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| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 262098
5/11/2008 5:19 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
 |
| Military Man
User ID: 121743
5/12/2008 12:56 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Intelligence from Lebanon reveal that The Lebanese Government found out about serious issues with the weapons being smuggled to the Hezbollah. The arming of missiles with chemical weapons and the plan to use said weapons on Israel has caused great concern. So much so that the government was given an ultimatum to try to prevent such activities from the Hezbollah or Israel would make Lebanon pay a very heavy price upon use of said weapons. In laymen's terms, the serious overflights of Israeli planes that were purposely broadcast were the warning to Lebanon. Several planes were in fact armed with nuclear tipped missiles readily evident to Lebanese military. The message, if the Hezbollah are not stopped and the Hezbollah use weapons of mass destruction on Israel, then Beirut would be no more.
Sure enough, Lebanon tried to act, but so far all efforts have failed. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 262098
5/12/2008 5:51 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Intelligence from Lebanon reveal that The Lebanese Government found out about serious issues with the weapons being smuggled to the Hezbollah. The arming of missiles with chemical weapons and the plan to use said weapons on Israel has caused great concern. So much so that the government was given an ultimatum to try to prevent such activities from the Hezbollah or Israel would make Lebanon pay a very heavy price upon use of said weapons. In laymen's terms, the serious overflights of Israeli planes that were purposely broadcast were the warning to Lebanon. Several planes were in fact armed with nuclear tipped missiles readily evident to Lebanese military. The message, if the Hezbollah are not stopped and the Hezbollah use weapons of mass destruction on Israel, then Beirut would be no more.
Sure enough, Lebanon tried to act, but so far all efforts have failed. Quoting: Military Man 121743
Military Man - you will have to excuse me, but that sounds like a wonderful story, but without a source, a little hard to swallow |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 431807
5/12/2008 9:06 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Military man is there any chance that the U.S. will come to Lebanon's aid militarily? I know President Bush said he would not let Sinora's gov't fall. Also with Iran how much longer before someone hits them hard for what they are doing? I thought I saw somewhere that the Security coouncil has told the U.S. it's a go on bombing the Iran military bases that are supporting the violence in Iraq. This could be a big week. Are you feeling that as well? Thanks for your info. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 9:26 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Former police official: Indictment against PM likely
[link to www.ynetnews.com]
Yaakov Borovsky, who headed state comptroller's anti-corruption unit, says that current inquiry against Olmert indicates he will eventually be charged with taking bribes
Ahiya Raved Published: 05.12.08, 13:31 / Israel News
The current police investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "will eventually lead to an indictment," former senior police officer Yaakov Borovsky said Monday.
Major-General (ret.) Borovsky, who headed the anti-corruption department at the State Comptroller's Office, is familiar with details of the probes against Olmert.
At a press conference in Haifa to present his candidacy for the city's mayorship, Borovsky noted that the prime minister had already been suspected of taking bribes on several other occasions.
The deposition that will be taken from American businessman Morris Talansky on Tuesday, he said, "Will demonstrate that it's not a matter of technicalities. Olmert is not suspected of unlawfully receiving funds, but of long-standing bribery-related offenses."
He added that "the current inquiry, the fact that a deposition process is set to take place, the documents and the timing indicate that an indictment will indeed be served."
According to the former police official, the latest probe against Olmert stems from other affairs on which the prime minister was investigated by the state comptroller.
"These materials have been gathered by the State Comptroller's Office and handed over to the police and the State Prosecutor's Office… the police is acting with determination, professionalism and courage in this case," he concluded. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 9:26 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Olmert, Barak say Shalit's release plays key role in Gaza truce
[link to www.ynetnews.com]
Prime minister, defense minister hold separate meetings with Egyptian intelligence chief Suleiman. 'Israel cannot continue exercising restraint over the ongoing terror coming from Strip,' Barak notes
Roni Sofer Latest Update: 05.12.08, 15:02 / Israel News
Not without Gilad. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak held separate meetings with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on Monday, both stating that securing kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release was a clear condition for any truce agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Olmert said during his meeting with Suleiman, that "advancing Gilad Shalit's release is part of the agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The two met at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem for about 90 minutes. According to an early agreement between Olmert, Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the prime minister clarified two points Israel is insisting on as part of an agreement in Gaza: As part of the ceasefire, terror organizations must stop arming themselves and halt the smuggling on the Egyptian border.
