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Israel seizes Maroun al-Ras
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Afghanistan
Two Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan blast
(KUNA) -- Two Canadian soldiers belonging to the US-led coalition forces have been killed and eight others suffered injuries in a suicide attack in southern Afghanistan Saturday evening. The explosion took place in Kandahar when a suicide bomber struck his explosive-laden car against the military vehicle which resulted in the casualties. The first attack was followed by another blast when a bomber, moving on foot, exploded himself amidst the crowd gathered on the scene of the first blast.

A coalition press release said several civilians were injured in the second blast. It said the wounded soldiers were evacuated to the coalition military hospital at Kandahar airport. Their condition was out of danger; however, their identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Brave soldiers who fought and died so others can live in freedom.
Posted by: Captain America || 07/23/2006 11:23 Comments || Top||

#2  A great argument for the red ensign.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 11:36 Comments || Top||

#3  a suicide bomber struck his explosive-laden car against the military vehicle

Attaching one of these all around the vehicle might help prevent these types of attacks. The fork thingies would need to be longer though.
Posted by: Slemble Glirt6389 || 07/23/2006 18:54 Comments || Top||

#4  Yeesh. Looks like a mole on steroids! :-)
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 19:05 Comments || Top||


13 Taleban Killed in Sweep of Southern Afghan District
Afghan and coalition forces yesterday kept up a hunt for rebels who briefly captured two southern districts last week, killing 13 Taleban in the latest strikes, an official said. Another 15 were wounded in the operations, including air strikes, around Helmand province's Garmser and Naway-i-Barakzayi districts, provincial spokesman Moheedin Khan told AFP.

On Friday Khan announced six other Taleban had been killed in the same area after hundreds of extra security forces were deployed to the desert region following the capture of the district headquarters late Monday. Dozens of rebels overran the headquarters at Garmser town, pushing out 40 police who officials said had been putting up resistance for two weeks. The militants torched the Afghan flag above the building and hoisted that of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, officials said.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ...torched the Afghan flag above the building and hoisted that of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, officials said.

Would that be this flag?

Posted by: PBMcL || 07/23/2006 1:19 Comments || Top||


Two suicide blasts in Kandahar
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Two suicide attacks struck Afghanistan’s main southern city of Kandahar about an hour apart on Saturday, killing at least five people, witnesses and police said.

The first attack ripped through a vehicle of the US-led coalition based in the volatile city at around 5:45 pm, the force said. A high-ranking Afghan military official said on condition of anonymity that at least one coalition soldier was killed and four wounded, but the coalition would not confirm this.

The second blast struck about an hour later, about 100 metres (yards) from the first, an AFP reporter at the scene said. The reporter saw five bodies. “It was a suicide attack by an individual,” a police officer at the scene said, confirming five people were dead. The area had been sealed off after the first blast as medical helicopters quickly arrived and carried away the injured on stretchers.
Posted by: Steve White || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
Ethiopian Soldiers Enter 2nd Somali Town
BAIDOA, Somalia (AP) - Ethiopian troops moved into a second Somali town on Saturday to protect the country's weak, U.N.-backed government, angering the Islamic militia that controls most of Somalia and causing peace talks to collapse.

About 200 Ethiopian troops, driving in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns, moved into Wajid and took control of the airport, meeting no resistance, witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals.

Wajid is a U.N. aid base 46 miles southeast of the Somali-Ethiopian border. It is run by a clan-based administration not allied with either the government or the Islamists.
Posted by: Steve White || 07/23/2006 13:27 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If we don't fight World War III, we will lose World War III.
Posted by: Elmaiper Omoque1468 || 07/23/2006 14:19 Comments || Top||

#2  Christian Ethiopia resisted islamization for two thousand years.
Hope they give the Somali "islamic courts" a thorough whipping
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 14:21 Comments || Top||

#3  We should make a point of donating some advanced weaponry to these fine Ethiopians, along with any necessary training.
Posted by: Infidel23 || 07/23/2006 21:55 Comments || Top||


War Fears as Somali Islamists and Govt Forces Clash
Gunmen loyal to Somalia's Islamists fought government forces yesterday in a brief clash some 120 km (74 miles) from the interim government's base, an Islamist source said, heightening fears of all-out war. There was no word on casualties in the first fighting between the two sides since Islamists took Mogadishu from US-backed warlords on June 5, challenging the authority of President Abdullahi Yusuf's Western-backed government.

Government militia seized and set on fire two Islamist "technicals," heavily-armed pickup trucks, in the fighting in Qoryooley district, the source said. "I confirm that the clash occurred," the Mogadishu-based Islamist source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. Government forces brought one of the Islamists' technicals back to Baidoa, the government's temporary provincial base, witnesses in the town said.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Arabia
Ex-Guantanamo detainees win Kuwait ruling
A Kuwaiti court Saturday upheld the acquittal of five returnees from Guantanomo on terror-related charges. In May, a criminal court had cleared the men of belonging to and collecting money for the al-Qaida terror network, but the prosecution appealed the ruling. U.S. officials freed the five men from the prison in Cuba in November. On their return to Kuwait, they were arrested and put on trial.

All five - Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi, Abdul-Aziz al-Shimmiri, Adel Zamel Abdul-Mohsen, Saad Madhi al-Azmi and Mohammed Fnaitil al-Dehani - had pleaded innocent when their trial opened in March. It takes a week to 10 days for the details of rulings to be made public. Lawyers defending the five argued that there was no evidence to convict their clients and that Kuwaiti courts did not have the jurisdiction to try them because they had not done anything illegal in Kuwait.

A Kuwaiti ex-Guantanamo prisoner who returned in January 2005 was initially acquitted of terror-related charges, but an appeals tribunal overturned the acquittal and sentenced him to five years in prison.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Back in play, heh ? That's why the rules of the game need change. No more prisoners. Just corpses. I believe we are seeing this in action in Afghanland now.
Posted by: SOP35/Rat || 07/23/2006 0:27 Comments || Top||

#2  I believe that was the unintended consequence.
Posted by: Fordesque || 07/23/2006 20:25 Comments || Top||


Bangladesh
Tales from the Crossfire Gazette
3 terrorists of ‘Panna Bahini’ killed in encounter with RAB
RAJSHAHI, July 21:–Three terrorists including second in command of outlawed Panna Bahini were killed in an encounter with the members of Rapid Action Battalion, Rajshahi (RAB-5) at Haripur char village under Bheramara under Kushtia at 3-00 pm on July-20.
For our new readers, a "encounter" is when a bad guy dies without being arrested and "questioned" first.
Acting on a tip off, an operation team of RAB-5 reached near an abandoned house of Azizur Thakur to nab the terrorists of Panna Bahini when the armed terrorists of Panna Bahini opened fire on them. To save themselves, the RAB members also retaliated and after an exchange of fire for about an five minutes the terrorists managed to escape.
"Run away! They're bringing up the shutter guns!"
After the incident, the RAB members found Amirul Islam (28) son of Khuda Baux Sarder and second in command of Porardia (Palashirchar village) of Daulatpur thana under Kuhstia district adjacent to Bagha thana of Rajshahi, Sukman (31)son of Khoda baux Sarder of the same village and Mohan (32) son of Ahsan Ali of Islampur village under Bagha thana of Rajshahi and Izaz alias Iza alias (33) son of Rafez Malitha dacoit of Natunchar village of Daulatpur village were injured in gun fire.
WE don't know where they're from, but they done got shot
Of them Shukman rushed to local health complex where he died short after admission.
"Nurse, what did he say just before he died?"
"I'm not sure. It sounded like "Rosebud"."
Three of the arrested terrors were taken to RAB-12 Sirajganj for interrogation and they promised to the RAB to help them to nab other terrorists.
"Ouch, Ok, we'll give um up. Just take THAT away!"
According to their confessional statement they were taken to Charsadipr area under Kushtia when some unidentified terrorists fired on RAB members and in retaliation RAB also fired at them and taking the chance of encounter, Amirul and Ezaz managed to escape but was caught in the cross fire and were injured seriously.
"Feet don't fail us..BANG!....damm feet!"
They were rushed to the local hospital but both of them died in the hospital
."They're dead, Jim"
Posted by: Steve || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hmm, what about Mohan? Is the RAB slipping up, or is this a Keyser Soze ruse?

Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 19:31 Comments || Top||


Britain
BBC Admits Lying About Civilian Casualties
The British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) has admitted that many of the victims of Israeli retaliation in Lebanon are terrorists and not innocent civilians. A BBC reporter said he saw Hizbullah terrorists using a private home and added, "It is difficult to quantify who is a terrorist and who is a civilian."

Media reports have emphasized that Israeli air strikes have killed more than 350 Lebanese civilians, prompting accusations that the IDF is carrying out "collective punishment" on the country.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 15:07 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The BBC lying about Israel - who'd a thunk it?
Posted by: DMFD || 07/23/2006 15:14 Comments || Top||

#2  Here's a clue: when the Israeli's bomb your house, and there's a ton of secondary explosions - you might be with Hizbullah.
Posted by: DMFD || 07/23/2006 15:18 Comments || Top||

#3  G'ah!, the BBC does something to embarrass this country virtually every day. A lot of people here recognise the bias of the BBC (against Israel, against America, against non-left viewpoints, against free markets, etc, etc) and aren't happy about having to paying for it though the 'licence fee'.

What annoys me intensely is when the BBC sets up a 'service' which the private sector could do, using their monopoly position and immense clout, and then ask for more in the licence fee to pay for it all....grrr.

See Biased BBC for general BBC bias and Stephen Pollard for the (truly shameful) anti-semitic face of the BBC.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 15:39 Comments || Top||

#4  I am surprised he used the word "terrorist" in the quote. BBC usually calls them "militants" or something.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 15:54 Comments || Top||

#5  Here's a clue: when the Israeli's bomb your house, and there's a ton of secondary explosions - you might be with Hizbullah.

Sounds like a Jeffamil Foxworthy comedy routine.
Posted by: xbalanke || 07/23/2006 16:00 Comments || Top||

#6  One thing I keep asking and never get a reasonable answer to. People say that the BBC doesn't represent the thinking of the average person in the UK. Why is it allowed to exist then?

The BBC is engaged in full blown anti-US propaganda 24/7. According to them the average person in the US is a evil war mongering planet destroyer.

The BBC Jew hate is beyond the pale. That is another issue that I have to determine most UK citizen agree with.

That the BBC is allowed to do what it does and says the citizen of the UK agree with it.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 07/23/2006 17:20 Comments || Top||

#7  The BBC is a state-run institution that has its own independent tax base - TV licenses. As such, it is a self-sustaining bureaucracy, and they are the hardest institutions to kill. Imagine if NPR had the legal right to tax EVERY radio in the US, and a government mandate to produce their programming for the "greater good". Once a statist elite gets such a program in power, they will literally kill to keep it running. The first thing that happens whenever someone tries to challenge the BBC and the TV tax is a hardcore smear campaign/dirty laundry expose of the offending individual.
Posted by: Shieldwolf || 07/23/2006 17:37 Comments || Top||

#8  The BBC is funded by the threat of violence, ie imprisonment. If you don't pay the license fee, you can be locked up. Moreover, it isn't possible to just buy a tv and watch the other channels only. Everyone who owns a tv is legally obliged to subsidise the anti-Jewish, anti-American, pro-Muslim, pro-terrorist agenda of the BBC.
Posted by: Spike || 07/23/2006 17:58 Comments || Top||

#9  So when you see a BBC reporter on the street... just loose control of your car for a second because of that bee that is stinging you.....
Posted by: 3dc || 07/23/2006 18:13 Comments || Top||

#10  #1 DMFD - Here, let me fix that for you:

"The BBC lying about Israel - who'd a thunk it?"

No thanks necessary - glad to help out. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 07/23/2006 18:34 Comments || Top||

#11  The way that the BBC enforces the TV and radio tax is by using direction finding vans that capture the secondary emmissions that every TV set gives off. Maybe the way to kill the Beeb is to design receivers that are shielded or do not use super-heterodyne technology. Just a thought.
Posted by: 11A5S || 07/23/2006 18:41 Comments || Top||

#12  Looks like BBC couldn't appease Hezballah and got threatened by them! :-)
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 19:02 Comments || Top||

#13  What a stupid article. The BBC hasn't lied? It reported what it saw, Hezbollah in houses.

Mr Bush said Iraq had WMDs. Now that was a LIE!!!!
Posted by: Hupating Snilet6361 || 07/23/2006 20:17 Comments || Top||

#14  You guys are loonies. The BBC is anti semitic eh? Is this the same BBC that has a board of governors chaired by Michael Grade (jewish)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Grade
who took over from Jeremy Isaacs (Jewish).

You loonies. That's what happens when you get all your information from Fox news and the national enquirer. Try doing some reading.
Posted by: proudjew || 07/23/2006 20:22 Comments || Top||

#15  Obviously you have never read Mr. Cohen's screeds in the Washington Post.

