Letter: Payments to civilians drip with oil, blood

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006 | 7:14 a.m.

Hezbollah, aka Iran, has promised to pay Lebanese civilians for damage incurred to their property and lives during the monthlong conflict with Israel. Damn good politics if you ask me.

Reminds me of Richard Nixon's pre-election increase of our post-service benefits after we returned to civilian life after service in the Vietnam conflict. Nothing like a gift of cash to secure a few extra votes.

The various media outlets showed footage of representatives of Hezbollah making cash payments to individuals. What enraged me was that the payments definitely were not in Lebanese currency, Iranian currency or gold. Lo and behold - it was in stacks of freshly printed U. S. $100 bills. Talk about a slap in the face.

Now where in the hell did Hezbollah, aka Iran, get those stacks of freshly printed U.S. $100 bills? Hello! You and I sent them, care of each and every oil conglomerate that operates in Iran.

So the next time you, and I am speaking directly to the environmentalists who are partly to blame for allowing this to happen, based upon their obstructionism when it comes to domestic and offshore oil drilling, and to the U.S. automakers for their failure to see the future for what it really is, just remember those stacks of freshly printed U.S. $100 bills, being doled out like play money by our enemy. I know that I shall not forget.

Jack Kane, Las Vegas