Hezbollah’s reluctant human shields (via Jeff);
Roadblocks have been set up outside some of the villages to prevent residents from leaving, while in other villages Hizbullah is preventing UN representatives from entering, who are trying to help residents leave. In two villages, exchanges of fire between residents and Hizbullah have broken out.
Meanwhile, in Canada, criticism of the Harper government’s sole-source contract to purchase heavy-lift air transport for the Canadian Forces has been replaced by criticism of the Harper government’s efforts in extracting thousands of Canadian citizens wanting to leave Lebanon.
Can anyone remember such a mass evacuation of citizens anywhere, at any time, in the history of the planet?
This will completely destabalize Lebanon. Is that the aim? Or is war with Syria and Iran imminent and this is an attempt by countries to get their citizens our without showing their hand? Israel is now much closer to Syria and Iran–the US has armed ships in the region under the guise of evacuating their citizens. Are we being played like fiddles, our focus being on the evacuation while the real war is starting up behind the scenes?
You mean before they were for it they were against it? The media flip flops? I don’t know, Kate, I think the important thing to learn from the Canadian MSM is that PMSH is always wrong, even if they have to look foolish to maintain ideological consistency. Just another example of how Liberal Party of Canada incompetence is coming home to roost and affecting Canadian capability to serve our OWN citizens. Thank goodness we don’t have PM Dithers in charge, that would have been disasterous. I agree with Harper, lots of Canadians are working around the clock to solve this problem, that would have been made infinitely easier if the Liberals had supported even the most modest of military investments, but rest assured the problem will be solved, Canadians evacuated (and the Australians too) and PMSH will still not get any credit from the MSM, sigh.
George: Well said! (And why are so many Cdn citizens in Lebanon- could it be because a Cdn citizenship is so easy to get?)
I find it amazing that 30,000+ Canadians are vacationing in Lebanon. One must have been listening the the CBC for the last 100 years not to be aware that Hezbola is a terrorist organization which controls southern Lebanon and that a war is raging in Iraq nearby.
I wonder how many “Canadians” have paid Canadian taxes in the last 5 years? Why should Canadian taxpayers pay to evacuate those who deliberately chose to live in Lebanon and who do not pay taxes in Canada!
If the Canadian in Lebanon is a current resident and taxpayer of Canada … fine , everyone else to the back of the line.
Related story.
PM Harper is heading from Paris & taking refugees home aboard the gov’t plane used in his travel in Europe.
Rather than say “good-stuff…a PM who cares”, the howls of “publicity stunt” have already started.
If he stopped to help someone injured in an Ottawa traffic accident, I’m sure there would be similar nonsense.
I guess if one is so jaded that simple human compassion (and in this case true leadership)cannot be recognized as such then there is no hope for that person.
But they still need to be shouted down before their idiocy spreads.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/19072006/2/national-harper-heads-cyprus-taking-120-evacuees-lebanon-home-plane.html
Support has got there faster than the DART team to Thailand.
Well done Stephen Harper for taking his plane there for pick ups
Canada really does have a captain now!
Funny line from a poster over at angry, “If living in Canada for three years makes a person Canadian, then living in a garage for three years ought to make me a car.”
Yahoo is reporting that PMSH has redirected his CF transport to Cyprus to evacuate as many Canadians as the plane will hold. They are shrinking the onboard crew to the bare minimum to accomodate as many as possible.
This is a decent man. I am proud of our PM.
“Officials said only Harper’s wife, Laureen, and a couple of his communications staff and his official photographer, will fly to Cyprus with him. ‘There is a need for air support in Cyprus,’ Harper said.”
Guess we couldn’t charter any planes in the entire theatre so we had to send his. Not for publicity’s sake at all, of course. The photographer is going to uh…spread the word to the world to let them know of this crisis the MSM is ignoring. Yeah, that’s it.