There is such a thing as a self-hating Jew.
Posted by: Fordesque || 07/23/2006 20:30 Comments || Top||

#16  proudjew - perhaps they're dhimmi self-hating morons, like you?
Posted by: Infidel23 || 07/23/2006 20:30 Comments || Top||

#17  I would like to see a casualty list that includes age/gender. If the number of military aged males is way out of line with the general population, it would be obvious that the numbers of "civilians" is inflated.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 20:59 Comments || Top||

#18  Crosspatch:
Your analysis of the 'inflated' number of civilian casualties is flawed. It presumes females are strictly civilian. It may be further flawed depending on your definition of 'military age males' - which should potentially include anyone over the age of 6 and with at least two functioning appendages. And all clerics. If we define with proper broadness we can make virtually all the casualties non-civilian. What's worse is we'd probably be right.
Posted by: Glenmore || 07/23/2006 21:18 Comments || Top||

#19  I am a pro-Israeli and pro-American French (a very rare species in France), and when I listen to the BBC Radio (Chanel 4) during the night from Paris, I am always disgusted by its incredible anti-Israeli and anti-American bias and (let's say it) hate. It is sometimes even worse than the French medias, which says it all.
Posted by: Leroidavid || 07/23/2006 22:13 Comments || Top||

#20  This evening, I watched from beginning to end the 30 minutes information bulletin of the French state-owned TV France 2: the journalists talked during 11 minutes about the "civilian" casualties in Lebanon, and said NOT A SINGLE WORD about the 2 Israelis killed today in Haifa. This is another way of lying about civilian casualties.
Posted by: Leroidavid || 07/23/2006 22:18 Comments || Top||

#21  Leroidavid - Welcome to Rantburg!

Please visit Rantburg often - you have like-minded compatriots here (JFM and Anonymous5089, in particular) with whom you can commiserate and communicate. We will listen in and learn, LOL. They are frequent commenters during the week.

Again, welcome - and thanks for the intel!
Posted by: Omavise Flalet5353 || 07/23/2006 23:16 Comments || Top||

#22  While it might indeed be flawed, I am still interested in the numbers. If the number of males from 16 to 50 make up only 40% of the population but account for 70% of the dead, then I would say there would be reason to highly suspect the number of "civilian" casualties being bandied about.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 23:50 Comments || Top||


UK police collar "violent jihad" website operator
UK police have arrested a British citizen on charges he operated Islamic fundamentalist websites that preached "violent jihad". The arrest of Syed Talha Ahsan on Wednesday came at the request of the US government, which released a 14-page indictment accusing him of selling books, videotapes, audio cassettes and CD-ROMs that glorified "violent jihad in Chechnya, Bosnia, Afghanistan" and of funnelling money to groups that are deemed illegal by the federal government.

The websites including azzam.com, azzam.co.uk, qoqaz.net, and qoqaz.co.uk, tout the virtues of jihad, primarily against the West and allied nations. One web page posted soon after 11 September, 2001 saved by Archive.org includes an "urgent appeal to defend Afghanistan" and features defiant quotes from the Taliban threatening any nation that aids the US in its military operations. Another web page describes Abu Ubaidah, who it says died on a jihad in 2000 while fighting the Russians in southern Chechnya.

The indictment claims that Ahsan, a 26-year-old London resident, distributed CDs and videotapes that were illegally "eulogising dead fighters, for the purpose of recruiting individuals and soliciting donations to support the mujahideen" and that he "possessed various materials, including literature supporting violent jihad throughout the world".
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Up to 40 Russian Special Troops Annihilated, Wounded in Chechnya
As Kavkaz Center news agency got to know last night (July 22), a gang of Russian occupation special forces, so called OMON troops, was defeated on Wednesday, July 19, in the area of village Dargo in Vedeno district of Chechnya. The gang consisted of Russian Interior Ministry mercenaries who conducted punitive expeditions in different towns and villages in southern Chechnya. In total, 30 to 40 Russian kafirs (infidels) were annihilated or wounded. At least 16 Russians were killed and others wounded, reports a Mujahideen spokesman. The successful operation for the extemination of Russian kafirs was carried out by Amir Khairulla and Amir Akraman.

An Arabic website alqoqaz.net which maintains contacts with Arab volunteers fighting in Chechnya reported in an article about the extermination of dozens of Russian occupation troops. The article on the webside was translated from Arabic into English by SITE Institute, a private Washington-based research center. It states that two brigades of Mujahideen carried out a joint operation against the Russian special forces troops. One brigade cut off supply and help lines to a major center of the Russian forces while the other attacked the kafirs. "Dozens of Russians" from the gang "Russian Interior Ministry" were exterminated, writes the SITE Institute providing no precise figures.

In the report, the SITE Institute stresses that the exterminated Russian gang conducted punitive expeditions against Chechen civilians and committed a lot of atrocities. No other details were given by the SITE Institute. The Russian media reported absolutely nothing about the Mujahideen operation.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:11 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Posted by: pihkalbadger || 07/23/2006 12:18 Comments || Top||

#2  i wouldnt be suprised if true, after all thier forces are fckin sht these days, but then again who cares if it is true, Russia's no friend of the 'west' or for that matter anyone apart from Iran and Syria. I wouldnt lose any sleep over thier deaths put it that way.
Posted by: Pheaque Ulaviger7899 || 07/23/2006 12:54 Comments || Top||

#3  #1---Is that a crystal of salt, or a crystal of galena (lead), heh heh?
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 07/23/2006 13:23 Comments || Top||

#4  It's a grain of salt so big it'll choke ya!
Posted by: Scooter McGruder || 07/23/2006 14:20 Comments || Top||

#5  We went to one of the salt mines in south Louisiana on a "science club" trip when I was in high school. They had a perfect cube of salt six feet on a side as one of the exhibits. That would work for Debka, but for Kavkaz, you'd need something several orders of magnitude bigger.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 07/23/2006 21:13 Comments || Top||

#6  Pheaque -
"Russia's no friend of the 'west' "

Ture, but as long as they're fighting militant Islam I'm pulling for them. (Unless it's like in WWII, when it was hard to tell whether Hitler or Stalin was worse, so you ally with the weaker one, figuring you can deal with him later (which may be the story behind Chamberlain's 'peace in our time' - work with Hitler because Stalin was deemed more dangerous.))
Posted by: Glenmore || 07/23/2006 21:24 Comments || Top||


Europe
Two Kurdish rebels killed during clashes with Turkish forces
(KUNA) -- Two Kurdish militants were killed during clashes with Turkish forces in southeastern Turkey, a security source said Saturday. Ihlas news agency quoted the source as saying the clashes took place in Kupeli dag area in Sirnak province. The fighting occurred while Turkish Army troops were combing the area in search for rebels from the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). A Turkish soldier, who was injured in the clashes in Van province yesterday, died today in hospital, said the source.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the
sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
Posted by: Azad || 07/23/2006 0:35 Comments || Top||

#2  Dead Turk?

Bijîn gerîlayên Kurdistaaaaaaaan!!
Posted by: Azad || 07/23/2006 0:35 Comments || Top||


Bulgarians Seize British Lorry Carrying Highly Radioactive Materials To Iran
Border guards seized a British lorry on its way to make a delivery to the Iranian military - after discovering it was packed with radioactive material that could be used to build a dirty bomb. The lorry set off from Kent on its way to Tehran but was stopped by officials at a checkpoint on Bulgaria's northernborder with Romania after a scanner indicated radiation levels 200 times above normal. The lorry was impounded and the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NPA) was called out.
Bulgaria has scanners, trained personnel and someone alert at the border crossing, huh? Excellent.
On board they found ten lead-lined boxes addressed to the Iranian Ministry of Defence. Inside each box was a soil-testing device, containing highly dangerous quantities of radioactive caesium 137 and americium-beryllium. The soil testers had been sent to Iran by a British firm with the apparent export approval of the Department of Trade and Industry.
P'raps Tony ought to have a chat with his Trade Minister, yes?
Last night, the head of the Bulgarian NRA, Nikolai Todorov, said he was shocked that devices containing so much nuclear material could be sold so easily. He said: "The devices are highly radioactive - if you had another 90 of them you would be able to make an effective dirty bomb."
I'd start checking other lorries.
And a spokesman for the Bulgarian customs office, said: "The documentation listed the shipment as destined for the Ministry of Transport in Tehran, although the final delivery address was the Iranian Ministry of Defence. "According to the documentation they are hand-held soil-testing devices which were sent from a firm in the United Kingdom."

A leading British expert last night said the radioactive material could easily be removed and used to construct a dirty bomb. Dr Frank Barnaby from the Oxford Research Group, said: "You would need a few of these devices to harvest sufficient material for a dirty bomb. Americium-beryllium is an extremely effective element for the construction of a dirty bomb as it has a very long half-life, but I would be amazed to find it out on the street. "I don't know how you would come by it as it is mainly found in spent reactor-fuel elements and is not at all easy to get hold of. I find it very hard to believe it is so easily available in this device."

Senior Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay called for the Government to tighten up export controls to prevent the Iranian military getting its hands on nuclear material. He said: "The Prime Minister has accused the Iranian Government of sponsoring international terrorism, yet his officials are doing nothing to prevent radioactive material which has an obvious dual use being sold to their military." The discovery will add to fears about the lack of control over the sale of nuclear material to so-called 'rogue states' which the Government claims sponsor international terrorism, particularly as it comes at a time when Iran is ignoring international calls to halt its nuclear programme. The case has echoes of the arms-to-Iraq affair during which the DTI approved exports of apparently innocent civilian equipment to Saddam Hussein that was then used to build weapons.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What would Hans Blix do?
Posted by: Captain America || 07/23/2006 0:12 Comments || Top||

#2  You know that it's sad when the freakin' Bulgarians do a better job of securing these things than we or the British do.
Posted by: Ernest Brown || 07/23/2006 0:19 Comments || Top||

#3  DTI spokeman: "I don't know what this fuss is about... it would be, very likely, used only on jooos."
Posted by: twobyfour || 07/23/2006 0:35 Comments || Top||

#4  heh, heh. Wonder if they collect the cash then alert the Bulgarians to "find" it. Let's hope so. Such a deal.
Posted by: 2b || 07/23/2006 0:49 Comments || Top||

#5  sleep tite dont let the radioactive bed bugs bite.
Posted by: sweet slumber || 07/23/2006 0:54 Comments || Top||

#6  Well, the Iranians will probably need to manufacture a hell of a lot of smoke detectors soon. I don't know where the beryllium comes in though.
Posted by: Eric Jablow || 07/23/2006 1:09 Comments || Top||

#7  Physics was a long time ago for me but IIRC beryllium is a neutron reflector. Place your fissile core in a beryllium sphere and you get somewhat better yields from an equivalent critical mass and/or you can achieve the necessary uncontrolled fission reaction with a smaller critical mass. But then all I know about beryllium spheres I learned from watching The Shadow.
Posted by: AzCat || 07/23/2006 1:29 Comments || Top||

#8  Anniversary gift for the Mahdi?
Posted by: Seafarious || 07/23/2006 1:31 Comments || Top||

#9  Maybe this will succeed in scaring the shit out of some lax officials and one or two of the doubters.

Nahhh.
Posted by: Snager Sning5858 || 07/23/2006 3:02 Comments || Top||

#10  Expect Iran to start whining about the evil Bulgarians withholding their purchase of ten times as many innocent soil-testing devices as they will ever need that just happen to contain highly radioactive material in 5,4,3 . . . .
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 3:03 Comments || Top||

#11  Typical idiot thinking by the blithering Iraniacs - "Gee, let's radioactively poison the landscape of Israel, with radioactive materials with really long half-lives. That will force the Jooooos to flee, allowing ...... the dim witted Palestinians to move in and glow in the dark.
Posted by: Lone Ranger || 07/23/2006 3:07 Comments || Top||

#12  lone ranger - you'd think the Palestinians, Leb Hezbollah, Syrians and others might not be so excited that Iran could possibly wipe Israel off the map with a nuke. I guess it's all part of that death cult mindset!
Posted by: 2b || 07/23/2006 5:58 Comments || Top||

#13  EU is not going to be happy until they glow in the dark.
Posted by: djohn66 || 07/23/2006 6:33 Comments || Top||

#14  IIRC, Americum is a critical component of your typical home smoke detector. However, don't let the Enviromentalcases know that!

And it DOES make sense to order 100+ soil testers. Iran's a big place, so 10 testers can't possibly go very far. HOWEVER, it would make sense only if the Iranian AGRICULTURAL ministry, not the Iranian Military, were ordering the testers.

HWOEVER, DO keep in mind that the helicopters Saddam used to gas the Kurds were originally ordered, and justified, under the cover of them being used to gas insect crop pests.
Posted by: Ptah || 07/23/2006 8:05 Comments || Top||

#15  There were a number of control measures put inplace throughout the world when the USSR fell. Remember the nuke material was being sold on the black market and the West needed to stop it. Glad to see it is still up and working as advertised. Good job to those who put it in and continued to keep it working.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 07/23/2006 9:50 Comments || Top||

#16  Give the Iranians radioactive material from the heavens above. Allan wills it.
Posted by: JohnQC || 07/23/2006 10:34 Comments || Top||

#17  Beryllium is also a heavy non-metalic metal used to contain radiation.We used beryllium(in hazmat remediation)because of its non-sparking,non-magnetic properties.various tools were made of it.Shovels,screw drivers,adjustable wrenches,etc.
Posted by: raptor || 07/23/2006 10:40 Comments || Top||

#18  p.s. tools are heavy as hell!
Posted by: raptor || 07/23/2006 10:52 Comments || Top||

#19  The Iranians are not interested in dirty bombs. They are after the real thing. We need to find out how radioactive caesium 137 and americium-beryllium plays a role with uranium or plutonium to make an actual nuclear warhead. We have to think outside the box. If we simply state that the Iranians are interested in dirty bombs, then true investigation doesn’t go any further, which would make the Iranians very happy.

Also, this could be just a test run to find out which border facilities are the weakest. They can cross out the Bulgarian checkpoint from the list.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 11:37 Comments || Top||

#20  if you wanted people to believe you had successfully tested a nuke, caesium 137 would be useful

of course, without an actual explosion seen by satellites, no really technical person would believe it but if your target audience were naive nutcases, it might work
Posted by: mhw || 07/23/2006 11:59 Comments || Top||

#21  The Iranians have operating research reactors and small accelerators .. they can produce all the Cs and Am radioisotopes they want.

