| Qana, as the British MP, George Galloway | | | | and Gaza Strip. But it needs more.When Israel |
| reminded his listeners (the show doesn't seem | | | | finally lost its twenty year war against |
| to be archived but he was accused of being an | | | | Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel asked the U.S. |
| Israeli Mossad agent on Sunday), is said by | | | | for increased contributions from American |
| some to be where Jesus turned water into | | | | taxpayers to pay for bigger desalinisation |
| wine. And as the roads of this village run | | | | plants. It seems that some of the money was |
| with the blood of so many children, it is to | | | | refused by the Bush administration.According |
| water rather than to Chateau Musar that | | | | to a United Nations Economic and Social |
| analysts are turning their attention.Many | | | | Commission for Western Asia, Israel was using |
| have asked how it can be that one of the | | | | water from the Lebanese Litani River, by |
| world's most powerful | | | | means of an 11 mile tunnel it had drilled, as |
| U.S.-taxpayer-subsidised armies on earth has | | | | well as from Lebanons Wazzani springs |
| not been able to defeat a guerilla army that | | | | (source: UPI). Note that no journalists can |
| has seemingly spent most of its money on | | | | get to the area to confirm information about |
| social services in Southern Lebanon rather | | | | the siphoning of water and, indeed, such |
| than rockets. | | | | claims are contested (Aaron Wolf, in a U.N. |
| | | | publication, says there's no way Israel |
| And why is Israel willing to cope with such | | | | would dream of stealing from the Litani).But |
| international opprobrium in order to free two | | | | even whilst President Clinton and the Israeli |
| soldiers Hezbollah captured to catalyse a | | | | government refused to negotiate over the |
| prisoner swap in a type of deal done many | | | | right of return for Palestinian refugees, |
| times before? Israel has even alienated some | | | | Israel imported over 100,000 Jews into the |
| friends on Capitol Hill. It has managed to | | | | occupied West Bank. Those 100,000 use around |
| get bad publicity for its cause on U.S. | | | | the same amount of water that one million |
| networks, which normally are uniform in their | | | | Palestinians do (something to do with |
| bias.Israel, it seems, wants a complete | | | | swimming pools, say partisan analysts). As |
| evacuation of Southern Lebanon so that | | | | the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| international forces can guard the area | | | | says:"Israel's water economy is on the brink |
| around the Litani river and ensure that the | | | | of a crisis."So what's a country supposed to |
| water flows to Israel. Whilst Israel has been | | | | do? Whilst this White House is willing to |
| successful in stealing some of the 580 | | | | send more than $10 bn worth of arms, it isn't |
| million cubic metres of water a year, the | | | | going to send money to take the salt out of |
| Lebanese have a dam at Qarun."The entire | | | | the Med? A neat buffer zone would at least |
| basin of the Litani River is located within | | | | guarantee illegal supplies from the |
| the borders of Lebanon. The river rises in | | | | Latani.But will China and Russia and France |
| the central part of the northern Biqa'a | | | | go along with all this? And why is the U.N. |
| Valley, a short distance west of Baalbek and | | | | Secretary-General not raising the hidden |
| flows between the Lebanon mountain to the | | | | agenda? And why are hundreds of Lebanese |
| west and the mountains to the east, running | | | | Muslim, Druze and Christian civilians paying |
| south and southwestardly at its own pace. The | | | | the price for this U.S.-Israeli plan? |
| river enters a gorge at Qarun, flows through | | | | Secretary Rice's performance has been viewed |
| it about 30 kilometers and, near Nabatiya and | | | | as absurd by the international community. |
| the Beaufort Castle, abruptly turns right (to | | | | Henry Kissinger's "shuttle diplomacy" was |
| the west), to break through the mountain | | | | just that. He "shuttled" between Syria, |
| range to the right, and continues to flow | | | | Egypt, Moscow, Jordan and Israel, running |
| through the hilly terrain of the al-Amal | | | | circles around hapless Egyptian and Soviet |
| region. North of Tyre, it empties into the | | | | politicians. Rice seems to think she is |
| Mediterranean." | | | | reinventing the strategy of that scion of the |
| | | | U.S. right...by "shuttling" between her |
| (from Inventory of Conflict and | | | | laptop and Ehud Olmert's drawing room. No |
| Environment).Israel obtains over one third of | | | | wonder that the Lebanese PM told her to go |
| its water supply from the occupied West Bank | | | | home. |