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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |||
| IDF Carries Out Widespread Ops in Lebanon, US Supports | |||
| 2006-07-22 | |||
| Ten Lebanese villages that rockets were launched from have been order to leave their homes immediately as the IDF continues to comb Lebanon for munitions caches, hideouts, bunkers and launch-sites. Residents of the ten additional villages from which rockets have been fired were warned to evacuate their homes by 7 PM Saturday ahead of IAF air strikes. The Meron A-Ras area of southern Lebanon has been taken by IDF ground troops. The Hizbullah bunkers in, around and below the village have all been raided and the IDF has now stationed troops in the village. Security forces in the area report scores of Katyusha shells, missile storage areas and missile-launchers, which were concealed in the village's mosque.
Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said the air strikes will continue as long as they have to. "It takes time to hit at terrorism," he told reporters Friday. "We will fight terror wherever it is, because if we do not fight it, it will fight us - if we don't reach it, it will reach us." Halutz added that Hizbullah has made a practice of using mosques to hide the Katyusha missile launchers. Thousands of Israelis received their Tzav Shmoneh emergency call-up orders Thursday evening. Most will be taking the place of members of the standing army who will be headed into Lebanon in what the IDF brass is calling a limited ground invasion. As a result, in addition to the two million Israelis spending the Sabbath away from their northern homes or in bomb shelters, thousands more made due without their fathers and sons. Responding to the extensive coverage of recent IDF casualities in both the print and televised media, IDF Commander of the North Maj.-Gen. Udi Adam urged Israelis to refrain from shedding tears for the fallen until the war is won. "We have to change our way of thinking," he said. "Human life is important but we are at war and it costs human lives. We won't count the dead at present, only at the end. We'll cry for the dead and will encourage their brothers in arms. There are more places like Meron A-Ras, and unfortunately we'll have to reach them." Asked the common question voiced by Israel's media - whether the IDF will become "bogged down in the Lebanese mud" - Maj.-Gen. Adam urged Israelis exercise patience. "This is not a short story," he warned, "but it will not be never-ending either." Meanwhile, in his weekly radio address, US President George W. Bush reassured those concerned that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's upcoming visit is intended to pressure Israel that Rice would "make it clear that resolving the crisis demands confronting the terrorist group that launched the attacks and the nations that support it." Bush, referring to Syria and Iran, added: "Their actions threaten the entire Middle East and stand in the way of resolving the current crisis and bringing lasting peace to this troubled region." MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), who is advocating immediate negotiations with Hizbullah, responded to Bush's statements that forcing an early cease-fire would not be prudent, saying, "We must not turn the IDF soldiers into Bush's cannon fodder." DEBKA adds: Israel sends more forces and tanks into S. Lebanon, gains control of Maroun er Ras which overlooks Hizballah command posts. The Maroun er Ras tunnels were finally cleared out Friday night with short range ground missiles after a ferocious three-day battle.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 Dean Barnett (soxblog.com) has a terrific post -- essentially a "Why we fight" piece for this war. Key point: Why should Isreal seek or accept a cease fire? Did the US seek one with Japan? The only goal is and should be VICTORY against the aggressors. |
| Posted by: Norman Rogers 2006-07-22 21:19 |
| #8 I think Olmert kicked this off - surprising many - and deserves some plaudits. |
| Posted by: cruiser 2006-07-22 19:28 |
| #7 cruiser, YouÂ’re correct that Olmert has taken decisive steps ever since the kidnappings. I have even expressed my happiness with Olmert in some of my other posts. I have criticized Sharon many times in the past, ever since the Gaza Disengagement. I was dead against the Gaza Disengagement. I posted many times that the Gaza Disengagement would be an appeasement to the terrorists and would end up in utter failure. I donÂ’t mention Sharon anymore because he is brain dead and I donÂ’t see any sense bringing him up. My disgust goes way back. I know the specific details with what brute force Sharon extracted the 10,000 Jewish families from Gush Katif. Then they were forced on buses afterwards and ship to other parts of Israel. The sight of Jews forced on buses, trains, or planes is not a sight that I never want to see. Olmert was chosen specifically by Sharon to continue his policies. Olmert also used extreme brute force to extract Jews from Judea and Samaria. The extracted Jews were supposed to receive reparations from the Israeli government, but reneged. So you had more that 10,000 Jewish families living in tents and using public bathrooms for more than a year now. The world has forgotten them, I wonÂ’t. The families that were kicked out, owned greenhouses which grew tremendous amount of fruits and vegetables. They even hired many Palestinians to take care of the fruit and vegetable gardens. It was an astonishing 100 million dollar economy. All of it destroyed by Sharon and Olmert. Even though these were forced out and their homes destroyed, they still have to make mortgage payments on houses they donÂ’t live in. I get email from them all the time. Currently, I donate what I can to help these families. Use this link to familiarize yourself with Gush Katif. Here is more proof that Olmert is a train wreck waiting to happen. Olmert: Nothing can sink the Titanic. Olmert history has always been to talk out of the both sides of his mouth. This is why I donÂ’t trust him. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2006-07-22 19:13 |
