ISRAEL - IRAN - SYRIA - HAMAS - HEZBOLLAH - WWWIII?

The difference this go around is Hezbollah learned from the last war there... as evident in the fact they're still able to fire 100+ missiles per day into Israel even after all the air attacks. Air attacks aren't going to get the job done, it's going to take a full ground invasion unless Hezbollah gets worn enough that they are willing to cease-fire. So far they've shown to be a well structured force.

They are deeper and more entwined than ever into Lebanon, sadly.

I've just heard an interview with an 82-years old former policman in Haifa (originally from Germany, living since 1943 there).

He said that it's (quotation) "business as usual, as it was in all the wars before: the missile are got at night from the bunkers, shooting starts at about half past siy, seven; than the same again at aboz noon and at about late afternoon".
He felt very sorry for Lebanese civilians, since they had nothing to do with this war.

Yes, they don't fire the missiles at nite because it would be easy to trace where they originated.

You guys didn't listen to anybody about Iraq and it seems you are not going to listen to anyone while Israel pounds Lebanon back to Stone Age either. I know you and your ilk will be able to live with yourselves because you got your justifications down pat. Nevertheless...

CAN YOU HELP US , PLEASE!

Ten national/internatiol charities/relief organisations from Germany have started to help already - five of them already down there.
(Our local diocese has a long project in a South Lebanese village - but that had to be stopp: although Manonites, they had to leave to village before it was bombed.)


The Israelians, btw, didn't want any help.

Well your Democrat Party is trying out out-Bush Bush on this one. It's pretty hard to blame 'you guys' when it's 'your guys' who are talking like bigger hawks in supporting Israel in Lebanon while they continue to try to cut the legs out from under the new Iraqi government.

Pander and Run
By Peter Beinart
Friday, July 28, 2006; Page A25

After years of struggling to define their own approach to post-Sept. 11 foreign policy, Democrats seem finally to have hit on one. It's called pandering. In those rare cases when George W. Bush shows genuine sensitivity to America's allies and propounds a broader, more enlightened view of the national interest, Democrats will make him pay. It's jingoism with a liberal face.

The latest example came this week when Democratic senators and House members demanded that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki either retract his criticisms of Israel or forfeit his chance to address Congress. Great idea. Maliki -- who runs a government propped up by U.S. troops -- is desperate to show Iraqis that he is not Washington's puppet. And the United States desperately needs him to succeed because, unless he gains political credibility at home, his government will have no hope of surviving on its own.

Maliki took a small step in that direction this week when he articulated a view of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict quite different from that of the Bush administration. His views were hardly surprising: Iraq is not only a majority-Arab country; it is a majority-Shiite Arab country. And in a democracy, leaders usually reflect public opinion. Maliki's forthright disagreement with the United States was a sign of political strength, one the Bush administration wisely indulged.

But not congressional Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid demanded that Maliki eat his words or be disinvited from addressing Congress. "Your failure to condemn Hezbollah's aggression and recognize Israel's right to defend itself raise serious questions about whether Iraq under your leadership can play a constructive role in resolving the current crisis and bringing stability to the Middle East," wrote Reid and fellow Democratic Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Charles E. Schumer on July 24.

How, exactly, publicly humiliating Maliki and making him look like an American and Israeli stooge would enhance his "leadership" was never explained in the missive. But of course Reid's letter wasn't really about strengthening the Iraqi government at all; that's George W. Bush's problem. It was about appearing more pro-Israel than the White House and thus pandering to Jewish voters. . . .
MORE HERE

Lebanon entered the stone age voluntarily, Israel is simply making recognition of the fact official.

The place (Lebanon) was 85% Christian just decades ago, kind of like England and France are 85% Christian now. That seems to be the way the thing works....

Christians Fleeing Lebanon Denounce Hezbollah:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1673636/posts?page=9#9

As one comment on FR reads:

The Israelis will apparently be getting help however. It is refreshing to see at least some media reporting support for Israel and from Canada no less:

Thousands rally for Israel
PM cheered for standing by Jewish state
$20 million emergency fund is announced
Jul. 27, 2006. 08:40 AM
PHINJO GOMBU
STAFF REPORTER

Thousands of people jammed the Toronto Centre for the Arts and Mel Lastman Square last night to stand in solidarity with Israel's bloody battle against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

The rally dubbed "Stand with Israel" drew at least 8,000 people and included a live two-way satellite feed with residents and soldiers of an embattled Israeli town near the Lebanese border.

