ADN

condolence. my prayers go with u and ur family.

let's hope that this conflict will be resolved soon and that violence will end.

my condolences raum.

I agree with your analysis this time. Israel's excessive use of force is totally disproportionate - they should be held responsible for it too.

All, Thank's for your condolences. Now, I just have to get my younger brother off the warpath. He is livid. Now, he is thinking about joining the service, and I just don't think that he would be doing it for the right reasons. We will see when he comes up here in a little while.

Fighting for revenge of the dead is an endless cycle.
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At Brains, I do not think the strength of Israel's response is excessive. I just think its too inaccurate and ineffective, and FAR TOO inclusive of every Lebanese citizen and visitor in Beirut and the surrounding region. I think that they are giving too many stories to far too many reporters. I have heard from the Israeli defense minister "Israel is not at war with Lebanon. Israel is at war with Hezbollah. Israel would like to see a strong Lebanese govt. deployed throughout South Lebanon." AND THEN I HEAR other Israeli Officials refer to "Our war with Lebanon." Over 20% of the country has had to flee, hundreds of innocent civilians have been the victim of war crimes simply because Israel doesn't know where to strike.

Lebanon begged for UN troops to take care of this, and even said their forces will work with Israel and the UN but it was UN troops who were paid to turn the other cheek.

BTW

I found out how this happened. Hezbollah bought UN soldier outfits, disguised themself, and walked near the border. When a vehicle was bombed, they pretended that they were trying to help. They kidnapped two troops, and others chased them back into Lebanon, where an Israeli tank hit a mine. Literally, there are troops (from india) who sold their uniforms to Hezbollah.

Bush told "Yo, Blair!" that "We don't blame Lebanon." Britain agreed. Their speech was VERY candid and sincere. If the two strongest allies Israel has do not see blame with Lebanon for this, than how can they in good conscious let Israel make Lebanon pay for the crimes of Hezbollah, and how can the UN let Lebanon pay for the treachery of their soldiers?

If this kind of damage must come to Lebanon to resolve Hezbollah's need for resistance, that is a damn shame, but worth it. But better the Lebanese help, in that they remain their dignity, and this be written into history as a (albeit hellishly severe) move away from war that marked a concerted effort of Lebanon and Israel, as opposed to the point where the Arab countries have officially declared the Peace process "DEAD". Yes, The Middle East process is DEAD.

But IF Israel wants to destroy Hezbollah utterly for this, then let them. But NEVER LET IT BE FORGOTTEN, that the gravest disgrace to the Lebanese people was that the forces of the world did not AT GUN POINT force Israel from Chebaa farms, which though the UN put it in Syria, farmers back in the 20's paid taxes to Lebanon, so even Syria admits it should be Lebanon. That was THE ONE reason Hezbollah remains armed to this day, and has grown into a terror cult from what was a simple farmer's resistance movement.

And personally, as an American, I feel Israel betrayed us. Lebanon was quickly becoming an ally, and one with some hope for the people of Iraq. Kuwait was enjoying their newfound wealth in the urbanesque nightlife of Beirut, and money was flowing into the impoverished area. The Universities in Beirut had our most qualified Arabic students at their desks, which are an INVALUABLE RESOURCE in the war on terror, and negotiations in the Middle East. Israel will never be able to judge how stupidly impulsive this reaction t HEzbollah was. and they have ONCE AGAIN immortalized the group.

If ONE member of Hezbollah survives, a thousand will swear allegiance to him just to coordinate revenge for this attack. And Hezbollah is not limited to Lebanon... not by a long shot.

Israel Defense Forces officials admitted Sunday that efforts at reducing or preventing Hezbollah rocket fire have yet to bear fruit.

The IDF believes that unless the pace of the army's anti-Hezbollah operations in Lebanon is quickened, the Shi'ite group will maintain the capability to lob Katyushas into northern Israel continuously for one month.

wow! ya figure this wasn't the way to go aftetr two weeks? jeez.

ok raum. it is too inaccurate and ineffective. it is targeting the wrong people, the wrong buildings, the wrong infrastructure. it is punishing the lebanese, while hizbollah fighters largely steer clear. i agree with all of that. it is excessive because of the above, is what I meant.

i am "glad" that you feel Israel has betrayed you - that is how I feel as well, for a long time. they should be grateful for Israel itself and be thanking the World that the WWII horrors are gone. Instead of doing that, they act like the school bully and do upon others what has been done upon them (not even nearly, but they are in the same street: oppressing others).

your second post: waw. amazing huh?! I had that figured out after one day - hey maybe I should become an IDF analyst.

see, Israel should have known this would be happening. Everyone else did I have spoken to, and they know what happens next. US interest will sink money and support into the area, making a viable cause for more people to suspect the US interests in the middle east. and there goes the 150 million dollars...

now, we get to see what happens next between Pakistan and India, in time for Israel to open the wounds of the war with Syria.

Iran is really not that clever. They are already in a perfect position to wait until the US forces in iraq redeploy to Afghanistan (already happening). Then they FINALLY get Iraq. Emergence of a HUGE Persian/Arab Muslim entity, with the power from nuke to power themselves into some of the largest oil-trade relationships with Russia and China.

Because I figured out WHY Iran was going so nuke... they will need the power for all of Greater Iran, not just their next generations in the area of Tehran.

What we need to do RIGHT NOW is get ready for what some tacticians call a "zerg rush" cause it aint going to just be the sh!t hitting the fan,.. its going to be the whole friggin toilet.