[LCM Articles] Lebanon under attack

[Philippe Charles Saad]

Dear friends and colleagues,


The following  is a cry for help from a dear friend of mine, who like most
Lebanese living in Lebanon are enduring the barbaric attacks by Israeli air
and naval forces. Please forward this to as many people as possible in order
to convince the international community to intervene and end this bloodshed
and massacre and promote peace.


With hope,


Philippe




"Dear all,


 Many thanks to all of you who asked about me and showed their support. I
really appreciate it and need it to cope with all the destruction and death
surrounding me. I need your support to stop the mass massacre that my people
are facing as a result of the Israeli attacks on my country that have been
non-stop for 4 days.



My country is under attack with a level of aggression that I have not seen
in my entire life. Barbaric acts against civilians, with no attention paid
to the difference between children, women, elderly, and the handicapped on
one hand, and fighters on the other. Everybody is a target for the bombs
that are falling on us like black rain, like fire balls, from military
planes that have not left our air since Wednesday July 12th, 2006. Their
horrific noises have deafened our ears. Children's cries of horror are
tearing our hearts. We asked for the international community's help to
broker a cease fire. They did not care. All they care about are their
regional interests. Israelis did not stop the bombs! Did not stop deaths!
Continued their mass destruction! We are under attack without hope for an
end…



The aggression is not only against people, but against infrastructure. All
the bridges, tunnels, roads, electricity plants, fuel tanks, IT networks,
water dams, and every other aspect of infrastructure has been or is being
destroyed. Thousands of people have been displaced. We are currently helping
people to settle in schools and other public facilities, and trying to
supply them with minimum survival amenities. The entire relief effort is
through personal initiatives since there is not yet an aid organization
helping with the crisis.



It all started 4 days ago, when Hezbollah took two Israeli soldiers as
hostages. We as Lebanese citizens condemned this act. We were surprised by
this military operation. We did not want war, but they did not ask us. We
Lebanese people are tired of war, we want peace. Too many loved ones have
died over 20 years of wars. I was born in war, grew up in war, lived through
wars, through Israeli occupation, through assassinations, through horror,
through displacements, and I had enough, we had enough, Lebanese people had
enough, Lebanon had enough! Enough Destruction….enough!



Unfortunately, two Israeli hostages were taken and three were killed, an
operation which I am deeply sorry that we could not stop. But does this
justify a barbaric attack that has up until now killed at least 160 people,
injured hundreds, displaced thousands, and ruined an entire country? Israel
bombed today a bus with 21 women and children fleeing from their village.
Innocent people, running for their lives, not terrorists, not military
people but women and children were burnt. Today Israel bombed three such
buses! The international community remains silent…



This summer was our summer. We were happy to show our beautiful small
country to the entire world after we have been rebuilding it for 15 years.
We invited friends, family, business people and promised them a lovely time.
We were so proud of what we accomplished. In four days Israel shattered our
dreams in an unbalanced, crazy, sad, barbaric act of aggression; high-tech
military planes high in the air bombing unarmed and defenseless people on
the ground. In 4 days, Israel destroyed our country, killed our people…
Blind Unjustified Aggression!



We are under siege! We are under attack from the air, from the water, and
from land. We are cut off from the entire world, without any form of aid or
support. Medical and food supplies are limited.  Hunger is already creeping
into those villages that have been isolated from the rest of the country.
Injured people are stuck under ruins. Lebanon is officially facing a
humanitarian crisis. Please help us in spreading the word. I and all
Lebanese people need your support.



Thank you very much for your help!"
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