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| The Israeli/Hezbollah War |
| This page is dedicated to the Israeli/Hezbollah war. For most who follow events in the middle east, this was truly a historical time in the middle east. I will keep this page updated as much as possible and fill it with the most relevant and important information for as long as the war and its aftermath persists. |
| Nasrallah Thanks Winograd For Honesty
"The important achievement of the July war is that Israel admitted that it failed, and that the Lebanese resistance was victorious," Nasrallah told the Lebanese TV station OTV on Wednesday night. "The most important factor in the resistance was the fighting of the young people, but another factor was the public support," Nasrallah continued. "Those same young people - sons of their families were uprooted from their homes. Over one million people were uprooted and they received the support of the Lebanese public. "Without this support, and if the atmosphere were different, it's possible that we would have lost the war and headed into a civil war," he said. -February 11 2008 Media Weigh Winograd Report Israeli papers see Prime Minister Ehud Olmert surviving in the wake of the Winograd report, but give a mixed verdict on the report itself. Some commentators say Winograd's authors rowed back from the harsh criticism of the government contained in their interim report last year. Many fault the final report for having "no bottom line". But others praise it as "brave", and call on Mr Olmert to resign. -February 5 2008 Winograd's Blessing In Disguise the 2nd Lebanon War a last, indispensable, wake-up call to arouse the State of Israel from years of slumber and ignorance in matters of top national security -February 5 2008 The Winograd Report In Full 12. In the period we examined in the Final Report - from July 18, 2006, to August 14, 2006- again troubling findings were revealed, some of which had already been mentioned in the Interim Report: -We found serious failings and shortcomings in the decision-making processes and staff-work in the political and the military echelons and their interface. -We found serious failings and flaws in the quality of preparedness, decision-making and performance in the IDF high command, especially in the Army. -We found serious failings and flaws in the lack of strategic thinking and planning, in both the political and the military echelons. -We found severe failings and flaws in the defence of the civilian population and in coping with its being attacked by rockets. -These weaknesses resulted in part from inadequacies of preparedness and strategic and operative planning which go back long before the 2nd Lebanon war. -February 3 2008 Israel Botched Chance To Free Abducted Soldiers At Start Of War Israel missed a reasonable opportunity for a cease-fire with Hezbollah during the first week of the Second Lebanon War, which could have included transferring kidnapped Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev to the Lebanese government, according to senior Israeli and United Nations officials who were involved in the indirect talks. The deal offered to Israel between July 16 and 18, 2006, would have at least enabled Israel to ascertain the soldiers' condition, which remains unknown. According to the mediators, the Israeli leadership played a key role in botching that opportunity, which led to an escalation of the war with Hezbollah. Olmert's associates deny there was a realistic deal, and that the UN diplomats conceded that they could not guarantee Hezbollah would deliver the soldiers to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The full story appears in the book "Spider Webs - The Story of the Second Lebanon War," being published this week in Hebrew by Yedioth Ahronoth. UN diplomats claim that at the time, Hezbollah did not rule out transfering Goldwasser and Regev to Siniora. Israel Defense Forces officers now confirm that the possibility had been up for discussion, and that Hezbollah might have agreed to it. However, when the UN envoys tried to advance the proposal, it was made clear to them in Jerusalem that the hostages were no longer top priority. -January 10 2008 do you think for a second that hezbollah would release the prisoners afdter going through all the trouble of capturing them? The REAL Reason For the Summer 2006 War The story goes further back than July of 2006. It really began in April 1979! On Sabbath day, April 22, 1979, Danny and Smadar Haran met up with a monster named Samir Kuntar. Samir Kuntar is one of three Lebanese prisoners still serving time in Israeli jails. Kuntar, a Lebanese Druze born on July 20, 1962 in the Lebanese mountain village of Aabey currently holds the dubious distinction of being the longest held Lebanese prisoner in Israeli jails! He was a member of Abu Abbas' notorious PLF (Palestine Liberation Front) which committed despicable acts of terror against Israeli, Jewish, and American targets worldwide throughout the 1970's and 1980's. Kuntar was convicted and sentenced to a 534 years prison sentence by the state of Israel. Israel even almost tried to pass a bill to have him executed! What did he do? What was his crime? On July 12, 2006 per orders of Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hasssan Nasrallah, Hezbollah terrorists crossed the northern Israeli border. They attacked two Israeli military vehicles with anti tank missiles, killed four soldiers, kidnapped two others and demanded the immediate unconditional release of Samir Kuntar in exchange for the two abducted soldiers. Hezbollah originally named this operation "Operation Freedom for Samir Al-Kuntar," but on the days leading up to the July 12 attack it was shortened to "Operation Truthful Promise." The latter referred to the "true promise" Nasrallah had made to the Kuntar family that the cross-border kidnapping of IDF soldiers to force the release of Samir Kuntar. -June 26 2007 this was sent in by a reader. Thanks! Saniora Discloses Israel-Hezbollah War Losses Prime Minister Fouad Saniora said Monday last summer's 34-day war between Israel and Hizbullah has claimed 1,200 lives and wounded 4,400 people. He said 7,500 fishermen also sustained damage to their boats, nets and equipment due to heavy Israeli bombardment. During the confrontation, Saniora said, 862 schools were damaged and 22 schools were completely destroyed. Sappers from the Lebanese Army, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have defused 114,000 cluster bombs and 468 other types of bombs dropped by Israeli forces during the war, according to Saniora. -May 12 2007 The Arab Commission: Hezbollah Should Resign Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, made a remarkable statement last week. He praised Israel for conducting an inquiry into