Before the event began, the crowd waved Canadian and Israeli flags, and sang songs that proclaimed Israel was alive and well. The keynote speech was delivered by retired Canadian general Lewis MacKenzie.

Some of the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for Prime Minister Stephen Harper after film producer and rally emcee Robert Lantos praised Harper for his principled stand in support of Israel during the current conflict.

The crowd leapt to its feet as Lantos talked about how he would "hereby take off (his) life-long federal Liberal hat."

It was an emotionally charged crowd. Some people wiped away tears and cheered loudly as Lantos said Israel had a right to defend itself and its existence.

During the live two-way broadcast, Toronto teen Miriam Shemtov, who is in Israel, could be seen cringing as Israeli soldiers fired artillery shells in the background of the bunker from where the broadcast was being transmitted.

Rally volunteer Julie Koschitzky announced that philanthropists in the Jewish community had raised $6 million in emergency funds in 45 minutes yesterday. She said it's the first step in an emergency fundraising campaign that hopes to raise $20 million.

"This is not just Israel's war, but the war of all the free and democratic countries of the world," she told the crowd.

The crowd also applauded loudly as a soldier from the Israel Defence Forces spoke about how he and his colleagues, with dedication, goodwill and courage, were fulfilling their "mission as soldiers in the Israel Defence Forces."

Speaking to reporters before the rally, MacKenzie said he had participated in the event because he had no time for the Islamic militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas because of their support and endorsement of attacks against the state of Israel. "This is Israel against terrorism," MacKenzie said.

MacKenzie, who slammed media coverage as biased against Israel, also criticized the United Nations for leaving unarmed peacekeepers in the middle of a war zone. Four UN peacekeepers, including a Canadian, were killed on Tuesday in Lebanon.

Rally spokesperson Howard English said MacKenzie, as a much-decorated peacekeeper, was ideally suited to speak about why Israel has the right to fight against a vicious terrorist organization like Hezbollah.

"It's a rally against terrorism but also a rally for peace because that's the ultimate objective," said English.

Hundreds of people lined up outside the concert hall hours before the event began. They were told that no banners would be allowed but were handed Israeli and Canadian flags as they entered.

Among them was Diane Pamhanbury, 69, who said it was "devastating ?- all those people are getting killed. I'd just like to see a peaceful resolution."

Eli Miron, 27, said he attended the rally to say that "enough is enough."

"Hamas and Hezbollah have zero desire for peace," said Miron. "Hezbollah is a force to reckon with and now their reckoning has come."
SOURCE

For anybody who might have missed it, this is what Hezballah looks like:








The biggest difference I can see between these losers and German nazis is that the German nazis weren't into hiding behind civilians and UN posts.

Mysterious Wounds From Israeli Shells In Gaza
http://www.arabnews.com/services/pr...
Mysterious Wounds From Israeli Shells In Gaza Agence France Presse Friday, 28, July, 2006

GAZA CITY, 28 July 2006 - "When the bomb exploded from the plane. I felt I was in hell. Real hell," shouts 31-year-old Ghassan stabbing the air with his finger and straining over the side of his grubby hospital bed.

Professing allegiance to Palestinian national security, Ghassan went to Gaza's Maghazi refugee camp last week to fight the Israelis during a particularly bloody incursion.

"I feel chemicals. I feel high heat, I feel high pain," he elaborates in English, both legs heavily bandaged, as patients and visitors brush past in a crowded corridor of Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital. "They found shrapnel with ?'test' written on it," he shouts.

Accusations abound that the Israelis, pressing a nearly five-week offensive in which 130 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, are using a new weapon. Doctors say they have never before seen such specific burn injuries, concentrated so much on the lower body and causing such a high propensity of amputations. The Health Ministry has already called for an independent inquiry.

A French humanitarian group reported unusually severe injuries. One of its doctors reportedly raised the possibility that Israel used cluster bombs.

In response to a query about use of a new type of weapon possibly containing chemicals, the army said only that "specific claims are being checked."