| #6 Apostate - Yep - seems to me Olmert's shown he's got some serious stones. Today I decided to go wading in the hate pool to see what they were saying, CNN for example, and they were emphasizing the early Israeli losses and the fluffy bunny and innocent Lebs angles. On the first topic, I would expect some losses initially - even high losses, in fact. As Israel enters the ground operation in the border area where Hezb has had 6 years to figure out where to set traps, ambushes, and mines - they will take hits. I will wager that Hezb does not have much depth to their countermeasures, however. The further forward Israel pushes, the fewer set-piece losses they'll take - I do not credit Hezb with being a professional military force - i.e thinking on their feet and successfully defending territory in realtime. The "innocent" Lebs footage with voiceover was laughable for those who've seen combat, but probably effective on the average viewer. Fox (sheesh!) ran a SkyNews piece from northern Leb which was so biased I was yelling at the TV. This is where Israel, despite its great care not to overtly harm true civilians, will lose "international" support. Now, personally, I don't much care about that imaginary support, and I believe Israel shouldn't either, but it worries me they may feel the need to go softer, just when they should be punching harder. No one will give Israel credit for the precautions taken or the lives spared, just blame them for any mistakes or the unavoidable casualties. Lebanon's Syrian / Iranian puppet "leaders, and the Shiite population in particular, created this situation by not making Hezb a political pariah. That mistake left no means, no impetus, for any external enforcement of 1559. Now they will pay. And from my view, Israel has absolutely nothing to lose by doing what is best for Israel - and everything to gain. Please, please, Syria / Iran - escalate and engage. Hurry! Save your proxies from destruction. Then the gloves will finally come off for the US, too. |
| Posted by: cruiser 2006-07-22 18:49 |
| #5 You're right, Crusier. Let's not forget that it was Sharon "the bulldozer" who exchanged hundreds of prisoners for two corpses and a businessman in 2004. One of the key aims of this operation will be to restore Israeli deterrence. Sheik Nasty has already started downplaying expectations by admitting the Israelis can occupy the South if they want to, but says they'll have to pay a heavy price. Before he was saying that Israel was as "weak as a spider's web". |
| Posted by: Apostate 2006-07-22 18:20 |
| #4 Poison Reverse - I have 2 cents to toss in for your consideration. I am very happy with Bush's brass, no doubt about it, but you give no credit to Olmert or his cabinet or the Israeli military. Why the all or nothing view so often? Spread the credit around for good decisions and actions - that's reality. Spread the blame around for the screw-ups - that's reality. I have been around a long time and the light-switch analogy has never accurately represented reality. It takes a team with a common goal to succeed and a committee to fuck things up, IMO. Just my experience. I think Olmert kicked this off - surprising many - and deserves some plaudits. |
| Posted by: cruiser 2006-07-22 17:56 |
| #3 Way beyond is right. Go get em. |
| Posted by: closedanger 2006-07-22 17:43 |
| #2 "MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), who is advocating immediate negotiations with Hizbullah, responded to Bush's statements that forcing an early cease-fire would not be prudent, saying, "We must not turn the IDF soldiers into Bush's cannon fodder."" Bush has already taken over. This renewed Bush is the old Reagan that I have been waiting for. Bush is tired of the Israeli PM and DM running this war like a day care. I am glad that the adults have taken over and it’s about time. If anyone thinks our battle groups are in Cyprus just for extracting American citizens, I got 100 acres of land that I want to sell you 200 miles east of Boston. Just for fun, we will call it “Israeli intelligence with no U.S. cooperation” from now on. Also, the “newly requested” bunker busters and JDAM’s for Israel are a gift to the IDF that they must use. We are now, way beyond “green light.” |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2006-07-22 17:03 |
| #1 Good to see Israel take the high ground. The west is going to have to get over this "respecting of holy places" stupidity. For islam war and faith are bound and inseparable. The mosque is a logical place to store war material and attack from under such 'logic' and belief. islam doesn't respect any other faiths religious places so there is little to lose. As in the Geneva Conventions respecting them against people who violate them as a matter of course is suicidal. muslims do not think as any other faith does. Only those deceived by it think so. muslims are not like "us". Quite thinking they are. If you want to fight them and win you must change your thinking and tactics. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-07-22 16:52 |