Ten soil detectors are probably just that.. soil detectors. It is easier just to buy them from an international muanufacturer than make a few of them.

The Iranians are not going to emulate the Manhatten project designers and use an "urchin" (polonium 210 and Beryllium) as the neutron generator. This is 2006 and pulse neutron generators are readily available.

And they're certainly not going to harvest materials from soil detectors when they can make the stuff in their research facilities.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 12:20 Comments || Top||

#22  And you need a lot more berylium than a few milligrams to construct the neutron reflectors needed for a weapon pit.
Iran is likely to have Beryll ore reserves.. what they lack would be the vacuum hot press machines needed to form the reflectors.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 12:24 Comments || Top||

#23  We need to find out how radioactive caesium 137 and americium-beryllium plays a role with uranium or plutonium to make an actual nuclear warhead.

americium-beryllium is used to generate neutrons.. unlikely for a bomb initiator when pulse neutron generators are readily availble and more convenient
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 12:29 Comments || Top||

#24  John is right. These are soil density testers used on construction site very commonly here in the USA. If you've ever been near a construction site, you'vr probably seen these contraptions that look like steam rollers with teeth. These are soil compactors. Most plans specify between 90 and 100% compaction before laying roads, foundations, etc. These devices give of a neutron flux which can be used to measure soil compaction if calibrated correctly.

Atomic bombs generally have a neutron generator to help "catalyze" the reaction. They decay pretty quickly, so you have to replace it often. Since the Iranian have a centrifuge program and not much of a reactor program, they would have to get their triggers in other ways.
Posted by: 11A5S || 07/23/2006 12:54 Comments || Top||

#25  thanks for the facts John.
Posted by: RD || 07/23/2006 12:56 Comments || Top||

#26  Since the Iranian have a centrifuge program and not much of a reactor program, they would have to get their triggers in other ways.

Their research reactors may be small but power production isn't their purpose.. isotope production is one ...they even have a small plutonium separation capability.

They can use these for neutron initiator isotopes.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 13:07 Comments || Top||

#27  I still can't get over driving a truck from Kent to Tehran.
Being old sucks.
Maybe they should put some of those Bulgarian scanners in LeChunnel.
Posted by: J. D. Lux || 07/23/2006 15:56 Comments || Top||

#28  john,

Thanks for the info. If you are correct in that, pulse neutron generators are readily available, then my second paragraph is probably more accurate.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 16:16 Comments || Top||

#29  I still can't get over driving a truck from Kent to Tehran

Can you send such a cargo by air freight ?
Probably not.

Truck might be cheaper than by ship.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 16:50 Comments || Top||

#30  It went to Defense because Defense is building things where they need to test the soil. Tunnels, large concrete structures, things like that.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins || 07/23/2006 17:24 Comments || Top||

#31  Raptor, they are heavy because those tools are mostly copper (beryllium copper). The beryllium (a very light metal - 1.9 g/cc) content is less than two percent.

Beryllium is a neutron generator when subjected to alpha particles. If you are making an implosion bomb a neutron generator is necessary to make certain there are enough neutrons to start the reaction before the implosion 'bounces'. The polonium/beryllium 'urchin' used in early weapons may be crude, but it's simple and reliable compared to an electronic neutron generator. The big problem was the short half life of polonium, requiring that the urchin be replaced on a short schedule.
Posted by: KBK || 07/23/2006 20:41 Comments || Top||

#32  IIRC, Tim Allen repaired his spaceship with a beryllium sphere.
Posted by: Mason || 07/23/2006 22:20 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
250 kg RDX seized from militant hideout
In a major haul in recent times, Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday seized 250 kg RDX from a militant hideout in Anantnag district, foiling militants' plan to set off series of explosions in south Kashmir.

The explosives, kept in five 50-kg bags, were recovered from a house at village Sitkipora, about 50 km from here, Defence sources said. They said the seizure was made on specific information. The militants had stored the explosives in the house and planned to trigger a series of explosions in south Kashmir, particularly on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the lifeline of the Valley passing through Bijbehara township on the highway. They said no one was arrested in connection with the seizure
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 19:24 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  geee that's lot of rdx
Posted by: Clerert Uneamp2772 || 07/23/2006 22:59 Comments || Top||


Gun-toting women take on militants in J+K
Women being imparted training to use weapons for self-defence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Women in this terrain of the Pir Panjal mountains have found a way to combat militancy — they have taken to the gun. Giving a different dimension to anti-militancy operations women are increasingly enlisting themselves in Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and getting trained in the use of weapons.

This is also being seen as a revolt against the societal curbs imposed by religious extremists and militants in the last few years. And, each household has a tale to tell as to why they have resorted to this.

Gulzar Bi's son went missing five years ago. Thirteen-year-old Mohammed Yasin was recruited by a militant commander. Her pleas to get him back went in vain. "Tell me what is the alternative before me. I have lost my son but I would never allow them to harm the rest of my family," she says.

Interference in the socio-economic life of the people too has had a bearing on their sudden aggressiveness. Some time ago, militants launched a massive campaign to enforce the wearing of veil. And this in part contributed to the lowering of the education standard of girls. Taslima (24) says that "by learning to handle weapons we feel empowered and our sense of insecurity has definitely lessened. We have realised that silence only breeds fear."

It has not taken much time for them to master the use of weapons. The archaic .303 rifle, much heavier than automatic weapons, is handled with ease. Some are adept at using the AK-47 and the SLR as well. Mohammad Aslam, a VDC member, who trained them, says: "Women of our hilly belt have been equal partners with men in every sphere. Militants have often tried to enforce the veil campaign in this belt, but it has been fiercely resisted by them."

Women VDCs were formed first in the Marrah area but now the idea is fast catching up in other areas. The gun-toting women have often repulsed many a militant attack. Two years ago, militants attacked a family in the Teli Katha area of Surankote after men had gone out for work. To their surprise, three women stood their ground for over an hour forcing the militants to flee. Though 13 civilians were killed, the women saved the lives of many children and elderly.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 11:55 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Oh, yes, awake that mother bear instinct to protect her cubs, and old Omar and the boys will enjoy the payback that is long over due.
Posted by: Ebbenter Phique5516 || 07/23/2006 12:27 Comments || Top||

#2  That sort of thing can really spread quickly. The concept that women can defend themselves overwhelms men used to ignoring and demeaning women. How can you ignore and disdain somebody standing next to you, who at any moment could stab you with a knife?

Sucks the wind right outta their sails.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 14:09 Comments || Top||

#3  That's not fair! The Brave Lions of Islam(TM) are only equipped to deal with women and children if they're unarmed! This is escalation! UN, do something! (Hey, talk is cheap, let's try it!)
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 19:07 Comments || Top||


4 More Held in Bombay Train Blasts
Four more suspects, including a doctor, with alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba links have been detained in connection with the July 11 serial bombings, Bombay Police said yesterday. “Four suspects, including a doctor, who we believe have received training in Pakistan, have been detained. The four are being questioned, but we cannot divulge any details at the moment due to ongoing investigations,” said a senior Bombay Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) official. “They have, however, not been formally arrested. We are probing their alleged links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba group. But it is too early to say anything concrete,” he said.

On Friday, a joint team of the ATS and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had taken into custody three suspects in connection with the bombings that killed 200 people and wounded over 900. “Interrogation of the three arrested suspects has revealed several vital leads, which we are following,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R.R. Patil yesterday reiterated his accusations that Pakistan-based terrorist organizations were behind the blasts. Speaking to Arab News yesterday morning, Patil said strong measures would be taken to stop cross-border terrorism. Reacting to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s demand of proof, Patil asserted Maharashtra government’s view that Pakistan-based terror groups were involved. “The Pakistan president will be given the proof shortly. Our police will soon submit proof of the involvement of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations,” Patil added.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Addressing reporters here Mr K.P. Raghuvanshi, who heads the Anti Terror Squad (ATS) of the Mumbai police, gave the names of the three persons as Khaleel Aziz Sheikh (24), Kamal Ahmed Ansari (32) and Mumtaz Ahmed Chowdhury (34).

Hmm... hindus ? jews ? buddhists ? methodists?
That's it.. they must be methodists... or hindus trying to put the blame on innocent muslims.
Posted by: john || 07/23/2006 10:44 Comments || Top||


Waziristan militants extend ceasefire
A grand tribal jirga (council) on Saturday negotiated a one-month extension to the ceasefire in North Waziristan between local militants and government forces, officials said. The jirga led by Maulana Nek Zaman, National Assembly member from North Waziristan, held talks with local Taliban commanders at an undisclosed location east of Miranshah, official sources said.

"The jirga has successfully negotiated a ceasefire extension, which is now effective till August 25," officials said after jirga members returned to Miranshah after a meeting with Taliban. A spokesman for the Governor's FATA Secretariat in Peshawar confirmed the ceasefire extension and release of six paramilitary troops by Taliban. "I think the jirga is doing well," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Senior LT commander arrested
A senior militant commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) accused of staging over two dozen deadly attacks in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) has been arrested, police said on Saturday. Talking reporters, the region's police chief, Gopal Sharma, said that Mudasir Gujari was "the main criminal" behind 25 grenade and other attacks over the past few months that had killed tourists and other targets. He said that Mudasir had been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir but did not say when. Terming the arrest as "a great setback to the militants", Sharma acknowledged that it "would not end the militancy in Kashmir". Nevertheless, the police chief said: "His arrest has revealed certain remarkable things about the LeT and the direct hand of Pakistani agencies in training and organising such saboteurs for subversive activities in Kashmir."
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Talibs free 4 Pak soldiers
Professional courtesy.
MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan - Pro-Taleban terrorists militants freed four Pakistani soldiers taken hostage in April and extended a cease-fire by one month in a restive northwestern tribal region, officials said Saturday. Terrorists Militants had captured the four during an army raid on their hideouts near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan. Dozens of terrorists rebels died in a subsequent battle.

On Saturday, a local official said the four soldiers were handed over to a council of tribal elders by the terrorists militants on Friday and later released. Our four missing people are back,” said the official on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

The release came a day after the government freed 32 local tribesmen suspected of having links with the terrorists rebels.
Nothing to see, move along, it's all over, keep moving ...
"We said move ALONG, infidel dogs!"
Posted by: Steve White || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq
Car bombs in Baghdad, Kirkuk kill nearly 60 as PM leaves for United States
Bombs exploded Sunday in Baghdad and the northern oil centre of Kirkuk, killing nearly 60 people, police said, and dramatically escalating tension as the prime minister left for Washington for talks on reversing the country's slide toward civil war. The blasts occurred as Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led coalition mounted a major crackdown on the country's most feared Shiite militia, the Mahdi Army, blamed by Sunnis for many of the sectarian kidnappings and killings which threaten to tear the country apart.

The Baghdad bombing occurred when a suicide driver detonated a minivan in the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City at the entrance to the Jameelah market, packed with shoppers and vendors on the first day of the Iraqi work week. An Iraqi army statement said 34 people were killed and 73 were wounded. Eight more people were killed and 20 wounded when a second bomb exploded two hours later at a municipal government building in Sadr City, the Iraqi army said.

In Kirkuk, a car bomb detonated at midday near a courthouse in the city market district, killing 17 and wounding 30, according to police Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qadir. It was the fourth car bombing this month in Kirkuk, where tensions are rising among Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen for control of the area's vast oil wealth.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:03 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


U.S. troops clash with Shiite militiamen
U.S. troops clashed with Shiite militiamen south of Baghdad on Saturday in a three-hour gunbattle in which 15 gunmen and an Iraqi soldier were killed, U.S. officials and Iraqis said. Dozens were wounded in the firefight in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad. It appeared the battle was part of a systematic campaign against the militia of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, blamed for much of the sectarian violence sweeping the country.

Sheik Jalil al-Nouri, an aide to al-Sadr, said U.S. troops attacked the cleric's local office in Musayyib and killed 14 of his followers. A U.S. statement said 15 gunmen and one Iraqi soldier were killed but made no mention of the Mahdi militia. According to the U.S. account, the firefight began when gunmen attacked a U.S.-Iraqi patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire near a Shiite mosque. One militiaman was killed in the initial exchange of fire.

A U.S. helicopter destroyed a fuel truck believed rigged with explosives as it approached an American position, the statement said. Gunmen repeatedly attacked the U.S. and Iraqi force, the U.S. statement said. After about three hours of fighting, an Iraqi SWAT team entered a Shiite mosque from which the gunmen were firing and the clashes died down, the statement said.
Posted by: BrerRabbit || 07/23/2006 06:21 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gunshots from a mosque? I am shocked!
Posted by: Anginens Threreng8133 || 07/23/2006 11:22 Comments || Top||

#2  (sarcasn on)Nope. Must be disinformation from the Army PAO. islam is the religion of peace. no muslim would ever use an islamic religious building to hurt some one...even an infidel.(/sarcasm off)
Posted by: anymouse || 07/23/2006 12:43 Comments || Top||

#3  Says "US troops", but the only Coalition casualty mentioned was an Iraqi. Wonder if there's base-stealing going on here?
Posted by: Mitch H. || 07/23/2006 15:38 Comments || Top||

#4  Gunmen repeatedly attacked the U.S. and Iraqi force, the U.S. statement said.

After about three hours of fighting, an Iraqi SWAT team entered a Shiite mosque from which the gunmen were firing and the clashes died down, the statement said.


Yup, mixed Iraqi & US force; note that they sent an Iraqi force in to clear the building - Allan only knows if it was actually SWAT or something else, mangled in the delivery.

