Someone remind me: is there anything in Somalia worth fighting over?
(SomaliNet) Mass rally against the continuation of Ethiopian intervention in Somalia has been held on Monday in Dhusomareb town, the capital of Galgadud region.
Dhusomareb, huh? A telling blow against infidel imperialism, indeed...
The Ethiopian troops have occupied Balanbale district of Galgadud region on Sunday where they had blocked all roads in the town to protect against Islamic Courts who are expanding their power through the central regions in Somalia. The district has fallen into hands of Ethiopian troops and they talked no one in Balanbale, Sheikh Khalif Giir told the local media. Hundreds of people in Dhusomareb have protest against the occupation of Ethiopian troops in BalanBale on Sunday chanting anti Ethiopia slogans. Stop the invasion, death to Ethiopians, we dont more bloodshed.'
How can the Æthiops be compelled to die without bloodshed? Are they going to be poisoned?
The leader of the newly set up Islamic Court in Dhusomareb, Sheikh Moalim Ahmed addressed the protestors telling them to wage holy war on Ethiopian troops unless they withdraw the country. we will cost ourselves in defending our land from the enemy and that's our rights to do, Sheikh Khaliif said.
"Y'all run right down there and throw them out. I'll wait fer yez back here at the mosque!"
There is high tension in many towns of Galgadud region in central Somalia over the invasion of Ethiopian troops in the region. This prompts major conflict between Islamic Courts and Ethiopia forces. Islamists in region continue to encourage the people to join the holy war against Ethiopia to liberate their land from the enemy troops.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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LONDON - Britain eased a ban on airline cabin baggage on Monday and scaled down a security alert imposed last week after police said they had foiled a plot to blow up airliners, but delays and cancellations at airports continued.
Home Secretary John Reid said the downgrading of the threat of a terrorist attack from critical, the highest level, to severe, did not mean the danger of an attack had passed, but that police believed they had wrapped up most loose ends. There has now been time to assess the intelligence picture following the police operation, Reid told reporters. The police believe that the main suspects in the alleged plot were arrested last week.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said passengers could now take one piece of hand luggage the size of a laptop computer bag onto planes. But they would still be banned from taking liquids aboard, except medicines that could be verified and baby food that would have to be tasted by accompanying adults.
On the fifth day since the new airport security measures were put in place, carriers were still being forced to cancel some flights because of airport overcrowding and delays. On Monday British Airways cancelled 20 percent of flights from Londons Heathrow airport, the worlds busiest for international flights, and said a similar number would also be cancelled on Tuesday despite easier security.
On Sunday a British Airways flight to New York was turned back to Heathrow because of a security scare because of a ringing tone from a mobile phone that was not claimed by any of the 217 passengers. The phone was later found to be safe.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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Via Bros. Judd:
South Korea may have serious problems with the tough US stance toward North Korean nuclear and missile antics, but it balks at any reduction of US troops stationed in the country or dilution of the 50-year military relationship with the United States. An announcement last week by a US defense official - that as part of an overhaul of military ties Seoul will be handed back wartime-operations command over its troops by 2009 - has triggered a round of harsh criticism of President Roh Moo-hyun's nationalist policies.... Sayonara - Guam could use the money.
#2
After the 7 boomers, they are taking a momentary pause before condemning the US.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2006 0:43 Comments ||
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#3
Not only Korea. Bring the troops home from Europe.
Posted by: ed ||
08/15/2006 0:55 Comments ||
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#4
--Paik Hak-soon, a researcher at the Sejong Research Institute, said: "It seems that Washington believes it has nothing to lose even if it returns operational control to South Korea earlier than South Korea asks - as long as it intends it will keep its troops in South Korea even after the two Koreas are reunited, and as long as there are American forces in South Korea, they have enough mobility and agility to confront China." --
... as long as it intends it will keep its troops in South Korea even after the two Koreas are reunited,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#9
I'm so damn tired of us fighting the battles of governments and people who don't want us there. Forec the Korean government to enforce anti-discrimination laws on Korean businesses or pull out of Korea now. Let them deal with Kimmie on their own.
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday, on France-2 television, that the terrorist threat in France was "High and permanent," and urged the nation to stay alert.
"It is absolutely out of the question to let down our guard," he added. Sarkozy is to travel Wednesday to London for talks with counterparts from several nations after British authorities uncovered an alleged terror plot targeting US-bound flights.
Germany gave its strongest signal yet on Tuesday that it will send troops to join a U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, a move that is likely to prove divisive in the country 60 years after the Holocaust.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far been non-committal on the matter but Eckart von Klaeden, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's conservatives (CDU-CSU) in parliament, said it was a question of "how" rather than "if" Germany would contribute.
"I think it is a given that we should contribute but what the contribution will look like will only come after ongoing talks," said von Klaeden, who had previously been more cautious.
Government spokesman Thomas Steg said on Monday the cabinet could decide next week on Germany's role.
The idea that their soldiers might have to shoot at Israelis makes many Germans uneasy given that 6 million Jews were wiped out under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.
One option would be for Germany to send its navy to patrol the coast off Lebanon and Israel, said von Klaeden, who is seen as close to Merkel.
Several German newspapers had reported that possibility and had also said Merkel's conservatives have agreed with their Social Democrat coalition partners to supply troops if needed.
Christian Schmidt, a junior defense minister and conservative member of parliament, told the daily Berliner Zeitung that Germany would join the peace mission and that details were being worked out.
"Participating directly in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon is not a priority for us," Schmidt told Wednesday's edition of the paper according to extracts released on Tuesday.
