Democratic congressman Tom Lantos has said he will ask the Bush administration to freeze the $230 million aid package to Lebanon proposed by the president. This aid package to Lebanon is less than the amount Israel receives from the US in one month. Lantos, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, has been speaking with Prime Minister Olmert and said that, although the terrorist state of Israel receives $8 million from the US per day, the package to Lebanon �should be withheld until the Lebanese government displays responsibility.” The congressman went on to say, “A porous Syrian-Lebanon border will only invite the repetition of Hezbollah attacks in the future. Hezbollah must not be allowed to rearm again.”

Lantos seems to be uninformed of the human rights violations committed by Israel, or unable to recognize that Hezbollah was fighting against the occupation of Lebanon. The 34-day war started when Israeli soldiers crossed the border into Lebanon and were captured as bargaining chips. As reported by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh, the Israeli offensive which followed was a collaboration with the US as a test run for a future war against Iran. Unfortunately for the US and Israel, Hezbollah proved more powerful than expected and Israel was eventually forced out. The ceasefire resolution, which took effect on Aug 14th, called on the Lebanese government to secure the border with Syria. However, Tom Lantos plans to hold the aid package until the Syrian border is entirely controlled by an �international force�. Meanwhile, the Lebanese people struggle to move forward in a country economically, environmentally, and socially devastated by the US/Israeli campaign.

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