Olmert reiterated that Israel's freedom of action in the West Bank would continue even if the situation in the Gaza Strip is resolved. Suleiman promised that he would deliver the Israeli messages to Hamas and the Palestinian factions and would return with answers.
On the backdrop of the meeting, senior diplomatic officials in Jerusalem have said that Olmert and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will hold a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh in the near future. The Palestinians are not expected to take part in the meeting.
Binding the Gilad Shalit story with the truce in Gaza testifies to the fact that no real progress has been made in the talks for the soldier's release.
Barak: We can't continue to restrain ourselves
Earlier, Suleiman met in Tel Aviv with Defense Minister Barak, who said that "Israel views Gilad Shalit's release and the progress made in the talks for his release as having a key role in resolving the security situation in the Gaza Strip.
"Israel cannot continue exercising restraint over the ongoing terror from the Gaza Strip," he added.
Suleiman said before the meeting that he had "high expectations" that the outline of a truce between Israel, Hamas and the armed organizations in the Gaza Strip would be implemented.
The two met face-to-face for about 40 minutes at Barak's Tel Aviv residence. They later held a discussion in a larger forum.
Barak estimated that Israel would have to operate in the Gaza Strip in more extensive manner should the Palestinians fail to cease the mortar shell and Qassam rocket fire and the smuggling of weapons, rockets and terror activists into the Strip.
"Israel must maintain its ability to operate in the Judea and Samaria in a way that will guarantee its citizen's safety," Barak said after the meeting.
Meanwhile Monday, Egyptian security forces uncovered two tunnels used for smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip. Oil and fuel caches were also found inside the tunnels, AFP reported.
Senior Israeli officials estimated Sunday night that Suleiman's visit to Israel marks a last-ditch effort to try and end the Jewish state's ongoing battle with the Palestinian terror organizations without an IDF strike in Gaza.
Suleiman's visit to Israel on Monday may lead to progress in terms of the Shalit issue, as Suleiman serves as the main contact with Hamas and the soldier's kidnappers.
Shalit's father, Noam, told Ynet earlier Monday that it was 'inconceivable' that a truce agreement with Hamas will not include a deal for his son's release. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 9:27 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Israel on alert as sectarian clashes rage across Lebanon for sixth day
[link to www.haaretz.com]
By Yoav Stern and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service Tags: Lebanon, Hezbollah, Israel
Israel's defense establishment has raised its intelligence alert in case Hezbollah decides to exploit its hold on Lebanon to wage an armed conflict south of the Litani River, Army Radio reported on Monday.
Nevertheless, Israeli security officials are downplaying concerns of an imminent direct conflict with the Lebanon-based militant group, the radio said.
Hezbollah guerillas seized west Beirut over the weekend and sectarian clashes have raged across Lebanon between the group and pro-government fighters for six consecutive days.
AdvertisementHeavy fighting broke out in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday, Lebanese security officials said. Officials said machine gun fire and rockets were being used in battles between government supporters and pro-Syrian gunmen. Earlier fighting in Tripoli stopped Sunday morning. But it broke out again Monday after Lebanese troops pulled out from the area.
Lebanese paramedics also said Monday that at least 36 people were killed in clashes in a mountainous region Beirut, bringing the death toll to 81 since the fighting began on May 7.
The defense establishment is particularly concerned about Hezbollah's relationship with Iran and the possibility that it is upgrading its rocket arsenal with Tehran's help.
On Sunday, former IDF chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak said Hezbollah's persistent attempts to take over Lebanon could eventually benefit Israel in its struggle against the militant group.
