Translation: Bombing Trucks

In light of the incomplete english media on the realities of the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon, I will try to translate certain arabic articles into english.



Protecting themselves from raids: Bombing trucks!

Zeinab Yaghi, from Assafir, 07/19/06

Food and vegetables were transformed into military targets for Israeli fighter jets. Raids have martyred the trucks that were transporting these goods, under the excuse of “preventing the passage of weapons to Hezbollah”, even though these trucks were only carrying either food or construction materials.

According to the truck owner’s association, these trucks that were bombed were transporting either necessary goods for those trapped, or building materials, and “if they did carry other than that, they would have exploded because of the carried weapons, which unveils a new lie that Israel has peddled to the world in order to impose further sanctions on the displaced or those remaining at home.” Union leader Shafic Asis says that the union is in a state of emergency after these losses, and with the killing of several of its members.

Because of the need to transport cargo, the union held an emergency meeting, and requested that truck drivers stop transporting items in fridges since they is closed, and to not cover the trucks, so that Israeli jets can see what is inside, as well as telling residents and internal security forces to remove trucks parked near houses.

Asis also said that truck owners have refrained from transporting goods since it now poses a threat to their lives, especially on the main roads between Beirut and the governorates. Negotiations with truck owners for the transportation of goods has lead to an increase of price from 100 $ to 300 – 500 $ per truck.

With these raids that have affected the transportation sector (which includes 165,000 trucks), there is concern towards smaller transport vehicles, such as television news vans that are used for live broadcasting.

Asis released a list of the trucks that were bombed, and the goods they carried:

4 trucks bombed in Bekaa, carrying plastic materials, barrels of oil, and industrial materials sent from Kuwait.
15 trucks bombed in Choueifat, which were empty.
15 trucks bombed in Beirut Port, which were empty, and which usually carry building materials to Jbeil.
A Fridge Truck in Chtura, exporting vegetables.
The trucks bombed on Camil Chamoun Blvd were impounded by internal security forces for minor law violations.
A raid on a farm in the Bekaa also lead to the death of its owner, Dib Barakat.

posted by Lazarus, 11:48 PM