Such a noble gesture…and all those planes he ordered which those evil Liberals held back from our poor stranded citizens. What an ispired leader…may I kiss your feet now, Mathatma Harper?
Anyone believe there won’t be a single Hezbollah terrorist amongst that 30,000+?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mrs. Loreen Harper (nee Teskey) are flying aboard a Canadian Forces Airbus.
After paying tribute to Canada’s war dead, at Canada’s Vimy Ridge Memorial (which is now being restored), the Harpers paid tribute to the memory of Mrs. Harper’s great uncle, James Edward Teskey, at a military graveyard in the village of Barlin. They will fly on to Cyprus to pick up some Canadians fleeing from Hezbollah and return to Canada with them. God speed to them all. …-
In Memoriam: Lest We Forget.
No Surname Rank Service Number Date Of Death Age Regiment/Service Nationality Grave/Memorial Ref. Cemetery/Memorial Name
1 TESKEY, JAMES EDWARD Private 808791 05/06/1917 19 Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment) Canadian II. B. 40. BARLIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
commonwealth war graves commission
CNN reporter in Lebanon this morning describes Hezbollah as “the defacto government” and “they are the ones who run the schools, and the water service and the…” (whatever it was she said). Yeah, the reporter may not have been incorrect in stating that, but, of course, neglects to point out HOW they came about to be the defacto government and the ones responsible for providing those services.
Yeesh! I suppose if the Hells Angels were to over-run a small town, CNN would be out there defending them by saying “they’re the defacto government and are responsible for…”. I doubt, however, that if a bunch of Republicans were to storm CNN Headquarters and control what CNN was permitted to broadcast, they would support them. What utter BS!
It was reported on radio this A.M. that Hezbolla is shooting some Lebonese civilians attempting to flee – apparently they need human sheilds – they ususually use children. Dual citizenship has been around in Can. for a long time my late uncle was Can./U.S. He paid his taxes in Can. and only visited U.S. for short holidays, except for the WWII when the U.S. gov’t requested him to come and manage a war materiale factory. Today, however I think we need to determine the number of dual citizens and their permanent residence.
I suggest that Mr. Harper’s decision is compassionate and logical.
Why not make use of this aircraft?
And can you imagine the flack if he had not done it?
He can’t get a break from the loons.
It bugs me that there is so much criticism about the amount of time the rescue has taken. France and Britian are a short flight away, and have ships in the Mediterranean at any given time. The USA simply has more resources. Canada is considerably farther away. Also, our lack of ability to respond to things of this kind is attributable in some degree to years of neglect of our military.
Also, many of the Canadian citizens in Lebanon are dual citizens, and permanently reside in Lebanon. I am not saying we should not rescue them, but a little less bitching and a little more gratitude would go a long way. They didn’t seem to mind living in a country that was known to be Hezbollah’s armed camp. It is amazing to me that all of these people seem utterly gobsmacked that another war has broken out. I really feel for the families whose relatives have been killed, (and let us not forget, on both sides). Perhaps people ought not to send children to vacation in a country that is overun with terrorist who use it as a base of operations. I know this sounds cold. But it is also realistic.
Funny comment over at angry, “If living in Canada for three years makes a person Canadian, then living in a garage for three years ought to make me into a car.”
The MSM isn’t there to report on what is happening. There purpose in life is to create contoversy so that they can sell advertising.
ergo . . all those reporters are really just pimping for the rich corporate owners or, in the csse of the CBC, the socialists who sold out for a job and pension with motherc corp rather than actually doing something “social”
Harper has changed the rules & these morons don’t understand the game has changed. I used to yell at the tv “journalists” . . now I laugh at them.