Other politicians have said German soldiers could undertake humanitarian work or help rebuild infrastructure.
After five weeks of fighting, a U.N.-brokered truce between Israel and Hizbollah started on Monday. World powers are now in talks about contributions to a force of 15,000 foreign troops.
A meeting of about 20 potential troop contributing nations expects a concept of operations to be ready by Thursday.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier left on Monday for his third trip to the Middle East since hostilities broke out. He is due to visit Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
#1
"The idea that their soldiers might have to shoot at Israelis makes many Germans uneasy given that 6 million Jews were wiped out under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime."
Political leaders have had no problem with attacking Israel with words, however. This is a good wake-up call for Germany (and the EU generally) to pick up a responsibility they have been trying to hide from since the end of WWII-making amends to those they wronged. Merkel is at least somewhat more hopeful in that regard.
Interesting that this dilemma was couched in terms of having to shoot at Israelis; I think they will have a much harder time shooting at Lebanese/Hezbollah, in that European nations have a modern partiality to those who have been "victimized" by Israel.
Posted by: Jules in the Hinterlands ||
08/15/2006 9:14 Comments ||
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#2
Looks like the Hun will get another crack at the final solution.
#3
The Muslem Offense Level Explained (Religious Policeman)
Just to remind you what the various levels mean:
LOW
Meaning - We are slightly miffed, although we are not sure why. We think we are not as popular as we would like to be.
Non-Muslim response - Tread very carefully and do not offend us
Consequence of non-compliance - We will get very cross and stamp our feet
GUARDED
Meaning - We are quite offended, because people are generally picking on us.
Non-Muslim response - Stop making jokes about us
Consequence of non-compliance - We will rant on about "Islamophobia" and "Orientalism", although we don't understand what those words really mean
ELEVATED
Meaning - We are definitely cross, because people keep blaming us for 9/11, Parisian cars getting torched, Saudi women getting stoned
Non-Muslim response - Pretend that these things have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims, tell everyone how we brought algebra to 9th Century Spain
Consequence of non-compliance - We will cause even more mayhem. Did you leave your car out in the street?
HIGH
Meaning - We are extremely offended by a particular individual or country
Non-Muslim response - That individual or country must apologize
Consequence of non-compliance - Individual; Fatwa, assassination, or both. Country; Boycott (unless you export things the Saudi Royal Family are consumers of), and Saudi newspapers write a long string of boring and repetitive articles that you will never read but will drive Saudi readers to distraction.
SEVERE
Meaning - We have had enough of your rudeness and ridicule and have gone completely ballistic
Non-Muslim response - We demand that the Pope and President Bush go down on their knees and apologize personally for every rude thing that everyone has ever said about us over the last 1400 years, and promise that it won't happen again
Consequence of non-compliance - We will cease the export of oil, therefore depriving the numerous Saudi Royal Family of all income, we will cease the import of all cars, tanks, airplanes (military and civil), computers, building technology, infrastructure and general professional expertise, and we will stop visiting Western fleshpots like the South of France, the USA, London..... Honest. We will. We really mean it this time. Just you wait. We really will. You better believe it. We're not kidding. We're telling you. Honest. Don't make us do it.....
#13
Based on his rank, I'll guess he's been around a while. Would have been fascinating to see if he supported profiling Irishmen as terrorists back in the days the IRA was blowing crap up around London. Betcha he did.
Yeah, yeah, I know.....not part of the ummah, so of course profiling them doesn't count.
Clearing the decks before getting Congressman Murtha.
A U.S. lawmaker apologized on Tuesday to U.S. Marines under investigation in the deaths of two dozen Iraqi civilians in Haditha in a statement his office said spared him from a libel lawsuit.
Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline, a retired Marine Corps colonel, issued a three-paragraph statement under a deal with lawyers for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, one of the Marines under investigation. Wuterich's lawyers filed a libel lawsuit against another congressman, Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, on August 2 following his comments on the case.
"Some news outlets have promoted incomplete statements attributed to me that gave the false impression that I have concluded those involved committed unlawful acts," Kline said in the statement provided by his office.
"I am, of course, very concerned regarding any allegations surrounding misconduct by U.S. troops in Iraq. Such allegations must be taken seriously, but we should never rush to judgment before all the facts are known and the military criminal justice process is completed," Kline said.
Kline added, "I want to express my sincere apology" to the Marines in the unit that was in Haditha last November 19.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008, on Monday criticized the Bush administration for failing to do enough to protect the country from terrorists.
Until we arrest them, at which point we're violating their rights.
Clinton's comments came after authorities in the United Kingdom last week said they thwarted a terror plot involving airplanes bound from Britain to the United States. "We've done some things right," the New York senator said at a community event in Schenectady. "Obviously we've beefed up airport security in some ways, but as we've learned over the last week not in every way that matters. We still have not done what we need to do to protect our ports, our borders, our bridges, our transit systems, our rail lines, it's a long list."
"I don't think our long-term strategy for homeland security is yet what it needs to be," she said.
Remind us all how your husband made us all safer.
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen disputed Clinton's assertions. "The department has taken several steps to strengthen our nation's ports, borders, and mass transit systems by providing funding to state and local partners, training and deploying manpower and assets for high risk areas, developing and testing new technologies, and performing security assessments of systems across the country," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Well since 9/11 Mrs. Hildebeast I have not seen one building get blowed to hell, so we must be doing something right.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
08/15/2006 6:45 Comments ||
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#9
Wouldn't it be great if Hillary had a job where she could propose specific legislation to improve America's security? That way, instead of complaining that nothing's getting done, she could put her proposals up for a vote and perhaps have some of them enacted, making America better. What's that you say? She's a senator, and she could introduce as many bills as she wants? Well, that just doesn't add up.
