Drying Up
It's now more apparent than ever: there is definitely an Israeli blockade on Lebanon. Nearly all gas stations in Beirut are closed and the very few remaining are rationing the fuel that is left in the country. According to government sources who spoke to Beirut Live, the rationing will keep Beirut supplied with fuel for a maximum of 20 days. However, some petrol station owners also disclosed that there is enough fuel for at least 8 days and at most 15 days.The rationing is now limited to a range of 10,000LL-20,000LL per car, just enough to fill 1/4 of an Audi A3 fuel tank if the higher limit is taken into account.
Few options to resupply quickly are at hand. First, two Algerian fuel boats are offshore Lebanon waiting for a green light by Israel to enter Lebanese territorial water. However, it is doubtful Israel will give such a green light. Secondly, Syria stated that it will provide Lebanon with oil from its strategic reserve via land. However, not only would I doubt Israel will allow this to take place, but also Syrian oil has such high amount of sulfur in it that our car engines would 'explode' every 5 minutes - something I dont think any Lebanese can handle these days.
If no solution is found quickly, and no cease-fire is agreed on, I think we will soon revisit Lebanon by foot (or bicycle). Hey, that's not such a bad thing...
mrtez
posted by beirutlive at 7:07 PM
25 Comments:
Lebanon has long been a safe haven for terrorists.
The Lebanese government should know better.
Today if innocent civilians - women and children - are dying in the war, my question is: why did you allow Hezbollah to establish base in your country?
On 7/11 my city, Mumbai, saw a series of 7 terrorist blasts in packed commuter trains.
Your articles promoting Hezbollah's army do you and Lebanon no good.
Get Hezbollah and other maniacal outfits out and peace will rule once again.
I like to think we are seeing it now in the hope that in 50 years, the children will only read about the fighting in school history books.
People around the world don't want this for Lebanon, but Hezbollah must disarm or leave...whatever, so that Lebanon can merge with the rest of the world and have a future of peace and prosperity they so deserve.
Hezbollah gambled what Lebanon has fought so hard to achieve, and they lost. They had no right to do so. What right did they have to gamble on Lebanons future? It is amazing to me that if Isreal stopped right now, that Hezbollah would claim victory, does anyone in Lebanon feel like they have won?
If Hezbollah stays, you can expect this same thing again in a few years...the world accepts Lebanon as a beautiful place, but the world will never accept Hezbollah as anything legitimate...they are only a militant group, and fly a flag that reeks of wars to come.
Dear Sunil India: what cow gave you this info, dont you have enough problems in your country to try and figure out.Cuz according to my knowledge of history, hizbollah was a heroic army that evolved when we needed it the most back in 1982 when the zionist powers started their regional domination plan and invaded killing hundreds of thousands. Hizbollah took them on kicked out the american criminal adventurers that never did anything to suit any other thing beside their needs, and eventually liberated our south, and as time is my witness they will liberate the beautiful shebaa farms that we value so much and put the zionist army in check, preventing them from having any other stupid ideas in the future of bombing lebanon or invading our beautiful biblical, enchanting and cultural haven.
Sunil,
First we are not "harbouring" any terrorist group, these that you compare them to the ones who struck Mumbai are actually the ones who succeeded in making the Israeli army leave lands they OCCUPIED within the Lebanese lands. Now wether it is approvable to have a militant group in Lebanon or not, although this is no one's business outside Lebanon, is something most Lebanese do not agree upon and would want no one but the Lebanese army and the Lebanese Government. But still you call Hizbullah terrorists, have you not seen what Israel has been doing? just yesterday? And you have the heart to post a reply somewhere not mentioning anything about this? Im sure no matter what you would still feel something when you see the body of a dead baby that is at most 6 months old with his pacifier still attached to his cloths! Wake UP!
The time for Hezbollah ended, they screwed up by gambling the fate of Lebanon when they had no right to do so.
Arm the government of Lebanon all you want to the point the are the best fighting machine in the middle east and nobody would care, but Hezbollah is NOT a government, and must disarm. They are not even for Lebanon, they are Iran.
Stop the blame game. Hezbollah and IDF are both terrorists. One is better armed than the other and is able to kill more civilians with better PR excuses to get everyone on their side.
Words for the Middle Eastern blogosphere which has been such a point of hope for meaningful communication among erstwhile enemies:
From W.H. Auden's "September 1st, 1939"
Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages...
But still you call Hizbullah terrorists, have you not seen what Israel has been doing? just yesterday?
