BAC News: The IDF says water is dry.
An update from Wiley Abe on the "situation" in southwest Asia
Published: 2024-11-14
Previous episode.
BAC News returns with an interview with Wiley Abe on recent worrying developments in southwest Asia.
Interviewer: Our reporter Wiley Abe joins us from his office, connected to his news feed. Abe, can you give us an update from Lebanon?
Abe: At least eight Lebanese citizens have died in air strikes and six Israeli soldiers killed in combat after another day of fighting on Wednesday in Lebanon, as Israel continues its offensive against Hezbollah.
Interviewer: We agree that the conflict is offensive, Abe. But, it doesn't look like Israel has been offending against Hezbollah, but Lebanese civilians, in just the same way that they have been doing in Palestine against Hamas.
Abe: Three women and three children were among the eight killed in the Israeli air strike, which happened in broad daylight on a village south of Beirut, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
I: Well, that sums it up doesn't it? The Israeli airforcre is bombing villages.
A: At least a dozen homes were destroyed after a series of Israeli air strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, which are controlled by Hezbollah.
I: So, this is a different attack, in suburbs, you say. As far as I understand the laws of war it doesn't matter who "controls" the houses. Killing civilians and destroying homes are war crimes.
A: There were no immediate reports of casualties from the strikes, according to Reuters.
I: What? Could you be less obtuse, Abe? I presume you mean that the bombing of the suburbs killed nobody, this time.
A: It was the second consecutive day that the area came under sustained bombardment, and residents have largely evacuated the area.
I: Continuing to assume you mean the suburbs by "that area", you are informing us that Israel is performing "sustained bombardment" on suburbs. The lack of casualties would be because, as you say, "residents have largely evacuated". Those former residents would now be called "refugees", would they not?
A: The Israeli military said its air force had destroyed nine Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and command centres in strikes in the Beirut area, and that Hezbollah fired 40 projectiles into Israel on Wednesday.
I: Abe, would you like to add a note that the Israel's lies are even more consistent than its war crimes?
A: Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed six of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon. The IDF released the names and details of five of the victims, all of whom were aged between 20 and 21.
I: You wouldn't happen to have the ages of those three women and three children which the IDF murdered would you?
A: Since hostilities erupted a year ago, Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,365 people in Lebanon, the majority in the last seven weeks, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
I: Well, how about we just re-use those from Gaza. 95+% are civilian targets. Lets be generous and assume 90%. That would be ... 3028 civilians kill in war crimes, or a little under 100 a week.
A: Hezbollah attacks have killed about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Syria and southern Lebanon over the last year, according to Israel.
I: Okay, so that’s under 2 a week. But, getting back to the Israeli media control, expert analysts place the number of IDF soldiers wounded in action at several thousand.
A: The continued strikes came as a senior politician in Lebanese parliament said the government was awaiting more details from the United States about a possible truce.
Speaker Nabih Berri, a political ally of Hezbollah and endorsed by it to negotiate, was quoted as saying that Lebanon was awaiting concrete ceasefire proposals and had not been informed officially of any new ideas.
I: So, is Nabih Berri a member of Hezbollah? You know, its registered political party which has representatives elected to the Lebanese parliament. Not so much an "ally" as a "member"?
A: It came on the same day the French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, disclosed details of a meeting he had with Israeli officials last week.
Mr Barrot told a French parliamentary enquiry that Israeli officials were insisting on maintaining a capacity to strike Lebanon at any moment as part of conditions to secure a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah. [emphasis mine]
I: So one of Israel's conditions for a ceasefire is that it can keep illegally attacking Lebanon whenever it wants. Is that what the Mr. Barrot said?
A: "That is not compatible with the sovereignty of a strong country," he said.
I: So, Mr. Barrot understands. This meeting was not actually addressing anything which could even remotely be called a ceasefire proposal. It seems like an annexation proposal.
A: There was no immediate comment from Israel on the remarks.
I: No shit, Sherlock.
A: Its defence minister, Israel Katz, said earlier: "We will not allow any arrangement that does not include the achievement of the war's objectives — and above all, Israel's right to enforce and act on its own against any terrorist activity."
