ADN

France commits 2,000 to Lebanon

Finally, France steps up. I wonder why, though? :roll:

With the 2,000 troops already in south Lebanon and France and Italy sending a combined 5,000, that only gives us 7,000. That's well short of the 15,000... :?

Israel asks Muslim states to send troops

Annan wants Hezbollah to free captured Israelis

It's nice to see other European nations offering what they can. By my calculations, the U.N. now has roughly 9,000 of the 13,000 troops needed.

And as long as Denmark, Germany, and Greece are offering to send ships, I don't think Israel should dismantle its blockade. Not until those ships arrive.

As a final note, I will say that I was surprised to read that the Lebanese are beefing up security along their border with Syria. I truly hope they're serious about separating themselves from Syria and become truly independent.

Lebanon has always wanted independence from Syria,.. except for the most extreme factions.

Fuck... I may be eating my words real soon... lol The U.N. may be useless as fuck, but it seems like the Lebanese are really stepping up. Not only are there reports of them beefing up security along the Syrian border, but now it's also being reported that they've got patrols wandering around, too.

I'm still disappointed with them for not doing anything about Hezbollah, though. Apparently Hezbollah dismantled a bunch of outposts near the Sheebaa Farms, but they left with all their fucking weapons and equipment! :?

Hizbullah dismantles 14 posts near the Shaba Farms

I was a little surprised by this map, too... I know you said the Farms was a small area, but Jesus... :shock: It looks like half of it is already controlled by Lebanon, too.

http://www.israelinsider.com/popup/plac ... tories.htm

all of it should be controlled by Lebanon, as it is part of Lebanon, as it was for over 6,000 years.

Why Israel will go to war again ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ soon

By John Keegan



There will soon be another war in the Middle East, this time a renewal of the conflict between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Hizbollah. The conflict is inevitable and unavoidable. It will come about because Israel cannot tolerate the rebuilding of Hizbollah's fortified zone in south Lebanon, from which last year it launched its missile bombardment of northern Israel.

Hizbollah has now reconstructed the fortified zone and is replenishing its stocks of missiles there. Hamas is also creating a fortified zone in the Gaza Strip and building up its stocks of missiles. Israel, therefore, faces missile attack on two fronts. When the Israel general staff decides the threat has become intolerable, it will strike.

What happened in south Lebanon earlier this year has been widely misunderstood, largely because the anti-Israel bias in the international media led to the situation being misreported as an Israeli defeat.

advertisementIt was no such thing. It was certainly an Israeli setback, but the idea that the IDF had suddenly lost its historic superiority over its Arab enemies and that they had acquired military qualities that had hitherto eluded them was quite false. Hizbollah suffered heavy losses in the fighting, perhaps as many as 1,000 killed out of its strength of up to 5,000 and it is only just now recovering.

What allowed Hizbollah to appear successful was its occupation of the bunker-and-tunnel system that it had constructed since June 2000, when the IDF gave up its presence in south Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982.

Although the IDF had got into south Lebanon, the casualties it had suffered in entering the fortified zone had alarmed the government and high command, since Israel's tiny population is acutely vulnerable to losses in battle. Israel's plan was to destroy Hizbollah's tunnels and bunkers, but the sending of a United Nations intervention force did not allow the destruction to be completed before the IDF was forced to withdraw.

Tunnel systems have played a crucial part in many modern campaigns, without attracting much attention. That is a serious oversight. The success of the Viet Cong in sustaining its war effort in Vietnam in 1968-72 depended heavily on its use of the so-called War Zone B, a complex of deep tunnels and underground bases north of Saigon, which had been begun during the war against the French in 1946-55.

War Zone B provided the Viet Cong with a permanent base of refuge and resupply that proved effectively invulnerable even against a determined American effort to destroy it. War Zone B has now become a major tourist attraction to Western visitors to Vietnam.

In its time, however, War Zone B was very far from being a holiday facility: it assured the survival of the Viet Cong close to Saigon and their ability to mount operations against the government forces and the Americans. Hizbollah, either by mimicry or on its own account, has now begun to employ a tunnel and underground base strategy against Israel. It was for that reason it was able to confront Israeli armoured forces in south Lebanon earlier this year.

