Chxta:

Trust me, my dear, the last time I got worked up over anything at all was four years ago. . .

I am not worked up.

When that girl left you?

Sorry, I couldn't resist. You know say me and you dey like bread and butter How nah? How de new job?

Nah, until I met U I have never broken my head over a girl. . . Ooops, not exactly accurate. There was this girl almost 10 years ago now. . .

Stop giving people the impression that we are gay.

New job? No, I am going back to school. Not too far from you by the way.

Gay? I thought you two were engaged and living toghether, the way u both constantly argue.

I am not a big fan of extremism in what ever form but i think the isrealis are over doing it and its a big shame that the american led government is encouraging this sort of savagism[sic]and the U.N.O is the biggest loser .THIS IS AGAINST THE BACK DROP OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DAFUR REGION OF SUDAN.Isreal should treat softly because no nation has the monopoly of violence.

Nah, until I met U I have never broken my head over a girl. . . Ooops, not exactly accurate. There was this girl almost 10 years ago now.

What does ‘meeting’ me have to do with breaking your head over a girl? You trying to question my masculinity? Er, Chi-Chi?

Stop giving people the impression that we are gay.

See how your mind works? Shocking! What was it Freud said again?

New job? No, I am going back to school. Not too far from you by the way.

Oh, really? I suppose it’s a Masters you’re after. Good for you.

Mariory:

Gay? I thought you two were engaged and living toghether, the way u both constantly argue.

Stop am oh, Mariory. Na so rumour dey take start.

Hello all,

With the sad and unfortunate death of 3 Nigerian citizens in Lebanon, I thought the following letter to CNN is relevent:

I have been following your coverage of the Israeli attack on Lebanon through your site, and I am appalled to see the lack of information provided to your audience on the ACTUAL escalation of events that has truly led to this inconceivably unjust and criminal military onslaught onto Lebanon and its citizens by the terrorist government of Israel.

Lebanon and the Lebanese population will suffer for months, if not years, to recover from this heinous offensive on their territory and their sovereignty, all in the name of Israel's self-defense. Without justifying the kidnappings themselves, it must be pointed out that Israel's existence and well being have not come under any real threat as a result of the kidnappings, or as a result of any other event in recent history for that
matter. How much self-defending does Israel really need to do with the superpower of the day standing so closely behind, disbursing billions, deploying masses of weapons, invading countries opposed to Israel's existence and biting ferociously at any reproachful finger that may be pointed in Israel's direction?

The majority of articles published on your site instigate that the Israeli hostilities against Lebanon are retaliation to Hezbollah kidnapping two Israeli soldiers, echoing President Bush's sentiment that the kidnappings give Israel the 'right to defend itself'. Has not one author in your team, nor any of your editors, nor yourself, thought it relevant to
mention the months and years of Israeli kidnappings of Palestinian and Lebanese
civilians, officials and public figures that have gone without retribution? What about the hundreds, nay thousands of Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians rotting away in Israeli prisons without charge or trial for years on end?

And what of the tens of Palestinians assassinated daily in the Palestinian territories for 'alleged' crimes against Israel, which only Israel has made claim to but has never substantiated in front of an international court?

What of the Palestinian's rights to self defend or retaliate when their homes, schools, hospitals and livelihoods are destroyed, and their fathers, sons, brothers, mothers and sisters are murdered?

What has happened to the rule of law? Or has Bush also relieved Israel of adhering to international laws on occupation, war and human rights? Once in violation of these laws, and Israel IS without a doubt in violation, does that not constitute it a criminal and terrorist state? Do international laws apply to all the other governments except that of Israel? Do the US and Israel alone decide which governments are terrorist and which aren't?

You have conveniently chosen not to pose such questions nor seek their answers, though their relevance to the coverage of the current crisis is imperative. Any good piece of reporting would present the reader with all the facts and allow them to reach their own conclusions. You have consciously and unforgivably colluded to misinform your readers as to the real causes behind the current (and continuing) Middle East crisis, and you have failed to depict Israel's contribution to the disastrous events happening in the region. Your news department has shown cowardice in its decision
to not criticize, let alone condemn, Israel's disproportionate and murderous military actions in Lebanon.

How can such a show of an unbalanced and exaggerated response of force to the kidnappings be deemed as self-defense?

How should Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority respond to hundreds already kidnapped by Israel? What would be in your opinion a proportional response to those crimes? By your apparent standards, the answer to such a question would certainly be terrifying.

