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2006-08-12 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israeli troops reach the Litani River
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Posted by anonymous5089 2006-08-12 13:12|| || Front Page|| [11141 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 A month late and more than a few shekels short. Olmert should be hung from a lamppost like Mussolini.
Posted by RWV 2006-08-12 13:31||   2006-08-12 13:31|| Front Page Top

#2 Now chase the Shiites into Syria.
Posted by ed 2006-08-12 13:53||   2006-08-12 13:53|| Front Page Top

#3 Dang, that was a fast week!

IDF: It'll take week to reach Litani. From yesterday's 'Burg.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-08-12 14:07||   2006-08-12 14:07|| Front Page Top

#4 Just kill 'em ALL. The only good Islamist is a dead Islamist.
Posted by Scooter McGruder 2006-08-12 14:07||   2006-08-12 14:07|| Front Page Top

#5 Lets dont stop the rockets for 30days and then act 5min from ceasefire
Posted by Clerert Uneamp2772 2006-08-12 14:07||   2006-08-12 14:07|| Front Page Top

#6 But...they have been fighting for 30 days and it only took 24hrs to reach the Litani? I wonder what they were waiting for.

And seeing has how Hezbollah will continue to fight despite the ceasefire, and no work on how long it will take to get UNFIL forces into the battle zone....

Clearly the IDF knows it can conquor but cannot hold Southern Lebanon.
Posted by john">john  2006-08-12 14:11||   2006-08-12 14:11|| Front Page Top

#7 Israel now has something they have never had before: UN justification to continue wiping out Hezbollah. The agreement specifically allows Israel to contiue as long as they are being attacked. It calls for a UN force only once the fighting stops. Nasrallah has said he will continue fighting until Israel withdraws. The agreement says Israel doesn't have to withdraw until Hezbollah stops ... so ... Israel for the first time in history has a UN okay to continue the fight.

Stop listening to so much political rhetoric and look at the real physical situation on the ground. This is absolutely brilliant. Israel has cleared Hezbollah from all villages within about 5 miles from the border. Israel is now in the process of ejecting Hezbollah from the rest of the area South of the Litani and preparing the area for a UN force to have a shot and keeping Hezbollah from returning and rebuilding and they have de facto UN approval for continuing to do so until Hezbollah either submits or is defeated in the area.

But the absolute key and the one thing Israel has never had before is justification under a UN resolution to continue an operation until her goals are met. You guys are really giving Olmert short shrift.
Posted by crosspatch">crosspatch  2006-08-12 15:12|| http://crufty.blogspot.com]">[http://crufty.blogspot.com]  2006-08-12 15:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Is it enough to push Hizb'Allah beyond the Litani?
Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2006-08-12 15:53||   2006-08-12 15:53|| Front Page Top

#9 What crosspatch said.

When you're dealing with Israelis you gotta watch what they DO more than what they say.

Olmert to UN: "Yes, yes, we'll have a cease-fire Monday morning."

Olmert to his Generals: "Ari, Uri, Shlomo, I want a massive air mobile operation into southern Lebanon NOW! Triple the number of soldiers we have there overnight! We only have a week or so to finish off as many Hezbers as we can."
Posted by Parabellum 2006-08-12 16:00||   2006-08-12 16:00|| Front Page Top

#10 It looks like Israel may have gotten behind the Hezs, with some of them at the Litani and a lot of Hezs at Marjayoun (wherever that is). Unfortunately as soon as Israel starts wiping them out, the UN will probably try to find some way to make them stop.
Posted by Cartman 2006-08-12 16:15||   2006-08-12 16:15|| Front Page Top

#11 Another way to look at this ...

August 22 is in 10 days. Iran's strategic planning probably involved Hezbollah being positioned pretty much as they were before all of this started thinking Israel would lob a few shells across the border and maybe launch an airstrike. When August 22 rolls around, there are now going to be no Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon. No Iranian proxy army to use as a threat for whatever Iran is going to announce on the 22nd.