"If an armed conflict erupts it will be simpler to strike Lebanon when Hezbollah is the legitimate ruler," Shahak told the Army Radio.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel's Vice Premier Haim Ramon told cabinet members that Lebanon must be viewed as a "Hezbollah state," after the Shiite guerilla group seized control over the western part of the Lebanese capital over the weekend.
"Lebanon has no government. It is a fiction, there is only Hezbollah," Ramon said during the weekly cabinet meeting. "Hezbollah is directly responsible for everything that happens [in Lebanon], and the organization completely controls the state."
Later in the cabinet meeting, Minister Ami Ayalon called for an emergency meeting of the political-security cabinet to discuss the ongoing crisis in Lebanon and Gaza.
Ayalon said that "the critical situation in the north" and the impending lull in the fighting in Gaza require a special session.
Also during the meeting, Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin said Lebanon had been embroiled in a political crisis since former Lebanese president Emile Lahoud completed his term and stepped down.
Referring to Lebanon's inability to appoint a new president since then, Yadlin said "there is a consensus regarding the identity of a president, and that is Lebanese army commander, General Michel Suleiman, but the objective of the extreme camp goes far beyond the selection of a president. They want to restore the balance of power in Lebanon to what it was before the anti-Syrian revolution."
According to Yadlin, "in the beginning, Hezbollah tried to do it in democratic ways, and later via non-violent demonstrations, and they failed, and that is why they advanced to a move involving a military force."
Minister of Religious Services Yitzhak Cohen (Shas) said that "Israel must immediately ask the [United Nations] Security Council to hold renewed discussions over resolution 1701." The minister was referring to the resolution that ended the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, maintaining a fragile cease-fire.
According to Cohen "the Lebanese army proved to be a doormat, stepped on by Hezbollah."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel was following the violence in Lebanon closely, but would refrain from intervening.
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio Sunday that Israel was prepared for the possibility that the situation in Lebanon will deteriorate into another civil war.
Vilnai also said the current sectarian fighting could end with a Hezbollah takeover of the government.
"We need to keep our eyes peeled and be especially sensitive regarding all that is happening there," Vilnai told Army Radio.
"We shouldn't get involved. We need to watch and should follow this very closely even when we are dealing with other fronts," he said, referring to continued fighting against the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has controlled Gaza since last June.
"Israel is especially concerned about the situation in Lebanon in light of the Hamas' control of Gaza," Vilnai said. "Hamas and Hezbollah, as Iranian proxies, are mutually dependent," he said. Gaza is located on Israel's southwestern flank, while Lebanon sits on Israel's northern border.
Cabinet Minister Meir Sheetrit said Israel should not yet take any action, but warned that things could change if Hezbollah takes over Lebanon.
"I think it's very dangerous, the [possible] situation in which Iran is in fact sitting on our border, and controlling Lebanon," Sheetrit said. "It's really dangerous in the long term because now its plain to everyone that ... Hezbollah is just the long arm of Iran and that's the way we should relate to it."
For the time being, Jerusalem has decided not to issue any official comment on the confrontations between Hezbollah and the Beirut government. But various officials have expressed concern over the escalation and the possible implications for Israel's northern border.
Lebanon: IAF flies over south of country
Meanwhile Sunday, a Lebanese security official reported that Israel Air Force warplanes violated Lebanon's airspace and flew over the southern part of the country.
"More than four Israeli jets flew over areas near the port city of Tyre," the official said.
IAF jets regularly overfly Lebanon in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The United Nations has called on Israel to stop doing so. The organization says the overflights undermine the credibility of UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon to observe a fragile ceasefire in the area. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 9:27 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
- a smattering of headlines from the Haaretz news ticker
15:25Report: Israel won`t accept Egyptian proposal in its current form (Army Radio)
14:43Hamas official: Shalit will not be released in exchange for calm (Israel Radio)
13:45Barak: There is no escaping wide IDF operation in Gaza (Haaretz)
13:24Heavy fighting erupts in northern Lebanese city of Tripoli (AP)
12:52Shas: We`ll bolt Olmert gov`t if any draft deal forged with PA (Haaretz)
Olmert is still in political hot water, Barak hints that big Gaza operation is in the works if a cease fire deal falls through, Israel says won't accept cease fire deal with Hamas unless Shilat is freed, Hamas says Shilat is not part of the deal, after a day of relative calm in Lebanon fighting bwtn Hez/Syrian backed forces and pro-govt forces resumes . . . and Bush is coming to the region.