Well, Israel made a horrible mistake, publicly apologized and started an investigation. Hezbollah deliberately targets Israel civilians.
If you can't see a difference between a state army incidentally killing civilians and terrorists deliberately killing them - there is something wrong with your brain man.
Horrible mistake ? get your facts straight, how did the attack escalate and when did Israel target civilians and when did Hizbullah target civilians. Killing these people by mistake does not wipe out the savagery exercised by Israel. And if you can't see a difference between a state that is butchering a nation and people who are fighting back then you are beyong help. This is call State Terror, War Crimes, Massacres not mistakes!
There's no blame game, Isreal is a government, and you know as well as I do nobody fears they will launch their nukes...why? because they are bound by the international community to not do so no matter if they want to or not. This is so strong in fact that nobody even discusses it.
Those who think they are not holding back because they are forced to are fooling themselves. Isreal is not going all out, and it is silly to say so. It is also silly to say everyone is on their side when nobody seems to be taking their side except the U.S.
It reminds me of the people of Iran so proud of the government for standing up to the U.S. and having a nuke...WTF? Does anyone actually believe Iran will be allowed to have nukes... Hezbollah, Iran...these are people that will launch them...yeah I already know the U.S. is the only country to ever use one, but the world learned then what it meant, and the goal is to never have it happen again.
The people of Lebanon have two choices really, and neither is the one owners of this site seem to want...either you decide to join the rest of the world and have a true government that runs the country, or you will live as you are right now for the rest of eternity because the world simply does not accept losers in camo running around with 150 dollar AK47s as a legitimate government, and it is policy that we do NOT negotiate with terrorists...
This isn't 1000 years ago, and dealing with the west doesn't make you a puppet, it makes you a member of the world. We want to trade corn and DVDs with you not gunshots, and even shake hands and have a drink...
From where I sit it justs seems like the people there don't get it....Hezbollah is NOT accepted, and never will be, and if you prefer to give your childrens children nightmares for years to come, then by all means, keep Hezbollah around. Cheer them on some more and ruin the future of the children there more...in what fucking world do you think you are doing the children a favor by flying a flag with a gun on it and cheering the death of Isreals? Hezbollah can end it tonight by saying we will disarm and let the government of Lebanon run things....end of story, but they swear to fight on....is there no person there who will stand up and say "we want peace", "we want a future for our children"?? Or is it people who find glory in death only there?
BTW I would like to mention that I have been very critical of several articles by the owners of this site, and very vocal, and not once have I been edited or deleted in the few days I have been here. This I very much appreciate and respect. I honestly do not want the people I talk to here to get hurt, and I know I have strong opinions.
anonymous,
we shall not once delete the thoughts of others because we, as lebanese, truly believe in the right to express yourself freely...
we accept and learn from what you say.
we see your point and even understand it.
but dont you know that in your past, there was an organization tagged as 'terrorist' by the british mandate? dont you know that this organization, called the irgun, had a gun as a symbol? quite similar to hizbullah today. look it up. they fought for rights, against oppression. and this "terrorist" organization is the ancestor of the likud today.
what i am saying is that the problem is not where we are now, its how all this started. this is the root of the problem.
hizbullah started when israel invaded lebanon. hamas started when israel attacked the palestinians. their (hamas, al aqsa martyr brigade) weapons are even supplied by israelies believe it or not.
there is a problem indeed, but solving it through more violence is not the solution. it will create even more. israel's biggest fear is its security, and as long as this psychosis is above any human life, this problem will never end, unfortunatly.
solution is through dialogue...this is the only way out...
ok Ramsay and Tarek and HB and team - please could you also post the following link to promote discussion, Merci.
http://www.libanoscopie.com/fulldoc.asp?doccode=994&cat=2
anonymous,
not only are you unknown, but your source is too...
as a journalist i know two things: only believe facts and never believe people willing to give information without their name. especially when its about such sensitive subjects...
i say lets wait till investigations are completed till we cry wolf...
patience...
Mrtez,
I applaud you by being so calm and so positive in such situation. You are still living in Beirut while most of us are emjoying freedom and casuals days. On top of having day to day problem like gas and food issue, you keep us posted with your blog answer back to comment.
Well I think the hardest is to have comments being so aggressives towards you which clearly makes believe that some people do not understand the full issue arisen by this war and the history of the conflict ( the previous lebanese confilt with Israel).