The adoption of a tunnel strategy has allowed Hizbollah to wage asymmetric warfare against Israel's previously all-conquering armoured forces. The tunnel system is also impervious to attack by the Israeli Air Force.

Since Israel's reason for existence is to provide a secure base for the Jewish people, and that of the IDF is to act as their shield and safeguard ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ functions that have been carried out with high success since 1948 ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ it is obvious that neither can tolerate a zone of invulnerability occupied by a sworn enemy located directly on Israel's northern border.

It is therefore an easy prediction to foresee that the IDF will ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ at some time in the near future ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ reopen its offensive against Hizbollah in south Lebanon and will not cease until it has destroyed the underground system, even if, in the process, it inflicts heavy damage on the towns and villages of the region.

It is likely that it will also move against the underground system being constructed in the Gaza Strip. Hamas resupplies itself with arms and munitions brought from Egypt through those channels. Gaza is a softer target than south Lebanon, since it is an enclave that Israel easily dominates.

Indeed, the IDF may attack Gaza as a distraction from south Lebanon in an effort to make Hizbollah divide its forces and efforts.

Destroying the underground military facilities may be straightforward, but it is likely to create diplomatic complexities, particularly with the UN. Entering south Lebanon risks provoking a clash with Unifil, the major part of whose strength is provided by France. It is unlikely that such a risk will deter Israel. When national survival is at risk, Israel behaves with extreme ruthlessness. It attacked an American communications ship during the Six-Day War because it objected to America listening in to its most secret signals.

The big question hanging over an Israeli return to south Lebanon is whether that would provoke a war with Syria, Lebanon's Arab protector. The answer is quite possibly yes, but that such an extension of hostilities might prove welcome both to Israel and to the United States, which regards Syria as Iran's advanced post on the Mediterranean shore.

What is certain is that ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ probably before the year is out ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ Israel will have struck at Hizbollah in south Lebanon. And the strike will come even sooner if Hizbollah reopens its missile bombardment of northern Israel from its underground systems

UNIFIL "shows its teeth"


Over 500.000 people turned out for Pierre Gemayel¢¢¬¢ž¢s funeral in Lebanon and the procession swiftly turned into an anti-Syrian demonstration. Alas, we have been here before with Rafik Hariri¢¢¬¢ž¢s funeral and numerous others. Nothing, it seems, can prevent the Syrians and their proxies, the Hezbollah from destroying the Lebanese Cedar Revolution and the state of Lebanon itself.

Why should they care? The UN may huff and puff but will not blow any terrorist¢¢¬¢ž¢s house down, be it made of sand or straw. If Israel, the only power prepared to take on Hezbollah, comes anywhere near inflicting any damage on that organization, the international community unites in imposing a cease-fire that allows terrorists to operate with impunity.

In Britain and the United States, meanwhile, the ¢¢¬…œrealists¢¢¬‚ are ¢¢¬…œwinning the argument¢¢¬‚ with the help of the MSM who seems to be incapable of any unbiased, knowledgeable reporting. Sadly, we can all remember what happened when there was a similar situation: helicopters taking off the roof of the American embassy in Saigon and an appalling mess left behind in Vietnam and Cambodia.

But hey, there is a UN force in Lebanon. It may not be quite as large as it was promised to be (it is not at all clear, for instance, whether the 2,000 French are actually there) but it is there and its mandate is ¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“ well, now, it is hard to recall the details but I do believe disarming Hezbollah came into it somewhere. Except that UNIFIL has long ago announced that it will do nothing of the kind, because those nasty Hezzies might shoot at them.

What if Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel? Well, honestly, we cannot be everywhere.

Still, UNIFIL knows who the enemy is: Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, a senior French officer has explained that should the IAF fly over the French troops again, they will be allowed to fire at the aeroplanes. It seems that the October 30 episode really unnerved the troops and up with this they will not put. What they will do should Hezbollah fire anything is unknown.

There is some suspicion in Israel that this posturing has something to do with the forthcoming presidential elections in France and the possibility that the Defence Minister, Mich‚¨le Alliot-Marie may well decide to run. Or at least announce her candidacy. (Alliot-Marie against Royal? Now there¢¢¬¢ž¢s a contest worth watching.)

