"Being critical of Israel doesn't make you anti-semitic, and in fact, KStone, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall ever having leveled that charge against you in particular, even though we constantly argue with each other (although you have called me a bigot). Why? Because as much as I disagree with you, at least you don't make outrageous inflammatory statements like that.

In point of fact, I wholeheartedly agree with you that the charge of anti-semitism is thrown around far too much in the LW section."

Okay, my bad. Fair point. In terms of my bigot charge, you were getting out of hand with the Arab/Islamofascist conflation, but, to keep the peace, I'll withdraw it.

"Now, as to your "rebuttal" to my letter, well, you didn't dispute anything I said. Instead you said that I was putting "ridiculous spin" on it.

Your lackluster attempt at defending yourself?:

Um, he doesn't need to deny or confirm anything because he's making the relevant point. Namely that there was no reported Hezbollah activity near the UN post during the period it was being bombed

Pardon me, but the email strongly suggests that this is a falsehood. If it were true, why not clear it up by explaining what the email writer meant? It's pretty hard to imagine a context where the following does not mean that Israel was responding to militants in the area:

The closest artillery has landed within 2 meters (sic) of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 meters (sic) from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to tactical necessity.

While it is technically correct that this email did not report Hezbollah activity, it hints at it strongly, the veiled nature of the message itself saying volumes about the politics of the situation. Saying "he doesn't need to deny or confirm anything" is just a way of weaseling out of the issue."

I'm "defending" myself? Strange. Anyway, you're cutting that way too close. It's more than technically correct. How can you ignore that during the bombing period in question there was no Hezbollah activity near the UN post and on top of that the UN folks called the Israelis several times and told them so and asked them to stop, and further, the IDF said they understood and would cease the bombing. The email hints at activity of some sort during another time (and until the entire e-mail is released or reported we won't know the full context and details). But overall, the period difference is critical and can't simply can't be ignored.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. They might as well be using form letters since they just post the same stuff over and over again.

Aww poor "ckickadee" all mouth and no guts. Why don't you go there and express your opinion rether than cowardly trying to misconsture others opinions. LOL.

Thanks Salon and please continue to ignore the whiners who only want to hear one perspective, or more accurately, the perspective they agree with, from the region. Good job.

Indeed, but, it's kind of amusing in a twisted sort of way, no? I'm sure though like the alligators in the NYC sewer system and the "Canadian peacekeepers e-mail" it shall rise again.

The first letter was a decent piece of astroturf. It was better than usual recycled nonsense.

Herald Sun

"I thought my points were quite clear:

a) It was claimed that rockets were launched from a suburb in Beirut. Hezbollah has no rockets that can hit Israel from Beirut.

b) There are pictures of a group of men riding on an anti-aircraft gun. There's no indication they are Hezbollah at all, and an anti-aircraft gun is a defensive weapon.

c) There's a picture of an aged man holding a AK47, no indication at all that he's Hezbollah. Plus how many AK47 owners do you think there are in the middle-east?

-- anonymous"

"Actually that Herald Sun photo claimed to have a broken down truck IN A CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOURHOOD, in the east of Lebanon.

Some genius might like to inform us all why the shi'ite Hezbollah would be in a christian neighbourhood and then pin point any christian neighbourhood that has been bombed to bits.

The Herald Sun is a rag. The article also claims that Katushya rockets had been fired from that christian area - if so were the christians firing them when we know for sure that none have been fired from Beirut at all.

-- Joanne

Let's see how fast it pops up again! Apparently, it has more lives than several cats.

"Methinks those waxing nostalgic about all the time they spent as children wandering about on their own are not remembering the past clearly. And methinks these people are not themselves parents."

Methinks you should speak for yourself. I distinctly remember wandering around my neighborhood alone or with my pals during those that 10-12 year old period. The rule was you didn't wander too far and you had to back on the block before sundown and heaven forbid your mother had to stick her head out the window more than once to call you into the house when it was time to get inside.

Bye, bye Floyd you've been busted?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/sports/othersports/31cnd-landis.html?hp&ex=1154404800&en=07a1b9cc5210daa3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

So, what's wrong with that? That's what seperates players like him and organizations like the Yankees from the usual also rans. Given the outrageous level of successful he's enjoyed in his career thus far, I'd be amazed if he didn't expect to win all the time. Yeah, the announcers can get go overboard with the accolades but that doesn't color my perception of his merits.