You have proven to be a disappointment to your readers, both to those who are unaware of the history of this conflict, and as a result of your coverage, have been led to reach the wrong conclusions, and to those readers who are aware of the history of the conflict and have been let-down by the blatant bias in your reporting and the un-explicable misinformation you have provided in favor of the Israeli government.

I will spare no effort on my part to ensure that this opinion of your news agency is circulated to friends, associates and contacts all over the globe, and to local newspapers worldwide, so that as many people as possible may be propelled to question your credibility as a news agency, and so that as many people as possible may be compelled to look elsewhere for their source of international news.

May Ibrahim
Montreal, Canada
July 19th, 2006.

_{this should be in the politics section}

CNN is american
tryin watchin BBC 24 OR channel 4 if you can anything but cnn it's too american

dey will stop arguing. on chxtas blog he says he has been banned again.

CNN is an american station and they obviously supporting Isreal just like their fellow americans

lets see how far they go?

This is not a forum to discuss things like that, we should learn to play by the rule

CNN has always being biased. There station is really channeled towards american audience. Watch the same news on BBC and SKY and you will see a wider perspective. The news on these channels almost make it look like they are reporting on different things.

we all know God nation is gonna win this war, so why is lebanon fighting them anyway.
God said Israel will NOT be destroyed so Lebanon is gonna be the big loser at the end, the Israelites gonna Bomb all their Hospitals, Airports, supermarkets and Army Base
People should stop messing with Gods nation Israel!!

I get tired of hearing God's nation.

Because they are God's nation does not mean they can do anything and get away with it. They are the one killing innocent people.

The same way there is thin line between love and hate, is the same way there is a thin line between the terrorized and the terrorist. So i think Israel became the ones terrorizing when they started killing innocent people in Lebanon that have done nothing to them.

Lebanon cannot be the biggest loser.

@ciaralover
I'm afraid my dear young woman that u belong to the kids section.You shldnt be allowed where adults dwell(atleast until u grow up).God's nation?They are going to win?U need to read more news and watch more analysis for u to knw wat winning entails.

Isreal yes they are the favourite to win, but they not finding it easy leabanese are going to fight guerilla war and the isrealies would run back. You cant say that its Gods nation, while dey are doing bad to their neighbouring countries kidnapings and killings.

Mr Chxta,

I really dont know where you paste or copy your analysis from , neither do i seem to understand the concept of it all.

Without their hi-tech gadgets Israeli IDF does not stand a chance against Hezbollah. Hezbollah are not the cowards, IDF is. Hezbollah cannot be wiped out as it is an ideology not a mere militant group. Brute force never succeeds (e.g Vietnam).
Negotiations goes along way. However, Israeli attitude can be summed up by Ariel Sharon’s comment to Daily Davar newspaper in Dec 1982 of wiping out the entire Arab population. I rest my case.

Gadd!! why did'nt  Hitler finish this job once and for all.

@major yeah. It's surprising how people talk about Israel and civilian deaths and ignore the fact that the whole objective of the terrorists is to achieve as many Israeli civilian deaths as they possibly can. Also they ignore the fact that Israel is actually warning people to leave an area their going to attack. They also ignore the fact that hezbolla is deliberately trying to target large cities and towns to kill people without warning.

u sure read my mind here. can some one please tell these arabs guys to stop the show biz they do on cnn and tv news alike. each time there is a bombing they display hurt women and children. branding isreal as killers, i just wonder why isreal does not buy in the show biz game to also display their own women and children maybe by now folks like chytax would be insupportfor them.
idf goes into fight to look for militants days before hand iaf drops leaflet for people to evacuate an area but the folks wont evacaute they then get their cameras ready for show biz. at times i think the arab nations enjoy it when its citizens are killed. tell me why would hezbollah use some ones' backyard to launch rockets, then isreal targets the launch site the neighbours die the millitants disappear then u tell me isreal is just killing innocent citizens?

whenever they launch rockets into isreal they don't have intention of killiing idf or iaf they want to kill civilians lets not forget that.

by the way have any body come to realise that between nations and terrorist it is still a continuation of the cold war? how? who manu factures the ak47 terrorist uses? - (russia) who supplies iaf, idf, m16? (usa)
u see bizness is good i don't think usa would step in now, probably later when they have sold out their stocks

Na wah oh, I think we should stop looking only one side of a coin. Isreal and arabs have been fighting for decades, so the attack on lebannon is not surprising. Because they habour several terrorist organisations.