I'd look for Hez or Hamas to try to pull something against Israel while Bush is in town. I'd look for Israel to kick off that long anticipated ground invasion of Gaza after Bush leaves town and if the cease fire talks fall through |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 9:28 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Barak Warns Suleiman Time Running Short in Gaza
[link to www.israelnationalnews.com]
(IsraelNN.com) Defense Minster Ehud Barak warned Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman Monday morning that time is running out before Israel orders a full-scale counterterrorist operation in Gaza in the wake of escalating terrorist attacks. He met with Suleiman in Tel Aviv before the Egyptian official sat down for talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. The two are meeting at this hour, and Suleiman is scheduled to talk with Foreign Minster Tzipi Livni afterwards.
Defense Minister Barak has declared several times during the past year that "it is only a matter of time" before Israel conducts a large ground invasion in Gaza to stop terror. However, he has limited the IDF to targeted counterterrorist operations and cross-border search and destroy missions. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 10:24 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
16:31 Private yachts ferrying dozens of fleeing Lebanese to Cyprus (AP) |
| Military Man
User ID: 265749 (OP)
5/12/2008 11:28 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Military man is there any chance that the U.S. will come to Lebanon's aid militarily? I know President Bush said he would not let Sinora's gov't fall. Also with Iran how much longer before someone hits them hard for what they are doing? I thought I saw somewhere that the Security coouncil has told the U.S. it's a go on bombing the Iran military bases that are supporting the violence in Iraq. This could be a big week. Are you feeling that as well? Thanks for your info. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 431807
The only good news is that as the Hezbollah remain busy in Lebanon, they are not prepared to hit Israel, yet. Once they get their act together, it is expected that massive arms shipments will come through Beirut in preparation for war against their true enemy Israel. If the Hezbollah control the entire nation, there will be an Iranian airbase set up in Lebanon to hit Israel also.
With Olmert paralyzed, there is not much hope of Israel going into Lebanon. They need an excuse and it seems the Hezbollah are not ready to create that excuse at least today. Syria too has become much more bellicose towards Israel. It is all developing into a plan to attack Israel this year.
The U.S., where are you? I do not expect much from the U.S. military either. Bush, is trying to ride out this year. However, things do seem to change every week, though. |
| Military Man
User ID: 265749 (OP)
5/12/2008 11:31 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Intelligence Report: Iran Behind Lebanon Fighting
(IsraelNN.com) Undercover American intelligence officials in Beirut said Monday that Iran is conducting the current fighting between Hizbullah and government forces that has killed more than 50 people in the past five days.
Persian-language top secret documents signed by senior Revolutionary Guards officials and seized from the Iranian embassy in Beirut outline Tehran's support for the current uprising and future relations between the Islamic Republic and Hizbullah leaders, who they expect will become the leaders of Lebanon.
[link to www.israelnationalnews.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 12:06 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Hamas says rejection of truce will lead to blow-out
[link to www.ynetnews.com]
Senior official from Islamist Palestinian group accuses Israeli defense minister of 'trying to prove he is a bigger hero than his predecessors,' says Israel will end up 'counting casualties' if it does not accept deal
Ali Waked Published: 05.12.08, 18:19 / Israel News
“If Israel rejects the agreement it will carry the burden of compromising its citizens’ security,” said a senior Hamas official to Ynet, referring to the message relayed to the Egyptian Chief of Intelligence Omar Suleiman in Israel.
Gaza is threatening that if Israel rejects the agreement presented by the factions for a calm an escalation in the clashes will be unavoidable.