last year’s war with Hezbollah — an inquiry that accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of “serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence.” One has to be impressed by his honesty, but he did not take it all the way, since the Arab leader who most needs to be probed is Mr. Nasrallah himself. He started the war with Israel, which was a disaster for both sides. If there were an honest Arab League Inquiry Commission into the war, here is what it would say about him: -May 12 2007 Winograd Report Tells Ehud Olmert That He Failed • Prime Minister Ehud Olmert didn’t do his homework before going to war. There was no backup or alternative war plans. The Winograd committee told the Prime Minister, through this report, that he failed. Just a few hours later Olmert made a televised statement. His reaction? “I have no intention of resigning.” -May 2 2007 sound familliar? the fact is Ehud Olmert is just a Jewish version of George Bush. see Olmert's Top 5 Blunders. Nasrallah Expresses Rare Praise For Israel “It is worth every respect when an inquiry commission ... is appointed by (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert ... and it condemns Olmert,” Nasrallah said at a book fair in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hizbullah stronghold. “I will not stand here to rejoice at the misfortunes of Olmert, (Defence Minister Amir) Peretz and (former army chief Dan) Halutz,” he said. “One can only respect the butchers’ enemy leaders ... when they work day and night for their prisoners,” he added. On Monday, the inquiry accused the three men of “serious failure” in handling the 34-day war sparked by Hizbullah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers. “They study their defeat in order to learn from it,” unlike Arab states that “do not probe, do not ask, do not form inquiry commissions ... as if nothing has happened,” Nasrallah said. -May 3 2007 Even Israel's enemies praise their democractic system Hezbollah Leader Declares: We Get Our Orders From Iran For many years, Hizbullah was careful not to implicate Iran in its terror operations. However, in a 15 April interview with the Iranian Arabic language TV station ‘al Qawthar’, Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Kassem, told the interviewer that suicide bombings, terrorist attacks and even artillery barrages against Israeli civilians all receive prior approval from the Ayatollahs in Teheran: "The religious doctrine which dictates Hizbullah’s actions in general and those relating to the Jihad in particular, is based on the rulings of the spiritual leader in Teheran. The spiritual leader has the power to permit our actions, and the spiritual leader can forbid them. "In order to know what is permitted and forbidden regarding the Jihad, we ask for and receive overall permission and only then do we carry out the operation. “Even with regard to the suicide bombings, no one is allowed to kill himself without religious authorization. “Even the rocket attacks on Israel, against the civilian population [Aug 2006] … in order to apply pressure, even this required overall religious authorization." -May 3 2007 Israel Provides Proof That Hezbollah Used Civilians as Human Shields Israel maintains its attacks against Hezbollah targets in populated areas did not violate international law. It says Hezbollah deliberately operated within civilian areas, raising the civilian death toll. The 300-page report seeks to bolster these claims. It includes documents, photos and video footage, billed as declassified, though much of it is similar to information that has appeared on TV newscasts and the foreign ministry website. It also says civilian casualties were lower than reported, and that at least 450 of the dead were guerrillas. The study was prepared by a team led by military intelligence expert Reuven Ehrlich, a retired lieutenant colonel who now heads the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre. The private think tank has close ties with the country’s military leadership and maintains an office at the Israeli defence ministry. It compiled the report in conjunction with lawyers from the army and the foreign ministry. -December 5 2006 Survey: Politcal Cartoonists and U.S. Newspapers Support Israel During Recent War In the aftermath of Hezbollah's kidnapping of Israeli soldiers on July 12 and its shelling of Israeli towns and cities, political cartoonists and U.S. newspapers overwhelmingly supported Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah's acts of aggression. -August 31 2006 the pictures on this page are hilarious Nasrallah Saves Olmert Ehud Olmert couldn't have asked for better publicity. For the past two weeks, the Israeli prime minister has been trying to convince the world that Israel won its recent war in Lebanon. But in light of growing reports of a lack of equipment for its soldiers, arrogant generals and confusing orders from the cabinet in Jerusalem, hardly anyone believes him -- most of all because Israel still hasn't attained its chief objective in the war, which was to secure the release of two of its soldiers kidnapped on July 12. Ironically, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has now inadvertently rushed to support the beleaguered Israeli prime minister. "If we had known that capturing the soldiers would have led to all of this, we wouldn't have done it," the sheikh said. Most Israeli commentators agreed that Nasrallah's comments were tantamount to admitting defeat. With this admission, Nasrallah managed to make the front pages of all Israeli daily newspapers. "Nasrallah: I Made a Mistake," wrote Israel's largest daily newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. Another daily newspaper, Maariv, dubbed Nasrallah's statement "The Remorse Speech." -August 30 2006 Nasrallah Regrets Kidnapping of Israeli Soldiers "We did not think, even 1 percent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude. You ask me, if I had known on July 11 ... that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not," he said in an interview with Lebanon's New TV station. -August 27 2006 there. Hezbollah officially admits they didn't gain from the war. Inquiry Opened Into Israeli Use of U.S. Made Cluster Bombs The State Department is investigating whether Israel’s use of American-made cluster bombs in southern Lebanon violated secret agreements with the United States that restrict when it can employ such weapons, two officials said. Several current and former officials said that they doubted the investigation would lead to sanctions against Israel but that the decision to proceed with it might be intended to help the Bush administration ease criticism from Arab governments and commentators over its support of Israel’s military operations. The investigation has not