Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
The "hiding among civilians" myth Israel claims it's justified in bombing civilians because Hezbollah mingles with them. In fact, the militant group doesn't trust its civilians and stays as far away from them as possible.
  • did you ever wonder what happened to the commanding officer of the troops who carried out the S&S massacre?

    We all know that Sharon is the "Butcher of Beruit" but what ever became of this man? Elie Hobeika

    On the evening of September 16, 1982, the Phalangist militia, under the command of Elie Hobeika, entered the camps. For the next 36 to 48 hours, the Phalangists massacred the inhabitants of the refugee camps, while the Israeli military guarded the exits and continued to provide flares by night.

    Well, until his death by car bomb on January 24th 2002, Hobeika was active in Lebanese politics, served a decade in parliament and was a mover and shaker .... check out how Hobeika (in contrast to Sharon) was "punished" for Sabra/Shatilla ... [hint: He was named commander of the Lebanese forces in 1985.]

    wikipedia:

    url, on the massacre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre

    url, on Hobeika: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elie_Hobeika

    oh, also, I only recently absorbed the fact that Sabra/Shatilla occured on 09/14/1982 or 09/15/82 barely 2 days after assassination of the president of Lebanon ...

    On September 14, 1982, Gemayel was assassinated in a massive explosion which demolished his headquarters. Eventually, the culprit who confessed to the crime turned out to be a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and an agent of Syrian intelligence. The Palestinian and Muslim leaders denied any connection.[7]

    and Gemayel was deeply hated by many for his COOPERATION with Israel ... but he had, by some reports, just had a personal falling-out with Menachim Began ... lots of players, lots of layers.

    I think Wikipedia has done a good job of setting out S&S, a horrible terrible massacre.... and I think the incident deserves a more thorough understanding than a "bunch of innocent PLO Palestinians got massacred by the Phalangists while the Israeli Army did nothing/aided and abetted" (depending on who you believe) ... It's also, imho, an impressive example of how divergent accounts of this incident remain almost 25 years later.

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