And boy, that's a talkative piece of paper, that statement. See how it keeps saying shit, as if there wasn't a person or persons to be properly credited behind "the statement"?
Posted by: Mitch H. || 07/23/2006 15:42 Comments || Top||

#5  The US should have taken out Mookie when they had the chance ...
Posted by: doc || 07/23/2006 20:11 Comments || Top||


Child killed, six Iraqis wounded in Talaafar
(KUNA) -- A child was killed and another six civilians were wounded Saturday in mortar shell attacks targeting a residential compound in Talaafar in west Mosul, north Iraq.

Meanwhile an Iraqi police source told KUNA that an exchange of fire was witnessed between armed men driving a civilian vehicle and an Iraqi police patrol in north east Mosul, during which three militants were killed. The source indicated that different kind of ammunition was found in the militants' vehicle.

Furthermore, an Iraqi police source in Kirkuk told KUNA that unidentified armed men kidnapped an Iraqi civilian in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

The Multi-National Forces said in a statement that large weapons caches were discovered in the cities of Hawija and Al-Riyadh, in addition to three booby-trapped vehicles.

As for the US army, it said in a statement that American soldiers with the participation of Iraqi army soldiers arrested 28 militants and confiscated weapons and explosives during Operation Gaugamela being conducted from western Kirkuk to northern Baghdad. According to the statement, the ongoing operation comes according to a request by "local Sunni Arab leaders." It "follows a series of terror attacks in the area, and comes as there are reports indicating the presence of al-Qaeda terror cells in the area." In other developments, the US army said in another statement that five militants were killed and 13 others were wounded, whereas another 47 were arrested during an armed confrontation in southern Baghdad.

The statement revealed that three Iraqi policemen and another three army soldiers were killed during the firefight.

Meanwhile, a statement by Multi-National Forces said that a US Marine was killed yesterday during a hostile act in the western Iraqi city of Anbar.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Iraqi soldier wounded in missile strike on Iraqi army headquarters
(KUNA) -- An Iraqi solider was wounded on Saturday when a Katyusha missile hit an Iraqi army headquarters south of Mosul, northern Iraq. An Iraqi Police source in Mosul told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the attack took place this afternoon in the area of Tanak, noting that a corporal was wounded in the attack, while windows of nearby buildings were shattered due to the blast.

In a separate incident, unknown gunmen shot dead an Iraqi citizen in central Mosul. The source also said that a booby-trapped car blew up targeting a joint US-Iraqi military patrol in Oraibi neighborhood in western Mosul. The source did not report any losses.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I haven't heard fo Katusha attacks before in Iraq. I wonder if this is the hand of Iran at work... Another good reason to make some sand into radioactive glass in that a$$hole country.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 07/23/2006 14:49 Comments || Top||

#2  More like "not recently". You saw reports of this sort of thing from time to time in 2004 and early 2005. I think they went away after the Marines cleared out the ratlines in the Euphrates valley last fall.

May be a suggestion that Iran's starting to smuggle 'em into the country again; on the other hand, it would be a bit of a trick to get them to Mosul across Kurdish territory. Hope the ratlines from the Syrian border aren't operating again.
Posted by: Mitch H. || 07/23/2006 15:35 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Irish troops to serve as peacekeepers if ceasefire declared
Registration required. Here's the article. Best part is at the end about the captured Maroun er Ras by the IDF

IRELAND lost 47 peacekeepers, killed during tours of duty in Lebanon since 1978. The body of one man, Private Caoimhghin Seoighe (Kevin Joyce) has never been found though Hizbollah guerillas were widely blamed for his abduction and death.

Private Seoighe was taken at gunpoint from his post after gunmen shot dead his colleague Private Hugh Doherty, a 21-year-old Donegal man.

The abduction of two Israeli soldiers in similar circumstances has triggered the lastest conflagration in the war-scarred region.

The escalating conflict has also underlined the dangers inherent in any mission to Lebanon in a week when the return of Irish soldiers to the Middle-East was once again debated.

United Nations sources in south Lebanon are reporting that the 100sq/km area which was formerly the Irish Battalion has been "laid waste" by Israeli bombardment and the remaining civilians and UN personnel in the area are running out of food and water.

No vehicle has been allowed to move in the area of south Lebanon since July 12 and the Indian and Ghanaian UN peacekeepers have been surviving on emergency rations since then. They have been unable to provide any food or relief to the civilian population still caught in the area.

One UN source said last week that the area of south Lebanon where the Irish served had been thrown back to the Stone Age. No journalists or observers have been able to visit the area where the most intensive bombardment has been taking place. No travel is allowed and any vehicle seen moving on the roads in the region can be attacked by aircraft. The telephone system has been destroyed. Senior UN sources have said that there is no possibility of peacekeepers operating in the area at present.

Ireland is expected to be asked to provide a contribution to a force if there is any sign of a ceasefire. The Permanent Defence Forces were contacted last week by the UN and asked to prepare a bomb disposal and engineer detachment to be ready to go to Lebanon as soon as there is a break in the fighting. The Army's Ordnance Corps has probably more experience in south Lebanon than any other army and is preparing for a three-month tour of duty. They will face months of work making safe large amounts of unexploded Israeli ordnance.

While the Defence Forces can provide small specialist teams at present, they are over-stretched with other UN missions in Liberia and Kosovo, and would be unable to provide a battalion-strength force in Lebanon.

The Irish Battalion in Lebanon withdrew five years ago. Despite their other commitments, however, senior Irish Army sources say the long-term expectation is that the Irish Battalion, which served in Lebanon for 23 years, will be reassembled and Irish soldiers will be back in Lebanon in numbers once again.

Senior UN sources said yesterday that there is still no sign of an end to hostilities and they believe that the bombardment of Hizbollah positions in south Lebanon will continue for quite some time. Despite the massive bombardment, the Israeli Defence Forces have been unable to force a withdrawal of Hizbollah, who are said to have dug a network of tunnels at key points along the Lebanese border with Israel.

One of these strategic positions, Maroun er Ras, is well known to the thousands of Irish peacekeepers who served in Lebanon. It is known to the UN as 'OP (observation post) Ras', as it is one of the highest points in south Lebanon and gives soldiers a commanding view over the countryside around, including into northern Israel. The IDF sent special forces units towards OP Ras on Wednesday but they were repulsed by Hizbollah forces who appeared out of the tunnel network. The UN in Lebanon now believes that Hizbollah has spent years digging these strategic tunnels and that it will be very difficult to dislodge them. The fighting and bombardment over the past 12 days is said to be far worse than the two previous major Israeli bombardments of south Lebanon in 1993 and 1996. UN sources in the area are reporting very extensive damage to some of the towns in the former Irish Battalion, which are familiar names for the estimated 30,000 Irish soldiers who served there.

One Hizbollah stronghold, the small town of Haddatah, was badly damaged in the past as the IDF responded to rocket attacks into north Israel. "This time we have heard that Haddatah has been flattened" a UN source said. He added: "There was a fairly major IDF incursion on Thursday, maybe 1,000 troops . Hizbollah has dug in around OP Ras. This is Vietcong-type stuff. We understand that hundreds of Hizbollah appeared out of side tunnels."

The removal of the experienced Irish Battalion also ended the extensive intelligence network that the Irish had built up in the area. The remaining UN force, it appears, had absolutely no idea that Hizbollah spent the intervening four or five years preparing a network of underground tunnels in preparation for a renewed conflict with Israel.
Posted by: Sherry || 07/23/2006 16:47 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Guess we now know the ultimate destination of those bunker busters, eh?
Posted by: Raj || 07/23/2006 17:10 Comments || Top||

#2  Who needs bunker busters? If I were Israel, I would just start pumping propane into the tunnels, followed by oxygen.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 17:43 Comments || Top||

#3  Guess we now know the ultimate destination of those bunker busters, eh?

Why not just pump sea-water into the tunnels?
Posted by: Charles || 07/23/2006 18:02 Comments || Top||

#4  #2 Good idea, Crosspatch. Also, air drop a few cartons of American made cigarettes in the vicinty of each tunnel the day before the operation. Kaboom!!
Posted by: GK || 07/23/2006 18:11 Comments || Top||

#5  Too dodgy, #3 - the sea water could also be pumped out.

Propane, on the other hand.... :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 07/23/2006 18:25 Comments || Top||

#6  They're going to send the Irish to deal with Muslim terrorists? They'll probably recognise each other from all those Paleo training camps.
Posted by: Infidel23 || 07/23/2006 21:58 Comments || Top||


Kassams fired despite ceasefire deal
Palestinian armed groups in Gaza fired three Kassam rockets at Israel early Sunday, and another four later in the morning, despite reports that they had agreed to halt such attacks. Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip decided on Saturday to declare a unilateral cease-fire with Israel, Palestinian Authority officials said. The decision, which primarily calls for halting rocket attacks on Israel, was to go into effect on Saturday at midnight, the officials added. They said the decision to announce a unilateral cease-fire was taken following pressure from Egypt. According to the official, the armed wings of Hamas and Fatah agreed to abide by the cease-fire. Despite the announcement, some armed groups in the Gaza Strip denied that they had agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel and vowed to pursue their attacks.

The announcement came on the eve of the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region and is seen as an attempt on the part of the Palestinians to win US backing for ending Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday rejected Rice's call for a "new Middle East" and accused Washington of seeking to destroy Hamas and Hizbullah. He also claimed that the US's plan was to turn the Middle East into a region dominated by Israel.

Haniyeh, who was speaking to reporters in Gaza City, urged the US to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people and to halt the Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "If the 'new Middle East' means striking at the resistance and turning Israel into the dominant power in the region, all the people in the Middle East will reject it," he said. "But if the new Middle East they want means ending the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as it capital, as well as the return of all the refugees and the release of all the Arab prisoners, we will certainly welcome it."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:48 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Muzzie version of a ceasefire: "Stop shooting at me while I reload".
Posted by: mcsegeek1 || 07/23/2006 15:51 Comments || Top||

#2  Israel needs to flatten Gaza like they're doing in Lebanon. That would be a lesson even the hard-headed Egyptians would understand.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 07/23/2006 21:25 Comments || Top||


Islamic Jihad denies ceasefire with Israel
The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) denied on Saturday that Palestinian militant groups had offered a truce with Israel. CNN reported earlier that a senior Palestinian official revealed on condition of anonymity that the Palestinian militants would halt launching homemade rockets into Israel if Israel stopped its air and ground strike against the Gaza Strip.

Abu Ahmed, spokesman for the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said in a statement that the report about ceasefire was totally untrue. "Some parties (which he didn't name) aim to create confusion among the Palestinian people and their resistance forces against the Zionist occupation," he said. He added that Islamic Jihad would continue attacks on Israel as long as Israeli kept assault on the Palestinians. Israel Radio, meanwhile, quoted Israeli army officials as saying that Israel won't stop its military offensive until an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants on June 25 is freed.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:19 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  That didn't take long. Fred, you must be psychic or somethin'!
Posted by: Seafarious || 07/23/2006 10:38 Comments || Top||

#2  Or psychotic. Not sure which...
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:55 Comments || Top||

#3  Is Fred an "insider"?
Posted by: Captain America || 07/23/2006 11:32 Comments || Top||

#4  Maybe. But honestly, the Paleos aren't rocket science (or rocket scientists, for that matter). There are always a minimum of three factions in play, so that two can always appear to be in the peace processor while the third is lobbing Qassams at Sderot.
Posted by: Seafarious || 07/23/2006 11:59 Comments || Top||

#5  Paleos have multipersonality disorder. Talk to Ahmad for a cease fire and Mahmoud is always mucking it up.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 07/23/2006 13:29 Comments || Top||


Hamas Succeeds In Indigenous BM-21 Test
Hamas has succeeded in developing an indigenous variant of the Soviet-origin Katyusha rocket. Israeli military sources said Hamas has developed and fired a BM-21 Grad rocket that matched or exceeded the capabilities of the original weapon. They said the Palestinian variant of the Grad reached a range of more than 20 kilometers.

On July 18, Palestinian gunners fired an indigenous Grad 122 mm rocket to an Israeli agricultural community about 19 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The rocket landed in Kibbutz Sdot Bror Hayil and nobody was seriously injured. The military sources said the Palestinian rocket traveled 24 kilometers, a range that exceeded the standard 122 mm Katyusha, with a range of about 20 kilometers. They said Hamas was expected to begin serial production of the indigenous Katyusha over the next few weeks.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:15 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "indigenous variant of the Soviet-origin"
Who comes up with this stuff?

Anyhoo, do these people really want to corner Israel? Don't make me come in there.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 11:16 Comments || Top||

#2  On July 18, Palestinian gunners fired an indigenous Grad 122 mm rocket to an Israeli agricultural community about 19 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

Firing on farmers eh? Price of tomatoes getting you down eh?

Pillocks.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 12:36 Comments || Top||

#3  Jeez, #2 Tony - that dictionary's a scream.

"plonker adj. Yet another word for calling someone an idiot. I'm tempted to write a Dictionary of British Insults. This is also (rarely) used to refer to one's penis (or someone else's, if you don't have one). I'm tempted to also write a Dictionary of British Words For Penis. A future bestseller; keep an eye out. Not that eye."

ROFLMAO! :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 07/23/2006 12:41 Comments || Top||

#4  Thank you Tony...
Link just went to my "research" folder.
I can use it next time I'm watching "Footballers Wives"
Posted by: Capsu 78 || 07/23/2006 12:50 Comments || Top||

#5  Heh ;)

Should help with transatlantic relations I hope.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 12:55 Comments || Top||

#6  "We get by with a little help from our friends

Yeah, we get by with a little help from our friends . . . ."
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 15:00 Comments || Top||

#7  indigenous variant of the Soviet-origin"
Who comes up with this stuff?