been publicly announced; the State Department confirmed it in response to questions. In addition to investigating use of the weapons in southern Lebanon, the State Department has held up a shipment of M-26 artillery rockets, a cluster weapon, that Israel sought during the conflict, the officials said. The inquiry is likely to focus on whether Israel properly informed the United States about its use of the weapons and whether targets were strictly military. So far, the State Department is relying on reports from United Nations personnel and nongovernmental organizations in southern Lebanon, the officials said. -August 25 2006 so much for all those who claim the U.S. agrees with Israel on everything. and if Israel violated an agreement with the U.S. they SHOULD be sanctioned Poll: Most Israelis Believe Israeli Arabs Supported Nasrallah Fifty-five percent of Israelis believe that the majority of the Arabs in Israel supported Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the war in Lebanon , a survey conducted by the Dahaf Institute, coordinated by the institute's manager Dr. Mina Tzemach, revealed. Israel's Arabs themselves, on the other hand, think otherwise. When asked "Who did you want to win the second war in Lebanon?" 27 of them answered "Israel," only 18 percent said they were on Nasrallah's side, and 36 percent did not support either side. -August 24 2006 lets remember, some of the missiles launches by Hezbollah hit the homes of Israeli Arabs. Israel Holds Nasrallah, the Grocer Hassan Nasrallah was briefly in Israel's hands, along with three members of his family and a neighbour. Unfortunately for the embarrassed Israelis, he was the local green grocer - not the head of Lebanon's Hezbollah group. -August 22 2006 LOL. nothing wrong with a little humor Did Hezbollah Really Win? Ever since the cessation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, following the passage of U.N. Resolution 1701, the overwhelming impression around the world, including in Israel, is that Hezbollah won the conflict. Many point out that Israel went into Lebanon on July 12 2006 with the intention of freeing their 2 soldiers and disarming Hezbollah. Yet after 34 days of fierce fighting, none of those objectives have been met. Rather, over 800 Lebanese have been killed, most of them civilians, and over 150 Israelis have been killed, most of them soldiers. Hezbollah is now using the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers to bolster its image in Lebanon and the Muslim world by claiming it beat the Middle East’s most powerful army. While Israel certainly didn’t win anything from this war, is it really fair to say that Hezbollah won this war? -August 22 2006 Turkey Stops Iranian and Syrian Arms Shipments to Hezbollah Six Iranian ILDT type 4-cargo planes and a Syrian aircraft were forced to land at the southeast Turkish military airport last Thursday after US spy satellites spotted they were loaded with missiles, missile launchers and eight boxes of Chinese made C-802 missiles, dubbed by Iran “Nur.” -August 21 2006 Israel Launches Commando Raid Against Hezbollah in Lebanon Israel mounted a concerted attack against a Hezbollah stronghold Saturday, in the first major breach of a UN-sponsored ceasefire which came into effect on Monday. Israeli warplanes flew overhead as Israeli commandos, disguised as Lebanese soldiers, and transport vehicles, were airlifted by helicopters to a village deep inside Lebanese territory. There they landed and the vehicles transported them to the east Lebanese village of Boudai, west of Baalbek where a major gunbattle resulted. Hezbollah sources say the attack was foiled. The Israeli army said one Israeli soldier, an officer, was killed in the raid while another two were wounded, one seriously. Lebanese security sources said three Hezbollah fighters were killed in the raid. Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora described the attack as a, 'flagrant violation' of the ceasefire. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said the special forces operation was carried out, 'to prevent and interfere with terror activity against Israel, especially the smuggling of arms from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah.' The spokesman said the commando team completed its mission. -August 19 2006 Israel started it this time Lebanese Troops Deploy to Southern Lebanon Lebanese troops have begun deploying south of the Litani River as part of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants, wire services reported Thursday. Also Thursday, the Israeli military announced that Israeli troops have begun handing over control of territory in southern Lebanon to the U.N. observer mission. -August 16 2006 Full Text of U.N. Resolution 1701 -August 15 2006 FAST FACTS: The UN Resolution The resolution authorizes 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israeli forces that have occupied the area withdraw. The resolution also: — will allow Israel to continue "defensive operations." — seeks an immediate halt to the fighting. — spells out a series of steps that would lead to a permanent cease-fire and long-term solution. — will expand the current force of 2,000 U.N. troops to a maximum of 15,000. — implement previous Security Council resolutions calling for Hezbollah's disarmament. — calls for Israeli troops to withdraw "in parallel" to the addition of U.N. troops. — gives Annan one week to report back on how well the U.N. resolution's been implemented. — emphasizes the need for the "unconditional release" of the two Israeli soldiers whose July 12 capture by Hezbollah sparked the conflict; however that call is not included in the list of steps required for a lasting cease-fire. — creates in south Lebanon "free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL" — the acronym of the U.N. force deployed in the region since 1978. — calls for Annan to produce proposals within 30 days on resolving various border disputes including the one over Chebaa Farms. Lebanon had wanted a direct demand in the draft that Chebaa Farms be put under U.N. control. -August 12 2006 Israel Accepts UN Resolution, Expects to Pullout of Lebanon Monday Morning A senior Israeli government official said Saturday that Israel would all hostilities in Lebanon at 7 a.m. local time on Monday, which is midnight EDT Sunday night. -August 12 2006 great, both israel and hezbollah have effectively agreed on a truce. looks like this thing is almost over Hezbollah Leader Backs Truce, Accepts UN Resolution Hezbollah's leader gave his support on Saturday to a United Nations ceasefire proposal for southern Lebanon, saying his organization would agree to the plan's terms once the timing of the truce was agreed on and adhered to by Israel. "Once there is an agreement to stop the so-called military