Come to think of it THERE IS NO WAY U CAN HAVE A MUSLIM MAJORITY IN A CONUTRY AND HAVE PEACE unless u recognise thier religion by passing islamic laws.

These muslims are only causing trouble in Isreal because she is not a muslim state. THey are trying to use isreal to cause a major religious war But my people they will not succeed.

Look at the other day how an Ordinary cartoon caused the death of so many peaple in Nigeria and other countries. just because they claim it is an Insult on thier God. Cant he fight for himself?

Well do not be deceived we continue to live in this country as brodas deceiving ourselves but we are seperated by great tribal and religious line. I trust Isreal syria and other arab states will soon be included

stanech:

These muslims are only causing trouble in Isreal because she is not a muslim state. THey are trying to use isreal to cause a major religious war But my people they will not succeed.
Look at the other day how an Ordinary cartoon caused the death of so many peaple in Nigeria and other countries. just because they claim it is an Insult on their God. Cant he fight for himself?

men i sure feel u. i just wonder why xtians did not go around killing every body when the davichi code was released. at times i think these muslims guys are actually showing traces of stupidity and less value for human lives

Unfortunately, many have taken sides based on religion and it is sad.

You cannot seize a man's land and expect him not to fight back.

Israel should respond in kind and target Hezbollah or Hamas and not kill innocent civilians otherwise they are guilty of state terrorism.

It is also interesting to see the US encourage Israel because it suits them and I maintain that it is such double standards and hypocrisy by the US that is causing the problems in the world today.

Many thanks to Koffi Annan for speaking the truth yet again as regards Israel's use of disproportionate force in Lebanon even against a civilian population.

What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong, we should stop deciding what is wrong simply on the basis of the race or religion of the people involved.

This silly style of making might seem right is what is making countries to attempt to get nuclear weapons because it seems that is what the powerful nations respect.

Today Israel, Pakistan and India are not signatories to the NPT and that means that these countries can acquire and develop nuclear weapons as they like and no body has the right to question them and yet we have an Iran that is a signatory to the NPT being harassed because the US feels that Iran is developing nuclear weapon.

When has the right of a soveriegn nation become a subject of another nations feelings or fears?

I have been reading this post and tried severally not to comment but to observe reactions and I can not but feel pity for our country Nigeria. What I have observed so far and which is always common among Nigerians is that, its almost impossible to have a very honest and objective discussions among Nigerians. There will always be either religious sentiments, ethnic or something, other than the main issues.

And a lot of this, is as a result of a soceity that rarely reads anything other than what is aired on the TV. Our reading culture is appaling and so we are left to hearsay and opinions of news medias.

On the Israel Vs Lebanon crisies I do like those intrested to pls. go to this blog and read some of the articles and get informed before taking sides. Its quite informative.chippla..com


You can also read this other intresting stories to have an in depth understanding of the US policies vis-a-vis the middle-east and other matters. http://sjlendman..com

Then if you can, pls read this book FREEDOM NEXT TIME by JOHN PILGER

You can also bookmark this site www.serendipity.li

I think can have better discussions when we all strive to have better understandings of event and issues.


@Afam,
Quite an insight.

Coolmanlg,

Thanks for the comments.

We should also remember that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, it depends on how you choose to view the issues on ground.

The killing of innocent ones by any person, group or country is wrong and it is a shame that even religious leaders or self proclaimed born agains have endorsed and supported the carnage going on in Lebanon.

Until we start thinking with our brains and stop being brainwashed by the Western world or the Islamic fundamentalists, we will not go far.

Ordinarily, there is no problem between religions, only politicians use religion to divide a people.

Was a christian not the second most powerful man in Iraq under Saddam even with christians being less than 3 % of the population?

Was late Arafat (the symbol of Palestinian struggle) not married to a christian woman?

Things like these will not be showed on mainstream media because they will not support the policies of people that prefer to create bad blood and enemity between people.

If Isreal is right in bombarding Lebanon, why didn't the US bombard Saudi Arabia after 911, after all about 15 out of the 19 suspected plane hyjackers were from Saudi Arabia?

Today, innocent people die in Iraq (for over 3 years now) based on the lies of a few cabal especially Bush and Blair and the world is watching and expecting things to normalize.