The Hamas senior official claimed that “Barak wants to prove that he is a bigger hero than the defense ministers who preceded him, but he will also fail and will be compelled to count the Israeli casualties when we reveal the strength prevalent in the Palestinian resistance.”
According to him, Hamas demands that each agreement will include the opening of crossings: “An agreement that doesn’t contend with this issue is not an agreement and as far as we are concerned will not be carried out at all or in part. The significance is that we are able to use all our cards, or part of the ones at our disposal. Rejection of the initiative will bring Shalit a lot of playmates from the ‘army of occupation’”
The same Hamas official also expressed a fear that the recent affairs concerning Prime Minister Olmert will contribute to the escalation. “According to reports from the Zionist media, Olmert is in distress.
"History has proven that every time a Zionist leader is placed in internal distress, he tries to avert the fire in the Palestinian’s direction and to change the public’s point of focus. Rejecting the agreement, in our estimation, is a sign of preparations for an all-inclusive clash in which Israelis will raise militancy levels,” he said.
Even threats on the lives of the movement’s leaders don’t affect Hamas’ tone. A senior official said that “if one hair falls off the head of one of our leaders, the gates of hell will open for the Zionists and I am not only referring to Sderot and the surrounding areas. All of Palestine will be under fire and filled with our martyrs.”
In the meantime, Hamas is preparing to flood the Gaza crossings with Palestinians protesting the blocks. Most of the effort will be directed toward the Rafah and Erez crossings, in a plea to break the siege on the Gaza Strip. On Monday, a senior Hamas official Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar said that “the siege on the Gaza Strip is failing and will continue to fail.” |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 12:32 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
-Folks, things are starting to happen fast in Israel (not to mention Lebanon). Another Israeli has just been killed by rocket fire from Hamas, which I would bet is going to kill this cease fire attempt and it also looks like members of the Knesset have just submitted a bill that calls for Olmert's resignation if they can get 61 MKs to vote for it.
Woman dies of wounds caused by Qassam rocket
Published: 05.12.08, 18:58 / Israel News </SPAN>
The woman who was severely wounded by a Qassam rocket that hit her home in Yesha community, Eshkol Regional Council, died of her wounds.
The paramedics that arrived on the scene tried to resuscitate her, but were forced to declare her death. (Yonat Atlas)
[link to www.ynetnews.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 12:33 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
18:53Orlev, Beilin to submit bill that would enable 61 MK majority to suspend PM (Haaretz) |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 3:10 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Lebanese army vows to impose order from Tuesday
Published: 05.12.08, 21:31 / Israel News
Lebanon's army said on Monday it would use force if necessary to impose law and order in the country from Tuesday.
"Army units will halt violations... In accordance with the law, even if that leads to the use of force," a military statement said. It said the army would start implementing the
order from 6 AM on Tuesday. (Reuters)
[link to www.ynetnews.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/12/2008 3:11 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Jumblatt's Men Set Back Iran's Militia in Lebanon
By Lee Smith
Our friend and colleague in Lebanon Elie Fawaz writes in to remind us that The War for Lebanon has not even begun yet in earnest and Hezbollah's “victory” in Beirut is not all it seems:
“So, we know that Hezbollah's well-trained fighters are in control of most of west Beirut. The decision taken by Walid Jumblat and Saad al-Hariri not to fight back in Beirut, but rather hand most of their positions to the army ended any illusion regarding the sanctity of the “resistance” – that it would never turn its weapons inward, for now its hands are dripping with the blood of innocent Lebanese. But it's different in the Chouf where Jumblatt's forces bloodied Hezbollah.
“The Chouf is calm now after fighting over the weekend in which forces belonging to Talal Arslan, part of the Hezbollah-led opposition, jumped sides and joined alongside Jumblatt's men. As the Progressive Socialist Party website reports: 'The free people of the Shouf roll back an attack by the Iranian militias causing severe casualties in lives and equipment.'
