Iraq and Lebanon

Although one often hears today of the similarities between Iraq and Vietnam, there are even more similarities between our Iraq experience and that of Lebanon. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon hoping to set up a puppet government favorable to Israel and, of course, favorable to Israel's occupation of Palestine. The US and other nations were dragged into Lebanon, supposedly as peace-keepers. However, the US ended up participating in a civil war, firing shells at Muslim villages. Robert Fisk writes, "But the moment the Sixth Fleet opened fire to help Gemayel's forces, the Marines in Beirut would become participants in the civil war...would have aligned themselves with the Phalange in open war against the Muslims of Lebanon." ("Pity the Nation" p. 505) It was the Phalange which had massacres hundreds of helpless Palestinians trapped in refugee camps at Sabra and Chatila in 1982 as their sponsors, the Israeli troops, stood by and watched. It was then not surprising that our marines were attacked by suicide bombers in 1983. In 2003, Israel was smarter and, instead of invading Iraq to set up a pro-Israeli government, managed to get us to do it for her. Here we are once again stranded in a civil war. Tragically, unlike President Reagan, President Bush is very slow to wise up and see the writing on the wall. He only has ears for the Israeli Lobby which now is hot to go to war with Iran in order to, as usual, set up a puppet government favorable to Israel. Bush Administration warmongers tell their cheering Israeli Lobby audiences that Iran is a danger to the US because Iran supported the suicide bombers who attacked us in Lebanon in 1982. Of course it is never mentioned that we had no business being there, bombarding innocent Muslim civilians of behalf of Israel and her puppet government.