Trying to force one's way of life on another will boomerang just as Iran democratically elected a hardliner, Hamas won a landlside election in free and fair election, Iraq has basically said bye bye to secularism and will have an Islamic state, the president of Afghanistan just has control over a portion of the country, Saudi Arabia is ruled by a few people (disliked by many), does not practice democracy but because the Saudi oil is still flowing unhindered into the US, there is no problem with that.

When are we going to open our eyes to all the double speaks of the West especially the lying Bush and his assistants Blair and the Australian PM?

This thread looks like a combination of various threads because my first reply was to 'Israel's gonna win this war'.

If Isreal is right in bombarding Lebanon, why didn't the US bombard Saudi Arabia after 911, after all about 15 out of the 19 suspected plane hyjackers were from Saudi Arabia?

Today, innocent people die in Iraq (for over 3 years now) based on the lies of a few cabal especially Bush and Blair and the world is watching and expecting things to normalize.

I like this comment by Afam.

can some one please tell these arabs guys to stop the show biz they do on cnn and tv news alike. each time there is a bombing they display hurt women and children. branding isreal as killers, i just wonder why isreal does not buy in the show biz game to also display their own women and children

Kaecy5 what is thatyou just wrote.


I am sure people are aware that some Israel's children are dead. To me thats all Israels fault cos they started this.
I have heard that Israel's MOSSAD is stronger than the US FBI and CIA. So I dont understand how they could not recover their 2 kidnapped soldiers (not dead as at now) from Hezbollah without killing over 300 Lebanese people (and their supposed beeef is Hezbollah).

Israel wanting to cripple Israel is a statement as stupid as i dont know what. If they even succed in doing that, I am sure that more Israel haters will spring up somewhere.

Israel is saying they send fliers to the lebanese peeps to evacuate. Excuse me where are they evacuating too
If the people in the south are trying to escape towards the north, they cant really move fast with all the wreckage on the roads.

Israels mistakes are too much, not to mention they have already killed 4 UN observers already. According to them its a mistake.

HONESTLY i think their mistakes are becoming too much.

We are all running our mouths, none of us lives in Lebanon, so we dont know what they are going through. They just woke up one morning and they had to start running for their lives (AND I AM YET TO KNOW WHAT LEBANON AS A COUNTRY DID TO ISRAEL)

In 2000,Isreal moved out of Lebanon and according to the UN was no longer occupying territory that belongs to Lebanon.This did not lead to the disarmament of Hezbollah,as is required under international law.Instead Hezbollah went on an arms buildup.

Lets not forget that Hezbollah's main objective as stated in their charter is the destruction of Isreal.How is Irseal expected to tolerate a militia on its border that thrreatens to destroy it?

4 Play,

I personally don't like discussing politics as people tend to let emotions and sentiments have the upper hand in an otherwise very clear issue.

So, Israel moved out of Lebanon in 2000, when did Israel get into Lebanon and what was their reason for getting into Lebanon in the first place.

Let us refresh our minds a bit.

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and that invasion gave birth to Hezbollah who helped in chasing Israel out of Lebanon. The success of Hezbollah gave birth to Hamas in the Palestine as it was now believed that the only language Israel understood was force.

Now, to the West and Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorist groups but to the people these groups represent they are freedom fighters.

The issue is not a question of Israel tolerating a militia, who determines who a militia is? Is Israel not practicing state terrorism by killing civilians in a foreign land?

The issues are clear, first Israel should go back to the pre 1967 border and return completely West Bank and Gaza Strip, not based on unilateral decisions as if they are doing the Palestines a favour.

You talk about disarmament of Hezbollah based on international law, what law is that? The type of law that has seen Israel flout almost all the resolutions passed on it by the UN and the US vetoing every single motion that it does not like against Israel.

My consolation is this, what goes around comes around, those that support this wickedness will surely be visited by such wickedness in their lifetime, if not now then certainly later.

Why do we pretend that bad is good when we are not in the line of fire?

The killing of innocent ones is bad be it done by a suicide bomber, Hezbollah, Israel, US (guilty of being the only country that have used atomic bomb on 2 civilian targets) etc.

You can never have peace without justice and fairness.

I am a christian without any intention of ever changing religion, it is important to note that being a christain is not as easy as supporting whatever Israel does as has been the case of many that never bother to discuss the real issues but will be quick to talk about terrorists and hate idealogies.

Do have a good week ahead.

@ Afam,

you could not have said it better. While I might not have as much knowlege of this issue as you do, I know am tired of people (especially the christians) always being in support of Israel (because Israel is mentioned in the bible), whether they are right or wrong.

