Guest Commentary: An Accessory to War Crimes (in Lebanon)

Another thought-provoking, morality-challenging essay by decorated Vietnam War veteran, Dr. John Bomar:

U.S. complicity and encouragement of Israel?s recent air war against Lebanon makes us war criminals in the mind of many around the world. The savage brutality of Israel?s response to the capture of two of its soldiers was an obviously pre-planned exercise. Such number of military air attacks (thousands), targeting areas of civilian populations and civilian infrastructure cannot be accomplished without preparation beforehand. The destruction of Lebanese bridges, ports, oil facilities and transportation was out of all proportion to the provocation of a few Hezbollah militants. It reminds one of nothing less than the Nazi blitzkrieg of WWII when whole villages and towns were leveled because of the actions of a few resistors. It was deemed war criminal behavior by the entire civilized world.

Now comes word that Israel has sprinkled south Lebanon with hundreds of cluster bombs in the last days of the conflict, another universally declared criminal act. These anti-personnel bombs, which look like toys to children, will probably kill and maim hundreds, if not thousands of innocents. When these US manufactured bombs were provided to Israel, it was with the specific agreement that they would only be used in specific circumstance, as against large military concentrations.

Sadly, the Bush administration, once again, reveals its true stripes by its actions. Such barbarous hypocrisy in American foreign policy is what drives the forces against us. When things go terribly wrong, only a neurotic places all the blame on the other side of the ledger.

John R. Bomar
Arkadelphia, AR