“Hence, Jumblatt sounded more assertive last night on LBC news because he knows he got the upper-hand in the Chouf battles (Reuters is reporting at least 14 Hezbollah gunmen killed. Meanwhile, the PSP website is claiming 32 Hezbollah fighters killed and 250 wounded.). He was willing to hand his offices over to the army to deflect some of the tension and because he wants to avoid a civil war.”
In short, what happened in West Beirut was a given. According to a report from the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar, this coup had been planned well in advance and its mastermind was the recently assassinated Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh. The government may in fact have forced Nasrallah to show his hand at a time of its choosing, not his. Hezbollah's walkover in Beirut came as a surprise to no one; nor did the performance of the army, except perhaps the Bush administration which must now reconsider the amount of money it has spent on equipment and training for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
As for the pro-government fighters in Beirut, contrary to most press accounts, there are no Sunni “militias” in the capital. Rather, it is mostly defensive armament, private citizens with small arms defending their families, homes and property. So it is hardly any surprise that Hezbollah managed to overrun Sunni neighborhoods easily. But that is merely one small part of Lebanon, and while the attention of the foreign press has focused on fighting in one sector of the capital, events throughout the rest of the country suggest that Hezbollah's “rout” is illusory. Tony Badran, drawing on various Lebanese accounts and his own reporting, offers this account:
“After taking over West Beirut, Hezbollah tried to move to the Shouf, where there are two Shiite towns, Kayfoun and Qmatiyye. Hezbollah is trying to link them up to the Dahieh through the Karameh road, which links Dahieh to Choueifat-Aramoun-Doha-Deir Qoubel-Aytat-Kayfoun and Qmatiye, so that it can make encroachments, maintain access routes and not allow the Druze to surround the two Shiite towns.
“That was the plan, but Hezbollah got a severe beating in the Shouf. They were not able to penetrate anything, relying instead – for the first time in the current fighting – on artillery/mortar fire. To no avail. Yesterday alone we heard that seven Hezbollah fighters who tried to infiltrate got killed.
“Hence, Hezbollah burned its Druze ally, Talal Arslan. Whatever tiny following Arslan had before this, it's safe to say it has been seriously damaged. Witness for instance the fate of Syria's little Druze creation, the pitbull Wi'am Wahhab, who, it is rumored, has taken his followers (which on a good day may actually reach about 100) and left the Shouf altogether.
“Meanwhile in Northern Lebanon, the pro-opposition Alawites are being slammed by Sunnis in the Baal Mohsen area. Similarly, Sunnis in the Akkar area in the north attacked and torched offices of the SSNP, Baath party, Hezbollah and Aoun, killing a good number of SSNPs. As with Arslan, we see a parallel development, former PM Omar Karami, a Sunni who is at the same time trying to support Hezbollah while shoring up his Sunni bona fides. So he lamented the “deep wound” that has occurred between Sunnis and Shia, and told Hezbollah that if this becomes a sectarian fight, then we have two choices: to either stay home, or fight with our sect.
“So far we've had the luxury of not seeing this sad charade play out in the Christian areas. Sleiman Frangieh has been inconspicuously quiet these last few days. Michel Aoun, on the other hand, can't help himself. So, while there are rumors that he might be urging Hezbollah in to East Beirut, others are watching to see if Nasrallah will attempt to do with the tiny Shiite communities in Nab'a, Metn, and Keserwan/Jbeil, what they did with Qmatiyye and Kayfoun.
“And so, the Party of God has achieved the 'great victory' of conquering a few Beiruti streets, terminating the credibility of the army, hastening the prospect of its disintegration, and damaging beyond repair for the foreseeable future, the Shiites' ties to the Lebanese social fabric.”
Hezbollah and its allies have won one small battle in a war that has just begun.
[link to www.michaeltotten.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 360501
5/12/2008 3:12 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Title : US and Israel v.s. the World |
| And So It Begins....
User ID: 368906
5/12/2008 9:50 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Middle East on the brink of peace?
Historian Sir Martin Gilbert believes so. He thinks all the elements are in place for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Charles Enman writes.