"The IDF (Israel Defense Force) use of weapon and ammunition conforms with international law," it said in a statement. But the Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman said that "We are sure that the occupation forces are using bombs that are forbidden under international law."

At the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir El-Balah, Habes El-Wehedi, a softly spoken senior surgeon, said medical staff were "amazed" by injuries of more than 30 percent of the wounded admitted from Maghazi. "There were amputations of limbs. Most patients were afflicted below the waist. They had burns all over their lower limb," he said.

Others were afflicted by what he described as "translucent shrapnel not shown by X-ray" that caused burns. Wehedi studied in Romania and throughout his 20 years in emergency medicine in Gaza and Jerusalem says this is the first time he's seen such wounds.

A piece of plastic with the word "test" written on it had been found. "I think it was in one of the patient's wounds or something like that. One of the nurses came to me. I saw it myself and touched it with my hand." Admitting there are no analysis laboratories in the poorly equipped hospital, he confesses he has no concrete proof only "suspicion" that the Israelis shelled something other than the usual tank and plane fodder.

"As far as we are concerned, this is a new weapon for us. This could be phosphorus, chemicals or a mix, but until we find out and conduct an analysis we can't say what type exactly," he said.

Visiting two patients bearing the hallmarks of such injuries who have not yet been discharged or sent for referral, Wehedi gently points out the injuries on a 16 and 17-year-old boy.

Ismail El-Sawaferi's lower legs, torso and face are splattered everywhere with flecks of burn. His thighs and abdomen are heavily bandaged. The 17-year-old said he was standing in a group attacked from the air. "I saw a light shinning in my face. I couldn't hear anything. I was deaf. I lost my clothes and after that I woke up in the emergency room," he said.

Wehedi's suspicions are backed up by fellow Deir Al-Balah hospital doctor Ismail Bashir, 40, who has been working in emergency medicine since the first Palestinian uprising broke out in 1987.

Stuart Shepherd from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said "some kind of inquiry" was needed, confirming that the Palestinian Health Ministry had already requested an independent commission of inquiry.

French group Medecins du Monde said its emergency doctor, Regis Garrigues, who has traveled regularly to Gaza "noted the particular gravity and severity of injuries" from the latest conflict. Garrigues was quoted as telling French newspaper Liberation that "this resembles the effects of cluster bombs," particularly dangerous because they have a high level of duds that can explode much later after the attack.

The US-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, also accused Israel of using artillery-fired cluster munitions in Lebanon.



By : Agence France Presse
July Friday 28th 2006

Re UN posts: most of the unarmed observers - according to the Danish Army Staff - are withdrawn from their posts and will stay within the UNIFIL camps.

If the the Security Council listens to Foxfyre, those are withdrawn with a new resulution as well.

Can't ge tthe link to work Blueflame.

??? Explain how you tie me to this.

At least there's a reference to the 'peacekeepers' being unarmed that Advocate challenged awhile back.

Well, you said, they didn't do what they were paid for.
And I must be totally wrong if you didn't write that they should leave.

But I apologize for that remark.It has nothing to do with you and didn't say any negative about the UN in general and in Israel/Lebanon in special.

Sorry.

I have not said they didn't do what they were paid for on this thread or any other thread. I've asked what they were supposed to being doing. Nobody knows.

I have said that if peacekeepers aren't equipped to keep the peace and observors don't observe, what good are they? Nobody has been able to answer that either or why it is important that they be in harms way in a war zone. And I have said that I object to paying people to do what seems to be a non-existent job if that is the case.

There is a huge difference between asking questions and making statements of fact.

I have enough trouble with people quoting me accurately but assigning the wrong context to my words. I sure object to being quoted incorrectly as well as out of context.

But apology accepted.

This slammonazi might soon get his wish. Rumor has it that the United States and Israel are close to having perfected the S (Slamnation) bomb, the chief ingredients of which will be compressed air and freeze-dried pork, ground about a hundred times finer than the flash powder used in flintlock hunting rifles. I think the basic idea is going to be to blow off an S bomb followed by a neutron bomb over places like Gaza or Bint Jmail, to ensure that all slammites within something like a five mile radius go straight to slammite hell.