KCNA refugees?
Posted by: Thump Ulolump9724 || 07/23/2006 19:45 Comments || Top||


Israeli forces withdraw from Nablus
(KUNA) -- Israel withdrew its forces from Nablus city north of the West Bank after a four day military operation on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said Palestinian fighters in Balata refugee camp opened fire at the Israeli force in the city. The forces withdrew after blowing up the city hall causing damage to the nearby residential houses.

Israel claimed Hezbollah activists were seeking shelter in the city hall building and that they were planning to execute military operations in Israel. Rescue teams managed to pull out Ahmed Sanakrah, 18, alive from under the rubble of the blown up building, Palestinian sources said. Sanakrah had received a bullet to his hand a few weeks ago in engagements with the Israeli forces in Balata cam. Israeli soldiers stormed into Nablus hospital where Sanakrah was receiving treatment to arrest him but he managed to escape.

Six Palestinians were killed including a nurse who passed away yesterday; the rest died on the first day of the city hall's attacks.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hmmm. Don't let my sis see that site.

Ever.
Posted by: Seafarious || 07/23/2006 0:09 Comments || Top||

#2  "Palestinian sources said. Sanakrah had received a bullet to his hand a few weeks ago in engagements with the Israeli forces"

Holding up your hand for "V for Victory" with the IDF around, can be hazardous to your health.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 8:05 Comments || Top||

#3  That's what happens when you switch hands in mid-stroke!
Posted by: raptor || 07/23/2006 10:45 Comments || Top||


12 Israelis wounded in northern Israel by Hezbollah's Katyusha missiles
(KUNA) -- Hezbollah Katyusha missiles launched at northern Israel wounded 12 Israelis on Saturday, the Israeli radio said. Some 10 missiles fell in Israeli settlements and towns in the north of Israel; one of the missiles hit a house in Karmiel city, 15 kilometers from the Lebanese border, wounding two Israelis slightly, the radio said. The missiles fell on Kiryat Shemonah , Rosh Pinah and Nahariya Jewish settlements, the radio added. Sirens sounded three times so far today in Haifa, however no missiles were reported to have fallen in the city.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Still don't know missiles (guided) from barrage rockets (unguided). Press idjits.
Posted by: Snager Sning5858 || 07/23/2006 2:56 Comments || Top||


Fatah: Hamas ready to accept deal on ceasefire, release of Shalit
Hamas: No, we're not!

Senior Fatah sources in Gaza said on Saturday Hamas is ready to accept a deal that involves freeing abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, a joint cease-fire and an end to IDF actions in the Gaza Strip. What is not clear is whether Khaled Meshal, the Hamas leader in Damascus, will sanction the Egyptian-brokered deal.
Why should he? He hasn't smelled any gunsmoke recently...
The initiative, proposed by Egypt and discussed by Palestinian leaders in Gaza in the last few days, consists of freeing Gilad Shalit, a joint cease-fire and the cessation of the IDF's assassinations in the Gaza Strip and freeing Palestinian prisoners later on. The deal also includes understandings to set up a national unity government.
And they're all gonna have ponies and get along fine.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Hamas parliament members and leaders in Gaza, urging them to accept the deal before American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's arrival this week. Most Palestinian factions, including the Hamas leadership, agreed to the deal in principle, but argued that Israel is not ready for a cease-fire as long as Shalit is held captive. Fatah's leadership also rejects a unilateral cease-fire at this stage.
Simple enough: Dust him off and give him back.
Egypt, meanwhile, is continuing its efforts to persuade Hamas leaders overseas and in Gaza to free Shalit in exchange for Egyptian guarantees to release Palestinian prisoners later on, as part of a comprehensive cease-fire deal. Dr Salah al-Bardawil, head of the Hamas parliamentary faction, told Haaretz that if Israel stops its actions in Gaza, most streams would accept a cease-fire.
But not all. It's never all. Hamas accepts, Islamic Jihad rejects. Hamas and Islamic Jihad accept, the al-Aqsa Martyrs don't. Or PFLP, or DFLP, or Tanzim, or the Popular Committees. I think we're on to that racket now.
He added, however, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh already proposed a unilateral cease-fire and Israel rejected it.
Since they know the drill...
Hamas leaders in Gaza are interested in separating the negotiations over the Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit from Hezbollah's negotiations over Lebanese prisoners. Bardawil stressed that there is no cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah about the prisoner exchange negotiations. "We don't intend to reach a joint deal. Hezbollah entered the picture after Hamas was already in it, they want their prisoners and we have ours," he said.
"They're gonna be sent packing. We want to stay here."
It is not clear whether Meshal is also in favor of a separate Hamas deal with Israel. Fatah sources said that Hamas' Gaza leadership does not want its name mixed up with the fighting in Lebanon, especially in view of the sharp international criticism of Hezbollah.
The Soddies have been critical of both Hezbollah and Hamas, since they're both doing the same thing.
Hamas leaders believe Hezbollah has harmed the Palestinian cause by its actions and are striving to reach a separate deal with Israel. However, Fatah officials are doubtful about the chances of reaching an agreement, due to the unclarity of the position of Hamas' overseas leadership, headed by Meshal.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Each and every proposed cease-fire by palestinians never involves them doing any action of REAL SUBSTANCE that the Israelis want. Even liberals of any reasonable maturity have come across people in their life that take, take, take, and never give anything in return, and thus should recognize the paelos as being similar in character.

"Should", but won't. Not "Can't", but "won't".
Posted by: Ptah || 07/23/2006 8:17 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Volunteers Help Police Repulse Commie Attack in Eastern Philippine Town
A group of soldiers who were traveling to their place of work in the eastern Philippines helped police and coast guard troops repulse what could have been a disastrous attack by communist rebels yesterday in the eastern Philippine port town of Matnog, military and police officials said. National Police chief Oscar Calderon said up to 100 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, arriving in land vehicles and motorboats, attacked the police station and nearby coast guard office in Matnog, Sorsogon province, about 400 kilometers southeast of Manila, when everyone in the town was still asleep.

The guerrillas managed to destroy the police station but were forced to withdraw after a two-hour gunbattle as government volunteer troops and soldiers waiting for a ferry ride joined the defenders, said local army commander Brig. Gen. Arsenio Arugay. “Unfortunately for (the guerrillas), there were some troops present in the town at the time of the attack. They suffered heavily on this tactical offensive,” Arugay said.

When the smoke of battle cleared, five of the rebels were founded dead as against only one maritime police officer, said Matnog police chief Jesus Callada. Five other policemen and a civilian were wounded. “The rebels arrived in the town aboard two buses, a passenger jeep and an ambulance and immediately surrounded and attacked the police stations,” Callada said.

Calderon said the rebels broke into small groups as they withdrew, some taking the boats, as army reinforcements arrived. Three M-16 rifles and assorted explosives were recovered from the slain rebels, he said.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Good for them!
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 4:45 Comments || Top||

#2  Tactical errors by the NPA are rare. This is good news.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 07/23/2006 10:35 Comments || Top||

#3  SO... I thought there was a cease-fire?
Posted by: Phil || 07/23/2006 12:45 Comments || Top||


Sri Lanka
Tamil lawmaker's home attacked, 2 soldiers killed
Unidentified assailants fired two rocket-propelled grenades into the home of an ethnic Tamil lawmaker in Sri Lanka's volatile east, but the legislator and his family escaped unhurt, police said on Saturday. Separately, a roadside bomb killed two Sri Lankan soldiers and wounded two others in northern Jaffna on Saturday the latest attack blamed by the military on separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. The victims were on a road-clearing patrol when the bomb exploded, military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said, blaming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the blast.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
12th day of fighting
As Israeli and Hezbollah forces battled for a 12th day on Sunday, negotiators worked to end the conflict.

More than 60 Hezbollah rockets hit northern Israel on Sunday, killing two civilians and wounding more than 20 others, military officials and police said. CNN witnessed some of these rockets in and around the port city of Haifa. One rocket hit a house in Haifa Sunday evening, wounding several people inside.

At least six Israeli bombs fell on the Lebanese coastal city of Tyre in a 20-minute span Sunday morning, killing one civilian and wounding at least 20 others, officials said. Israeli airstrikes also hit southern Beirut, and Israel Defense Forces said it struck a building that "serves Hezbollah" in the town of Sidon.

At least 271 Lebanese people have been killed in the fighting, and 711 wounded, according to Lebanese security officials. Hezbollah attacks have killed seven Israeli civilians and 20 soldiers and wounded more than 300 civilians and more than 60 soldiers, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli officials say Israel does not intend to carry out a full-scale ground invasion in Lebanon, but instead will continue pinpoint attacks on specific targets. The IDF said it was trying to create a security buffer between the Israeli border and Hezbollah militants.

Diplomatic sources told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the operation could last a few more weeks.

Hezbollah officials on Sunday conceded that Israel had taken control of the southern Lebanon village of Maroun al-Ras after days of ground fighting.

Diplomatic efforts

Israel said Sunday that a multinational peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon is acceptable as a solution to the current Mideast crisis. The idea was broached by Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday, a ministry spokesman said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prepared to leave for the Middle East later on Sunday. Rice has said she won't be pursuing a cease-fire at the moment. Speaking at the State Department last week, she said Hezbollah is the source of the problem in Lebanon and a cease-fire "will be a false promise if it returns us to the status quo."

A bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation also expressed support for Israel during a visit to the Middle East. Rep. Jane Harmon, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, compared Hezbollah to a cancer and said the group's weapons "have to be destroyed, if possible."

Israel to distribute relief supplies

The Israeli military announced Sunday it will distribute relief supplies to Lebanese citizens under the supervision of the Red Cross. The statement from the Israel Defense Forces said the mission was "in accordance with IDF policy to maintain the daily life of Lebanese civilian population not involved in terror activity." The humanitarian aid, to arrive on ships into Beirut's port, will be transferred to aid centers across Lebanon, the IDF said.

Israel has barred the United Nations from sending relief supplies into southern Lebanon, where most of the country's estimated 500,000 internally displaced people are located, according to U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland. The United Nations is able to take its convoys of humanitarian relief to Beirut, where some 150,000 people are displaced, Egeland told CNN's Nic Robertson.

Egeland toured the rubble-littered streets of southern Beirut on Sunday and complained about the lack of safe routes for humanitarian relief supplies. "We do not have free access at the moment," he said. "We do not have security for our trucks. We do not have security for our relief people."

The United Nations has bought 50 trucks and a ship that can travel from Cyprus to Beirut, then to the port city of Tyre, he said.

On Monday, the United Nations will launch a $100 million fundraising campaign to help the Lebanese people, he said. Egeland will also negotiate the establishment of humanitarian corridors on Monday in hopes that trucks can head south quickly to bring people supplies. "There are people dying in hospitals because they do not have enough supplies, and it's our obligation to help now," he said.

Other developments:

The two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah militants nearly two weeks ago are "in good health and safe," Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs Fawzi Salloukh said Sunday. It was unclear whether Salloukh has seen Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, whose abduction, combined with Hezbollah rocket attacks into Israel, sparked Israel's military action.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut urged Americans who have not left Lebanon to do so. Early Sunday there was no wait for U.S. government-assisted boat transport out of Lebanon, embassy officials said. Those wishing to be evacuated by helicopter may have to wait "a number of days" because slots are scarce, the embassy said. As of Sunday afternoon,11,260 of the estimated 25,000 Americans in Lebanon had been evacuated, the embassy said. Another 2,800 were scheduled to depart Monday.

A U.N. observer was wounded as a result of gunfire exchange between Hezbollah militants and the Israel Defense Forces, according to an official with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday renewed his appeal for an immediate cease-fire in the fighting and encouraged all sides to start negotiations, The Associated Press reported.
Posted by: Oztralian || 07/23/2006 19:23 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "On Monday, the United Nations will launch a $100 million fundraising campaign to help the Lebanese people, he said. "

This is about 1/8th of what UN officials scammed in Oil for food.

Instead of Fund raising; why dont these noble hacks give back what they took?

Dont hold your breath, members of the Socialist international are not folks who retire from SOP.
Posted by: Angairong Hupoluger1043 || 07/23/2006 19:45 Comments || Top||

#2  On Monday, the United Nations will launch a $100 million fundraising campaign to help the Lebanese people pay for the luncheons, conferences, and hookers for U.N. officials, he said.

There - fixed that for ya. No need to thank me.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 07/23/2006 20:04 Comments || Top||

#3  If Israel doesn't do something major within the next 48 hours, I don't believe they are going to. If the situation on the border on Wednesday morning is the same as it is now, then it will be pretty clear that Israel is going into a fairly static mode of going in, attacking positions, and withdrawal to prevent Hezbollah from any protracted engagements. In other words, the IDF engaging in small unit hit/run tactics and intending to keep it that way until a negotiated end.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 20:23 Comments || Top||

#4  I don't think this is simply small unit hit/run tactics. If Israel did something major in the next 48 hours, I'll bet the results would look like the Somme and Israel knows it. That's what Hezb'Allah was set up for and that is why Israel is throwing something different at them. There is no reason why this level of combat cannot go on for weeks or months as long as the Israeli people will support it and the American people will support them. I'm very optomistic on both counts.

No one is going to speak out against Israel in the US before the end of the year. Very bad timing on Hezb'Allah's part. And the rockets have cemented Israeli support for quite some time as long as casualties are kept down. And that is what these tactics are designed to do, keep casualties low.

Israel is now putting boots on the ground. The vipers' nests are being cleared out. It's slow work, but Israel has time. It's a creative response to the situation they found.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 20:35 Comments || Top||

#5  12 days? 20000+ days would be more precise!
Posted by: Snise Grogum7151 || 07/23/2006 20:53 Comments || Top||

#6  Snise - Depends on the munitions employed - unless you're including the decay to safe levels.
Posted by: Glager Flomp7348 || 07/23/2006 21:01 Comments || Top||

#7  "No one is going to speak out against Israel in the US before the end of the year."

