Israel; NO to the UN Security Council’s timid and ambiguous behaviour; NO to the Lebanese government which is incapable, weak and contradictory, wasting its time begging for help, counting the casualties and hoping in the international tribunals".

And not a sinlge NO (among all the NOs included) to the Israeli Zinonist fascist clique. Again I have to insist, this does not keep at all the proportions and the rest of the world has been far more strong in denouncing the Israeli brutal bombardement of a whole country than our Lebanese comrades. All the rest of the world, except of course, for Buch, Rice, Blair and all the rest of stupid muppets that ape them.

I want to quote a line of Alexander Berkman in his paper The Blast, back in 1916 for the Easter rising of the nationalists in Ireland against England: He said that resistance is a good thing, it is better to see people revolting against their imperial masters than being passive accepting their fates as slaves. The imperialist aggression in this case is so blatant, that resistance becomes only a necessity. As a Beirut neighbour pointed in an Irish Times article, "we support the resistance because resistance is just". Plain and simple. And as long as Hizbollah are the actual resistance, their support will not decrease. That's why a fresh approach to imperialism and its role in modelling Middle East politics is an absolute requirement for any leftist alternative, beyond simplistic analyses.

And again Nasrallah has only been proven too right in not giving up Hizbollah's weapons, for experience shows that they are still needed and will be needed in the future if there is any chance of a resistance to exist against Israel's will to expand itself up to the Litani River. And there is another strong, political disagreement with our Lebanese comrades: they implicitly claim that Nasrallah should has given up his weapons (an accusation pretty much in tune with the Western media). Revolutionary experience shows us that at all times reactionaries are trying to disarm the people, and this is a critical point in which revolutionaries should be absolute clear: any political alternative under cirumstances similar to the ones of the Lebanese people cannot accept being disarmed. We know that too well from the Colombian experience and a thousand more around the world. To disarm Hizbollah currently means to accept the expansion of Israel to the Litani with its dreadful consequences (displacements, further conflict and so on).

We do disagree with Hizbollah on their methods, politics, fundamentalist approach and project; but let's be clear: we cannot disagree with their right to repell the Zionist-fascist aggression. In the face of the big humanitarian disaster caused by the State of Israel, please comrades, let's keep the proportions right.

author by ExNihilo - RASH - lebanonpublication date Mon Aug 21, 2006 05:42author address author phone Report this post to the editors

i just wanted to say that this article does not represent in any way the tendancy of lebanese autonomous or anarchist movement . his writer should be ashamed of himself and could do better by showin up in protests rather then just writting nonsence propaganda

author by Salimapublication date Wed Aug 23, 2006 16:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It is George Saad again, the walking spectacle of the " arab anarchist" . he is free to think and to write ,but NOT IN OUR NAMES .
This statment is False , the 14th of March are Condoleza Rice's Friends are the Lebanese Goverment Sponsered by the Bush trade Marks .
We will publish a statement repsponding properly .and will make sure the all of our european partneres and Comrads denounce this .

author by !-Madpublication date Fri Sep 01, 2006 00:51author address author phone Report this post to the editors

As much as the author(s) of this piece, managed to touch upon serious facts about the Lebanese internal politics and realities within the political spectrum, that praise of the 14th of March alliance is nothing but an outrageous misrepresentation of anarchist/libertarian/anti-authoritarian current that is taking shape in Lebanon. This is in no way representative of the majority of the anarchist/libertarian/anti-authoritarian who on the contrary are known for their total rejection of US interference not only in the region but everywhere else (respectively against 14th of March who are known for their strong advocacy of US interference in Lebanon). As an individual who comes from Lebanon, lived and worked there, I have to say that my experience is completely the opposite. People from anarchist/libertarian spectrum are known to be strongly opposed to the 14th of march alliance which is known for its worrying nationalism, neo-liberal politics, and capitalist discourse, that is to mention only a bit.

Further, the 14th of March alliance is nothing but a gang of politicians who either inherited their political positions through their dominating families, and then made a fortune of the people, or inherited big fortunes from their bourgeois families and then corrupted their way into the political spectrum. In any case, they are a living representation of the corrupt political class that we were and will always be against as anarchists/libertarians whether from Lebanon or abroad.

We, as anarchists/libertarians or what ever you chose to call us - have been and will always be opposed to alliances and politicians such as those of the 14th of March, and we will always strive to draw clear lines between their discourse and ours. I personally advice against spreading such neo/liberal propaganda trying to feed on anarchist/libertarian efforts in Lebanon, yet, if you chose to spread the communiqué of the Libertarian Communist Alternative, please make sure to include some of the responses of the grassroots Lebanese activists.

author by Andrew - Anarkismopublication date Fri Sep 01, 2006 21:50author address author phone Report this post to the editors

To Salima, !-Mad and others.

The fact you can comment on these stories shows that we already "include some of the responses of the grassroots Lebanese activists" to these and other articles. We would however ask you to respect the commenting guidelines ( see http://www.anarkismo.net/docs.php?id=29 ) and to refrain from personalised abuse and accusations without evidence directed at those who have a different opinion to your own. Such things get in the way of frank discussion.

Al Badil al Chououii al Taharrur have no direct connection with Anarkismo.net and indeed some of us would have significant disagreements with their analysis, some of the critical discussion here is by Anarkismo editors. However they are libertarian communists based in the region and thus a starting point for this debate. We would be very interested to receive other analysis from other anarchists active there preferrably as independent articles rather than just, as here, replies that state you have differences with Al Badil al Chououii al Taharrur.

Also if you would be interested in doing an audio interview with Anarkismo then use the Contact Us form to send us an email address and we'll contact you to arrange this.

 

author by José Antonio Gutiérrezpublication date Mon Sep 04, 2006 19:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Reading the Economist (July 29th edition, p.40), there is a very interesting description of what the March 14th Movement is -we cannot claim a "pro-Hizbullah" bias at all in such a right wing magazine! Here it goes:

"The March 14th alliance is a pro-American clutch of SECTARIAN groups (emphasis mine), ranging from the Hariri Family's Future Movement and its ally, Mr. Jumblatt, to a liberal Christian group and the Lebanese Forces on the Christian right. Its most avowedly secular component is the Democratic Left Movement..."

So much for the March 14th alliance... any chance of a revolutionary potential in such a motley bunch of right wingers, pro-imperialists and sectarian fellas (though disguised as secular)?

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