#10
Oh, ferchrissakes - Hildebeast faults Bush for breathing.
Her intelligence level would appear much higher if she's just STFU.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/15/2006 12:16 Comments ||
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#11
I pray the "average American" is seeing through this veil bullsh!t. Good gawd, we're not doing enough? Oh yeah, we haven't been hit (at least not on a grand scale) since 9/11. What's that you say? You want us to do more. OK, let's let TSA "profile" or don't scream about jihadi's "rights" when we arrest them, or quit slamming our troops, who even though they've put Vicky's Secret's best on Machmoud's head at Gitmo haven't done ANYTHING worse than a bad frat "hazing" incident and yet, you and you're UN tranzi buddies are calling for Gitmo to be shut down. Good gawd, the hypocrisy abounds.
Posted by: BA ||
08/15/2006 14:44 Comments ||
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#12
I think I'm beginning to experience a Joe M. moment, I need a breather.
Posted by: BA ||
08/15/2006 14:45 Comments ||
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#10 Oh, ferchrissakes - Hildebeast faults Bush for breathing.
In recent days, Israel appealed to the US government to speed up a shipment of cluster bombs, which they claim will help the IDF in their fight against Hizbullah . These are M26 rockets, each containing thousands of ball bearings that scatter over large areas.
The sale of these cluster bombs to Israel was approved prior to the July 12th outbreak of fighting in Lebanon , although the final delivery was not executed. Israel intended to accumulate the bombs to prepare for the possibility of war with Arab nations. With the onset of the battle with Hizbullah, the need for them became urgent in order to deal with the organization's rocket launchers.
However, in Congress, which needs to approve the final delivery, voices of dissent have made themselves heard, claiming that such weaponry will increase civilian casualties. Congress is reevaluating their decision regarding the shipment and, in the event that it is approved again, delivery of the cluster bombs will come with a warning for Israel to be extra-careful in their use in Lebanon.
#2
I notice that no names are cited in the article.
Let's have an up/down vote in the House and the Senate, I'll bet there will be a different outcome.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2006 0:46 Comments ||
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#3
I will say again - the cluster munitions are to suppress anti-tank fire and kill the gunners. The "civilians" that are co-located with the missleers and gunners are probably not innocent. If you stay next to one of these, you get a Darwin Award.
#4
Please correct me if I'm wrong here but aren't cluster bombs designed to open above ground releasing a large number of bomblets that explode on impact? Very useful against runways and as an antipersonnel weapon. And, if it's a cluster "Bomb" why refer to it as an M26 rocket. This doesn't add up and looks like sloppy reporting to me.
#5
It is an artillery rocket for the MLRS system. The rocket is a cargo round : it launches, arcs to the target, at a preset height it detonates the carrier shell, and the cluster munitions are spread over the impact area.
#6
It seems Congress or at least the bigotted "humanitarian" Dem's there are really keen on pushing Israel towards actually manufacturing their own critical munitions, because it is becoming obvious that we cannot rely on help from Congress when our necks are on the block.
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
08/15/2006 16:20 Comments ||
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#7
Thanks Shieldwolf, I appreciate the info. But it still doesn't explain the reference to "thousands of ball bearings". It reads, to me, that the author is trying to establish an Israeli equivalency to the Hiz b' Arabs use of ball bearings in their rockets and suicide belts.
#8
WEll, DonM, we both do it because it's effective. It spreads the energy out in a larger area, rather than overkilling a single point. If you are aiming at a rocket launcher (the US targets), then you have a good chance of damanging or destroying the launcher, the rockets, and the people manning them. Or at least, getting some damage in. If you are targeting children (the Islamic way), then rather than blow one to smithereens, you can wound and maybe kill dozens.
So, yes, the weapons technologies and intents are similar. The US and Nazis in WWII had many similar technologies, too. It's the use to which they are placed that matters.
NEW YORK (AP) - Gov. George Pataki signed legislation Monday to greatly expand benefits for workers who have died or become sick from toiling in the smoke and dust that hung over the ruins of the World Trade Center.
Among other things, the families of rescue workers who die of their illnesses years after Sept. 11 would receive the full benefits available to those killed in the line of duty. Rescue workers claim they are suffering from a variety of respiratory ailments and fear they could develop cancer down the line from asbestos and other toxic substances.
"As it is clear that many champions of 9/11 have developed debilitating illnesses over time resulting from their selfless acts, these New Yorkers need to know that New York state will not abandon them," Pataki said in a signing ceremony at ground zero.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Thanks, Pataki. These people were, indeed, selfless, and deserve our care and thanks.
BAGHDAD - No women, no beer, no fiesta, a Peruvian mercenary said gloomily as he manned his post inside the Iraqi capitals ultra-protected Green Zone. Around a thousand of his countrymen along with a handful of Chileans make up a security detail in this immense fortified sector of Baghdad, which houses the Iraqi governments offices and the US and British embassies.
The South Americans comprise a third rung of security, behind Iraqi regular soldiers and a unit of Georgians, members of the US-led coalition forces from the former Soviet republic. The Peruvians are employed by the private US security firm Triple Canopy based in Virginia, and they wear their employers uniforms emblazoned with the slogan: Assess, Avert, Achieve. They are barred from speaking to the media and so all those interviewed by AFP spoke on condition of anonymity. Their US superiors on site also refused to speak to a reporter, citing orders from their head office in the United States.
