War casualties were not murder victims

FINTAN LANE is at it again, talking about the “mass murder of more than 1,000 Lebanese men, women and children during nearly 3,000 sorties by the Israeli air force” (Irish Examiner letters, August 21)

This was war.

If everybody who kills in a war is a murderer, then there are thousands of soldiers, airmen and seamen who fought in World War II who should be so described.

The fact is that Israel lost many soldiers not only in Lebanon but also in Jenin because rather than bomb their enemies when they were shielding behind civilians, they went in with ground forces.

And few armies would send in a warning beforehand about their next target.

I know that nothing I can say to Mr Lane will make a difference. He either does not believe facts or does not want to know anything that could possibly disturb his utter dislike of Israel.

And as for Paul Kinsella’s letter headlined ‘Plane bombs alert was more propaganda than plot’ (Irish Examiner, August 19), I am prepared to wait for the report from either the police or the courts before I jump to conclusions.

Henry Guterman

42 Lidgate Grove

Didsbury

Manchester M20 6TS

England