I: Well, that's pretty clear, isn't it, Abe? Israel says what it is doing is not as you introduced it, an "offensive against Hezbollah", but a "war". Wars are against nation states, Abe, and this one is against Lebanon.
A: Meanwhile, the US secured extra commitments from Israel in the past couple of days over the situation in Gaza, the White House said on Wednesday.
I: Cool, Abe. There was a 30 day period, which just happened to expire after the US election, for Israel to allow aid into Gaza. I don't suppose the "secured extra commitments" related to that. Any details? And while we're on it, the "situation" in Gaza is a genocide with tens of thousands of people deliberately placed at risk of death by starvation, the most ghastly of collective punishments.
Did any of your news feeds mention starving children to death?
A: US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US wanted to see those commitments followed through on to continue to work on issues including humanitarian assistance, ensuring the defence of Israel against Iranian attacks, working on ceasefire efforts and a hostage deal in Gaza, or bringing a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon.
I: So, no details, just a vague wish-list from near end of term adviser Sullivan. He wants “commitments” not actions. Why, pray tell are you informing us of this nothing-burger?
A: An Israeli attack targeted the area of Qusayr in the southern countryside of Homs province in central Syria, Syria's state media said on Wednesday.
I: Really? Israel is running two wars against two of its neighbours. Which nations are supporting these illegal wars and the horrific genocide?
A: Later on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it attacked routes between Syria and Lebanon used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Syria.
I: Would those routes be the same ones that refugees, whose homes have been destroyed in southern Lebanon and Beirut, are using to escape the war zone to Syria?
A: Israel said it had been carrying out such strikes to reduce the transfer of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.
I: Did Israel produce any evidence for this? It might well be just bombing shit cause it likes doing it and its got all of these excess US bomb laying about.
A: A leading monitor said that 15 people had been wounded in the strikes in an area of Syria's Homs region which is a known stronghold of Lebanon's Hezbollah, although there was no immediate confirmation from Syrian authorities, AFP reported.
I: So, AFP said "a leading monitor" said something, Syria said nothing and you're including this in your report? You do know that Homs is miles away from any Syrian-Lebanese border, don't you?
A: Israel rarely comments on its military operations in Syria but it did confirm the strikes, which had been first reported by Syrian state news agency Sana.
I: Hang on Abe, you just said that Sana didn't say anything about the item you relayed from AFP. You have returned to obtuse mode. In this separate event, have you considered that Israel broke its radio silence on its activities in Syria because Sana, Syria’s official news agency, reported on the attack?
A: [Quotes IDF] "Earlier today, with the direction of IDF [military] intelligence, the IAF [Israeli Air Force] struck smuggling routes between Syria and Lebanon," the army said in a statement.
"These routes coming from the Syrian side of the border into Lebanon are used to smuggle weapons to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation."
I: Abe, you really don't understand what's going on, do you? Lets turn this one around. How about "the US is openly transporting weapons to Israel's Nevatim Airforce Base which the IDF is using to commit war crimes in Palestine and Lebanon"?
A: Syrian media said that air defences intercepted "hostile" targets over the Homs countryside.
I: Good to know. The Syrians are defending themselves against the lawless, murderous Zionists. A better question would be "Why isn't Russia helping them more?", but that would require a fairly detailed understanding of what's going on in the world, wouldn't it?
A: The Israeli air attack targeted bridges on the Syrian-Lebanese border in the Qusayr area, causing significant damage and putting them out of service, Syrian state media said, citing a military source.
I: Aaaah, now we get to it. Israel is trapping refugees in Lebanon and blocking trade and other goods exchange between Syria and Lebanon. Those other goods may well include humanitarian aid or something as simple and essential as food.
A: Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the October 7 attack by militant group Hamas on Israel.
I: And they've been aided in this by the US which is illegally occupying a third of Syria, Abe. You really should read Antiwar.
I: [finger in ear, to program producer] Why did we invite on this idiot, Geraldine?
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Source
Six Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon as Beirut hit by second day of air strikes, ABC/Wires, ABC News (Australia), 2024-11-14
Copyleft: CC0