About a year ago, the Peruvians replaced the famed Nepalese Gurkhas who had served in the British army, but not because the South Americans were judged more competent. They replaced the Nepalese because they were cheaper. A western private security operative from a modern army -- such as an American, a Briton or a South African -- can earn between 8,000 and 16,000 dollars (6,200 to 12,500 euros) per month, one private security official said. The Gurkhas were earning around 3,000 dollars per month. The Peruvians earn about one third of that.
One told of wages amounting to 1,000 dollars per month, another of 40 dollars per day. The pay is better than what Iraqi soldiers earn, but far from being a gold mine. Its still money. Its what were here for, thats for sure, said one Peruvian security man, who said he was recruited by a subsidiary of Triple Canopy. Other companies employ Colombians, Mexicans or Panamanians. The Colombians have good training and experience and its less expensive to hire them, one specialist said. The South Americans, who are all former soldiers aged between 25 and 40, mostly come from poor, rural areas. Most say they have some Indian heritage, and some speak very little English. Their missions last one year, with a break after six months for home leave.
In their position as the third line of defense, the Peruvians are not typically exposed to grave danger. Most have never left the Green Zone and some ask: Whats the Red Zone like? in reference to the rest of Iraq. Indeed, their primary enemy is the heat, as most are posted in exposed guard posts. Its rough. Its a lot hotter than in Peru, said one man, his face dripping with sweat. A car drives up to the entrance of an official building. One of the Peruvians hastily checks the identity of the driver because another car has already driven in behind the first one. Our bosses dont want there to be a line of cars. You have to go fast, he said.
Boredom is their other key enemy. There is nothing to do here, said one man. We work, we go back to the barracks and thats it. We watch television, said another. But wed like to be able to go out a bit at night.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2006 09:48 ||
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#1
gives the south american's a first hand view of how wonderful everything will be if we "lose" this war, they're on for the ride along with the rest of us "former" europeans in the new world.
Posted by: bk ||
08/15/2006 10:18 Comments ||
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#2
I second that , BK. The best news is that they will spread the word back home about how lovely life is in the Sharia realm. Don't think many S. Americans will buy in. They like fiestas too well.
GAZA CITY - Gaza marked the first anniversary of the start of Israels historic pullout from the coastal strip Tuesday amid bitterness that the end of the Jewish settlements did not bring an end to occupation and bloodshed. At midnight on August 15, 2005, Israel began withdrawing 8,000 Jewish settlers and thousands of troops from Gaza, the start of a month-long operation to end the Jewish states 38-year occupation. But a year later residents in the impoverished strip continue to die from Israeli fire, the economy is in shambles and the mood is grim.
They say they withdrew, but the occupation is going on in Gaza, said Abu Yasser, 50, a shop owner in Gaza City. Theyre still everywhere and the killing and the shelling is continuing despite the withdrawal. Immediately following the pullout last year, hope was high in both Gaza and Israel that the move would mark a major step toward a Palestinian state on the one hand, and security for Israel on the other. But the optimism was short-lived.
For Palestinians, Israel still tightly controlled the borders of the territory and the army continued to carry out raids targetting militants in the strip, strikes that often left civilians dead.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2006 09:35 ||
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#1
Attacking the Israelis from Gaza causes suffering to return to Gaza. 'Cause and effect' is so complicated for some people.
#9
The economic situation has deteriorated dramatically, theres no buyers, no sellers, no way out of Gaza and no life here. Everything has stopped and we dont know if or when its going to get any better. The siege is everywhere, on the government, on the president, on the people,
The border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt briefly re-opened on Friday, for the second day running. The Rafah crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the world that does not go through Israel, opened for three hours. Reports say 1,200 people crossed into Egypt.
No reason for the closure was given, but Israel has often prevented the opening, citing security concerns. Apart from this week, the crossing has been opened just once since 25 June, to allow Palestinians to return to Gaza.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided medical care to Hizbullah terrorists wounded while fighting against Israel.
"The moment a Hizbullah fighter is injured, he is considered a non-combatant, so we must take care of him," ICRC spokeswoman Carla Haddad told The Jerusalem Post by phone from Geneva. "We are a neutral intermediary and the ICRC has a mandate to intervene." Haddad confirmed that ICRC personnel in southern Lebanon, working together with members of the Lebanese Red Cross, had offered medical assistance and other unspecified forms of relief to Hizbullah members hurt on the battlefield.
The Post contacted the ICRC after a photograph appeared in Thursday's New York Times depicting Red Cross workers assisting wounded members of Hizbullah to cross a makeshift bridge over the Litani River. Citing the 1949 Geneva Conventions, Haddad said the ICRC "can come into any situation and assist civilians and non-combatants. The same treatment is given to both sides."
Asked if the ICRC would assist wounded Hizbullah fighters even if it meant they would then be able to return immediately to the battle or continue firing rockets at Israel, Haddad replied, "There is nothing wrong with assisting the war wounded."
Pressed to clarify if the organization would also provide aid to al-Qaida members wounded in clashes with US troops in Afghanistan, she momentarily hesitated before saying, "Yes, of course. We would assist non-combatants on both sides."
Contacted by the Post, Carol Miller, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross in Washington, defended the ICRC's policy, insisting it was required under international law. "The Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law protect non-combatants in armed conflict - the wounded, civilians, prisoners of war, medical personnel and humanitarian Red Cross workers," she said. "The ICRC is the guardian of the Geneva Conventions and operates as a neutral intermediary in armed conflict, providing protection and humanitarian assistance to non-combatants."