How many passengers does/can a C-17 carry. Maybe the Liberals should have bought one or two so we could actaully fly people out of there directly…
The UN’s Chummy Relations with Hizballah
Israel has a wholly justified suspicion of the United Nations and their bogus “peacekeeping” effort in Lebanon; this article from al-Reuters opens with an anecdote that symbolizes UNIFIL’s chummy relations with Hizballah: Israeli suspicion of UN clouds Lebanon force plan.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An Israeli commander at the Lebanese border recalls peering through binoculars one afternoon to see U.N. peacekeepers sipping tea with Hizbollah guerrillas.
Of course, it wouldn’t be al-Reuters if they didn’t immediately try to cover for the UN.
The officer’s conspiratorial take on the meeting a few months ago underscores Israel’s long-standing distrust of the United Nations force in Lebanon and its reluctance to see an expanded version as a way to end the current conflict.
Reporting an actual incident is “conspiratorial?”
There is a real conspiracy described in this article, and it’s not the IDF commander’s description of UN tools having tea time with terrorists—because in 2000, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon deliberately concealed videotapes of IDF soldiers being kidnapped by Hizballah terrorists: …-
via LGF
…
Rich: re: The mission-of-mercy by Prime Minister and Mrs. Harper to evacuate those fleeing from Hezbollah.
This mission would not have entered the heads/brains of any one of the left liberals. They would be with those fleeing Hezbollah.
Since it is very likely the only real complainers are the Liberals, NDP and News media, I wouldn’t get too upset. Most people I’ve spoken with in the past couple of days figure we (Canada) are doing this correctly. They also question the fact that anyone would be dumb enough to be in Lebanon when there’s a bloody war going on. Gee, surprise, surprise!
Harper’s going to pick up Canadians sure looks good in light of the fact that Mr. Graham (Liberal) and Mr. Layton (NDP) either don’t have a viable alternative or a too bloody chicken to go and help.
Good on you, Mr. Harper. Get stuffed Graham and Layton and friends.
Canaduh— where you can live as permanent resident in Lebanon not pay taxes and get rescued. or
you can live within the boundaries of Canada, claim you are in a different nation and not pay taxes and do subversive activities for free.
AND ANOTHER PR COUP FOR HARPER!!
According to the news Harper had his plane go to Cypress to pick up 120 Canadian evacuees from Lebanon.
And in order to make room he tossed all the media and other hangers-on to make room.
Can you say MAJORITY?
Horny Toad
Of course the media is pissed off with Harper. He gets to play ‘hero’ in Cyprus while they have to wait in long lines at Charles de Gaulle for a trip back to Canada. The price of a last minute first class ticket from Paris to Toronto? Editor says “sorry we only pay for coach”.
George :
Or is war with Syria and Iran imminent and this is an attempt by countries to get their citizens our without showing their hand? Israel is now much closer to Syria and Iran
If only what you said was true!! Unlike you probably, I see this as an opportunity to cut the head of the tigers off completely. Their the seed bed of all this terror including Saudi Religious objectives.
To bad they tipped there hand in 9/11 or we would still be in the dark. Most moon bats still are.
G-D speed the Israeli army & protect our own coalition forces. Its time to end the mad Mullahs insanity before millions die.
This guy means to use nukes. He has said it, boasted of it , & lauds the idea of exterminating every Jew on the Planet. While denying a holocaust he is preparing the same. Time to start taking these fruitcakes at there word!!!
….good on you Mr.Prime Minister…..
While the Media & liberals bash you.
This Prime Minister is emerging on the Canadian & World stage as a compassionate & caring man, He is also showing that when it comes to making a tough stand he can do that, Bill Graham has critized you for not acting quick enough & for your comments on Israel, It’s about time we had a leader that will not support a terrorist group & when it comes to making a decision at least it can be made & acted upon in a resonable time frame not Dithering around looking for a plane to rent from Russia.
I wonder how many of those who “chose” to vacation in a war zone will have their hand out expecting a refund on their unused airline ticket. The “vacationers” looking for someone to blame? Have a look in the mirror.