operations or the aggressive operations … the resistance will adhere to it without hesitation," Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech. -August 12 2006 Israel Expected to Accept U.N. Resolution to End Fighting "I do not want to pre-empt the Cabinet decision, but the language as I see it now -- and I'm being careful -- if the language of the resolution doesn't change, I view this resolution very positively and, of course, the crux is implementation," Ayalon said. "If this resolution will be enforced, then we solve the problem of Lebanon." Lebanese government officials, cited by the AP, said Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was studying the document and contacting politicians in his country for their input. The draft also calls for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. In the Lebanese capital, Beirut, sources close to the negotiations said the deal would create a 400-square-mile zone inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah militia would be excluded. The number of U.N. troops in the area would be increased from 2,000 to a maximum of 15,000; they would be joined by 15,000 Lebanese troops. -August 11 2006 Failure to Defeat Hezbollah Diminishes Israel's Value to the U.S. Israel has been cautious in Lebanon, fearing not only for the lives of its soldiers, but also that an overly aggressive military campaign will alienate world opinion and force its hand diplomatically at the UN. However, Israeli leaders ought to worry more about a different scenario, one in which American policymakers, analyzing the Israel Defense Forces' failure to defeat Hezbollah after 30 days effort, lose their faith in Israel's ability to "get the job done" on issues of shared strategic interest. Should the IDF lose its aura of invincibility in American eyes, Israel's perceived value as an ally could decline sharply. This reassessment in Washington, when combined with a continuing and even heightened determination by Arab states and jihadists to destroy Israel, would be catastrophic for its security. For decades, Israel has enjoyed an extremely close relationship with the United States. These ties have grown even stronger during George W. Bush's presidency. Israeli leaders should not, however, take American support for granted. There is, of course, a tremendous reservoir of good will and genuine affection for Israel among Americans; but sentiment and habit alone are not a sufficient basis for an enduring U.S.-Israel alliance. The hard truth is that Israel must appear to be, and be, a winner in order to remain a valuable strategic partner for the United States. -August 11 2006 Hezbollah Uses Christian Villages As Shields in Missile Attacks Recent reports indicate that Hezbollah is using Christian villages to shield its attacks against Israel. According to Christian Solidarity International, Hezbollah is hiding among civilian populations, mostly in southern Lebanese towns, such as Ain Ebel, Rmeish, Alma Alshaab. This is not a new strategy for Hezbollah. Col. Charbel Barka, a former South Lebanese Army commander, says Hezbollah is repeating what it did in attacks against Israel in 1996. A Christian from the village of Ain Ebel, who requested to remain nameless for fear of a reprisal from Hezbollah, reported that he found Hezbollah fighters setting up a launcher on his rooftop. Hezbollah fighters ignored his pleas to stop and fired the missiles. He immediately gathered his family and fled his home, which was bombed 15 minutes later by an Israeli air strike. Hezbollah has also attempted to stop Christians from fleeing their villages. According to Christian Solidarity International, on July 28, Hezbollah fighters fired upon several Christians fleeing Rmeish with their families, wounding two. -August 10 2006 Can Hezbollah Unite Lebanon Amid the carnage and slaughter in Lebanon a new force is emerging that has confounded Israel - the tremendous unity shown by ordinary Lebanese towards each other. Lebanon is a country that lives in the shadow of civil war, but Israel miscalculated in thinking it could rekindle sectarian hatred in its battle against Hizbollah. This is what they meant when they threatened to “turn the country back 20 years”. Ordinary Lebanese are rediscovering unity in resistance, which had seemed lost during 15 years of civil war (1975-90). The majority have backed Hizbollah in its struggle against Israel. Yet Hizbollah is trapped by the major contradictions of Lebanese society - between class and religious sects. Sectarianism is not merely an expression of hatred between religious groups - it is rooted in a system that gives privileges to one group over others. But during the civil war the mass of ordinary people were pushed into misery and poverty - hunger did not distinguish between religious identities. The greatest division in the country became class, not religion. The groundswell of support from all communities for the victims of Israel’s attacks shows the general revulsion against religious sectarianism. This desire for unity was reflected in the growing movement against neo-liberal policies, and anger at the growing chasm between rich and poor. Before Israel’s latest war, half a million Lebanese workers marched against the government’s economic policies. -August 10 2006 The Growing Arab Divide The days following the outbreak of the latest war in the Middle East were very revealing. After a clearly aggressive declaration of war by the Iran-supported terrorist group Hezbollah, several Arab states came out and condemned the action. The real reason was spelled out in an International Herald Tribune column on August 3: Leaders in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned Hezbollah’s action “at least in part because they saw its boldness as a signal of the growing regional threat from a possibly nuclear-capable Iran. That position, untenable amid public outrage, echoed suspicions voiced for a couple years about a ‘Shiite crescent’ emerging from Iran through the Gulf to Iraq and then on through Syria to Lebanon” In the weeks that have since elapsed, we have stopped hearing such criticism of Hezbollah, as Muslim public opinion has swung decisively against Israel and behind the terrorists. However, the underlying reality has not gone away. The existence of an Arab divide, with the Iran-led extremists on one side and more moderate Arabs, generally Sunni, on the other, is very real—and destined to play a significant role in future events. -August 10 2006 Haifa's Arabs: We Wont Leave City Former Knesset Member and Haifa resident Issam Mahoul on Wednesday categorically rejected Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah's call to Arab residents of Haifa to evacuate the city. "We have nothing to do outside of Haifa, and we have no reason to panic. The