I disagree. At least not without some changes. Israel will probably start to get some serious pushback after one or two more weeks depending on how Hezbollah acts. If they continue their terrorist rhetoric, yeah, nobody will care.

What it boils down to at a human nature level is value. As long as Hezbollah behaves like criminals, the world will place little value on thei lives or those of their supporters.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 21:57 Comments || Top||

#8  True, crosspatch. The press reports, especially such as SkyNews (which is shown on Fox), are unbelievably biased fluffy-bunny bullshit. The domestic opposition will find plenty of angles, "disproportionate" being the first generation meme, soon enough.
Posted by: Theatle Crise9958 || 07/23/2006 22:03 Comments || Top||

#9  crosspatch, let me correct that for you: "As long as Hezbollah behaves talks like criminals, the non-extremist muslim world will place little value on their lives or those of their supporters."
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 22:31 Comments || Top||

#10  That is simply a corollary, not a correction, Gorb. The way it looks at this moment, and that can change at any time, mind you, is that Israel might have found a way to play Hezbollah's game against it.

It is very important to Hezbollah to keep sending the missiles into Israel. If Israel can go in, take out a launching cell or cache of missiles and pull out, it causes Hezbollah to have to replace it. Israel will blast anyone going near an already cleared town. Rinse, lather, repeat at a dozen or so points and you have a situation where Hezbollah is having trouble launching missiles AND there are no Israelis to hit back at.

If Hezbollah attempts to go back in and set up, they are nailed from the air before then can get the first rocket on the launcher. If they attempt to set up in a new location, the ground forces go in, break all their toys and leave.

If Hezbollah gets to a point where they can no longer launch missiles into Israel, no matter how that comes about, they have lost much. If Israel can do that without an occupation, Hezbollah has lost even more.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 22:39 Comments || Top||

#11  So how much is the UN going to raise to help the people of Haifa?
Posted by: DMFD || 07/23/2006 22:52 Comments || Top||

#12  As opposed to the amount skimmed?
Posted by: Fliper Phaimble2565 || 07/23/2006 23:19 Comments || Top||

#13  "DF Military Intelligence (MI) believes the army has 10 days left before diplomatic pressure puts an end to operation Change of Direction against Hizbullah, The Jerusalem Post learned on Sunday."

From this article.

Also of note:

"Hizbullah is organized along military lines, with regional commands in southern, northern and central Lebanon. The unit in the south, called the "Katyusha Unit" by the IDF, consists of some 1,000 fighters who have been responsible for most of the rocket attacks on communities north of Acre and Amiad.

The unit has been able to recruit reserves, but MI has noticed that it has run into difficulty convincing members of the terror group who reside in northern Lebanon to travel south to participate in the fighting. "
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 23:40 Comments || Top||


Israel captures two Hezbollah fighters
ISRAELI troops had seized two Hezbollah guerrillas during fighting in southern Lebanon, the army said today. They were believed to be the first prisoners taken in Lebanon during the 12-day-old conflict.

The army said they were seized in the village of Maroun al-Ras. Maroun al-Ras, just across the Lebanese border, has been the scene of heavy clashes in recent days.
Posted by: Oztralian || 07/23/2006 19:15 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Do they speak Farsi?
Posted by: Iblis || 07/23/2006 19:26 Comments || Top||

#2  After a suitable debrief time, Israel should contact someone like Egypt and remand these prisoners too them. In this way, Egypt as a signatory to a piece treaty with Israel is enabled in a proactive and responsible way.

This will do worlds for public opinion as the media will then report the Proper way to handle prisioners in an undeclared war; Hizbollah not being a state through which negotiations can occur. Egypt might then propose and be appointed to accept any prisoners from either side and hold them until hostiities cease.
Posted by: Glereter Uneamble2747 || 07/23/2006 19:33 Comments || Top||

#3  So much for that 'fighing to the death for Allah' crap
Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 19:43 Comments || Top||

#4  Strap them in the front of the D9 for a human mine clearing exercise or how about a extra for....

Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 20:09 Comments || Top||

#5  Here's the difference.

Hez kidnaps 2 Israeli fighters and it's enough to cause Israel to go to war.

Israel captures 2 hezzies and they'll be labeled "martyrs"
Posted by: PlanetDan || 07/23/2006 20:42 Comments || Top||

#6  Blindfold them, pretend to shoot them (with blanks), and then push them in a room filled with 72 overly friendly old ladies.
Posted by: Chereger Anginens2197 || 07/23/2006 23:40 Comments || Top||


Weapons warehouse targetted
ISRAELI aircraft targeted a warehouse in Gaza today that the army said was being used by militants to store and make weapons.

A warning was given to a man living above the store before the air strike, Palestinian security sources.
Israeli military sources confirmed that a telephone call was made to the house before the air strike to try to avoid civilian casualties.

The warehouse was being used by the Islamic Jihad militant group, the Israeli army said. Palestinian sources confirmed that the group had been using the storage site.

In its more than three-week operation against militants in Gaza the Israeli military has killed around 115 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians.

The operation is designed to stop militants firing homemade rockets into Israel, and part of a wider push to secure the release of an Israeli soldier seized by members of Hamas and other militant groups on June 25.
Posted by: Oztralian || 07/23/2006 19:12 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Imagine getting that phone call...

"This is the IAF, you got 10 minutes to vacate the building. Make sure you take all the baby ducks and bunnies with you. Have a great day."
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 19:19 Comments || Top||

#2  "I wondered why the rent was so low."
Posted by: GK || 07/23/2006 19:25 Comments || Top||

#3  I can think of no time in history when a military force was polite enough to telephone ahead before they paid a visit.

It is obvious the Israelis are bending over backwards and even placing their own operations at some additional risk in order to minimize civilian casualties.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 19:26 Comments || Top||

#4  Tony - I wish the Israel would do that - to known Hizzie houses - and say exactly that.

The Hizzie idiots would still be there 10 minutes later, scratching their heads at the fluffy ducks message. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 07/23/2006 19:47 Comments || Top||

#5  "the majority of them civilians"

How can they tell? Hezbollah deliberately wear civilian clothes. So that reporter is making a bullshit editorial comment and presenting it as new - that paper and reporter should be called to task - PROVE they were civilians. You're making the claim PROVE it.
Posted by: Oldspook || 07/23/2006 20:18 Comments || Top||


Debka: US Airlift To Counter Iranian Airlift
It is carrying fresh stock of bombs, missiles and spare parts for Israeli Air Force aircraft and helicopters. Giant Galaxy C141 transports have been landing, unloading and taking off at short intervals.

DEBKAfile adds: The American airlift to Israel follows the air corridor Iran opened to replenish Hizballah’s stocks on Wednesday, July 19, landing supplies at Syria’s Abu Ad Duhur military airfield north of Homs.

The deliveries for Hizballah include large quantities of new missiles, including the long-range Zelzal and Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 missiles, Katyusha rockets, anti-tank and anti-air missiles sent out from the RG HQ in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf. Some of these missiles can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Thursday, July 21, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander Brig.-Gen Yahya Rahim Safavi (picture) assumed command of the Lebanon war from Hizballah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah. RG forward command posts are operating out of Iranian embassies in Beirut and Damascus. Syria has placed its army, Scud missiles and air force in a state of preparedness.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 18:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I thought the C5 was called the Galaxy.

Is this doomed to spiral out of control, or is it just brinksmanship? This is beginning to seem like war by proxy, on both sides. With Iran standing to gain the most learnings even if it doesn't culminate in a duke-fest.
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 18:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Iran has to be overflying Turkey, Iraq, or KSA/Jordan. Why do I have the feeling it is Turkey? We should tell them to stop or be considered a supporter of terrorism and the home of newly recognized Kurdistan.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 19:06 Comments || Top||

#3  Iran probably paid their ransom toll to use their air and ground space.
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 19:10 Comments || Top||

#4  Iran would be using "civilian" aircraft. Stopping that might be problamatic for Turkey if these flights indeed are taking place to begin with. So far all we have is Debka's word on that from what I can recall.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 07/23/2006 19:17 Comments || Top||

#5  I gotta believe we got some snap shots of unloading that are revealing. And does Turkey really need a reason to tell Iran it's not going to let it use Turkish airspace? Turkey is palying on the wrong side way too often. Almost more than KSA. At least they can plausibly blame it on private citizens. In Turkey's case, the gopvernment consistently make calls for the terrorists.

Free Kurdistan!
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 19:23 Comments || Top||

#6  Its one thing to fly suppiles into Syria, another to get them to the Hezzies in Lebanon. The IAF will be watching the roads for any traffic headed to the war zone...
Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 19:48 Comments || Top||

#7  I'm sure they'll do much better than we have on the Iraq-Iran border.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 19:54 Comments || Top||

#8  Guys,

Knowing about the flights is one thing.

Doing something about them is another thing entirely.

What needs to happen iis Syriua and Turkey be called ot accoutnability for aiding and arming a terrorist organization.

If the Turks want to hunt the PKK in N Iraq, they will deny flight paths to any aricraft form Iran flying into Syria,

The Turks claim they want to stop terrorsts? Well, lets see them DO something about stopping a party from ARMING the terrorsits.

If they say arming non-national military groups like that isnt objectionable or worth stopping, then I say open the armories and let the Kurds stock up.

Turks have made their bed -t he either need to shut up or get used to lying in it with the Iranians and Syrians. Turks have become two faced assholes.




Posted by: Oldspook || 07/23/2006 20:16 Comments || Top||

#9  May 8, 2006

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB: The U.S. Air Force retired the last Lockheed Martin C-141 StarLifter airlifter to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in ceremonies here this morning, closing out the transport's 43-year career.

Debka is wrong more than they are right. In fact, unless they are simply re-reporting something someone else has reported, I have never known them to be accurate on anything. Please don't use them as a source.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 21:04 Comments || Top||

#10  They're a rant launcher. Take out the launchers and the rants will be wasted. :)
Posted by: Ebbomoting Snerelet4611 || 07/23/2006 21:07 Comments || Top||

#11  #7 The Iran Iraq border is hundreds of miles long. The Bekaa valley and the roads south are what -- 5 miles wide?
Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 21:21 Comments || Top||

#12  Geography is good to pay attention to in the interdiction baltte. But Airspace is easily controlled unlike ground areas, which leaves the Turks with no excuses.

The Turks need to stop all "belligerent" flights from transiting their airspace. especially Iranian arms for Syria that are destined for Hezbollah.

If the Turks remain complicit in aiding Syria and Iran, then Israel will eventually be forced to crater the runway at Homs. And do a conventional Alpha strike on Syria's air force to keep such resupply flights from happening again.

At that point, all hell will have broken loose, and our troops will be drawn into it. If they are, then the Turks had better either step up, or get used to being targets for US armed and trained Kurdish forces.
Posted by: Oldspook || 07/23/2006 21:47 Comments || Top||

#13  I like your viewpoint OldSpook.
Posted by: 3dc || 07/23/2006 21:51 Comments || Top||

#14  So the trigger would be bombing Homs?

Hell, let's get 'er done. The focal point of the most dangerous threat is Iran, of course. The status quo of waiting for the insane to do just what they threaten to do is equally insane. I hear lots of talk saying, "If they do this..." or "If they nuke Israel...". Are we really so clueless that we will wait until tens or hundreds of thousands die before we get serious?

Shit, bomb the piss out of Syria and trip that fucking trigger.
Posted by: Sharong Wholuger9867 || 07/23/2006 21:58 Comments || Top||

#15  The USA needs to get serious sometime. Syria and Iran have been asking for it for a long time. How about now?
Posted by: SR-71 || 07/23/2006 23:56 Comments || Top||


Syria 'to come clean' on al-Qaeda cells
I think he is telling al-Qaeda to go hide! Could the Syrian guys be scared of Condi?
SYRIA is prepared to tell the US the whereabouts of al-Qaeda cells in Lebanon, Britain's Sky News television reported today. Sky News said they had spoken to Syrian cabinet minister Amr Salem. "Syria has real hard knowledge," the channel quoted him as saying.

A Sky News correspondent said the Syrians were offering to tell the US where many fundamentalists were. He said the channel was told specifically there were cells of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network in Lebanon, and Syria knew of their whereabouts.

Since Syrian troops pulled out of Lebanon last year, the cells have grown, he said. "We know where they are and we can tell you," the correspondent said Sky News was told Syria was prepared to say.

The channel also quoted Mr Salem as saying "Syria offers to be an intermediary between Iran and the United States" and "Syria can play an important role in Iraq". Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mukdad told Sky News yesterday Syria was ready to open a dialogue with the US to resolve the crisis in Lebanon. "It has been Syria's ongoing position that we are ready to have a dialogue with the United States," he said.
Posted by: Sherry || 07/23/2006 17:02 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Syria has real hard knowledge,"

Or they did, until this story hit the wire. Thanks a lot.
Posted by: crosspatch || 07/23/2006 17:40 Comments || Top||

#2  We've been holding out on you but we're not on the terrs side. Nope. Not us.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 18:30 Comments || Top||

#3  Seems like they're putting their money on Hezballah because that they deem Al-Qaeda to be all but irrelevant. Hmm.
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 18:53 Comments || Top||

#4  These guys are probably in Syria now but will be available for pick up in Lebanon if there's a deal. That's happened along the Iraq border as well.

