Looking For Safety

Through out history we have seen war makes civilian suffer, doesn’t matter it’s war for independence or civil war or invasion. Though politics might argue that there were no alternative of war, maybe there weren’t or maybe there was. But the fact of sufferings of civilians in war is as true as sun. Whoever wins, civilians are always “causalities of war”. The political leaders through out the world say it is the sacrifice for the greater good. But that doesn’t make me feel a little comfortable thinking the slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of woman, children and unarmed non combatants. There is always a way other than armed conflicts, maybe its long way but there is a way, and by all means politicians should find that way to resolve conflicts.

My discussion today is Lebanon. Up until the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed a remarkable regional prosperity — it was, for instance, the banking capital of the Arab world. Right after the end of that war, a widespread effort to revive the Lebanese economy and infrastructure was put into effect and the first positive results became recently visible. Beirut’s reconstruction was almost complete and a mounting number of tourists were pouring into Lebanon’s resorts. However, starting on July 12, 2006 and after a considerable degree of stabilization had been achieved throughout much of the country, the Israeli–Lebanese conflict brought mounting military and civilian casualties, great damage to civilian infrastructure, and massive population displacement.

Until the outbreak of the so-called Lebanese civil war, an umbrella term indicating a series of battles most of which resulted from a regional rather than Lebanese influence, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was noted for its wide boulevards, French-style architecture, and modernity, and was called “the Paris of the Middle East”. Lebanon as a whole was known as the Switzerland of the Middle East (Swisra Ash Shark), enjoying a similar conflict-free status as Costa Rica in Central America and (until recently) Uruguay in South America.

Beginning of the war

After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Lebanon became home to more than 110,000 Palestinian refugees who had fled from the newly established state of Israel. More Palestinian refugees arrived after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Black September. By 1975 they numbered more than 300,000 with Yassir Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization in charge of their political and military activities. During the early 1970s, difficulties arose over the increase of Palestinian refugees in the south. Initially, fighting began between these Palestinians and the indigenous Lebanese “leftists” (the communists and socialist parties). As the fighting intensified, the sides involved became more distinct. On one side was the Christian resistance led first by Bachir Gemayel and later by Samir Geagea. The other side comprised a coalition of Palestinian refugees, Sunni Muslim, and Druze forces. The (so-called civil) war left the nation with no effective central government.

Than in 1976 Syria sent around 40,000 troops to prevent Palestinian Lebaneese Army, due to UN intervention. In 1982 Isrrael again occupy to take control of Lebanon. Up until 2005 Syrian armies remain in Lebanon. During the course of time Syria become ally of PLO, and Lebanese “leftists” become ally of Israel. To support its allies and preventing PLO to gain more strength 1in 1976 Israel invaded some portion of southern Lebanon. After two years in 1978 Israel withdrew it’s forces from Lebanon handing over the control of southern Lebanon to pro-Israel Lebanon, this time half of Lebanon to erase the root of PLO, and committed the first Sabra and Shatila massacre. Hezbollah a Lebanese Shia Islamic military and political group, formed from 1982 to combat the Israeli occupation, by the Sabra & Shatila survivors. In 1985 Israel with drew its forces again due to Russian & French intervention. Than comes the Israeli attack in 2005 and 2006.

This people are torn with war more than anyone in this whole earth. They don’t listen to the rhythm of falling rain anymore, they listen blast of Guns and Grenades. It’s estimated last 3 decades over a million Lebanese died or missing. In last attack from Israel, 10,000 civilians died. This continuous war wont making any good to Arab world or western relation with Arabs. Because there was history of Israeli occupation, withdrawal then again attack. So can UN this time act neutral? and provide those innocent civilian comfort of safety? I don’t blame UN, i am blaming the policies. In UN there are Israel sympathetic countries there are neutral. so UN should send Non US/UK force to ensure that they are neutral. These people need safety. Enough is enough.