An Open Letter To The American President By Salim El Hoss
By Salim El Hoss, Former Prime Minister Of Lebanon
Published In Lebanon's The Daily Star, August 3, 2006
Dear Mr. Bush,
We heard you express your regrets regarding the casualties of "Israel's" ravaging war against my country, Lebanon.
I hope you have been furnished with a true profile of the atrocities being perpetrated in my country. You pose as being
at war with terrorism. Let me honestly tell you: Charity starts at home.
""Israel"" is wantonly indulging in the most horrendous forms of terrorism in Lebanon: indiscriminately killing innocent
civilians at random; not sparing children, elderly or handicapped people; demolishing buildings over their residents'
heads; and destroying all infrastructure, roads, bridges, water and power arteries, harbors, air strips and storage
facilities. Nothing moving on the highways is spared, not even ambulan ces, trucks, trailers, cars or even motorcycles,
all in violation of the Geneva Conventions and human rights.
The displaced population has reached more than one fourth of the total population of my country - all suffering the
harshest and most miserable of conditions. The victims include thousands of killed and maimed.
If this is not terrorism, what is?
"Israel's" savage assault has been labeled retribution for Hizbullah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers. This smacks of
collective punishment, which constitutes a brazen violation of the Geneva Conventions and human rights. Furthermore, the
alibi is far from plausible. The two Israeli soldiers were abducted for the express purpose of reaching a swap of
hostages with "Israel". In fact, "Israel" had acceded more than once to such swaps in the past. Why would a swap of
prisoners be acceptable at one time and a taboo, rather a casus belli, at anothe r? This created a conviction among the
Lebanese that the sweeping assault against them was premeditated, and the abduction was only a tenuous excuse.
"Israel" is indulging in terrorism at its worst, at its ugliest, using the most lethal and sophisticated weapons you
have supplied them.
We the Lebanese are justified in seeing in "Israel" as a most atrocious terrorist power, and seeing in you a direct
partner. Mr. President: You are indeed a terrorist practicing the worst variant of terrorism as you condone the
annihilation of my country, precluding a cease-fire to be announced, supporting the aggression against my people
politically and diplomatically and bolstering "Israel's" destructive arsenal with the most lethal weaponry.
Mr. President: You are not fooling anybody with your alleged war against terrorism. In our perspective, you and "Israel"
are the most unscrupulous terrorists on earth. If yo u want to fight terrorism, we suggest that you start with your
administration and your hideous ally, "Israel".
You repeatedly claim that "Israel" is acting in self-defense. How preposterous! Self-defense on other people's occupied
territory is tantamount to one thing: blatant aggression.
You call Hizbullah a terrorist organization. We call it a legitimate resistance movement. There would have been no
military wing of Hizbullah if there had been no Lebanese territory under Israeli occupation, if there had been no
Lebanese hostages languishing in Israeli jails, and if Lebanon had not been exposed to almost daily Israeli intrusions
into its airspace and territorial waters, and to sporadic incursions into Lebanese land and bombardment of civilian
targets.
You cannot eliminate a party by demolishing a whole country. This would have been achieved peacefully by "Israel"
withdrawing from the land it occupi es, releasing Lebanese prisoners, and desisting from further acts of aggression
against Lebanon.
"Israel" is the most horrendous terrorist power. And you, Mr. President, are unmistakably a direct partner, and hence a
straight terrorist.
August 1, 2006
ENDS