Lebanese Embryo Update

While President Bush lounges in Crawford, the life he recently committed to protect from harm teeters precariously in Beirut, Lebanon. American made precision guided bombs and an Israeli blockade together produce massive fuel shortages in war torn Lebanon. The result of the lack of power, hospitals may soon close.

In Beirut, the American University of Beirut Medical Center faces the same problem of fuel shortages. "We are already experiencing power cuts, and we are getting our power from two suppliers; Electricite du Liban (EDL) and our power plant, which we use only when there is no alternative. We are receiving power for about 10 hours a day now, but obviously this is not guaranteed each day and recently the power cuts have been more prolonged," said Dr. George Tomey, acting president of AUB.

The Medical Center, and hospitals in general, are now obliged to either postpone operations, or cancel them completely as the lack of electricity means rationing what is still available. Furthermore, if EDL is still denied access to the necessary fuel, then hospitals will have no option but to shut down. Tomey has already begun to introduce rationing schemes, primarily cutting down on unnecessary fuel consumption, so the amount used per day has been reduced to 22,000 liters, which is half of their normal intake.

"Our biggest problem is that a good percentage of our patients are passing through our emergency and operating rooms, and the constant power cuts make their conditions that much more critical. The same goes for those already in intensive care," stated Tomey, "But if they don't release the fuel that is waiting to arrive soon, then we will probably have to shut down within a week."

The other problem concerns AUBMC’s assisted reproductive technology program which has frozen embryos. Just weeks ago President Bush vetoed a bill expanding stem cell lines for life saving research. He said:

Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value.

If this bill would have become law, American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history, be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos. And I'm not going to allow it.

This speech came one week after the Israeli revenge inspired war machine began chewing up Lebanon. The United States provides Israel with over $2 billion in military support according to the State Department website.

Israel’s military spending in 2005 totaled $9.45 billion, which is equivalent to 7.7% of GDP, and represents 16.3% of government expenditures. The United States provides approximately $2.4 billion per year in security assistance.

In 1983, the United States and Israel established the Joint Political Military Group, which meets twice a year. Both the U.S. and Israel participate in joint military planning and combined exercises, and have collaborated on military research and weapons development.

The U.S. also collaborates with Israel on a Joint Terrorism taskforce which also meets twice a year. As the current Israeli operation targets a terrorist group, one could easily surmise the United States knowledge of such a plan. The $2.4 billion in security assistance is American taxpayer money. It provides Israel with ¼ of its military funding.

It is no stretch to conclude that U.S. funding of the Israeli war machine will lead to the deliberate destruction of human embryos per the orders and actions of President George W. Bush. Unless Condi evacuated the embryos in her surprise trip to Beirut?