Palestinian people are especially unwilling to be refugees of any kind again," Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav also responded to Nasrallah's statements. "The Arabs residents of Haifa are rooted deep in the city's land, history and landscape. No Nasrallah will manage to uproot them from here, or distort the voices of this city," Yahav said. -August 10 2006 Nasrallah Warns Arab Israelis in Haifa to Leave Their Homes Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday warned all Israeli Arabs to leave the port city of Haifa so his guerrilla organization could step up attacks without fear of shedding the blood of fellow Muslims. "I have a special message to the Arabs of Haifa, to your martyrs and to your wounded. I call you to leave this city. I hope you do this. ... Please leave so we don't shed your blood, which is our blood." -August 9 2006 and i find it funny that some still like to claim that Israel is the racist one Venezuela to Cut Ties With Israel "We have withdrawn our diplomatic representation from the state of Israel and they have also withdrawn their ambassador," Chavez said in a speech broadcast on the state television, Reuters reported. "The most likely next step will be for us to break diplomatic relations, because I have no interest in maintaining diplomatic relations, or offices, or businesses, or anything with a state like Israel." No Arab country has dared to take similar diplomatic measures against Israel over its war on fellow Arab country Lebanon. -August 9 2006 Those Poor, Innocent Lebanese Let me get this straight. You allow one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world to set up shop throughout your country. You permit them to completely take over the entire southern third of your country and you claim to have seen nothing. You allow the terrorists to store weapons, bombs and rockets in your basements. You turn a blind's eye when they carry arms into your restaurants, stores and buildings. Yet you call yourself an "innocent civilian." There are giant posters of the rubenesque terrorist leader, Hasan Nasrallah, all over Lebanon with headlines declaring the imminent destruction of Israel. Yet you choose to elect this terrorist party to your government--and all of the so called "innocent Lebanese" do not know anything about anything. Twenty thousand rockets and launchers are shipped into your country along with other military equipment by plane, truck and ship, and the government industrial complex knew absolutely nothing; and neither did all those "poor, innocent civilians" who are now crying. -August 4 2006 this article is a little bit libilous, but it makes an important point: if a people hope to collectively benefit from the actions of a terrorist group, they must then be ready to accept the collective punishment of those actions. Nasrallah's Flag, Anthem, Goals, and Interests are Not Lebanon's After the liberation of southern Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah could have gone down in history as one of the Arab leaders who fought against the occupation of their homeland. This could have been the case if he had settled for driving out the occupation... But Hizbullah is fighting in southern Lebanon in the name of the Lebanese, and with their blood, in order to expropriate [from them] the symbolic capital of the heroic struggle for the liberation [of their country] and in order to put them in the service of Iran's and Syria's regime of oppression. These events, which came after [Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon], exposed this fact, and Hizbullah's latest action is the greatest proof of this... Nasrallah and his militia have a flag that is not Lebanon's flag, a national anthem that is not Lebanon's anthem, goals and interests that are not the goals and interests of Lebanon, [and] stores of weapons that are not put into use for the sake of Lebanon, and their alliances are only with the enemies of Lebanon... Nasrallah has always defended the Syrian presence in Lebanon, despite the fact that he, and all the Arabs, know that this presence was in order to uphold [Syrian] hegemony over the Lebanese people. He defended the [Syrian] regime's mafia gangs, who plundered the resources of the miserable [Lebanese] people, after having plundered the resources of the helpless Syrian people. Nasrallah and his militia are prepared to wreck any chance or any spark of hope for the occupied [Palestinian] land, after they found, by way of Iranian funds, other militias, like Hamas, who wave the flag of Hizbullah... and who do not recognize the Palestinian flag... -August 3 2006 Human Rights Watch Lowers Qana Death Toll Human Rights Watch and news organizations initially reported 54 or more civilians died in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Qana. But a re-examination today indicated there were 28 deaths. Human Rights Watch said it discovered the discrepancy as part of a larger investigation of civilian deaths in Lebanon. The bombardment of Qana on Sunday and pictures of dead children pulled from the wreckage led to an international uproar. Some additional bodies may be buried in the rubble, Lebanese officials said Thursday. But others cast doubt on that. The human rights group said 13 villagers were listed as missing, but their families were not sure where they were and some may have fled north before the bombing. The initial casualty figure that Human Rights Watch used -- 54 -- was based on a list compiled by Lebanese officials from witnesses and villagers that gave the names of 63 people who had taken refuge in the three-story building when it was attacked, said Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies at Human Rights Watch. -August 3 2006 i smell another jenin. U.S. Major General Says Israel Has Been "Very, Very restrained" Commenting on FoxNews after the Israeli attack against missile launchers in Qana which inadvertently killed more than 50 Lebanese civilians, United States Maj. Gen. Burton Moore, former head of Centcom, stated that contrary to many critics, Israel has been ?very, very restrained? in its attacks. "... Hezbollah probably miscalculated, they were really looking to get some prisoners released, but now they?re in this war with Israel, and I think in some ways Israel is being very, very restrained. ..." -August 1 2006 Israel Calls Ceasefire for 48 hours Israel agreed last night to suspend its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon for 48 hours, starting immediately, to allow for an investigation into a bombing that killed 54 civilians, mostly children, in the village of Qana. It will also co-ordinate with the United Nations to allow 24 hours for residents of southern Lebanon to leave the area, said Adam Ereli, a US State Department spokesman. Israel retained the