According to Miller, the ICRC makes no distinction between soldiers of a sovereign state and those belonging to a terrorist group. "The characterization by one side of the other as terrorists," she said, "does not alter the fundamental protections of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. We do not takes sides in an armed conflict; we neither condemn nor support a side. The movement provides humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people in need, without regard to which side they may seem to be on or what they may be called."
The American Red Cross, Miller said, has thus far sent $500,000 to the ICRC for relief activities in Lebanon and an additional $80,000 has been raised. She did not express any concern that the aid being provided might end up helping Hizbullah fighters. "Our neutrality is essential to our humanitarian action," she said.
#6
hit the Mogen David Adom with your contributions
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2006 21:46 Comments ||
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#7
FYI ALL: This is about the International RC -- not the same as the US RC, which is who we deal with when we donate to Katrina and such... not that they did a great job with that, but at least they're not the terr enablers described in this article.
#10
As far as I know, there's nothing wrong with them treating the wounded. So long as the wounded are not carrying arms, that is. Hell, that's what the ICRC is for.
But...
But the idea that the ICRC acts as a neutral in these conflicts is a laugh. Hezbollah is not a signatory to the GCs, as a non-state body is not protected by the GCs, and has not abided by the GCs by giving the ICRC access to the captured Israeli soldiers.
So the ICRC was, bluntly, violating the GCs by giving medical aid -- ANY AID -- to Hezbollah fighters.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2006 22:20 Comments ||
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ADVANCED weapons supplied by Syria and Iran have been uncovered by Israeli forces in abandoned Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, helping account for how the guerilla force defied the might of the Israeli armed forces in the month-long war.
London's Daily Telegraph reported yesterday the weapons were found outside the town of Ghandouriyeh, east of Tyre, after 24 Israeli soldiers were killed pushing Hezbollah fighters from the strategic hilltop town in one of the war's fiercest confrontations.
Outside one of the town's two mosques, a van was found filled with green casings about 2m long. The serial numbers identified them as AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank missiles, the report says. The wire-guided weapon was developed in Russia but Iran began making a copy in 2000.
In the east of the village, the newspaper found evidence of Syrian-supplied hardware. In a garden lay eight Kornet anti-tank rockets, described by Brigadier Mickey Edelstein, the commander of the Nahal troops who took Ghandouriyeh, as "some of the best in the world". Written underneath a contract number on each casing were the words: "Customer: Ministry of Defence of Syria. Supplier: KBP, Tula, Russia," the paper reports.
Brigadier Edelstein told the Telegraph: "If they tell you that Syria knew nothing about this, just look. This is the evidence. Proof, not just talk."
Anti-tank weapons like those found by the Israeli troops accounted for the bulk of Israeli military casualties in Lebanon. The weapons were not just used against Israel's heavily armoured Merkava tanks, disabling dozens, but against buildings in which Israeli troops had taken up positions, often bringing the structure down on them. The Kornet is laser-guided and can hit a target 5km away. Its double warhead is capable of penetrating the armour on most of Israel's advanced tanks.
Israeli officers told the newspaper that Hezbollah fighters had received thorough training in Iran in use of the weapons and had wielded them efficiently.
The discovery of the origin of the weapons proved to the Israelis that their enemy was not a ragged and lightly armed militia but a semi-professional army equipped by Syria and Iran to take on Israel, the report says.
The overall ceasefire between Israel and the Shia militia continued to hold yesterday despite four separate shooting incidents in southern Lebanon in which seven Hezbollah fighters were killed and five Israeli soldiers wounded. Several mortar rounds were fired by Hezbollah without causing injuries.
With the cessation of Hezbollah rocketing, thousands of Israelis who had taken shelter in the centre of the country returned to their homes in northern Israel yesterday. In the town of Kiryat Shmona, the hardest hit Israeli community, 2000 families found their apartments damaged or destroyed.
The northward flow of Israelis to the border area matched the southward flow of Lebanese to their villages, likewise severely damaged, as Israeli artillery also ceased firing.
A senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, reacting to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's declaration that he would not disarm Hezbollah, even in southern Lebanon, said that Nasrallah was obliged to honour the decision of the Security Council and the commitment of the Lebanese Government. "We will not tolerate the return of Hezbollah to the area," the official told Israel Radio, "and if it refuses to disarm we will have to take care of it."
Israeli officials said that the tens of thousands of reservists mobilised for the campaign will begin to be demobilised this week, with 80 per cent out of uniform within a week.
America's plan for a "new Middle East" has collapsed after Hizbullah's successes in fighting against Israel, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday in Damascus. "The Middle East they (the Americans) aspire to ... has become an illusion," he said.
Assad, speaking to a journalists' association in Damascus, said the region had changed "because of the achievements of the resistance." According to Assad, "The Arabs gave everything and got nothing in return. When we say that we have chosen peace as our strategy, it does mean we gave up other options. On the contrary."
"We are convinced that the true path to peace is via negotiations, but if this path is not possible - resistance is the only way. Not necessarily an armed resistance but a cultural and political resistance as well. The goal of the resistance is not war but rather peace. It therefore does not contradict the peace and is necessary in the current state of affairs," he said.
The Syrian president went on to claim that the peace process has "failed", calling Israel the enemy and saying that it did not want peace. The fighting in Lebanon had been planned by Israel for some time, he said, but the endeavor failed. "The result was more failure for Israel, its allies and masters," Assad said.