It seems that getting tough with Israel might bring some useful and approving headlines while getting tough with Hezbollah will bring nothing except shrieks of fear. One wonders what the headlines will be if Lebanon disintegrates into yet another civil war.

Thanks again to Biased BBC, which has produced the following gem from a BBC report on Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, quoting with a completely straight face, it seems:


Amnesty found that Hezbollah hid Katyusha rockets among civilians and often fired them into Israel from the cover of civilian villages. But researchers found no evidence that Hezbollah actually used civilians as human shields during the fighting.


And the story? Oh well, that's about Israel investigating its use of cluster bombs during the recent war with Hezbollah, who have nothing to investigate as they have done nothing wrong. Well, not according to the rather topsy-turvy logic used by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and, of course, our own, our very own BBC.

Israel, Palestinians agree to Gaza cease-fire

Hostilities to end Sunday; Hamas leader sets deadline for peace talks


JERUSALEM - Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire Saturday to end a five-month Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants into the Jewish state, officials from both sides said.

The cease-fire was to go into effect at 6 a.m. Sunday (11 p.m. Saturday EST), both sides said.

The agreement was reached after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Saturday to tell him that all Palestinian militant groups had pledged to stop rocket attacks into Israel, Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said

She said Abbas asked that Israel reciprocate by stopping its military operations in Gaza and withdrawing its forces, and Olmert agreed.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an Abbas spokesman, later confirmed that Palestinian armed factions -- including those allied to the Hamas militant group -- had agreed to stop their military activities in Gaza and reinstate a truce reached in Egypt in February 2005.

"There is a signed agreement between the president and Prime Minister (Ismail) Haniyeh and all the Palestinian factions to resort to the agreement of the factions in Cairo in 2005, including ceasing all the military activity from Gaza, starting from Sunday morning," Abu Rdeneh said. "The Israeli prime minister has agreed, and it is going to start tomorrow morning."

Offensive launched after soldier captured
Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-linked militants staged a cross-border raid in June and captured an Israeli soldier, whom they are still holding. Despite international criticism over Palestinian civilian deaths, Olmert had pledged earlier this month to continue the offensive until Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza significantly decreased.

Earlier Saturday, Hamas' leader said his group was willing to give peace negotiations with Israel six months to reach an agreement for a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, but threatened a new uprising if the talks fail.

The comments by the group's Syria-based supreme leader Khaled Mashaal were double-edged. It was the strongest confirmation by the Hamas political chief that the Islamic militant group would allow Abbas to try to negotiate with Israel. But it was also the first time he has set a deadline with an explicit threat of a new uprising.

"We give six months to open real political horizons.... We agreed on the national accord to establish a Palestinian state, with the June 4, 1967, borders," he told a news conference in Cairo, referring to Israel's borders before it captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

"They have to seize this opportunity," Mashaal said.

¢¢¬‹Å“Third uprising¢¢¬¢ž¢
If an agreement is not reached within that time frame, Mashaal threatened a new confrontation with Israel. "Hamas will become stronger and the resistance will resume ... and will go on with a third uprising," he said.

Israel had no immediate comment on Mashaal's proposal.

Mashaal suggested there was still no breakthrough on two main issues: the formation of a Palestinian unity government and a possible prisoner swap for the Israel soldier held by Hamas.

Hamas, which now leads the Palestinian government, is considering forming a coalition with the rival Fatah faction led by Abbas.

Abbas has been trying to work out a package deal with Hamas that would include a prisoner swap, a comprehensive cease-fire and the creation of a more moderate government of professionals to replace the one led by Hamas, which does not recognize the Jewish state.


Abbas has hoped the deal would lead to the lifting of punishing Western and Israeli economic sanctions imposed following the Hamas election victory in January.

The United States and other Western countries are demanding that Hamas recognize Israel and renounce violence as part of any national unity government, but Hamas has rejected those demands.

Mashaal said "great strides" had been made in negotiations over a new government. But he said "more time" was needed and stuck to Hamas' rejection of a Cabinet made up of technocrats rather than politicians from the two parties.

He also blamed Israel for failure to reach a deal for the release of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

"We are not the reason behind postponing the decision; the postponing of a settlement is due to the other side," Mashaal said of a prisoner swap.