Continued....
[link to www.canada.com]
ELO - Showdown
[link to www.youtube.com]
And So It Begins....  |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 262098
5/13/2008 3:52 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
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| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 9:27 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Kuwait Reduces Diplomats in Lebanon
Kuwait decided on Tuesday to reduce the number of diplomats in its mission in Beirut but the embassy will remain open, the official KUNA news agency quoted the Kuwaiti ambassador as saying.
"Due to the situation in Beirut and the continued blockade of roads and the difficulty of movement... we have decided to reduce the number of Kuwaiti diplomats," Abdulaal al-Qenai said.
But Qenai insisted the embassy would remain open and that he would stay in the Lebanese capital despite the deadly sectarian fighting that has shaken Beirut and other parts of the country for almost a week.
He said the embassy has already evacuated around 800 Kuwaitis and Arabs residing in Kuwait but a "few Kuwaitis decided to stay in Lebanon."(AFP)
Beirut, 13 May 08, 14:04
[link to www.naharnet.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 9:48 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
'The govt's powerlessness these days is intolerable'
[link to www.jpost.com]
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday visited Moshav Yesha, where 70-year-old Shula Katz was killed a day earlier by a Kassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. Residents of the moshav asked Barak to provide an effective response to the security threat posed by the constant barrage of rockets and mortar shells. Barak asked the residents to be strong and show resolve.
The defense minister said that the government was aspiring to achieve quiet in the area. However, he added, "It won't take another eights years, and not even another year. But tomorrow the situation will not change." He pledged to promote the fortification of the area and the building of shelters. Barak said that all of the schools and bus stops would be fortified.
Haim Yellin, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council, replied that "instead of demanding that the residents stand resolutely, the government should act swiftly in order to end Kassam fire."
"The government's powerlessness and its disappearance during these difficult days in the Gaza periphery are intolerable," Yellin and the head of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, Alon Shuster, told the defense minister. "We want to meet [US President George W.] Bush because he's the one who's really calling the shots."
70-year-old Katz, of Kibbutz Gvar'am, was killed while visiting Moshav Yesha in the Eshkol region. The deadly attack came four days after a mortar shell killed Jimmy Kedoshim, 48, a father of four, as he stood in the yard of his house in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the Negev.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Monday's attack, after which certain defense officials warned against accepting the Egyptian-proposed cease-fire with Hamas and called for a military response to the continued rocket fire. A half-dozen rockets fell in the western Negev area Monday, including one that landed in Ashkelon.
Despite the escalation in violence, officials close to Barak said that Israel was leaning toward accepting Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman's truce offer, which was presented to the defense minister during a breakfast meeting at Barak's Tel Aviv home earlier in the day. Israel plans to first gradually accept the offer and later turn it into a full-fledged cease-fire following Gilad Schalit's release. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 10:05 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Iranian citizens caught fighting for Hezbollah in Lebanon
[link to yalibnan.com]
Published: Tuesday, 13 May, 2008 @ 2:00 AM in Beirut (GMT+2)
By Debbie Schlussel
Beirut- Although Hezbollah has retreated--by its own choice (and it could easily return and retake)--from Beirut, the Iranian/Syrian-backed, Lebanese terrorist group is fighting in the surrounding hills.
My exclusive Lebanese Intelligence sources tell me that a number of Hezbollah terrorist fighters have been caught, over the weekend, and they cannot speak Arabic, only Farsi. They are Iranian and have identified themselves or been identified by third parties as members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. This is the same group that, under Khomeini, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and kept U.S. civilians hostage for over 444 days in 1979-81, in Iran.
As I reported, last week, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called for an end to flights to Lebanon from Iran. He claimed that these flights were likely used to transport Iranian fighters and their weapons into Lebanon for a big conflagration and takeover.
Now, his claims have been borne out.
Again, Iranian Revolutionary Guard members are fighting on behalf of Hezbollah on the ground of Lebanon, near Beirut.