In a radio interview this morning, Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn affirmed that Canada is an ally of Israel. PMO has just announced that Canada is not, repeat, is not an ally of Israel…
john:
Oh the poor poor media, they have to wait in line while Canadians in Lebanon are under fire.
Heavens, the travails of the media are so onerous in comparison. My compassion for the media overflows at this distress. NOT!
PM Stephen Harper gives Lester Pearson a run for his place in history. Not a bad showing thus far.
and Air Canada’s departure lounge at CDG is a frikkin dump
Hope the MSM enjoys the baggage class service all the way home . . couldn’t happen to nicer people
Thank God we have a true leader. Could you see the dithering dance at this time if it was Paulie??? He would have been on his plane (with all his pals) and would have headed straight home to safety.
This is a dangerous side trip for our PM and wife to be taking. I wish them a safe trip home. Good on the man to put his fellow citizens lives first above his safety.
A note regarding travelling out side of Canada, when you leave your country you are putting yourself at the mercy of other governments. To expect that things can happen over night a continent away, dream on. 50,000 people to contact, phone lines down, highways and bridges destroyed, (not to mention bombs dropping) this will not be an easy task. Love how CTV and CBC puts all of these people on saying ever thing negative. It must be a mad house trying to make all of these contacts and arrangements. I truely believe that everything that can be done, is being done.
PMSH said it correctly. What he is doing is “the right thing to do”. Of course the loony left and the MSM have no idea about what the right thing to do is. Their ideas of heroes are the Little Shyster from Shawinigan – who has no problem attacking his own people- and Mr. Dithers – who was prepared to destroy democracy to get what he wanted. Now we know why Harper was scary. Now we know who was scared of him.
How many dippers have volunteered to go to Cyprus and help out the embassy staff? Where is smiling’ Jack and his guitar. Now is the time for a group hug and some good old fashion Kumbaya. It’s hard to leave the trough for these people.
What can we say about Bill Graham that others haven’t said before about his abilities to get things done vs. talking? His arguments are so vain and his points to bitch about so insignificant. Like Harper says, we have to work with what we have.
It took over three weeks to get DART off the ground. It took a few days for Harper’s people to start evacuating Canadians (and Australians and others) out of Lebanon. A job well done sir.
So proud to have someone who knows how to get things done leading this country.
slightly o/t
But this headline made us laugh right out loud, not to mention the picture is priceless.
http://tinyurl.com/ntpl3
“Harper meets French President Chirac; gets condolence call from Israeli leader”
H/T canada.com.
Ldd:
I am convinced that the lower the IQ, the more likely it is to have a job as a headline writer.
This one in particular is priceless.
BTW, Jack! may have a guitar, but Paul Martin has an air guitar.
We will rush around the globe to rescue Lebanese citizens who have probably taken out Canadian citizenship as nothing more than a backup plan,but,most likely,contribute NOTHING in return…BUT,if you are a’true’Canadian living in Caledonia,Ontario,paying taxes,etc and also under seige,well,quite frankly,f*ck you!
I’m so worried about what’s happening today in the Middle East, you know. And I’m so worried about the baggage retrieval system they’ve got at Heathrow.
LOL Matt, air guitar – air head, sounds ’bout right!
Ldd that made my day. (I’m still sniggering.)
Our local paper had an account from a woman from here who is in Lebanon on some sort of “Palestinian educational program” The 34-year-old “photography student” was with her Lebanese friends and trying to figure out how to get out. And of course she was bashing the Canadian government for inaction, saying “repeated calls” to Prime Minister Harper’s office and to Peter MacKay went unanswered. She was able to contact home, the media, the PMO, but did she try the Canadian embassy? The arrogance of the useful idiots of the left is unfathomable.
This illustrates exactly why Canada must have
the ability to project military strength. If
we already had the heavy transports and other
equipment, then we could send in armed forces
to protect our citizens, rather than have to
rely on others (and Iran-types might be a little
more careful with our citizens as well).
