
Tell me Tim, what are these guerillas doing wrong? Assuming that they are using
civilians for cover, are they not killing SOLDIERS in THEIR country? If the
buffer zone is to prevent attacks on Israel, is it not working? Why is it 
further neccessary for Israeli guns to pound Lebanese villages? Why not just
kill those who try to infiltrate the buffer zone? You see, there is more to
the shelling of the villages.... it is called RETALIATION... "GETTING BACK"
..."GETTING EVEN". It doesn't make sense to shell the villages. The least
it shows is a reckless disregard by the Israeli government for the lives of
civilians.




If Israel is not willing to accept the "word" of others then, IMHO, it has
no business wasting others' time coming to the peace talks. 


No, I am not Basil. I think Basil is a very intelligent person and I
respect what he writes. Basil is a person that I would gladly call
a friend. He is, however, not me. Nor am I Lebanese, as some seem to
suspect.
 

Tim, you are ignoring the fact that the Palestinians in Lebanon have been
disarmed. Hezbollah remains the only independent militia. Hezbollah does
not attack Israel except at a few times such as when the IDF burned up
Sheikh Mosavi, his wife, and young son. Of course, if Israel would withdraw
from Lebanon and stop assassinating people and shelling villages they wouldn't
make the Lebanese so mad as to do that. Furthermore, with Hezbollah 
subsequently disarmed, it would not be possible.


Tim, when is the last time that you recall any trouble on the Syrian border?
Not lately, eh?

Israel knows very well that the Syrians are able to restrain ALL who would use
territory under their control to attack Israel. While Lebanon would be better
off with Syria and Israel out of its borders, the presence of Syrian troops
in Lebanon has meant a sharp decrease in attacks on Israeli territory (not on
Israeli troops in Lebanon, however. Please note the distinction) in the
past two years.


I disagree, Basil has always seemed to me to be a cool-headed person, slow
to anger (certainly more so than I). What is most important is that he is an 
actual witness to things from the other end of the Israeli guns. If only the 
Israeli government would remember what it was like when the roles were 
reversed perhaps they would moderate their "retaliation".