The Syrian leader said US participation was needed for a peace settlement in the Middle East, but he said peace cannot be achieved under the administration of US President George Bush. "This is an administration that adopts the principle of pre-emptive war that is absolutely contradictory to the principle of peace," he said. "Consequently, we don't expect peace soon or in the foreseeable future."
Assad said this war revealed the limitations of Israel's military power. In a 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Israeli forces surrounded Beirut within seven days of invading, he said. "After five weeks it (Israel) was still struggling to occupy a few hundred meters." "From a military perspective, it (the battle) was decided in favor of the resistance (Hizbullah). Israel has been defeated from the beginning," Assad said. "They (Israelis) have become a subject of ridicule."
Assad also lashed out at Arab regimes, without naming them, who have criticized Hizbullah for kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and starting the war. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - all allies of the United States - criticized Hizbullah's actions at the start of the conflict.
Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria.
In a special interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Osboa, Assad said if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price.
Sure, Pencilneck, you and what army?
He said Syria has been following Israel closely, particularly after former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to power. The fact that he was elected by such a large majority attests to the fact that the Israeli nation does not want peace, Assad said.
They got a little tired of splodydopes ...
Syria and the resistance (referring to Hizbullah ) read the situation correctly in that we predicted the confrontation. There have been extensive preparations for the current battle. Our disagreement focused on the nature of the resistance. There were those who thought the resistance didnt stand a chance in a time when satellites reveal everything, track everything down and can direct severe blows at the resistance, but the reality proved otherwise.
In Lebanon they (Israel) destroyed everything, but they were unable to achieve their true military objectives on the ground; the resistance has won the war, and now we must win the diplomatic battle as well.
Referring to the international communitys intervention in the conflict, President Assad said they intervene only when Israel is in pain; but when the Lebanese, Palestinians and others suffer no one intervenes.
There does seem to be a lack of sympathy for the Hezbies, wonder why?
Assad took the opportunity to praise Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah , describing him as a unique commander in the history of the noble Lebanese resistance; he also lauded Hizbullah TV station Al-Manar, saying it was the first time that the Arab media defeated the enemys. The US and Israeli intelligence agencies are unaware of the resistances real capabilities, he said, adding that he had rejected lucrative offers presented to him on condition that he abandon Hizbullah and Hamas.
Assad said there were those who believed that peace (with Israel) was the only option and they attempted to enforce it upon the Arab nation, but the resistances firm stand and the change we see in the Arab world, due to which we can see millions of youngsters waving the Hizbullah and resistance flags, have proven that this nation is on the brink of a new phase in its history.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#3
Syrian Army will resemble the Gorilla Army invading the "Forbidden Zone"...'cept this time there will be no Dr. Zeuss to stop the panic...POTA Rules! Syria Sucks! 40 year old Russian surplus not up to the task...
#4
Assad > the Syrian people's only two choices vv Radical Iran is to either become a de facto future Iranian province, or be like like North Korea and pretend Beijing = Tehran doesn't control Syria, OR ANY OTHER ME/ME MUSLIM NATION(S) FOR THAT MATTER. Whatever good = bad your father did in life, IMO he was never for Syria or the Syrian people being controlled by any foreign nation. MadMoud-Mullahs may be Islamist, and Muslim, but they are NOT for any ME Muslim nation being uncontrolled by Tehran. Any defeat or destruction of Israel does NOT mean Syria, etal Muslim states get to keep their sovereignty.
#7
Assad, as long as you're playing "The Gimp" to Iran, you should know that just because they opened the zipper doesn't necessarily mean it's time for you to talk . . . .
#9
Hear that, Olmert? Peace at any price? See what being considerate gets you?
Mebbe they really believe the Hizzies will blow it up again, and this is all part of the sinister Zionist plot....
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2006 6:18 Comments ||
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#10
I think we can all relax now that Syria has shown itself to be singularly inept militarily. They had a chance to attack Israel in Lebanon in the name of defending Lebanese sovereignty; they didn't. They had a chance to support Hezbollah where it counts when they needed it most; they didn't. They had a chance to attack the Golan Heights as Israel was waging a 2-front war; they didn't. Bunch of wimps.
#15
That what I can't stand about this POS. Don't get me wrong I hate the hizzys, but I have more respect for them then I do this POS at least they took their beating and did fight, this POS just hid under his bed until the fighting was over.
#17
He´s right now, it's nearer.
Peretz says he wants to negociate Golan. I dont stop to be suprised by Israeli Governemnt stupidity. So Peretz want to negociate from a weakned position...Brilliant!
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#19
somebody nail the doggy door shut - the vermin are coming in
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2006 18:27 Comments ||
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#20
Aris, I see nothing wrong with the comments you made. I might not agree with all of them, but nothing wrong with saying them.
I don't know if Syria would have been any easier to go into than Iraq. Assad was not the monster nor the visible regional threat that Saddam was at the time. Going into Lebanon and Syria would have required world buy in on the nation building exercise. That would have been a huge stretch.
Iraq has lots and lots of problems, of this there is no doubt. But Iraq also consumes lots of Iran's attention and resources. The mullahs aren't having everything their way there and the violence is relatively contained geographically. That one ain't over yet by any stretch.
Anyway, hindsight is easy. I would be interested to hear what you think should be done henceforth.
#22
The mod who redacted that comment did not ban Aris. He is free to answer your question, providing he can do it without immediately, arrogantly and gratuitously insulting the whole RB community.
