'Arab leaders must step in to stop the suffering'

Muscat: Residents of Oman believe that the governments of Arab countries need to react strongly and indulge in more action and less talk to end the suffering of the Lebanese people.

"The attack on Lebanon is a clear plan to divide the Arab world on sectarian grounds," believes Haider Abdul Redha Dawood, who edits the Central Bank of Oman publication Al Markazi.

Haider told Gulf News: "It is obvious that the Israelis were looking for an excuse which they got when Hezbollah abducted two of their soldiers."

The bank employee also sees a larger design to create a situation like Iraq in Lebanon.

"It is evident that they want to finish off Hezbollah and destroy Lebanon exactly like the Americans did to Iraq," he said.

"Everyone can see that they [the US and Israel] are trying to divide Sunnis and Shiites, they did it in Iraq and now they have turned to Lebanon," Haider said.

He sees two sides of reaction to the Lebanon crisis in the Arab world.

"The popular [or people's] support is strong with protests everywhere but governments are not coming out as strongly as they should to side with Lebanon."

Faisal Sayed, a private sector employee, echoed Haider's sentiments and fears that Arab countries will do nothing to end "sad" happenings in Lebanon.

"They [Arab governments] only talk and do nothing, they did nothing when Iraq was thrown into the present turmoil by the Americans, and they will still do nothing when Israel is out to destroy Middle East peace with the US,"he said.

He said it was painful to watch the suffering of the Lebanese people on television.

"The US Secretary of State has done nothing in her two visits except woo the Israelis," he said.

Shilpa Ashar, an Indian living in Oman for the past 20 years, also feels sad at the silence of the international community towards the suffering of the citizens of Lebanon.

"I would not like to take sides but in the fight between the Israelis and Hezbollah, Lebanon and its people are suffering," she said.

Ashar said the Lebanese had barely recovered from the past trauma and Israelis were inflicting more suffering on them. Worse, she said, was that the international community was doing nothing to stop this suffering.

She appealed to the international community to help stop the fighting.