The Polluter Pays - or rather, no he doesn't

I guess thttp://beta.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifhat senility must be setting in because this latest nonsense from the BBC (LINK) just doesn't jibe with my view of reality. As far as I am aware the mess that Lebanon is trying to clear up was caused by an illegal mass bombing and invasion of their country by Israel. And yet I read in this piece that the following roster of states has lined up to help pay for the clean up:

US: $1bn (inc new $770m)
France: $650m
EU: $520m
Saudi Arabia: $1.1bn
World Bank: $1bn
EIB: $1.25bn

No sign of Israel on that list. Didn't there used to be some new wave idea that "the polluter pays" should be the model for the 21st century? So where is the polluter here? Why are European taxpayers who probably opposed the aggressive Israeli action being told that they are cleaning up the mess? Maybe if these clowns had to pay to fix what they break they might think before they act - think once at least.

This little item prompted me to follow up what happened vis a vis the ecological rather than politico-economical pollution that was directly caused by the same action: the 95 mile oil slick released when Israel bombed Lebanon's infrastructure. Turns out I couldn't find a single piece about Israelis or Israeli money helping to clean up. I did find this LINK as the latest report though.


Like I said - it must be senility.