For my part, I think there were several very sound reasons for starting with Iraq, both in terms of the threat it presented and in terms of the potential for a hard-won new paradigm in the region. Others are of course free to differ, so long as it is done productively and without immediate insults.
#28
Unfortunately, Aris Katsaris has a history here. While he does make some good points, he tends toward a hectoring morality that blames the US in general, and Rantburgers specifically, for failing to achieve perfection on his terms. This is a shame, because he came here as a Greek college lad who really loved America and Americans, however unrealistically. Even serving his year as a draftee in the Greek Army post-PhD (in computer programming, I think) did not help him view the world more realistically. Fred banned him several times in the hope that giving him what essentially was a "time out" would calm him enough that he could take part in discussions without all involved going ballistic, but clearly he has chosen polarization. Google his name to find the weblog he kept for several years, and may yet for all I know, if you want to know more of his views, or search the archives beyond the past year. Aris is actually one of the earlier contributors to Rantburg, and he had interesting things to say about the Greek and European views on things until his carping became... unhelpful.
#37
"Kill the one" and "destroy the other", you people say in your frustration, but when your leaders won't follow those pieces of advice (and they most definitely won't, and I'm quite sure you know it), will any of you criticize those inactions?
I doubt it. I think most of you will just blame the "Eurabians" instead, or the media, or some "leftist intellectuals" -- namely all the people *except* the ones that had the power to act or not act.
These from the people that claim to believe in personal responsibility.
Once upon a time I told you all that it was Syria (not Iraq) that should have been invaded, that it was an active imperialism whereas Iraq was a contained one, that Syria's occupation would be easier due to its smaller size, that its democratization would have been easier due to its more homogeneous population, that the benefits would have been immediate due to to the relief of Lebanon and Israel, both under external pressure from Syria.
But you didn't listen. So, now reap the fruits of your idiocy -- or rather you won't reap those fruits, it's Israel and Lebanon that have been sadly reaping them. And the American soldiers you sent to your fool's expedition, ofcourse. It's always the innocent that suffer when the idiots mess up.
I can even offer suggestions for the proper course of action from now on, and they won't be of the ludicrous variety like "Smash Iran" -- you *can't* smash Iran, while its agents have you by the balls throughout Iraq and everyone knows it. And you can't even smash Syria anymore either, as you don't have the troops to send there anymore. That ship has sailed.
But you won't bother to listen to those suggestions either, and your leaders don't plan to follow any half-sane policy if it would cause them to lose face in the slightest degree. (Just like any other bully, the Bush government doesn't give a damn about moral standing, but it does give a lot of damn about face. So they're just hoping that they'll keep things together long enough, that the utter failure of the Iraqi expedition will only become undeniably visible even to die-hard Republicans during a Democrat Presidency. Then they'll blame the failure on that administration, not the one that actually originated and guided the insanity.)
PS: Some admin seems to have messed up and unbanned me. Really, if you don't want the sort of commentary like the one I just made, you should just ban me again. Cheers, all.
TONY EASTLEY: The ceasefire in the Middle East appears to be holding, despite isolated clashes that have left at least six Hezbollah fighters dead. Israel says its soldiers were acting in self-defence. But the truce has opened the way for a new political battle in Israel, as the ABC's Emma Griffiths reports from Jerusalem.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: Just hours into the ceasefire, its fragile nature was tested. Israel's military revealed it had shot dead a Hezbollah militant and during the first day of the truce at least six members of the militant group were killed. Israel's soldiers were acting in self-defence, as military spokesman Captain Jacob Dulahl explains.
JACOB DULAHL: That's a perfect example of a defensive operation where Hezbollah troops came very, very close, armed Hezbollah men came very, very close to our troops, endangering them. And as a result, we shot at them. They it's clear if they don't approach us, if they don't attack us, there's a ceasefire. If they want to attack us, we'll defend ourselves.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: But Israel has vowed to actively hunt down the leaders of the militant group. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed an extraordinary session of the Knesset, telling the Israeli Parliament Hezbollah's leaders are still a target. "These people will not be left alone," he said. "We will continue pursuing them anywhere, all the time and we do not intend to apologise or ask anyone's permission."
Israel and Hezbollah are under intense international pressure to hold back. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says if either side breaches the ceasefire, it will suffer at the hands of world public opinion.
KOFI ANNAN: I urge the parties to make every effort in the interests of the civilian population on both sides to continue and consolidate the cessation. I also urge them to move swiftly to convert it into a lasting ceasefire.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: In Israel, domestic opinion is also troubling the Government. Ehud Olmert has promised an investigation into the war as the public mood swings against him. Many Israelis have questioned the war's outcome and are sceptical about the ceasefire.
VOX POP 1: I think, truthfully, that it is just a way for Hezbollah to regroup and I'm sure this is what they're going to do.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: And if Hezbollah regroups, what should Israel do?
VOX POP 1: Unfortunately there's not much you can do than, you know, get in there again and do what it's been doing until now.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: Ehud Olmert has asked his critics to be patient, saying Israel's fight against terrorism will continue.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Annan is just as guilty of war crimes as Milosevic was; I'd like to see him and most of the UN hierarchy locked up in a US prison for fraud, theft and corruption. As for Hezb's leaders, Israel should make it clearly known that they are safe nowhere and that sooner or later the long arm of the Mossad WILL kill them. For the rest of Nasrallah's hopefully short life he should never sleep peacefully again. Last, I hope the Israelis are really loading up to give the Islamofascists the worst butt-kicking they've ever had in the next round. That should include destroying the Iranian embassy in Beirut and blowing up most of Damascus. The only thing they understand is death. Give it to them until they finally see the light.
