Defending Israel in Lebanon

Editors, Asheville Global Report, I wish to add and clarify some of the points raised in your issue of Aug. 11th, a lengthy coverage (41/2 pages) of the war in Lebanon. The war started when the Israel Defense Forces responded massively to unprovoked, planned and coordinated Hezbollah attacks with Katyusha rockets into Israel, [and a] cross-border ambush killing eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapping of two. Was the Israeli response excessive, or how should any sovereign state respond when so attacked? Katyusha rockets shot by Hezbollah are old fashioned bombs, which were filled with ball bearings but without guidance systems. Their purpose is to kill, maim or destroy, civilians and homes. Since these rockets can't be aimed well, they are not defense weapons. Why would Hezbollah need 12-14,000 of these rockets? The Israeli response was with laser-guided missiles targeted at combatants and infrastructures that assist them in their fight. If more Lebanese died in this war than Israelis, it is because Hezbollah fighters were embedded with the civilian population. By contrast, nearly a million Israelis became refugees when they moved away beyond the range of the rockets. Finally, Hezbollah fighters are often referred to as "militants." In the dictionary this refers to "combative," "aggressive," "belligerent." None of these terms are suitable to describe what they do, which is killing men, women and children without any preference. This makes them just plain "terrorists." David Zimerman Asheville, NC