BYBLOS, Lebanon — Israeli air strikes on an electricity plant have released oil that has now spread over much of Lebanon’s coastline. More than 15,000 tons of oil have hit the coast after the bombing of five of six storage tanks at the plant in the coastal village El-Jiye, 30km south of Beirut. The northern
Black Beaches in Lebanon
Towards the beginning of the war, Israeli air strikes target five of the six oil storage tanks at the electrical plant in El-Jiye city. El-Jiya is a small coastal city roughly 20 miles south of Beirut. The prevailing winds blow towards the north, up the coast, so this translates into most of the coast of
Death Toll Could Be Twice the Official Figure
BEIRUT — Lebanese doctors, aid workers and refugees are all reporting that the official number of dead in Lebanon is far lower than the actual. “I think that the real number is at least 750 dead so far,” Dr. Bachir el-Sham at the Complex Hospital in Sidon city told IPS in a telephone interview. Sidon
Chest-Beating — While Losing the War
Mother Jones Website News: Daily Dispatches from the War-Torn Lebanese Capital By Dahr Jamail I’d been wondering why there have been fewer war planes buzzing over Beirut the last several days. Even Dahaya, the utterly devastated southern area of the capital, has been bombed less–while still receiving a good pounding most afternoons, there have clearly
Israelis Accused of Using Illegal Weapons
BEIRUT — The Israeli military is using illegal weapons against civilians in southern Lebanon, according to several reports. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this week that Israel had used cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon, in clear violation of international law.
“War is the total failure of the human spirit.”STATUS: Publish
Mother Jones Website News: Daily Dispatches from the War-Torn Lebanese Capital By Dahr Jamail Ah, the joys of reporting on a shoe-string budget! I’ve been working the last few days with a freelance photographer from Holland, Raoul. It’s always helpful to team up—both for the companionship and to split costs. Sometimes it’s necessary, working in
Hezbollah Could Be Gaining Strength
BEIRUT — The continuing Israeli bombing of south Lebanon and south Beirut might just have strengthened the Hezbollah. The bombings appear particularly to have strengthened the hand of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the charismatic Hezbollah leader. Hezbollah has over the years gained a strong following in Lebanon primarily on the back of its engagement in social
Crisis Brings Rice, Not Peace
BEIRUT — U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has come and gone, but the conflict in Lebanon continues. Most Lebanese believe she had little to say for them through her talks with leaders of the region. Rice held an unannounced meeting in Beirut Monday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, with the stated goal of
“Everything in my life is destroyed now, so I will fight them.”
Mother Jones Website News: Daily Dispatches from the War-Torn Lebanese Capital By Dahr Jamail “I am in Hezbollah because I care,” the fighter, who agreed to the interview on condition of anonymity, told me. “I care about my people, my country, and defending them from the Zionist aggression.” I jotted furiously in my note pad
Refugees Have Only Their Anger
BEIRUT, Jul 25 (IPS) – Among hundreds of thousands of refugees scattered across city parks, schools and abandoned buildings in Beirut, new and chilling words have been doing the rounds. A senior Israeli Air Force official announced on Israeli Army Radio that “Army chief of staff Dan Halutz has given the order to the air