I ‘spose the photography student hasnt noted that Stephen Harper is heading to Cyprus.
can we leave Jack Layton and uberhomo Bill Graham as hostages in Lebanon (call them exchange citizens) till the 5000 vacationers are out.
the 45000 ,permanent residents can stay there.
So far, this episode has made several things clear:
– Israel needs to crush Hezbollah once and for all. Same for Hamas.
-Iran and Syria need to be whacked.
– The CNN/CBC/BBC/… axis of complicity is comprised of unconscionable fools and dupes.
– The “honest broker” role preached by Jack Layton and Bill Graham first requires something the left/lib elites lack entirely – “HONESTY”. Good show Mr. Harper!
– the Canadian approach to ‘citizenship’ which resulted in 50,000 permanent residents of Lebanon holding Canadian passports of convenience needs to be corrected.
“- the Canadian approach to ‘citizenship’ which resulted in 50,000 permanent residents of Lebanon holding Canadian passports of convenience needs to be corrected.”
Posted by: JR at July 19, 2006 03:03 PM
A big freakin’HERE,HERE!!!
Exactly right – to the posters here who are noting that there’s something seriously wrong with this ‘40,000 – 60,000’ “Canadians” in Lebanon.
It simply doesn’t make sense. This is twice, thrice, four, five times as many as any other country – countries with larger populations and closer to Lebanon than Canada. So – what’s going on?
Then, we find out that only about 5,000 are visitors. The rest are PERMANENT residents of Lebanon. They are NOT Canadian immigrants; they have no intention of immigrating to Canada. They do NOT pay Canadian taxes. But – in time of need, they certainly make use of that ‘extra citizenship’ that only Canada is dumb enough to give them..and insist that the Canadian taxpayer pay for their getting out of the country.
What are 40,000 ‘fake Canadians’ doing, claiming dual citizenship, but having no intention of ever, ever, ever, living in Canada or contributing to Canada or paying taxes or… What are they doing with our citizenship papers? How did they get them? Why?
And why should the Canadian taxpayer rescue these fake Canadians? Is the criteria of being a Canadian simply having a passport – or is there something else required. Such as residency; such as paying taxes; even such a minor attribute of having been born here. If you have NONE, NONE of these qualities – then, why do you claim Canadian citizenship? And why do you claim that Canada should pay for you? Why not Lebanon?
And yes, Canadian Observer – a very good point – the citizens of Caledonia sure paid their taxes, they are residents, they are Canadians – but their govt (in this case, the Ontario) gov’t treated them as if they were not citizens.
Oh – and as for speed of rescue – how do you arrange transport, not for the few thousand Brits that are there, or the few thousand from France and other countries – but – the 25,000 and up ‘fake Canadians’ who have requested that ‘their’ (sarcasm) country come to their assistance.
And remember the Liberal DART team during the Dec 26 tsunami crisis? The DART team that is supposed to be Ready and There in 48 hours? And didn’t arrive until January 10..long after the Americans and Aussies had arrived and cleaned up the place? Remember those 48 hours (hmm..three weeks..)…and how the Liberals had to rent Russian planes to get them there? And that’s only for a DART team. But the Liberals are ever-ready to criticize getting 25,000 fake Canadians out in less than a week.
The more i see of PMSH on the international stage,the more clear it becomes that Liberal policy under successive leaders was an absolute failure.They failed to promote or protect Canadian interests and really, have designed their ideas to be Canada centric and insular.
Truly it is the epitomy of hypocrisy to denigrate the conservatives for not arriving in a timely fashion,when it was through the Liberals mismanagement that we do not have the capability to act faster(due to a lack of heavy lift aircraft, and blue water surface ships..)
In watching the US evacuate a few people in helicopters yesterday I carefully weighed the options of rescue in a Sea King or taking my chances in Lebanon.
What makes it worse is socialist politicians and media morons getting upset about the perceived tardiness of the government in rescuing these so-called ‘Canadians’ and using it to slam Harper.