The other rumor you hear is that the IDF will shortly be operating under a new flag, basically a Jewish Crusader flag with an orange-red star of David on a white field.

http://www.crusaderammunition.com

to the bluehelmets who died in the attack : may you rest in peace - you did a heroic job under the most difficult conditions !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
fom the australian boadcasting cororation :

"PM - UN observer safety in Lebanon compromised

[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1697876.htm]


PM - Wednesday, 26 July , 2006 18:14:00
Reporter: Mark Colvin
MARK COLVIN: Colonel Roy Grottheim is Deputy Chief of Staff at the UN observer mission and he joins me now from Jerusalem.

Could you begin by just taking us through exactly what you know about how this happened?

ROY GROTTHEIM: We were informed by the chief of the observer group in Lebanon - and that's one of (inaudible) old stations in Lebanon - that this patrol base, Khiam - that's the most northern patrol base along the blue line, the border between Lebanon and Israel - was hit by an aerial bomb yesterday evening between 10:30 and 11:30. And that there were four military observers, unarmed, killed.

Later yesterday evening and tonight we have found three of the bodies. They have not been identified and we are now searching for the fourth body.

MARK COLVIN: I understand that the bomb landed after there had been considerable shelling of the position. Did the UN observers try to contact the Israelis to say, look, we're here, stop firing, it's a UN post?

ROY GROTTHEIM: Yeah, they did through their channels, so this was forwarded to the Israeli defence forces, so that was done.

MARK COLVIN: How long was the shelling going on before that big bomb dropped?

ROY GROTTHEIM: The shelling was going on almost all day yesterday and it was more intensive yesterday afternoon and there was several firing (inaudible) as we pronounce it, and there was also artillery rounds within this patrol base.

MARK COLVIN: So if they were getting messages back through channels to the Israeli Defence Force, is that why Kofi Annan is suggesting that it appeared deliberate?

ROY GROTTHEIM: Yeah, I think that's why.

MARK COLVIN: And do you think that the United Nations will now accept what Ehud Olmert says, which is that it was not deliberate at all and it's extraordinary that Kofi Annan should suggest that?

ROY GROTTHEIM: You know, there will be an investigation done by the United Nations and also from the Israeli side there will be an investigation and we will see what the results will be after the investigations.

MARK COLVIN: Do you think that there's any way that the Israelis could not have known what they were doing? I mean there's reasonable visibility and that position has been known about for a very long time, hasn't it?

ROY GROTTHEIM: It has and it's very clearly marked, it's painted white and it's written "UN" with black letters on the position in several places, and the UN flag is there so it should be well known and it should be seen in the terrain quite well.

MARK COLVIN: What is your feeling now about the safety of your remaining observers? How many of them are there and are they safe to be there?

ROY GROTTHEIM: We still have patrol bases that are manned along the border and we are in constant contact with the IDF to tell them that they have to stop shelling into these patrol bases.

MARK COLVIN: But do you think that that will work? It didn't work yesterday.

ROY GROTTHEIM: No, and we are monitoring the situation on a permanent basis and if this will be ongoing we will go back to UN Headquarters in New York and inform them about the situation, and they have to take the decision if we are pulling out our service or not.

MARK COLVIN: Thank you very much for your time, Colonel Grottheim.

ROY GROTTHEIM: You're welcome.

MARK COLVIN: Colonel Roy Grottheim, Deputy Chief of Staff at the UN observer mission. He was on the line there from Jerusalem.



© 2006 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Copyright information: http://abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm
Privacy information: http://abc.net.au/privacy.htm "

Some years ago, there was a rumor circulating that Islamic people who come into contact with pig fat are required to undergo an extensive two week purification process; otherwise they go to Islamic hell because they have been defiled with pork.

Now this was pure rumor, and I have never been able to verify it, but if true. . . . . .then why don't we just spray them with bacon grease or something every week or so and keep them busy purifying themselves and afraid to wage war?

Well, perhaps the Hezbollah do something similar and then the Israelian soldiers have to wait for a Rabbi to clarfy the situation ... ...

foxfyre wrote:

What non-rightwing media have you actually been following? Serious question. Yesterday, what was your reading/watching list? The suggestion you make above is so far from accurate or truthful that I'm quite befuddled at how you can make the suggestion in an educated forum and expect others to grant your credence. I'm NOT saying this to be mean.