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Originally Posted by shinerbock
I never claimed his death wasn't a tragedy. I understand it may be more personal to you than others. However, the troubling part is how eager you are to assume his death is "criminal." There is obviously no resolution to this debate. I favor Israel's right to defend itself, while you obviously are biased against the country. I find it incredible that you made mention of "hezbollah radicals," as if there are several kinds. The organization is a radical one, if you're in it, you're a radical. If I'm in a Christian group blowing up abortion clinics, and although I don't fully agree, I stay in the group, I'm a radical. Its called association.
I hope that Israel roots out Hezbollah wherever it exists. I hope that they do whatever is neccesary to keep their citizens safe. Israel should advise the UN to leave Lebanon to avoid danger. The UN is clearly biased against Israel, and have failed miserably in their proposed duties. They have continuously condoned the actions of terrorists groups, and have continuously condemned Israel for defending itself. Please know that I am sorry for the loss of the Canadian man, however, I cannot not blame Israel. If it is shown that Israel purposefully targeted the position, that might be a different situation. However, in this situation, I must refer to GWB's "with us or against us" position. Seeing as the UN is clearly against Israel, I think Israel should strongly urge them to leave. If it were me making the decisions, the presence of UN officials in a war zone would not prevent me from achieving the mission which is to protect Israeli citizens.
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Seriously... WTF the point? The only way Israel would ever claim that the UN is un-biased is if they were given a blank cheque to do whatever they wanted. Despite the strides taken to bring Israel into the UN community, and to fight the anti-Israeli attitude of some nations, Israel and the US constantly claim an anti-Israeli bias.
Personally I don't ever see the anti-UN bias dimishing from Israel or the American right... the get far to much play and mutual support of their respective positions from each other when it comes to the UN. The part that pisses me off is that the same people that bemoan the faults of the UN are the same ones actively fighting against reforms and working to weaken the instution further...
I have never understood the virulent hatred of the UN fostered by the American right... it is something almost unique in the world; an opinion of political view that I haven't seen anywhere else in the poltical mainstream (except of course Israel). Further I also take it personally when people slam peacekeepers or the UN as a whole; firstly because I look back with pride and honour at the good accomplished while I wore the blue, secondly because I know that the overwhelmingly vasy majority of UN are some of the most noble people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing... and yet I continuely see both gleefully vilified on this site by some, by the American political right... and now even the new conservative movement in Canada
As for Paeta, he requested this posting - he saw enormous hope for the future of Israel and Lebanon... he wanted to be there to help ensure that cooler heads prevailed, and that no side provoked the other - and even then that no one took the bait. Even after the surprisingly violent Israeli response, he wanted to stay to help in a ceasefire... instead it looks like he fell victim, murdered if you will, to the same hate and lack of respect for the UN that neither he nor I could ever understand.
As for myself right now I find it hard to put into words the rage and disgust I feel right now for the IDF... writing has never been my best medium to communicate effectively through (even though I am a writer now). I know I am so angry right now that I can't talk to friends or others I know that were (or are know) in the IDF, for fear of what I might say... or fear of what they might (given what I know of their views of the UN). It is so bloody frustrating knowing what I know, and looking at the attack... everything points to it being a planned and deliberate attack based on the information officially available and unofficially available... a conclusion that enrages me for more than one reason - 1) it means a man I deeply respected, and considered a friend was murdered; 2) other people that I consider friends belong or belonged to the org. that did it; 3) that his death, his murder, is being lampooned by the right-wingers nutters... some in my own party...; and 4) that his death/murder is being used to score cheap political points by politicans, including Paeta's (and mine) former commander - a man I used to respect as well....