Iran is expanding its temporary satellite state from South Lebanon to the entire country. Where is George Bush on this? Nowhere to be seen. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 11:47 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Hariri says majority coalition will not surrender to Hezbollah
Reuters
Published: May 13, 2008, 18:39
[link to www.gulfnews.com]
Beirut: Senior pro-government Lebanese political leader, Saad Al Hariri, said on Tuesday his majority coalition would not surrender to Hezbollah, whose fighters have routed supporters of the Sunni-led government in Beirut.
"They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags... This is impossible," Hariri told a news conference. |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 11:47 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
any updates for us today Military Man?? |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 2:24 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
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| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/13/2008 3:06 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Hariri Sounds the Alarm: Sunni-Shiite Conflict On, No Surrender to Iran and Syria
[link to www.naharnet.com]
Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri announced that the Majority would not sign a "document of surrender to Syria and Iran and warned that Hizbullah's attack on Beirut has started a Sunni-Shiite conflict.
Hariri, addressing a press conference at his Quraitem Palace in Beirut, said any dialogue with the Hizbullah-led opposition should be topped by one topic, which is the "martyrs" and victims who fell during the offensive that Beirut has faced.
"We were expecting open war on Israel, but the open war was launched on Beirut," Hariri said.
"Did Beirut assassinate Imad Mughniyeh?" he asked.
Hariri said Hizbullah launched its attack upon instructions from Iran and Syria.
He charged that the Sunni-Shiite confrontation has started and called for containing it before it explodes into all out civil war.
The citizens, according to Hariri, "protected the army unity."
Hariri accused Hizbullah and its allies of "committing a crime under the pretext of defending the resistance and now they are using resistance weapons against the people."
"History would not have mercy on champions of the Sunni-Shiite confrontation," Hariri declared.
"The attack couldn't have happened without an Israeli cover," Hariri charged and asked: "how did thousands of fighters move from the south to Beirut?"
"This is the first indication to a Syrian-Israeli rapprochement," he added.
"They want Saad Hariri, (Progressive Socialist Party leader) Walid Jumblat and all the March 14 forces to approve the return of the Syrian regime to Lebanon, but this would not happen. This is impossible," Hariri declared.
He said: "We did not fight. We are not good at civil wars. This is an honor."
Hariri stressed that "Item Number one on any dialogue agenda should be the security of Beirut, the mountain, the north and all Lebanese areas."
"Dialogue has no meaning if weapons are pointed at the Lebanese," he added
Hariri reiterated that "we had placed the two (Government) decisions in the hands of the Army command and we are committed to the Army Command's statement."
He said the Arab Ministerial committee is welcome in Lebanon "through Beirut Airport and hope it would succeed in safeguarding Lebanon the ordeals imposed by the Syrian and Iranian regimes."
He repeated that "the Sunni-Shiite conflict is on."
Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman remains the consensus presidential candidate," Hariri added.
Beirut, 13 May 08, 19:20 |
| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/14/2008 8:57 AM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
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| Anonymous Coward
User ID: 415225
5/14/2008 12:26 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
Kaytusha rocket stikes Ashkelon mall wounding about a dozen people.
C'mon Olmert - get off your rear and do something |
| Military Man
User ID: 265749 (OP)
5/14/2008 12:54 PM | | Re: War Thread - The Official Israel v. Syria, Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas War Thread 2008. | Quote |
No surprise in Hamas going for blood while Bush is in town. A missile hit the Ashod shopping center injuring many. Expect more of the same. There is an ultimate goal by Hamas, Syria, and Iran to provoke Israel into attacking Gaza wherein, the three may join-up with the leaders of Lebanon, the Hezbollah in attacking Israel.
At the same time, there is much preparation under way by the U.S. and its allies on whom is to attack iran this year. Israel is still the prime candidate to act, but Israel is asking a heavy price inlcuding Aegis ships stationed near Israel, an open corridor through Iraq, Tankers for refueling, and even deployment of specialized troops for confrontation with Syria and the Hezbollah. |
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