right to "take action against targets preparing attacks against it." -July 30 2006 UN Compounds Attacked in Gaza and Beirut Palestinian protesters have stormed the United Nations (UN) compound in Gaza City during a protest against Israel's bombing of a building in southern Lebanon that killed around 60 people. Hundreds of members of Islamic Jihad militant group, some throwing stones and others firing rounds from assault rifles, attacked the UN compound in Gaza at the end of a rally, witnesses say. Earlier, Lebanese protesters broke into the UN headquarters in Beirut smashing windows and ransacking offices. Several thousand people massed outside the building in downtown Beirut chanting "Death to Israel, death to America. We sacrifice our blood and souls for Lebanon". -July 30 2006 Israeli Airstrike in Qana Sparks Fury Horror and condemnation rang out worldwide after an Israeli strike on Sunday killed dozens of sleeping Lebanese civilians in the conflict's deadliest attack yet, and leaders from Germany to Costa Rica cranked up demands for a ceasefire. Washington and London remained resistant to a truce, even as the raid on Qana disrupted US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to the region. Israel insisted Hezbollah was using the town to target Israeli villages. Activists staged anti-war protests Sunday in Beirut, London, Paris, Brussels and Karachi, Pakistan _ and a pro-Israel protest at Warsaw's main synagogue. Tunisia declared three days of mourning for Qana's victims. Pilgrims in the pope's palace courtyard chanted "peace, peace, peace." -July 30 2006 Hezbollah and Al-Qaida Mirror Growing Tensions To the outside world, the two groups appear to have much in common: Devoutly Muslim, fiercely hostile to Israel and the U.S., and high on Washington’s list of terrorist groups. Yet al-Qaida in Iraq and Lebanon’s Hezbollah are waging a worsening verbal dispute that threatens to burst into confrontation. First came a fiery diatribe from al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi _ just a week before he was killed by a U.S. airstrike _ accusing Hezbollah of acting as a protective buffer for Israel. Hezbollah, generally reserved in its comments on internal Islamic issues, began to react: One of its main political figures told The Associated Press it wasn’t his group at all but al-Zarqawi that was the ``tool’’ of United States and Israel. -July 27 2006 this is an important concept i want my readers to understand Hey Israel, You Missed One -July 26 2006 this is humorous but it is totally innacurate. just puttin it here for a quick chuckle Annan: Israel's Airstrike on UN Observer Post 'Deliberate' "I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defence Forces of a UN observer post in southern Lebanon," he said in a statement issued from Rome, where he was on a diplomatic mission. At least four observers were killed in the bombardment with more casualties "still under the rubble," according to Lebanese police. A spokesman for UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said there were 14 casualties. "This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by (Israeli) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire," Annan said. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, criticised Annan. "I am shocked and deeply distressed by the hasty statement of the secretary general, insinuating that Israel has deliberately targeted the UN post," Gillerman said in a statement. -July 26 2006 i dont understand how israel would benefit from a UN post being bombed. A UN post which is supposed to watch for Hezbollah fighters Hezbollah Says Israeli Response Was a Suprise His comments were the first time that a leader from the Shiite militant group has publicly suggested it miscalculated the consequences of the July 12 cross-border raid in which two Israeli soldiers were captured and three were killed. "The truth is _ let me say this clearly _ we didn't even expect (this) response ... that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us," said Komati. He said Hezbollah had expected "the usual, limited response" from Israel. In the past, he said, Israeli responses to Hezbollah actions included sending commandos into Lebanon, seizing Hezbollah officials and briefly targeting specific Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. Komati said his group had anticipated negotiations to swap the Israeli soldiers for three Lebanese held in Israeli jails, with Germany acting as a mediator as it has in past prisoner exchanges. -July 26 2006 one rule all governemnts must stick by is not negotitiating with terrorists. If Israel hadn't responded this fiercly to the kidnappings, hezbolla would have done this again again and again everytime they wanted something. this is why Israel's attacks in Lebanon are necessary. U.N. Executive Blames Hezbollah for Civilian Deaths Jan Egeland spoke to reporters at Larnaca airport in Cyprus late Monday after visiting Lebanon to coordinate an international aid effort. On Sunday, he toured the rubble of Beirut's southern suburbs, a once-teeming Shiite district where Hezbollah had its headquarters. During that visit, he condemned the killing and wounding of civilians by both sides and called Israel's offensive "disproportionate" and "a violation of international humanitarian law." On Monday, he had strong words for Hezbollah, which crossed into Israel, captured two soldiers and killed eight others on July 12, triggering fierce fighting. "Consistently, from the Hezbollah heartland, my message was that Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending ... among women and children," he said. "I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this. I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more children and women dead than armed men." -July 24 2006 In any conflict between Israel and another entitiy, the UN has a tendancy to always blame Israel for civilian deaths reguardless of the circumstances. so if the UN is now blaming someone else, i think this should get people's attention IDF Captures Two Hezbollah Operatives ISRAELI troops captured a number of Hezbollah fighters at the weekend and completed the takeover of a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon on which seven Israeli commandos died in bitter fighting last week. The capture of Hezbollah prisoners, the first since the current operation began, will enable Israeli intelligence to update its information on Hezbollah's deployment and intentions. The army also detained a number of Lebanese civilians in the area for questioning. -July 23 2006 Israel Seizes Village from Hezbollah Israeli tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers knocked down a fence and barreled over the Lebanese border Saturday as forces seized a village from the Hezbollah