None of them are bright enough to question what the hell are 40,000 ‘Canadians’ doing in Lebanon?
Nice points on the DART ET.
Schwartz:
Choice 1:
You can die quickly with a Hezbollah Katyusha rocket or an Israeli GBU precision munition in Lebanon.
Choice 2:
Drown slowly in the Mediterranean when the Sea King falls out of the sky.
Too bad we sold our heavy lift Chinooks to the Dutch!!
Yep, 13 years of LIEberal rule and they let NOT ONE contract to secure new equipment so the CF can respond in a timely fashion. Then the LIEberals have the hypocritical Kahones to criticize the “Conservatives” SLOOOWWWW response.
Oh LORD spare me and the civilians caught in the crossfire.
PMSH is damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. I know, here’s an idea, let’s ask the 120 people that he can bring home with him how they feel about being able to come home? Think they give a damn about any so-called propaganda? Or maybe they’ll just be really grateful to get home…
I find it absolutely stunning that the MSM and others are bashing the rerouting – hey, maybe the reason we can’t evacuate people from Lebanon fast enough is becuase the Liberals successfully destroyed the infrastructure and resources of our esteemed Armed Forces. I’d *love* to hear the CBC mention that POV…
Exactly, irwin daisy. – what the hell are 40,000 Canadians doing in Lebanon????
I wrote a key columnist of the G&M, and received the astonishing reply:
“They have dual citizenship because Canada, like most countries (but not the U.S.) permits dual citizenship, and unlike most countries, welcomes large number of Lebanese immigrants.”
Got that? This is a key political correspondent of the G&M – and his answer to why there are 40,000 ‘Canadians’ in Lebanon is that Canada ‘unlike most countries, welcomes large numbers of Lebanese immigrants”
That’s called a ‘begging the question’ reply. It doesn’t answer my question, of WHY, WHY. All it does is repeat that ‘Canada …unlike most countries’…which implies of course Canada The Tolerant, Canada The Munificient, Canada the Open Arms and Apple Pie…rather than Canada The Stupid, Canada the Patsy, Canada the Idiot.
And note that he doesn’t answer my question – because – these fake Canadians HAVEN’T IMMIGRATED to Canada. They are permenent residents of Lebanon. They have no intention of immigrating to Canada. Ever. Or paying taxes. Or developing Canada.
BUT – gosh, the Canadian taxpayer is indeed extremely useful in an emergency! You bring out your dusty, unused Canadian passport and insist that the Canadian taxpayer send ships, planes and whatever, to lift you out of any and all harm.
And, yes indeed, a few and maybe more than a few, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda will be kindly, airlifted to Canada, due to the idiotic generosity of the Liberal gov’t that got us into this mess.
Why isn’t the MSM and the gov’t asking these questions? It doesn’t take any brains whatsoever, to be struck by the strangeness of the sheer number of “40,000 Canadians in Lebanon”.
Commenter Rich wrote at July 19, 2006 12:09 PM:
« PM Harper is heading from Paris & taking refugees home aboard the gov’t plane used in his travel in Europe. Rather than say “good-stuff…a PM who cares”, the howls of “publicity stunt” have already started.»
Typical.
A couple of callers to one of my local radio stations referred to PM Harper as a “media whore,” whereas over at his blog, Paul Wells chides the PM for this quip:
« “Back then, the enemy had guns, not cameras.”
True. Which is why Canadians are so greatful that back then, our soldiers were less likely to wallow in bottomless self-pity than, say, some of today’s political leaders.»
But one of the best things I’ve read today is a comment by Gimbol over at PTBC:
«Gee, you don’t suppose the media is a tad upset at being ordered off the plane to make way for evacuee’s do you?
Wouldn’t that make a heck of a headline?
”Journalists become petualant after being bumped for Lebanon Evacuee’s”»