Hezbollah Winning Support as Israel Continues to Destroy Lebanon

Two recent New York Times articles point to how the Israeli invasion in Lebanon is building widespread appreciation for Hezbollah's armed resistance across the Middle East but at a heavy price environmentally. One Lebanese man said, "It'’s dripping fuel from the sky." As casualties continue to mount in Lebanon, Israel's justice minister ironically announced that anyone in the southern part of the nation would be considered a terrorist.

"... and then shrugs off the organization when it does not follow his lead."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is this week holding a hearing on the re-nomination of U.S. envoy to the United Nations, John Bolton. As part of a larger "war on terrorism," it seems the U.S. conception of multilateralism is much different than the rest of the world's.

"What John offers is what the U.S. needs at the U.N. today,"” he said in an interview. "John is the right kind of change agent in a universe that is resistant to change. In order to get reform done, you're going to have to push, you have to be assertive."

And what is it that the U.S. needs at the U.N. today?

Director of ACCESS Ohio Speaks on Israeli escalating of Violence

Jeff Kassouf, director of the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Cleveland, was interviewed on yesterday's Guerrilla Radio. Listen here as Jeff talks about recent military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, the Israeli lobby, and the portrayal of various organizations in the U.S. media. Israel continues to claim the raids are in response Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers 11 days ago, and has rejected calls for a cease-fire. Israel has been clear in its desire to eliminate Hezbollah completely, but analysts point out the organization's social roots and high-level guerilla abilities. With the reality of the IDF meeting a much stiffer resistance than expected, there is also talk the Lebanese army may get involved in the fighting if Israel launches a fuller scale land invasion.

Israel Planning for Long Term Offensive in Lebanon

Reports coming out indicate that Israel is planning to continue recent military actions in Lebanon for weeks and may involve ground troops. Amazingly, Israel is demanding that Hezbollah be disarmed before they end the recent military campaign that has claimed the lives of over 200 Lebanese. Doctors in Tyre, a city in the south of Lebanon, report that the current invasion is worse than what occurred in 1996. They indicate that the targets being bombed are far from being clearly controlled or having anything to do with Hezbollah.

Cleveland Gets Ready for Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign

In an op-ed printed in yesterday's New York Times, Lawrence Downes paints the situation of day laborers as one of both growing difficulty and organization. Placing them at the margins, often composed of struggling immigrants, Downes points out how much of the current debate of immigration does not speak to these workers. Beginning this Friday, July 15, the Poor Peoples' Economic Human Rights Campaign is being brought to Cleveland by Organize Ohio! for a national Truth Commission. Their aim is to provide "an important tool in bringing attention to the Economic violence poor and working people are suffering in this country."

Evidence and Outrage Mounting Over Rape and Murders in Iraq by U.S. Soldiers

Five more soldiers from the Army's 101st Airborne Division have been charged in the rape and murder of Abeer Qasem Hamzeh in Mahmudiya. While Steven Green is being charged as the main culprit, the other soldiers are being implicated in helping him carry out the actions that led to the death of an Iraqi family of four and the burning of their home in an attempt to get rid of evidence. Investigations are apparently looking into how the soldiers were able to conduct the actions independently, possibly placing some responsibility for what happened on the shoulders of commanding officers. With reports surfacing about neo-nazi organizing within the ranks of the U.S. military as exposure of attacks on Iraqi civilians grows, one might wonder whether, especially to civilians like those of the Hamzeh family, it makes any difference.