guerrilla group. The soldiers battled militants throughout the day and raided the large village of Maroun al-Ras in several waves before finally taking control, military officials said. Tens of thousands of Lebanese fleeing north packed into the port of Sidon to escape the fighting as the United Nations warned of a growing humanitarian "disaster." -July 23 2006 PHOTOS: Anti-Israel Protests in Australia -July 23 2006 this is totally patheic, to say the least. these protestors are completely unaware of history, and the actual events on the ground. Hezbollah Attacks Kill Two Israeli Arab Children Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah apologized for an attack that killed two Israeli Arab children in northern Israel, saying the youngsters were "martyrs for Palestine." "To the family that was hit in Nazareth -- on my behalf and my brothers', I apologize to this family," he said. "Some events like that happen. At any event, those who were killed in Nazareth, we consider them martyrs for Palestine and martyrs for the nation. I pay my condolences to them." -July 21 2006 Lebanese Army Might Team Up With Hazbollah if Israel Invades -July 21 2006 Israel Warns Lebanese People to Flee Pitched battles raged between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters on the border Thursday, and Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people to flee southern Lebanon “immediately,” preparing for a likely ground offensive to set up a buffer zone. -July 20 2006 Is Hezbollah in America? In May, the New York Post reported on Hezbollah's plans to activate sleeper cells in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit as the nuclear showdown with Iran heats up. One focal point: "the Iranian Mission to the United Nations, where there have already been three episodes in the last four years in which diplomats and security guards have been expelled for casing and photographing New York City subways and other potential targets." Heightened alert comes in the wake of reports that Iranian crackpot president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Hezbollah leaders in Syria earlier this year. -July 19 2006 Arab Governments Blame Hezbollah for Violence With the battle between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah raging, key Arab governments have taken the rare step of blaming Hezbollah, underscoring in part their growing fear of influence by the group's main sponsor, Iran. Saudi Arabia, with Jordan, Egypt and several Persian Gulf states, chastised Hezbollah for "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts" at an emergency Arab League summit meeting in Cairo on Saturday. The Saudi foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, said of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, "These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them." Prince Faisal spoke at the closed-door meeting but his words were reported to journalists by other delegates. It is nearly unheard of for Arab officials to chastise an Arab group engaged in conflict with Israel, especially as images of destruction by Israeli warplanes are beamed into Arab living rooms. Normally under such circumstances, Arabs are not blamed, and condemnations of Israel are routine. But the willingness of those governments to defy public opinion in their own countries underscores a shift that is prompted by the growing influence of Iran and Shia Muslims in Iraq and across the region. The way some officials see it, Arab analysts said, Israel is the devil they know, but Iran is the growing threat. -July 17 2006 G8 Blames Hezbollah for Mideast Violence Group of Eight leaders told Hizbollah militants they must free abducted Israeli soldiers and immediately halt attacks on Israel to end an upsurge in Middle East violence. In a statement from their summit in Russia, G8 leaders urged Israel to exercise "utmost restraint" in its offensive in Lebanon, but blamed the crisis squarely on "extremist elements" and put the onus on Hizbollah to stop it. A carefully-worded text said an end to Israeli military operations and withdrawal of forces from Gaza were other conditions needed to "lay the foundation for a more permanent solution". But it echoed support for Israel's right to self-defence voiced by the US, the Jewish state's main backer, and made no reference to criticism by G8 powers France and the European Union that Israel's bombing of Lebanon was excessive. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, the summit host, accused Israel of pursuing "other wider goals", but differences between Washington and its G8 partners were largely papered over in the statement. -July 16 2006 Venezuela's Chavez Lashes Out at Israel "The fundamental blame falls again on the U.S. empire. It's the empire that armed and supported the abuses of the Israeli elite, which has invaded, abused and defied the United Nations for a long time," Chavez said. The Venezuelan president said Israel was using excessive force _ destroying critical civilian infrastructure and killing and injuring civilians. -July 15 2006 but he makes no mention of the Hezbollah militants that started the whole thing. is Chavez just trying to appeal to his radical leftist, anti-American base? or is he being an arab wannabe? Arab Bloggers Dare to Dissent Many - though not all - in the Arab blogosphere sharply criticized Israeli actions as excessive, but they saw in the fury of the Israeli government something lacking in their own: concern for the life of a single citizen. "They will turn the world upside down to get that soldier back," wrote the SandMonkey, who describes himself as a 25-year-old Egyptian living in Cairo. "I kind of envy how much they care about their own." The sentiment was echoed by Isis, in BigPharaoh.com, wishing that "our government had half the respect for its citizens' life that the Israelis have for theirs." After Israeli jets entered Syrian airspace and flew low over the home of Syrian President Bashar Assad, someone identified only as Fares wrote in Amraji.blogspot.com, "Now even myself for the first time ever I applaud an Israeli action... Israel by this action has shown that it does not want to harm Syria... time for Syrians to pick the message up and stop supporting radicals and terrorists." -July 15 2006 Saudis Condemn Hezbollah Kidnapping The Saudi government has condemned Hezbollah for the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers that precipitated Israel's airstrikes on Lebanon. An unnamed Saudi official in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency said the "brazen capture of two Israeli soldiers was not legitimate." The official made a distinction between "legitimate resistance and uncalculated adventures." "The (Saudi Kingdom) sees that it is time for those elements to alone