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<div align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><i>Published on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 by CommonDreams.org </i></font></div></td></tr>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5"><b>Please, President Bush: Don't
Continue to Be Weak on Lebanon Crisis </b></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><font size="4">by Ralph
Nader</font> </b></font></div></td></tr>
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</font><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Dear President Bush:
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">You have been a weak president, despite your strutting and barking,
when it comes to doing the right things for the American people within the
Constitution and its rule of law. This trait is now in bold relief over
the Israeli government's escalating war crimes pulverizing the defenseless
people and country of Lebanon.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">With systematic efficiency, the Israeli government has already
destroyed innocent homes and basic public facilities-- ports, airports,
highways, bridges, power stations-- which are critical to delivery of
food, medicines, health care, ambulances, water, and other essentials for
a civilian population. This bombardment, by U.S. made bombers, military
vehicles, ships, and missiles with American taxpayer subsidies, places an
inescapable responsibility upon your shoulders which does not mix with
your usual vacuous messianic rigidity.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">As the leading player in official Washington's puppet show, it is time
for you to assert the interests of the American people and those of the
broad Israeli and Palestinian peace movements, by standing up to the
puppeteers. For without this conflict, Hezbollah would not be in today's
news.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The time has come for you to return to Texas for a private meeting with
your father, his former national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, and
his former Secretary of State, James Baker. You need to say to them 'I
can't trust my advisors anymore; there have been so many tragic blunders.
What do you advise me to do about the destruction of a friendly nation by
the world's fifth most powerful military?'
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Here is what I think they should say to you:
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">1. Take personal command of an immediate rescue effort for the tens of
thousands of Americans trapped in Lebanon by Israel's calculated blocking
of air, land and sea escape routes. You've said the safety of Americans is
your top priority. Prove it by using the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy
facilities to immediately evacuate all our people desperate to escape the
terrorization of Lebanon.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">2. You have been so docile and permissive to Israeli demands that any
modest deviation from this posture will make your next move credible.
Announce that you are sending two prominent negotiators-perhaps James
Baker (Republican) and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell
(Democrat) to Israel and Lebanon to arrange for a cease fire between the
combatants.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Announced at a televised White House news conference with your two
envoys, you can punctuate your seriousness by raising the questions of
violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act.
Using U.S. supplied weapon systems to commit civilian atrocities on homes
and fleeing vehicles with children and to inflict collective punishment on
mass civilian populations are not using these weapons for legitimate
self-defense and internal policing, as our federal law requires. Israeli
planes have even fire-bombed wheat silos and gasoline stations in Lebanon.
More mayhem is on the way.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">3. Stop acting like an impulsive, out-of-control West Texas Sheriff and
start reading, thinking and listening for a change. When Israel, Britain
and France violated international treaties against aggression in 1956, and
invaded the Suez Canal, President Dwight Eisenhower used his influence to
make them withdraw from Egypt.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">In 1982, following a year without any PLO skirmishes over the
Lebanese-Israeli border, Israeli armed forces invaded Lebanon anyway. They
created a path of destruction all the way to Beirut and militarily
occupied south Lebanon for 18 years before they withdrew, except for
retaining Shebaa Farms. In 1982, the <i>New York Times</i> reported
"indiscriminate bombing" of Beirut by Israeli planes. At least 20,000
Lebanese civilians lost their lives in that invasion and many more were
injured. From that conflict Hezbollah was born, composed of many people
whose relatives were casualties in that illegal invasion.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">History, George, does not start two weeks or two months ago. You must
read about past U.S. Presidents who, at least, sent high-level emissaries
to quell similar border fighting. It worked and prisoners were often
exchanged.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">You are doing and saying nothing about what the rest of the world
believes is a hugely disproportionate attack against innocent adults and
children in violation of the Geneva Conventions, the UN Charter and other
treaties and federal statutes. You've sworn to uphold these laws. Do so.
Because of the Israeli government's overwhelming military power, the
imbalance of terror against civilians and their property has always been
to its advantage. As has its occupation of Palestine and confiscation of
land and water sources.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">4. You can't take sides and be an honest broker. Just about all our
knowledgeable retired military, diplomatic and intelligence officials
believe resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the key to deflating
other agitations in the region. Freedom and justice for the Palestinian
state and security and stability for the Israeli state must both be
achieved.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">You have turned your back on the courageous and prominent Israeli peace
movement which normally reflects the positions of half of the Israeli
population. You've never met with any of its leaders - even those in the
Knesset or former officials in the military, intelligence and Justice
Ministries. Hundreds of reserve combat officers and soldiers of the IDF
have refused, in their words, "to fight beyond the 1967 borders to
dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire population." They pledged
only to fight for Israel's legitimate defense. (<a href="http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp" title="http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp (http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp)" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp</a>)
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">5. Once in a while, ask your aides for a sample of Israeli opinion that
rejects the notion that there can be a military solution to this conflict,
despite the military imbalance. For example, reports and editorials in
Haaretz, arguably the most respected newspaper in Israel, would educate
your judgment. In a recent editorial, Haaretz argued that the present
Israeli government has "lost its reason" through the brutal incarceration,
devastation and deprivation of innocent people in Gaza.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">In another Haaretz commentary dated July 16th, Gideon Levy writes:
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">In Gaza, a soldier is abducted from the army of a state that frequently
abducts civilians from their homes and locks them up for years without a
trial - but only we're allowed to do that. And only we're allowed to bomb
civilian population centers.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">6. One final bit of advice could come from Papa Bush's circle. If the
Israeli army decides to invade Lebanon with troops, your support of the
aggression can possibly unleash a domino of warring actions and reactions
over there. As is it, Americans are increasingly fed up with the Iraq
quagmire.
</font></p><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Moreover, we know they don't like many of your domestic policies
favoring the wealthy, the post-Katrina debacle, exporting jobs, and among
our conservative base, your enormous deficits. So our Republican Party's
control of government is at stake in November. Don't you have your hands
full with Iraq whose invasion we all urged you to avoid in 2003?
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