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Hezbollah Hostages Hardly Healthy
 The two Israeli soldiers, whose capture by Hezbollah sparked a month-long war in Lebanon and Israel this summer, were badly wounded during the cross-border raid in which they were taken, Israeli broadcast media reported Wednesday. If they weren't when they were captured, they probably were within hours afterwards. These bloodthirsty maggots couldn't resist hurting those Israeli soldiers even if they knew how to build an atomic bomb. The television stations quoted a report composed by the Israeli military, containing the conclusions of an investigation by medical, ammunition and other experts of the scene of the raid. According to the classified report, one of the soldiers was seriously injured and the other critically when Hezbollah militants crossed into northern Israel and attacked them as they patrolled the border with Lebanon. The Israeli military would not confirm that the report described the conditions of the two soldiers as "serious" and "critical." A statement issued by the military said only that its working assumption was that the soldiers were still alive. "According to this assumption the IDF continues with its actions and efforts to return the soldiers home, as was done since the moment of the abduction," it said. Just make sure you get back some living, breathing soldiers before you release a single terrorist prisoner. The trade should be 'like-for-like' -- Hezbollah returns live prisoners, you release live prisoners. Hezbollah returns dead prisoners, you release dead prisoners. Israel Channel One reported that the military allowed Israeli media to disclose the existence of the report Wednesday, two months after its completion, because of a slip of the tongue by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a questions and answers session with high school students earlier this week. Olmert had said that Israel would not release any Lebanese or Palestinian prisoners in return for "coffins," a statement which some interpreted as meaning the soldiers could be dead and led to widespread speculation about their condition. The military experts reached their conclusions about the soldiers' injuries by investigating the wreck of their vehicle, which had been badly damaged by anti-tank rockets, as well as blood stains on the site. Their capture on July 12 prompted Israel to launch an offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the Shiite militant movement launched thousands of rockets into Israel. The fighting came to an end with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire on August 14. Israel is said to be conducting behind-the-scenes, indirect negotiations via a German mediator about a prisoners swap with Hezbollah. In other related news: Captured Israeli soldier may be dead Occupied Jerusalem: At least one of the Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah fighters in July could be dead, according to security sources. An Israeli investigation into evidence gathered from the border patrol which was ambushed said that the two soldiers taken were seriously injured in the skirmish. The report, which had been suppressed by Israeli military censors, said the pair would have needed urgent medical attention and that one was in a critical condition when taken away. An Israeli security source said: "The amount of blood left behind and other indications such as the blast damage caused to the vehicles carrying the soldiers point to the fact that they were seriously wounded, with one left in critical condition. "The question remains whether Hezbollah was capable or willing to provide them with the necessary care while also trying to spirit them to a hiding place." Terrorists don't seem to be very big on first aid or triage. The kidnapping incident sparked the month long attack on Lebanon which claimed more than 1,000 Lebanese lives. Too bad it wasn't 10,000. Posted by: Jerry 2006-12-07 |
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