August 13, 2006

Exterminate the Shi'ites?

Here's an interview with Gilbert Achcar that appears on Lenin's Tomb. It's a long enough piece. That's how Lenin likes them. The bit that leapt out at me was this:
Do you think that sending UN forces may settle the Lebanese crisis?

“Peace must be negotiated together with all the actors of the conflict, including Hezbollah that demands of Israel to release political prisoners and to return the last portion of occupied Lebanese territory. To the Lebanese Shiite community, today Hezbollah is tantamount to what the PLO used to be to the Palestinians.

Many observers have stressed that, unlike 1967 when Israel managed to defeat three Arab armies in 6 days, things are going on quite differently now.

The resistance in Lebanon is supported by the Shiite population, that Israel, in order to be victorious, would have to exterminate, and this is the reason why the majority forces within the broad coalition that rules Lebanon have always ruled out the use of force. The UN intervention would be helpful only if it guaranteed everyone’s interests, not if it would be a fig leaf to NATO’s.”
The interviewee has expressed anxiety about some poor, clumsy or mischievous translations of this interview into English that have appeared on the 'net. The translation carried at the Tomb is the only one authorised by the writer.

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