Interesting observation about Syria giving us al-Qaeda (Sunni) types in exchange for laying off Jizballah (Shi'ite) types.
Posted by: Iblis || 07/23/2006 19:32 Comments || Top||

#5  See, we have a barganing chip! Don't let the IDF kill us!!
Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 19:39 Comments || Top||


Syria threatens to join fight, Ahmadinejad: Israel pushed button of its own destruction
MADRID - Syria will enter the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah if Israel Defense Forces ground troops enter Lebanon and approach Syria, Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said in an interview published on Sunday. "If Israel invades Lebanon over ground and comes near to us, Syria will not sit tight. She will join the conflict," he told "ABC" newspaper.
Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please ...
U.S. ally Qatar is involved in mediation to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, senior political sources said Sunday. The sources said Qatar, which has not signed a peace treaty with Israel but enjoys friendly ties with it, had intensified its diplomacy in recent days directly with Israeli officials and also with Hezbollah through Lebanese officials. "The Qataris are mediating between Israel and Hezbollah to end the current crisis in Lebanon," one senior political source told Reuters. The sources did not give details.

Asked for Israel's reaction, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "Qatar is a country that we have met in the past ... If Qatar is working behind the scenes to secure the release of the hostages, that is a good thing."

Qatar and European countries have criticized Israel's offensive while the United States, Israel's closest ally, has resisted growing calls for a ceasefire and joined Israel in blaming the Iranian-backed Hezbollah for the crisis.

Ahmadinejad: Israel pushed button of its own destruction

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadeinejad declared Sunday that Israel had "pushed the button of its own destruction" by launching its military campaign against Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Ahmadinejad didn't elaborate, but suggested that Islamic nations and others could somehow isolate Israel and its main backers, led by the United States. On Saturday, the chairman of Iran's armed forced joint chiefs, Major General Sayyed Hassan Firuzabadi, said Iran would never join the current Middle East fighting.

"Britain and the United States are accomplices of the Zionist regime in its crimes in Lebanon and Palestine," Ahmadinejad said.

He said "the people of the region will respond" unless Israel and its allies apologize for their policies. "Arrogant powers have set up a base for themselves to threaten and plunder nations in the region," he said. "But today, the occupier regime [Israel] - whose philosophy is based on threats, massacre and invasion - has reached its finishing line."

In Tehran, the government has sanctioned billboards showing Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and a message that it is the duty of Muslims to "wipe out" Israel.
Posted by: 3dc || 07/23/2006 15:42 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It sounds like Iran is trying to get Syria and Israel to fight each other. Get the other dogs to fight so you can take over as pack leader.
Posted by: Chereger Anginens2197 || 07/23/2006 15:48 Comments || Top||

#2  And he's in for a very big surprise. Aug 22 is only dinnerjackets date - fun comes sooner.
Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 || 07/23/2006 16:00 Comments || Top||

#3  If you cross this line, & I'm gonna....Ok, cross this line & I'm gonna...Ok, this line & I'm gonna....
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 16:06 Comments || Top||

#4  I thought I recognized that character.
Posted by: Perfesser || 07/23/2006 16:18 Comments || Top||

#5  LOL! Perfesser
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 16:23 Comments || Top||

#6  I gather the Sunni/Shitte split in Qatar is pretty even, with their even being two religious court systems. Their population is split with 40% being Arab, 10% Iranian, and the other 50%, other.

They probably suspect that this is turning into a Sunni/Shiite fight, and that's something they don't want.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 16:42 Comments || Top||

#7  Allan, meet my friend MOAB.
Posted by: Spike || 07/23/2006 17:13 Comments || Top||

#8  Ahmadinejad: Israel pushed button of its own destruction

"See, mindless drones, it's all Israel's fault. Seethe and kill at will, as long as you don't pay any attention to your government's shortcomings. After they're gone, we're gonna have to come up with someone else to hate. Any ideas, anyone?"
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 18:55 Comments || Top||

#9  I see no reason to think Iran does NOT have nukes. What happens if they manage to deliver a nuclear-armed missile to HezbAllah to launch for detonation somewhere over Israel? Israeli defense is critically high-tech; is it sufficiently hardened to survive the EMP? One presumes their ballistic missiles are, but where do they target them? One presumes Iran would have been the supplier of HA nuke, but one can probably not be sure it was not Pakistan, or North Korea, or some part of the former Soviet Union. Regardless, I fear whatever Israel does will be a last dying gasp as the Muslim world unites to invade all the unirradiated remnants of Israel.
I think Ahmanutjob would do it even if he KNEW Iran would get nuked back. That is why I cannot understand Europe's (including Russia's) refusal to cooperate in trying to keep Iran out of the nuclear fraternity these many years. Are they so anti-Semitic they really think they are better off being the last ones eaten by the crocodile?
Posted by: Glenmore || 07/23/2006 20:43 Comments || Top||


IAF destroys two rocket launchers
The IAF destroyed two Hizbullah rocket launchers in Lebanon on Sunday morning. By noon, the Israeli army had struck 40 targets over the border. A series of large explosions shook the Beirut in the early hours of Sunday as IAF warplanes apparently again pounded the Hizbullah's stronghold in Beirut's southern Dahiya suburb. Three huge explosions reverberated across Beirut in short succession, while other IDF raids struck the southern town of Sidon. The strikes in Sidon destroyed a religious building run by a Shi'ite Muslim cleric close to Hizbullah in their first hit inside the southern port city, currently swollen with refugees from fighting further south.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 10:49 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  we'll know whether the Dahiya strikes were effective by listening for the following:

- movement by Syria to negotiate a truce on behalf of Hizb
- threats from Iran which don't mention Nazrallah
- frantic sounding appeals from Russia and France

if we don't get any of these, the strikes were probably ineffective
Posted by: mhw || 07/23/2006 11:48 Comments || Top||

#2  Religious building destroyed? Maybe a semi-mosque not on the registry of the 90,000 most holy sites?
Posted by: Inspector Clueso || 07/23/2006 13:06 Comments || Top||

#3  You could tell it was a religious building by the quantity of secondary explosions.
Posted by: DMFD || 07/23/2006 22:57 Comments || Top||


Israelis search & destroy
Israeli officials yesterday predicted at least a month of fighting ahead in southern Lebanon as troops launched search-and.destroy missions to root out a massive network of Hezbollah bunkers. The grim assessment came as the Israeli Army wrested control of a key town in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah continued raining dozens of rockets onto Haifa and other northern Israeli towns.

Israeli officials told the Daily News that troops who entered Lebanon were surprised to find sophisticated and well-camouflaged bunkers dug by Hezbollah to hide fighters, rocket launchers and weapons caches. The army first confronted the bunker complexes when commandos stumbled across a metal door in the Lebanese village of Marun e-Ras, less than a mile from the border.

As many as 2,000 Israeli troops surged across the border yesterday hunting for similar bunkers, and to take control of Marun e-Ras and its high vantage point on the region. Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz said six elite Israeli troops were killed in the fighting along with dozens of Hezbollah fighters. The army also reported yesterday it recovered the body of a missing soldier. "It's a complicated operation," said Gal Hirsh, an Israeli Army commander. "It's much more than a small force operating in Lebanon."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 09:55 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Good. This is getting to be a war fought for victory. They should be destroying the armed mosques, though. Somehow I get the impression they believe the Arabs will like them if they don't trash the mosques. To me, the Arabs will never like them; showing they don't care by destroying the mosques will at least assure that the Arabs respect and fear them. Israel should go all the way and make the residents of the Bekaa valley wish Sherman had been the one who came through.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 07/23/2006 10:12 Comments || Top||

#2  If its an arsenal or arms depot, it isn't a mosque. DESTROY IT. No passes on mosques anymore.
Posted by: JohnQC || 07/23/2006 10:21 Comments || Top||

#3  When have mosques ever not been arms depots. Level any the army sees.
Posted by: ed || 07/23/2006 11:04 Comments || Top||

#4  FoxNews mentioned that IED's in place in Hezbollahland are 100 to 1000 times more powerful than the ones in Iraq. (They were built into the road and stuff.) Mention is made of a Merkava tank being totallly obliterated. Only tiny pieces left.

The Israelis are having a rough time with these IEDs.

Posted by: Omailet Uniling8292 || 07/23/2006 11:24 Comments || Top||

#5  The Israelis are having a rough time with these IEDs.

Doesn't sound like these are IEDs.
Posted by: gorb || 07/23/2006 15:05 Comments || Top||


Syria 'would resist Lebanon invasion'
A SYRIAN minister warned Israel in an interview published today that a major ground incursion into Lebanon would draw his country into the Middle East conflict.
"If Israel makes a land entry into Lebanon, they can get to within 20km of Damascus," Information Minister Moshen Bilal told the Spanish newspaper ABC.

"What will we do? Stand by with our arms folded? Absolutely not. Without any doubt Syria will intervene in the conflict."

Mr Bilal said Syria wanted above all a ceasefire "as soon as possible" combined with a prisoner exchange and indicated he was working to that end with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, whom he met in recent days in Madrid.
The new addition to the Axis Of Evil.

But he added: "I repeat, if Israel makes a land invasion of Lebanon and gets near us, Syria will not stand by with arms folded. It will enter the conflict."

Israel has said it wants to push Hezbollah militias 20km north of its border.

Mr Bilal criticised the US saying that it was "unjustifiable" that "the superpower is not working for a rapid ceasefire."

He rejected claims by Washington that Damascus has armed Hezbollah, saying that it offered "moral support" but adding that "we do not finance any resistance."
Taqyia in action
Posted by: tipper || 07/23/2006 07:41 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "But he added: "I repeat, if Israel makes a land invasion of Lebanon and gets near us, Syria will not stand by with arms folded."

I know, I believe you. You’ll stand with your arms up, instead.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 8:09 Comments || Top||

#2  I disagree that Spain is a member of the axis of Evil. Axis of Useless, yes. Axis of Self-delusion, certainly. But not the Axis of Evil.
Posted by: Ptah || 07/23/2006 8:20 Comments || Top||

#3  "Mr Bilal criticised the US saying that it was "unjustifiable" that "the superpower is not working for a rapid ceasefire."

We are waiting on you to jump so we have our excuse to take out your boy Iran.
Posted by: C-Low || 07/23/2006 8:40 Comments || Top||

#4  "Mr Bilal criticised the US saying that it was "unjustifiable" that "the superpower is not working for a rapid ceasefire."

There are at least two ways to get a ceasefire Mr Bilal;

1) Both sides agree to put aside weapons and stop the fighting. This is what has traditionally been attempted in the Middle East...
2) One side inflicts so much damage on the other side that there is (a) no other side left, (b) what is left of the other side unconditionally surrenders.

Israel has tried option (1) many times in the past and been rewarded with homicide bombers and missiles falling indiscriminantly from the skies.

Are you sure you want 'the superpower' to work for a rapid ceasefire? They may insist the Israelis choose option (2)...
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 07/23/2006 8:47 Comments || Top||

#5  "If Israel makes a land entry into Lebanon, they can get to within 20km of Damascus," Information Minister Moshen Bilal told the Spanish newspaper ABC."
So Israel is right to push back the terrorist.
Thanks
Posted by: plainslow || 07/23/2006 9:38 Comments || Top||

#6  What makes anyone think we even want a ceasefire??? What we want is a lasting peace so this cycle of crap does not fire back up in three years. The only option for peace is to destroy Hezbullah and their masters, Tony (UK)'s option. Ceasefires will only work between governments, not terrorists, and only until one has the strength to overrun the other and then the fighting will resume.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 07/23/2006 9:41 Comments || Top||

#7  Well, judging from the Debka take, the Syrians are raring to go, given the slightest provocation, just plain paranoia, or any opportunity at all to attack Israel in Lebanon that they think can inflict a lot of casualties and to some extent get away with.

Well, that being said, I think Israel should make clear to Syria that if Syria *does* fight them, for any reason, Israel will have a two-fold strategy:

1) Of course, attack the Syrian military, but also,

2) Destroy as much as they can of everything owned by the Alawite tribe, the minority Shiites that rule over the majority of Syrian Sunnis.

This would accomplish two goals. The first is to change the balance of power in Syria.

(As a weird factoid, the Alawites make up only about 10% of the population of Syria, which is just slightly more than the percentage of the population that is Christian(!) See factbook Syria for info.)

The second goal, is to let all of the Sunni nations know that Israel might take Syria out of Shiite hands and make it a Sunni country.

They have been long fretting that Iraq has been "converted" from a Sunni to a Shiite country. Imagine their glee at the prospect of the reverse happening in Syria.

This would probably mean that they would give Syria zero support, and might even subtley support Israel by clamping down on Paleo mischief for a time, thus taking some of the heat off.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 07/23/2006 10:17 Comments || Top||

#8  What we want is a lasting peace
That's the rub, isn't it. There can be no peace with muslims, ever. Dar-al-Harb and all that. If any civilization on islam's border wants to survive, then it has to push back the border, because islam will always expand their borders by any and all methods.
Posted by: ed || 07/23/2006 10:19 Comments || Top||

#9  Begin moving our troops in Iraq west. Make Syria wonder. Would'nt even have to do anything.
Posted by: plainslow || 07/23/2006 12:41 Comments || Top||

#10  Syria says they will attack if Israel "gets near us". If they really wanted to fight, they could have joined in already. Possibly this is a warning to stay away from Bekaa valley?
Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 15:18 Comments || Top||

#11  Bring it on, Syrian pussies.
Posted by: mcsegeek1 || 07/23/2006 15:55 Comments || Top||

#12  Sounds like Syria has just started its own Axis: the Axis of Stupid.
Posted by: Spike || 07/23/2006 15:58 Comments || Top||

#13  #12 spike - I'd question the "just started" part of your comment. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 07/23/2006 16:07 Comments || Top||

#14  I stand corrected! The Syrians have a long, proud history of failing to get a clue. :-)
Posted by: Spike || 07/23/2006 17:30 Comments || Top||


Map of Hezbolla Zones - Counter Terrorism Blog
Posted by: || 07/23/2006 01:09 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It would appear that most of Leabanon outside the red area is safe to me.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 07/23/2006 3:21 Comments || Top||

#2  The Lebanese border should have left out the Bekaa valley, way back when. The border should have run along the crest of the Orontes-Litani watershed, or the foothills of it. The French intention, originally, was to separate out and create a Christian state. They would have achieved that.
Posted by: buwaya || 07/23/2006 3:36 Comments || Top||

#3  Nice try on the map but it is impossible to make an accurate map of Hezbollah zones. As long as Hezbollah actually holds parliamentary seats in the Lebanese government, it is impossible. Also, Hezbollah provides hospitals, daycare, plumbing, sewer services, water, electricity and other services to the Shiites. This is how Hezbollah establishes mind control over the Shiite population. Hezbollah is a cancer that must be destroyed completely. It can be done in three ways.

