Quelle Surprise

It's too hot for a proper moan isn't it? But a couple of things have to be commented upon.

Firstly, it was announced to day that no police officers are to be prosecuted over the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at a Tube station last July. Instead the Met Police are to be prosecuted under Health and Safety legislation for "failing to provide for the health, safety and welfare" of Mr Menezes. I wish I was surprised, I really do, but there was never a chance of Mr de Menezes' family receiving anything approaching justice. Within 24 hours of the shooting it was already clear that Sir Ian Bliar was a liar. The shit poured out of his mouth in torrents, there was a bulky coat, wires sticking out, he leapt over the barrier, he ran when challenged by officers. All lies. Yet he remains in his job. It is sickening. Truly sickening.

I'm also moved to vomit wondering just what Israel has to do before anyone criticises it. Only today Israel has killed at least 10 Lebanese innocents, yet the UN and Bliar talk about sending an international force to Lebanon but NOT to Israel. Israel is a rogue nation. It is proud of its war crimes. The Israeli Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Dan Halutz said today; "nothing is safe (in Lebanon), as simple as that". Can you imagine any other country in the world making such a blatant threat to destroy its neighbour and there being NO international outcry? It is Israel that has escalated this crisis for its own ends, not the Lebanese, not Syria, not Iran.

If you want to redress the balance, here's something you can do.

URGENT APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH LEBANESE CIVIL SOCIETY

The Israeli offensive against Lebanon is an act of aggression against the whole Lebanese people. The IDF claims to be attacking an "infrastructure of terror", but the attacks on bridges, roads, airports and ships are cutting the country into pieces, threatening to create a disastrous situation by impeding the transportation of food and medicines, and terrorizing everyone.

Besides the hundreds killed and injured, thousands of people are fleeing the country, and thousands of people are fleeing from the areas where the bombing is heaviest into central Beirut. Even here in the "safe" parts of the city we can hear the bombs throughout the day and night, and electrical and water supplies are tenuous. Political and civil society organizations here are organizing to help people deal with the effects of the invasion, but there is only so much we can do on our own.

We are calling on our brothers and sisters in the rest of the world to do two things to help us. First we call on you to protest at Israeli embassies and consulates, as we hear some groups are already doing. The Israeli government must be held accountable for its criminal and terroristic actions here and in Palestine. We also ask you to send us information about any such protests you carry out.

Secondly we are asking you to help us with our work with displaced people here in Beirut. The group we are part of, the Relief Center - Spears, is working in 23 schools in the central areas of Beirut, which were housing more than 5,000 people as of the night of July 15th (we don't know how many thousands more are in other areas). People there are sleeping 10 or 15 to a room without enough mattresses, and they are only receiving food and water irregularly from the government.

Many are children or elderly, and except for trauma centers the only medical care is being provided by volunteers organized by the Relief Center. These volunteers are lacking the medicines and other supplies they need to care for people. Media activists here will shortly be distributing videos documenting the situation in these schools, which will only get worse if nothing is done.

Besides the humanitarian aspect of the situation, helping displaced people is crucial to the reconstruction of Lebanon after this crisis ends. One aspect of the Israeli offensive is an attempt to foment tensions between different cultural groups in Lebanon. This is the only way they can hope to achieve their goals without an all-out war, but in the end it would do more damage to Lebanese society than any amount of physical destruction. A broad relief effort is an essential part of avoiding such a disaster.

We urgently need money to buy the supplies we need to help the internally displaced population here. We ask everyone who can to send donations, however small, the Relief Committee - Spears in the care of the following two people by bank transfer. Please contact your bank to find out how to do this.

c/o Georges Azzi:
- Bank Name: Credit Libanais SAL Beirut - Agence Sassine
- Swift Code: CLIBLBX
- Client Name: M. Al Azzi Georges Chaker
- Account Number: 0430012080006817356

c/o Bassem Chit:
- Bank Name: Société Générale de Banque au Liban - Hamra Branch
- Swift Code: SGLILBBX
- Client Name: Bassem Chit
- Account Number: 007004362092875014 or 007004367092875014

These are difficult days for everyone in Lebanon, but we are confident that with your support we can overcome this situation as we have others before.