I hope you will feed us everyday as long as you can...and could you please let us know how to contact friends overthere ( i have a friend that since the beginning of the conflict has not answered back to my email and i'm getting worried!)
Thank you so much for what you are doing
Jeanne a froggy leaving in London
thank you for your support jeanne.
believe me its not easy to stay, and its even harder to decide to leave.
we are being torn apart by the decisions and especially the unknown of tomorrow...
keep blogging us, we will keep posting until there is no more way of doing it...this might be soon as electricity has been cut for over 12 hours now...we shall see...
in any case, if you would like, please send me your friend's number to our email (beirutlive@gmail.com) and i could call your friend if you like...
cheers
Tarek, you are so hypocritic by not posting the article written by a Lebanese with her own views on the war and its causes and Quana! you say lets wait for conclusions then why are you acusing Israel outright? this is hypocracy!!!
what are you afraid of?
goto link:
http://www.libanoscopie.com/fulldoc.asp?doccode=994&cat=2
there is only one thing i know: 37 children are dead by an israeli bomb.
lets see what the investigation concludes and then we will take it a step further...
i need facts not assumptions...what you sent me is the belief of one person. anyone can easily talk and assume, but few can be right. am i throwing the idea away? no, but i will only listen to actual facts...
It's amazing how Zionist mouthpieces like western media has successfully fooled the world to beleive that Hezbollah is terrorist. But I like to think that only fools are being fooled. People like sunil and his types should open his mind and not swallows whatever CNN and FOX said to him.
you are wrong mate! the facts are not yet concluded so why hurry and easily blame Israel for Quana where it could turn out that its Hizbullah?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
What are you bloody afraid of?? that after the war they will chase you and want to kill you??
this is crazy journalistic one sided reporting.
the french reported is Lebanese and she has her own views which are also based on facts and information from officials in the Lebanese government!! but Tarek Ramsay and co choose not to publish the report as 1) its in French, 2) it contradicts their way of thinking 3) they are scared of Hizbullah and Iranian / Syrian thoughts. 4) they are afraid that readers that disagree will stop reading this blog.
Grow up and support democracy and free thinking and free discussions.... we are not all like you in Beirut!! we also think differently and not allways anti Israel and maerica as you choose to post all the time.
you make me sick.
nicole,
i would be the first to protest against hizbullah if the facts really mount up against them...
facts are facts, call me foolish or one sided, but i only believe facts...this is the only thing we have been posting on this blog and this is what we will continue on posting...
provide me with facts, and i will be more than glad to post it...but right now, the way you are proposing it to us, i can simply turn the table and say maybe israel did not want a cease-fire now,and decided to hijack it by bombing that building? will you believe me? no. will i believe it myseld? no. because its based on nothing...its assumption, and that is a dangerous, foolish and useless game...
patience, we shall have results and facts soon...
my question to you: qui est cette source "generalement" bien informee? et comment cette source bien informee sait ce qu'elle raconte? sur des faits actuels? ou sur un coup de tete?
cheers
ok good bye beirutlive as you clearly dont speak for me.
this is so painful to read this one sided propaganda from the 'editors'
Im sorry but I will say good bye now and good luck to 'the editors' and its readers that feel safe to read this propaganda.
i am sorry that our factual reporting does not speak to you.
and i am unfortunate that you couldnt answer any of the questions asked, or even relate to the need of basing ourselves on fact...
again whoever was behind Qana will pay a heavy price...and i say whoever..
Hi Nicole,
Ever since the war started i have been reading this blog, among other ones. What was most intersting about this blog was the type of news and articles they post. The info they provided us with is really new and extremely intersteing since its on the ground. and surely not one sided
I do not agree with you on accusing them (the editors) of being subjective, or on describing the blog as a propaganda... If anything, its Israelis and Americans who are good at propaganda.. If we were that good on that, maybe we would have been in a much better state.. Anyway... What Mrtez, said is true about posting facts and putting away analysis.. casue its only facts that make sense in a war...and as a chrisitian who lives in batroun, i can tell you that the feeling about the qana massacre is same all over the country.. we want answers to why and how an israeli bomb killed all these children.only time will tell, and no assumption can make the difference Regrads,
"if anything, its Israelis and Americans who are good at propaganda.. "
When trying to state a point about how bad finger pointing is, it's probably better to not do it yourself in the post. propaganda tactics are used by the U.S., Isreal, Hezbollah, and every country in the world including your own.
Post a Comment
<< Home