Whenever i argue with people, they seem to think i am in support of terrorists, just because am not in support of Israel and the US all the time.

I AM NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE KILLING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ESPECIALLY CHILDREN (irrespective of what country or what political stand).

I found this particular quote interesting;

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and that invasion gave birth to Hezbollah who helped in chasing Israel out of Lebanon. The success of Hezbollah gave birth to Hamas in the Palestine as it was now believed that the only language Israel understood was force.

and also this one interesting

The killing of innocent ones is bad be it done by a suicide bomber, Hezbollah, Israel, US (guilty of being the only country that have used atomic bomb on 2 civilian targets) etc.

And then that country has the right to tell other countries not to have WMDs .

The hand is the hand of Esau but the voice is the voice of Jacob.  This war is not about securing the release of two soldiers who are not dead but it is a proxy war being waged by the Israel Defense Force for their ally, the US.  And by the way, the soldiers were not captured from Israel but from the Lebanese territories.  Nobody has queried what the soldiers are doing in the Lebanese territory if not to provoke an assault or aggression

So far the IDF has been indiscriminate in its use of the aerial bombs and more than 600 innocent civilians and children have been killed.  The latest in such dastard act is the killing of 54 people in an overnight bombing of a Qana, a Southern Lebanon village in which 34 of the victims were children. See:
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/34-youths-among-56-dead-in-israeli/20060728045409990004?ncid=NWS00010000000001

In one breath the US has stated that it supports the IDF and in another it says it is interested in protecting the fragile democracy of Lebanon. The US wants to have it both ways: Eat their cake and have it.  I think the Lebanese people know who their true friends and foes are. This makes me to recall what the Late MKO Abiola in answering a question posed to him by journalists after June 12 1993 elections impasse about IBB being his friend.  He said, “With a friend like him, i.e. IBB, you sure don’t need an enemy”. I say with a friend like the US, the Lebanese people don’t need an enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my enemy, is my enemy, is my enemy.  By siding with the IDF in continuing the aggression against the whole Lebanon, by supplying the IDF with bombs, aircrafts and other logistics, the US has shown the Lebanon that it doesn’t care about them: All that matters to them is Israel after all is Israel not the only God’s nation? Other nations are of Satan, are't they?

At any rate the Lebanon govt. does not want the US to continue to take them for a ride and have rejected the latest request by the Secretary of State of the US to visit Beirut for discussion? Which discussions if you may ask? The folks there know that the coming of the Secretary of State to Beirut is to continue to buy time for Israel to continue their pounding of Lebanon.  If the US is truly interested in ceasefire they need only to place a call to the PM of Israel, Ehud Olmert, and the aggression will stop.

The US has stated that its foreign policy objective is to hand down a resounding defeat to Hizbollah and by extension reducing the growing influence of Iran in the Mid-East.  And to carry out this agenda, the US has been arming the Israel to commit aggression against innocent civilians including children and women. 
For evidence that US is secretly arming the Israel Defense Force see:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060728/ts_nm/mideast_britain_usa_dc_10

By siding with the IDF in continuing the aggression against the whole Lebanon, by supplying the IDF with bombs, aircrafts and other logistics, the US has shown the Lebanon that it doesn’t care about them: All that matters to them is Israel after all is Israel not the only God’s nation? Other nations are of Satan, are't they?

Maybe people that are blindly supporting Israel can help us answer this question

Nilla,

The truth of the matter is that there is no justification for the killing of innocent people by any group.

That is why it is easy for some people to take sides based on religion and hide under such covers to support wickedness.

What is the crime of the innocent Lebanese who may not like Hezbollah but is being maimed or killed by Israeli bombs?

Why must innocent people pay for actions of another?

We do not have very clear explanations from those that support these bad things, what we hear mainly are vague and illogocal or at best shifting of goal posts as the facts on ground don't support arguements justifying the horror in Lebanon just because the US is cool with the way things are right now.

nilla:

Maybe people that are blindly supporting Israel can help us answer this question

Why would anyone bother answering such a stupid question. Are there not other Arab countries that don't seek the destruction of Isreal? Are they not muslims as well? Do they not coexist peacefully with Isreal?

Maybe you should ask and challenge yourself to find out why some arab countires are willing to coexist and let isreal exist as opposed to others.

@ mariory

so what your saying is Lebanon is seeking not to exist peacefully with Israel.