DR AMAAL-GHORAYEB - Wednesday, 19 July, 2006
GEORGE NEGUS: Doctor, thanks very much for taking our call
because we
realise things aren't too pleasant where you are at the moment. Is
this, in fact, the first time you've been afraid to go out, because we
had hoped to interview you in the studio?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB, LEBANESE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Yes,
that's
right, and just now, as I speak to you, they've struck a core Christian
area in Beirut it seems now - in East Beirut.
GEORGE NEGUS: When you say "struck", bombed?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Just now, just now.
GEORGE NEGUS: Bombed?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Yes. The shelling has now become very
indiscriminate - it's no longer focused on the south or the southern
suburbs, as I just told you now, for example, in the district of
Ashurafiyah, which is a centre of East Beirut - a Christian area.
GEORGE NEGUS: So that's hardly likely to be a Hezbollah
stronghold.
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Exactly.
GEORGE NEGUS: So how do you react to the Israeli suggestion
that they
are actually targeting Hezbollah-associated areas?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: I think this is pure propaganda, it's
basically
all lies. This is nothing more than psychological warfare - it's
pressure on the Lebanese public.
GEORGE NEGUS: Doctor, you know these people. Are Hezbollah
likely to
back off? Are Hezbollah likely to stop their rocket raids into Israel?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: No, they're not. They are not going to
unilaterally end the shelling until Israel does. And from the very
beginning Hezbollah has said that they don't want an all-out war, that
they just want their prisoners, a prisoner exchange to take place, and
they only actually started shelling Israel when Israel started
bombarding Lebanon in response to the abduction of the soldiers.
GEORGE NEGUS: So what hope is there for any sort of cessation
of this
violence while both sides are blaming each other for the situation?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: I think what really has to happen here
is that
Israel has to agree to a cease-fire - an unconditional one - not with
conditions as it's recently stipulated. Oh, my God! Sorry, I'm watching
the scenes. Where is this?
GEORGE NEGUS: What are you seeing?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: I'm looking at the destruction in East
Beirut
now on Aljazeera. I cannot fathom what this area is.
GEORGE NEGUS: What sort of destruction is it?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: It's on a street that they've shelled
- I think
maybe some trucks. Were they trucks? They were trucks. You see they're
firing missiles at any truck they see under the pretext that they have
rockets, but there is no I mean, this is very, very unusual because
Hezbollah can't possibly have dispersed its rockets all over trucks all
over Lebanon. Oh, my God, the Aljazeera correspondent was hit! Oh, my
God!
GEORGE NEGUS: Sorry, what was that? An Aljazeera
correspondent?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Yes, yes, he was talking live now. His crew
seems to be in danger. This is...oh, God! Yes, no, there is no area
safe now. People are in their homes, Beirut is a ghost town, all
Lebanon is a ghost country.
GEORGE NEGUS: So what are you going to do - just stay put in
your home?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Yes, of course. There is a mass
evacuation of
foreigners from Lebanon and I think that once the Americans, who're, I
think, the last to leave, once they leave, I think the bombardment will
only increase. It's already started to increase as of last night.
GEORGE NEGUS: So what does this mean in practical terms? If
you're
going to be holed up there in your apartment, are you able to go out
and get food, etc?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: We can go to very nearby places, but
we have to
be very quick, of course. Our bomb shelters are fully equipped now and
everything. A lot of people are sleeping in them, even here in East
Beirut, because they can't stand the noise, so basically we really are
living under siege.
GEORGE NEGUS: It seems a bit strange to be asking you
theoretical
questions when you are faced with such practical difficulties, but what
about Lebanese people themselves? Are they divided about Hamas, about
Hezbollah? Are some people blaming Hezbollah for the situation you find
yourself in?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Of course. There are many Lebanese,
especially
non-Shi'ite Lebanese, who blame Hezbollah for having provoked Israel,
especially since Israel is renowned for its very aggressive and
disproportionate responses, but, on the other hand, I think that if
Israel continues with this onslaught, these same people are already
starting to basically forget who started - or who provoked whom - and
are now really beginning to feel very strong resentment towards Israel
and towards the US for allowing Israel to continue with this offensive.
It may very well backfire on Israel.
GEORGE NEGUS: Yeah, it could have the reverse effect from what
Israel
would like to have happen, which is isolating Hezbollah?
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Exactly, exactly, and the thing is
many of
these people, even if they blame Hezbollah, are now saying, "Well, even
if they started it, let them finish the job, let them do a good job,
let them deter Israeli aggression, why don't they start shelling Tel
Aviv?"
GEORGE NEGUS: So, in fact, activity by Hezbollah against the
Israelis
could increase as a result of this, rather than decreasing.
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: Definitely.
GEORGE NEGUS: Doctor, I'll let you go. Thank you very much for
talking
to us under such difficult circumstances. I hope next time we talk it's
a little simpler and easier.
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: OK, thank you.
GEORGE NEGUS: Thank you very much.
DR AMAAL SAAD-GHORAYEB: You're welcome. Bye bye.