Myths & Facts: Quotes

On Hezbollah
2006 Second Lebanon War

On Hezbollah ^top

“Hezbollah are liars; they are despicable. They said they would never turn their arms on the Lebanese, but they have.”

-- Nawal al-Meouchi, Lebanese Citizen

“Hizballah’s consistent pattern of intentionally placing its fighters and weapons among civilians shows that Hezbollah was well aware of the civilian casualties that would ensue [from this activity.]"

-- Intelligence and Terrorism Center at the Israeli Center for Special Studies

“To the south, along the curve of the coast, Hezbollah is launching Katyushas, but I’m loath to say too much about them. The 'Party of God' has a copy of every journalist’s passport, and they’ve already hassled a number of us and threatened one.”

-- Christopher Albritton, Time Magazine

2006 Second Lebanon War ^top

“The criticism that Israeli attacks aimed at Hezbollah are disproportionate is lazy and facile in several ways, especially in implying a moral relativism between the two sides that does not exist. This is not the contest between misguided equals that many in the West seem to see. One is the region’s lone democracy, which for much of its existence has faced a very real existential threat and would like, if possible, to live in peace with its neighbours. The other is a terrorist organization, bent on preventing such a future.”

— Editorial, London Times

“Lobbing rockets blindly into civilian areas is without doubt a war crime.”

-- Kenneth Roth, 'Human Rights Watch' Director

“A careful look at aerial satellite photos of the areas targeted by Israel in Beirut shows that certain specific buildings housing Hezbollah command centers in the city’s southern suburbs have been singled out. Most of the rest of Beirut, apart from strategic sites such as airport runways used to ferry Hezbollah weapons in and out of Lebanon, has been left pretty much untouched.”

-- Tom Gross, National Post

“There is no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities.”

-- Nic Robertson, CNN

"It’s strange how the focus in these missions is not to succeed, hit the target precisely, but rather – not to make any mistakes. The message is clear all the way from the Squadron commander to the last pilot. One mistake can jeopardize the whole war... Hitting the target is expected, no misses are acceptable."

-- Israeli Air Force Pilot during Second Lebanon War