On reflection: Beirut after the bombing

José Carlos García

On Tuesday, November 5th 2006 BBC Radio 4's 'Taking A Stand' featured an interview between the British journalist Fergal Keane and Jonathan Spire, a British Jew who joined the Israeli military in the 1990s. Keane's guest had fought in Lebanon during the summer of 2006 and both agreed that further conflict was inevitable and perhaps sooner than most predict. In light of this I thought that I would present my photographs taken in Beirut after the Israeli military assault on Lebanon to reflect and remind you of the damage that war can inflict on innocent lives.

I was in Syria during the Israeli bombing of Lebanon in August 2006. When it finished, I decided to travel to Beirut to see with my own eyes the humanitarian disaster caused by the Israeli forces.

The great human and material losses alongside the cheers celebrating the victory against Israel could be sensed all around the city. I could also observe the contrast between the harshly stricken neighbourhoods in the south and the less affected parts in the west. Why?

The west neighbourhood, designed in Western style has all the features of a Mediterranean city. It is the tourist, commercial and economic centre. BMWs and Mercedes are an extremely common feature of the landscape as well as familiar western icons such as the Hard Rock Café´s guitar and the omnipresent yellow M that reflects this area's Occidentalism.

But not all is luxury and pleasure in Beirut, the poorer parts of the city are inhabited by the working class, who were unable to move as easily as more affluent citizens of Lebanon to nearby countries like Syria to escape the incessant bombardment. They were the true victims and were also an easy target for the Israeli military to hit, exposed and vulnerable.

One particular and striking image that remains etched in my mind was the difference between buildings and areas that were deliberately targeted and those that were deliberately not. For example, the 'Bank Audi's' glass structured building remained firmly intact, shining brightly next to bombarded infrastructures!

1. Lebanese coming back to their country in the Damascus-Beirut road still damaged by the bombing the day after the cease-fire

2. Hole in the middle of the road caused by an Israeli missile

3. Destroyed lorry

4. Lebanese in a traffic jam displaying a Hizbollah flag

5. The bombing of this main bridge cut the connection between Beirut and Damascus

6. The same bridge

7. Memorial to the victims of the attack, in a commercial neighbourhoud (West Beirut)

8. Placard in the same area

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