Assessing blame over Middle East conflict

Re “ ‘Oops, sorry’ doesn’t let Israel off the hook,” Opinion, Aug. 1

Adam Shatz omits the fact that the real proximate cause of the tragic deaths in Qana and elsewhere in Lebanon is the failure of the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and its legions of Islamic fanatics.

Did it take a seer to look into the future and divine what was going to happen once these people were fully armed by their Iranian and Syrian puppet masters?

Israel is now fighting a Middle East battle on behalf of freedom-loving people everywhere.

Are our memories so short that we have already forgotten 9/11?

LOUIS H. NEVELL

Los Angeles

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Re “War whiplash,” editorial, Aug. 1

You argue that “Israel entered this war with the moral upper hand.” A more careful examination reveals a different story. Despite its May 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and requests by the United Nations and the Lebanese government, Israel has refused to provide maps to the Lebanese government of the thousands of land mines it “sowed” during its occupation. Its air force regularly violated sovereign Lebanese airspace, and its soldiers regularly violated the land border. It has kidnapped and killed Lebanese civilians. How exactly does this constitute a “moral” upper hand?

LAURIE A. BRAND

Los Angeles

Brand is director of USC’s School of International Relations.

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Re “Israel Warns, Gazans Panic,” Aug. 1

Why doesn’t The Times do a story on the phone calls Palestinian suicide bombers make to Israeli cafes before blowing them up? Oh, that’s right, no such phone calls are made, maximizing the number of civilian casualties. I guess that wouldn’t make much of a story, would it?

DAVID DOUGHTY

Fullerton