Israel is overall in a much more secure position and Iran in a weakened position relative to what was the status quo before all of this.
Posted by crosspatch">crosspatch  2006-08-12 16:18|| http://crufty.blogspot.com]">[http://crufty.blogspot.com]  2006-08-12 16:18|| Front Page Top

#12 Thanks for the comments crosspatch, they help to put some perspective on what's going on.

I keep thinking of disinformation, and the obligatory Sun Tzu quote;


18. All warfare is based on deception.

19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him.

21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him.
If he is in superior strength, evade him.

22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
If his forces are united, separate them.

24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where
you are not expected.

25. These military devices, leading to victory,
must not be divulged beforehand.
Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-12 17:16||   2006-08-12 17:16|| Front Page Top

#13 Ok if this goes as crosspatch says , I will be the first to eat the crow.
Posted by djohn66 2006-08-12 17:19||   2006-08-12 17:19|| Front Page Top

#14 "Enjoy the war...
The Peace is going to be terrible!"
Posted by borgboy 2006-08-12 17:26||   2006-08-12 17:26|| Front Page Top

#15 I'd love to share Crosspatch's optimism, too. Crows are not that bad. ;-)
Posted by twobyfour 2006-08-12 17:32||   2006-08-12 17:32|| Front Page Top

#16 I'll go out and drop a crow, just in case. I'd enjoy it immensely.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-12 17:43||   2006-08-12 17:43|| Front Page Top

#17 There was a discussion among us old men:

1. When an Arab gives you permission to do something (like attack Hesb'Allah), look very closely at the 'something'. Likely it is to his benefit, and your detriment.

2. Israel is not fighting just Hesb'Allah and its sponsors Iran and Syria. They are fighting the United Nations, the Arab world, the world media, the European Left, and Iran and Syria's sponsors.

3. The U.S. and others on Israel's side, but the U.S. and others also have their own interests. It is an election year and there are also other domestic pressures. They too face nearly the same opposition as those in #2, plus their own domestic enemies.

4. If the cease-fire is what it is purpoted to be, then it is a diplomatic jujitsu move. Most of those in #2 will have been co-opted. At the very least, it places the UN in a precarious position if the cease-fire fails. It gives those supporters in #3 a fig-leaf, especially against their own enemies.

5. If it does not work, well, the tanks and troops are in place. Munitions are only a plane-flight away.
Posted by Fordesque 2006-08-12 18:42||   2006-08-12 18:42|| Front Page Top

#18 Hmph. I don't think Olmert had anything to do with the resolution being as pretty for israel as Crosspatch says. They'll have to spin it harder than they have demonstrated talent for in the propaganda arena (MSM/LIBS/Tranzis will cite the Resolution ad Lib and not read it literally).

As far as I am concerned, I think the resolution is Bolton's doing.
Posted by Ptah">Ptah  2006-08-12 20:27|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]  2006-08-12 20:27|| Front Page Top

#19 Backing up Ptah on this...Olmert was tossed a bone. I don't think he got clsoe to what he actually wanted. IDF just demonstrated their capabilities. Too bad Olmert didn't have such faith in his own forces. I don't think he has the slightest idea of what the IDF is capable of.
Posted by Rex Mundi 2006-08-12 21:26||   2006-08-12 21:26|| Front Page Top

#20 Does Iran understand?
Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2006-08-12 22:15||   2006-08-12 22:15|| Front Page Top

#21 ...what IDF is capable of?
Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2006-08-12 22:15||   2006-08-12 22:15|| Front Page Top

#22 Come on Israel, just think "Shermans march"!
Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan  2006-08-12 22:30||   2006-08-12 22:30|| Front Page Top

#23 It is not that Olmert has little faith in his forces. It is that he (and his Defence Minister)has too much faith in his political beliefs.
Posted by Fordesque 2006-08-12 22:55||   2006-08-12 22:55|| Front Page Top

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