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Lebanon Under Siege: Dahr Jamail Reports from Beirut on How
Israel Air Strikes Have Caused a Humanitarian Crisis for Hundreds
of Thousands of Refugees
60 Die in Iraq Car Bombings; Iraqi Parliament Speaker Accuses
U.S. of “Butchery”
Combatants For Peace: Former Israeli and Palestinian Fighters
Talk About Why Dialogue, Not War, Will Solve the Middle East
Crisis
Lebanon Under Siege: Dahr Jamail Reports from Beirut
on How Israel Air Strikes Have Caused a Humanitarian Crisis
for Hundreds of Thousands of Refugees
The death toll from Israel’s attack on Lebanon is approaching
four hundred – almost all civilians. More than one thousand
have been wounded and an estimated 900,000 have been displaced
from their homes. This weekend, ground troops seized the Lebanese
town of Marun al-Ras. Israeli officials believe they have
approval from the United States to keep attacking Lebanon
for at least another week. We go to Lebanon to speak with
independent journalist Dahr Jamail. [includes rush
transcript]
The death toll from Israel’s attack on Lebanon is approaching
four hundred – almost all civilians. More than one thousand
have been wounded and an estimated 900,000 have been displaced
from their homes. Reports indicate Israel is widening its
assault. This weekend, ground troops seized the Lebanese town
of Marun al-Ras. Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes knocked down
telecommunications towers handling cell phone, television
and radio broadcasts. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports
Israeli officials believe they have approval from the United
States to keep attacking Lebanon for at least another week.
However Britain has broken ranks with Washington. In an interview
with CNN, British Foreign Minister Kim Howells criticized
Israel’s military tactics and urged the US to understand
the price being paid by ordinary Lebanese civilians.
Meanwhile Sunday the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator
Jan Egeland toured Beirut and condemned Israel’s actions
as violations of humanitarian law. On Sunday, Democracy Now
spoke to independent journalist Dahr Jamail. He arrived in
Beirut this weekend after spending the last week interviewing
refugees on the Syria-Lebanon border.
60 Die in Iraq Car Bombings; Iraqi Parliament Speaker
Accuses U.S. of “Butchery”
We go to Iraq to speak with Borzou Daragahi, Baghdad bureau
chief for the Los Angeles Times. He discusses the increasing
violence in Baghdad and the reaction among Iraqis about the
Lebanon crisis. [includes rush
transcript]
As we continue our coverage of the latest in the Middle
East we turn now to Iraq. The Pentagon has announced it will
be sending more troops into Baghdad. Violence in the Iraqi
capital has only worsened since US and Iraqi troops launched
a massive security crackdown six weeks ago. More than 40 people
were killed in bomb attacks in Baghdad Sunday. Another 22
died in a car bombing in Kirkuk. Baghdad’s central morgue
says it’s received more than one thousand bodies already
this month. According to the US military, bombings and shootings
increased by more than 40 percent just last week. The violence
is creating thousands of refugees by the day – the Iraqi
government says more than 30,000 in just over three weeks.
For the latest we go now to Baghdad were we’re joined
by Borzou Daragahi. He’s the Baghdad bureau chief for
the Los Angeles Times.
- Borzou Daragahi, Baghdad bureau chief for the Los Angeles
Times.
Combatants For Peace: Former Israeli and Palestinian
Fighters Talk About Why Dialogue, Not War, Will Solve the
Middle East Crisis
Demonstrations took place around the world this weekend calling
for an end to Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
On Saturday in Tel Aviv, some 2,000 protesters held a demonstration
against the war, and the country’s alliance with the
United States. They also called on Israeli soldiers to refuse
military service. We speak with a former Captain in the Israeli
Air Force Reserves who is now a co-founder of the group Combatants
for Peace. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Demonstrations took place around the world this weekend calling
for an end to Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
On Saturday an estimated 10,000 protestors in Toronto marched
from the Israeli consulate to the United States consulate.
The protesters called for sanctions and a boycott of Israeli
goods. Around 7,000 people joined a protest in London that
took place along the Thames River. And several hundred took
part in marches in Birmingham, Amsterdam, and downtown Chicago.
Anti-war protests were also held in Israel. On Saturday in
Tel Aviv, some 2,000 protesters held a demonstration against
the war, and the country’s alliance with the United
States. They also called on Israeli soldiers to refuse military
service. Today we are joined in studio by Yonatan Shapira
who is a military refuser. Yonatan is a former Captain in
the Israeli Air Force Reserves. In 2003, Yonatan initiated
a group of Israeli Air Force pilots to sign a declaration
refusing to participate in aerial attacks on Palestinian territories.
Yonatan is also a co-founder of the group Combatants
for Peace. Yonatan was with us on Friday and we welcome
him back to Democracy Now!
- Yonatan Shapira-Former Captain in the Israeli Air Force
Reserves. In 2003 Yonatan initiated the group of Israeli
Air Force pilots who refused to fly attack missions on Palestinian
territories. He is the co-founder of Combatants
for Peace.
- Bassam Aramim-Former member of Fatah, who served a 7
year prison sentence after being arrested in Hebron when
he was 17 years old. He is currently a member of Combatants
for Peace.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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