Unlike the Democrats, I have ideas. One is do what Israel is doing right now. Completely destroy the military capability of Hezbollah within Lebanon and cut off re-supply. Two, the surrounding Arab states and the EU must be allowed to immediately supply funds and rebuild the city in the Shiite community. In fact, the Arab states and the EU must be on stand by with reconstruction personnel and equipment. The Shiite people of Lebanon must be able to witness, now that the Hezbollah military capability is destroyed, help is on the way. The Lebanese army should be put in place to provide security. In order to re-train the mind set of regular Shiite population, basic services must be restored immediately. Use Halliburton with Arab employees, I don’t care. Third, the Lebanese army must be put along the Syrian border, yes that’s right, I said Syrian border and NOT the Israeli border and inspect every Syrian truck that comes into Lebanon. Any trucks with weapons coming in Syria must be destroyed ASAP. If the Lebanese can’t handle it, then let Israel know where the truck is located. Jordan cooperates with Israel in this manner all the time.

In conclusion, There should be a massive influx of construction equipment brought in, for the rebuilding. The Shiite population must be a clear witness to the reconstruction efforts. Now that the war is happening, the Shiite population is willing to put with some inconveniences for a short time. There is a small window of time to restore or least a clearly visible massive attempt, to restore basic services. If basic services are not restored within the small window of time, about 3-6 months, the seed is planted for chaos and insurgency. Then, Lebanon turns into another Iraq that gives birth to new militias trying vying for power. Bottom line, whoever restores basic services first, wins the hearts and minds. It cannot be the US. The US can hand out 10 gold coins to every Shiite and they would still hate us.

I know my ideas won't be put in place due to the fact that the UN want chaos to exist to use as an excuse to thump their collective noses at the evil Israel and the US.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 7:57 Comments || Top||

#4  No rebuilding. Export the population north or into Syria.
Posted by: ed || 07/23/2006 12:29 Comments || Top||

#5  Bottom line, whoever restores basic services first, wins the hearts and minds

I'd leave the undoable job of winning Shia hearts and minds to the moon beam splitters..

It is though within the realm of possibilities to convict every Hezbys precious heart and mind with the absolute knowledge of permanent destruction....
Posted by: RD || 07/23/2006 12:44 Comments || Top||

#6  ed,

I agree, but you also have to consider the Christian population in the north Lebanon. You can't leave the bottom half of Lebanon destroyed. Some rebuilding has to take place. But NOT by us or Israel.

RD,

Remember, Hezbollah is a mind control movement and propaganda machine. Destroy, Hezbollah first. Then rebuild and keep out permanently, foreign influence. The Lebanese government never had a chance. They were first taken over by the PLO and now the Hezbollah. There is hope only, because there is no overwhelmingly religious majority. If there is no outside state supported influence, the Christian and Muslim religions cancel each other out.

This is how India survives. There are Hindus, Muslims, Jews (yes, that’s right), and Christians living, sometimes next door to each other. The secret ingredient is assimilation. There are some fringe radical groups out there, but without outside state influence, you wouldn’t see terrorism in India. Although, there is more Hindus that anyone else, the religions, believe it or not, cancel each other out. But, you must get rid of outside state influences.

I only make a big deal because it’s Lebanon. I am never for hearts and minds. But the Lebanese heart and mind is worth a small effort. Lebanon is a unique Arab country. It’s not like Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Libya. The majority of the people that live there, are animals. Some of the culture is even different from other Arab countries. If the Hezbollah did not have influence in Lebanon, you would see assimilation. North Lebanon is very U.S. friendly. The Christian blogs coming out of Lebanon want the Israeli strikes to continue.


Posted by: Poison Reverse || 07/23/2006 15:11 Comments || Top||

#7  The only way to insure a peaceful northern border between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria is to sow nuclear mines every two or three miles, and set them all off at the same time. Leave a zone about five miles wide of totally radioactive soil - a death zone that cannot be crossed. Return rocket fire with nukes. It'll only take one or two, and the rockets will stop, totally. Also take out the water supply for Damascus, permanently. Make it a ghost town without mass killing. Maybe it will give Israel a modicum of peace on its northern border.

For peace against the "palestinians", forcefully export them to Syria and Egypt, annex the 'territories', and push the Egyptians back across the canal.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 07/23/2006 16:05 Comments || Top||

#8  Oh I don't think you have to go that far. The problem with Syria is in all of the wars Israel has payed little attention to them while saving most of the drubbing for the Egyptians. And since 73 they've been playing proxy wars in Lebanon, all very safe.

Syria has always had a paymaster to pay the bills, Russia, Iraq, Iran. Cut them off from this aid, bounce them out of Lebanon, smash the army and they might learn a lesson.

Posted by: Oldcat || 07/23/2006 16:25 Comments || Top||


Israel hits Hezby sites
Israeli warplanes struck Sidon early Sunday, targeting a religious building run by a Shiite Muslim cleric close to Hezbollah in their first hit inside the southern port city, currently swollen with refugees from fighting further south. Also early Sunday, a huge explosion reverberated across Beirut, apparently caused by an Israeli air raid on the capital's southern suburbs.

At least four people were wounded in the airstrike that targeted Sidon for the first time since Israel launched its massive military offensive against Lebanon and Hezbollah guerrillas July 12, hospital officials said. Strikes early in Israel's campaign hit bridges outside the city of 100,000, where 35,000 refugees are also now residing. Witnesses said the Israeli jets fired two missiles that directly hit the four-story Sayyed al-Zahraa compound in Sidon. The compound, which contains a mosque, a religious library and a seminary, was entirely destroyed but was believed to be empty at the time of the strike, they said. A man and his wife in a nearby house were lightly wounded from broken glass, while two other people strolling near the compound were also hit by shrapnel, hospital officials said.

The compound is run by Sheik Afif Naboulsi, a Shiite Muslim cleric close to Iran and the militant Hezbollah group. Minutes earlier, two other blasts also shook Beirut also caused by an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs where Hezbollah headquarters, including the residence of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah have been flattened by repeated Israeli bombing. Israeli warplanes also hit targets in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley firing missiles in the cities of Hermel and Baalbek at around 11 p.m. Saturday, witnesses said. There was no immediate word on casualties in either strike.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Missiles hit a Lebanese TV station hard
Israel has been unable to silence Hezbollah's television station, its powerful voice at home and in the Arab world, despite 11 days of bombing. But warplanes on Saturday did knock a Lebanese station often critical of the guerrillas off the air in parts of the country. Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. TV appeared to have gotten caught in Israel's campaign to prevent Hezbollah from communicating among its fighters and spreading its word in a war that has played out on television to viewers across the Middle East - bumping even the violence in Iraq.

Three missiles leveled a transmission station in Fatqa, about 10 miles northwest of Beirut, leaving it a mountain of rubble and twisted antennas. The head of LBC's transmission center, Sueliman Chidiac, was killed. Another airstrike crippled a transmission tower at Terbol in northern Lebanon, where relay stations for LBC, Future TV and Hezbollah's Al-Manar as well as cell phone towers are located. Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli army spokesman, said the target of the strikes was Al-Manar and Al-Nour, Hezbollah's radio station. He told The Associated Press that five of those station's antennas were hit. "It's important to understand why the attack was carried out. This will disrupt their ability to communicate," he said, adding that cell phones were a "key communication link" for the guerrillas.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Al-Manar and LBC may have been sharing an antenna. LBC's terrestrial transmission was knocked out to homes in the surrounding portion of north-central Lebanon, though homes with satellite dishes received it without interruption. Al-Manar continued broadcasting without interruption - as it has after repeated strikes on its facilities, except for one eight-minute break earlier in the week.
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If you can't take it out you can jam it.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 07/23/2006 1:23 Comments || Top||

#2  OMG- It's the Indian!!!!!
(For those who don't know what I'm talking about...)
Posted by: Chinter Flarong9283 || 07/23/2006 2:11 Comments || Top||

#3  Ha, Chinter - excellent. Learn something every day:

"In the 1998 film Pleasantville a modified version of the test card appears on the television screen behind the Don Knotts character. The Indian head changes its facial expression over the course of the film."

Shit - I did not pick up on that, LOL.
Posted by: Snager Sning5858 || 07/23/2006 2:45 Comments || Top||

#4  Oh, and Muslims don't need no steenking infidel Western TV invention anyway. They gots Allan and Q'K'o'u'u'r'a'n'ran memorizing and which hand does what remembering and Salami Lickeming and inshallahing and which way is Makkaahh figuring and local prayer time calculating and head-banging and piller counting and marching around shouting and seething and Jooo hating and stuff to occupy their time.
Posted by: Snager Sning5858 || 07/23/2006 2:53 Comments || Top||

#5  The lci tv channel has been all over this (I think this is the same), because the antennae was located near a chuch where a group of french were holding a seminar about "the coexistence of civilizations" (he he), one of them being cut by flying glass,... a hit reportage complete with innuendo and carefully chosen words (bavure, pilonnage,...) to show the french audience how mean the joooos are.
I'm starting to think these follow-the-quai d'orsay "conservative" (sic) journalos are even worse than their limousine-liberal competition when it comes to israeli-bashing.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 07/23/2006 3:13 Comments || Top||

#6  Ha ha ha hee Snager Sning5858! BTW good spelin.
Posted by: 6 || 07/23/2006 11:08 Comments || Top||


Israel seizes Hezbollah village
Lebanese civilians waving white flags have been fleeing attacks
Israeli forces say they have seized the Lebanese border village of Maroun al-Ras, an apparent base used by Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Exchanges of fire can be still be heard in the village, said by Hezbollah to be the scene of an "epic battle".

Israeli planes reportedly bombed Beirut and the city of Sidon early on Sunday, the 12th day of the campaign. Thousands of people have been trying to leave southern Lebanon and the United Nations warns of a humanitarian crisis. Its humanitarian chief is en route to Beirut, as the UN seeks to secure safe routes out for fleeing civilians. The UN's Jan Egeland said half a million people needed assistance - and the number was likely to increase. One-third of the recent Lebanese casualties, he said, appeared to be children. As concerns about hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians grew, Israel eased restrictions on Lebanon's blockaded ports to allow aid into the country.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Notice how Nasrallah - who I assume still pollutes the earth - doesn't have much to say? That is a good sign that he doesn't want to be shown as flustered. Dollars for dimes says that the Hizbis who Iran were putting up in Beirut highrises that are now rubble, aren't too happy with Nasry's hollow promises. I only wish the IDF could use Napalm. That would be the perfect target for Hizb' tunnel warfare.
Posted by: Anginens Threreng8133 || 07/23/2006 5:19 Comments || Top||

#2  I need more coffee - I did a quick look at that picture and I thought I saw Mike Dukakis atop the tank...
Posted by: Raj || 07/23/2006 9:38 Comments || Top||


Good morning...
Missiles hit a Lebanese TV station hardLebanese civilians waving white flags have been fleeing attacksSyria “ready for dialogue” with US on Middle EastExtremists will take advantage of Pakistan-India standoff, sez PervFatah: Hamas ready to accept deal on ceasefire, release of ShalitWar Fears as Somali Islamists and Govt Forces ClashJapan plans to deploy 2 more Aegis warships
Posted by: Fred || 07/23/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  She's a nice one, my second favorite since Carol Ohmart. I wonder if she's into fat whining underachievers?... Oh, well, anyway, she must be 90 or something, by now.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 07/23/2006 3:20 Comments || Top||

#2  "Vikki turn your back on me
Come on darlin' just for me
'Cause there is something so appealin',
that your eyes are not revealin'!
Oh, Miss Dougan, you're for me!"
Limelighters
Posted by: GK || 07/23/2006 9:47 Comments || Top||

#3  Yep.

http://members.tripod.com/sierran/vikki_dougan.html
Posted by: mrp || 07/23/2006 11:05 Comments || Top||



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Sun 2006-07-23
  Israel seizes Maroun al-Ras
Sat 2006-07-22
  Gaza groups agree to stop firing at Israel
Fri 2006-07-21
  Ethiopia enters Somalia to back government
Thu 2006-07-20
  Siniora pleads for world's help
Wed 2006-07-19
  IAF foils rocket transports from Syria
Tue 2006-07-18
  Israel flattens Paleo foreign ministry, Hamas offices
Mon 2006-07-17
  Israel attacks Beirut airport with four missiles
Sun 2006-07-16
  Chechens Ready to Hang it Up
Sat 2006-07-15
  IDF targets Beirut, Tripoli ports & Hizbollah leadership
Fri 2006-07-14
  IAF Booms Hezbollah HQ, Misses Nasrallah
Thu 2006-07-13
  Israel bombs Beirut airport, embargos coast
Wed 2006-07-12
  IDF Re-Engages Lebanon, Reserves Called Up
Tue 2006-07-11
  163 dead in Mumbai train booms
Mon 2006-07-10
  Shamil breathes dirt!
Sun 2006-07-09
  Hamas gov't calls for halt to fighting

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