shoulder the full responsibility for this irresponsible behavior and that the burden of ending the crisis falls on them alone," the statement said. -July 14 2006 Israeli Warship Attacked by Hezbollah Aircraft An unmanned Hezbollah aircraft rigged with explosives rammed into an Israeli warship late Friday, causing heavy damage to the vessel, Israeli military officials said. -July 14 2006 Iran Uses Shiite Bonds to Position Itself in Lebanon On the streets of Harat Hreik, a mainly Shiite suburb of Beirut, the signs of Iranian influence are everywhere. Posters of the late Ayatollah Khomeini adorn storefronts and lampposts. A huge Iranian flag with the names of Iranian soccer players stretches across a major intersection. These outward symbols are just the most obvious sign of Iran's presence and influence among Lebanese Shiites, the country's largest sect. Heading south from this neighborhood and continuing to the Lebanese-Israeli border, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran's proxy militia and the country's largest armed group, is the authority, outgunning even the Lebanese army. Hezbollah run-and Iran funded-charities, hospitals, construction companies and schools provide services that the rural poor of the south and the Bekaa Valley depend on. Iran's activities in Lebanon are part of its larger plans for the region. By working through and with local Shiite communities, which are found in Bahrain, Iraq, eastern Saudi Arabia and stretching through Syria to Lebanon and Israel's northern frontier, Tehran is well on its way to creating a "Shiite Crescent"-a regional axis that allows it to hold most of the cards in any confrontation with the United States or Israel. And nowhere else, with the possible exception of Iraq, is Iran so well positioned as in Lebanon. -July 14 2006 Oil Closes at Record Price on Mideast Conflict Oil surged to record highs above $78 Friday on fears the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas could escalate and spread to more Middle East countries -July 14 2006 some have asked why oil is going up over this even though none of the countries involved have any oil. it is because oil traders are worried that Iran and Syria (both oil exporting countries) might join into the conflict to protect Hezbollah, in which case there would be a disruption of oil in an already tight market with world demand at an all time high Hezbollah Leader Says its Ready for 'Open War' with Israel Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that his group is ready for “open war” with Israel and warned that an Israeli warship that has been firing missiles into southern Beirut will be destroyed. Speaking defiantly in an audiotape aired on Hezbollah’s Al Manar television, Nasrallah addressed himself to Israelis, saying: “You wanted an open war and we are ready for an open war.” “Look at the warship that has attacked Beirut, while it burns and sinks before your very eyes,” Nasrallah said. It was not clear whether he meant that the warship has already been attacked. “Our homes will not be the only ones to be destroyed, our children will not be the only ones to die,” -July 14 2006 World Reaction to Israel Clashes in Lebanon Ehud Olmert, Israeli Prime Minister : "The events this morning are not terror attacks but actions of a sovereign state that attacked Israel for no reason. The Lebanese government, of which Hezbollah is a member, is trying to destabilize regional stability. Lebanon is responsible and it will bear responsibility." Hezbollah : "Fulfilling its pledge to liberate the (Arab) prisoners and detainees, the Islamic Resistance... captured two Israeli soldiers at the border with occupied Palestine. The two captives were transferred to a safe place." Osama Hamdan, Hamas spokesman in Lebanon : "We have proven to this enemy (Israel) that the one option is the release of Palestinian, Lebanese and Arab captives. All captives, without exception. Now Israeli has to decide on its choices.” Faruq al-Shara, Syrian Vice President "It is certain that the occupation is provoking the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples. That’s why there is a Lebanese resistance and a Palestinian resistance. Resistance is necessary at a time when the Zionist entity is launching attacks and carrying out massacres against the Palestinian people." Kim Howells, British Foreign Office Minister : "We condemn this morning’s infiltration and rocket attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel. We are particularly concerned by reports that Israeli soldiers may have been kidnapped or killed. "Hizballah’s actions will further escalate an already tense situation in the region. A further escalation is in no one’s interest." Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister : "I condemn the rocket strikes this morning on the town of Kyriat Shmona. I also condemn the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and I ask for their immediate and unconditional release. I call on all parties to show restraint and not engage in a cycle of violence in which civilian populations would be the first victims." EU spokeswoman for EU external relations : "We condemn unreservedly kidnappings and the Israeli soldiers must be released safely. The Blue Line (Israel-Lebanon border agreed in 2000) must be fully respected by all parties and we call on all parties to make efforts to put an end to violence." Gier Pedersen, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s representative in Lebanon "The Hezbollah attack this morning ... is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Hezbollah’s action escalates the already tense situation along the Blue Line and is an act of very dangerous proportions. This is not in Lebanon’s interest." -July 12 2006 Israeli Forces Invade Lebanon After Kidnapping of Two Soldiers Israel – on the trail of captured soldiers - struck bombed the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza Thursday, and then in Lebanon, imposed a naval blockade and attacked both the airport and the Hezbollah TV station. The U.S. is supporting Israel in its push, calling it a reaction to terrorism; Russia has condemned Israel's actions, but is also calling for the release of the captured soldiers. |
| Total Israelis Killed: 161 (39 civilians 122 soldiers) Total Lebanese Killed: 846 - 1182 (some militants, mostly civilians) |
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| "We did not think, even 1 percent, that the capture would lead to a war at this time and of this magnitude. You ask me, if I had known on July 11 ... that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not," -Hezbollah Leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in an interview with Lebanon's NTV Television Station. Source |
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