Posted by: mac ||
08/15/2006 0:15 Comments ||
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#2
mac - ain't gonna happen 'til the Israeli's get a leader with a functioning backbone.
#6
IMO the IDF Generals and Pols know their real enemy = LT agenda is the isolation and containment of Radical Iran, and that Israel = USA have a legit stake in ME Muslim nations avoiding near-term andor long-term dominance by Tehran. I agree wid Sean Hanity that the IDF could easily take all of Lebanon if it wanted to, but there are bigger agendas in play here. Israel = USA = West have to verify the loyalties of ME Muslims vv Tehran. Lebanon = Syria = Jordan, etc. > may dislike or hate Israel, but the sword of Radical Iran also points at them. THE ENEMY OF THEIR ENEMY ISRAEL IS NOT THEIR FRIEND.
#7
To anyone else who feels Bush is some wimp jellyfish -- .com occasionally had a go at this stupidity. I think he was right, too, though I fear I will never be able to defend reality as ably as he did, dammit. Honestly speaking, no one should have to remind us to think and act and comment as grown-ups. This is petty thoughtless ankle-biting deserving of zero respect. As .com said, give blame and credit where due. That precludes sweeping condemnation, just as it does any sort of sainthood. Reality. Try it out once in awhile.
Even Zenster, who really doesn't like Bush, LOL, has the stones to call it fair and square - and he gets my no-bullshit respect for doing so. :)
Bush was the man on whose watch the shit hit the fan, thanks to us. He has responded to the challenges far far better than the alternatives we could've been stuck with. Perfect? No. But spineless? Hell fucking no.
Saying Bush is spineless is just grossly asinine and dishonest. Saying you wish his focus and efforts mirrored your want list is minimally acceptable, but still moronic - no one gets everything they want - ever. Disputing his admin's actions on individual issues and making your case is the honest and admirable course.
No one is perfect. Not even Reagan or Truman or Lincoln or TDR or anyone else got it all right - except maybe Washington. I take a backseat to no one when it comes to grumbling and grousing and bitching - you only need to ask the poor hospital staff who put up with me for 3 solid weeks without Rantburg and only CNN for news, LOL, but I can handle reality - and the reality is that Bush has done a LOT right. He does what he thinks is right and keeps his word. That's as honest ask we'll ever get. The unassailable evidence is how hated he is by the BDS Left. That we're seeing evidence here of a BDS Right really pisses me off. It's dishonest bullshit - and I reserve the right to show my disrespect for childish crybaby comments.
All of your points are actually legislative or legal issues, or both. I'll grant that he is not using the Bully Pulpit as you wish is as close as this bitching BS comes to reality.
The immigration issue is evolving - keep the pressure on your reps and the message will continue to solidify that half-measures and amnesty won't cut it - the public will not stand for it. We've been injured, badly I'm afraid, by the Simcox / Minutemen money handling, dammit. Did you notice that it took the righteous public outrage on this issue right off the front page? We must not stop pushing. Bush is getting it ever so slowly. I agree - it IS one of the things that I feel he's far too soft on - but he will follow us when the pressure breaks the threshold and drags enough legislators out of the shadows. So keep it on. Do your part.
The leaks issue is working its way through the legal system - and moving in the right direction, is it not? This is a nation of laws and Bush, despite those who are salivating to impeach him, follows those laws. If the Repubs lose the House, the DhimmiDems will certainly start the impeachment circus. Nothing will be achieved from that point on, so we MUST not allow that to happen in November. This is an Or Else point. Do everything you can to prevent it happening. Your future, and mine, depend upon it.
The Iran issue is also progressing. Look at where we were 2.5 yrs ago with the EU3 playing the fool and look at today. The Mullahs are inexorably hanging themselves on their own public actions and statements. Hell, the Iranian proxy Hezbollah have even helped out by making Israel center-stage. We owe them a debt of gratitude for such a stupid move at this juncture. It didn't take the focus off Iran's nukes, rather it has emphasized just how dangerous they are - on several fronts - and nukes aren't the only reason they must be dealt with. Even the dolts who will ankle-bite us currying favor with the 3rd World dictators if we knock them off are secretly hoping we will do what they haven't the balls to do.
Bush's REAL hurdle is domestic politics - and we have some control over that debate. He does not have the joint resolution in hand that allows him to act against Iran. He knows more about the timeline involved than we do. So far, he's been correct about it, wouldn't you say? Seen the Iranians parading a deliverable nuke, yet? You KNOW they would - they can't help themselves. This issue ain't OVER, so why the defeatist bullshit?
He is doing what he can under the law. If the Mullahs continue isolating themselves and proving their true intent, the destruction of Israel and hegemony over the oil of the M.E., Bush will eventually get the go ahead from our cowardly Senate to destroy them. Somewhere down the line will come the straw that breaks the Tranzi resistance - an issue which can't be denied. Israel's survival is probably that issue. More, Mullahs. Keep it up you fools. He's started publicly calling the asshats what they are. One more step, dragging a complacent and cowardly US public at large down the road of reality. I like it. Expect more... just not on your personal pet private timeline.
Want to do something other than kvetch? Write your fucking Senator and demand she / he sign the House resolution as written and passed. Otherwise, STFU about it - that is where Bush is stuck and where you can do more than just bitch. Fantasy wanking about what you'd do or what he should do or yadda yadda yadda in public is just embarrassing. Demonstrate personal honesty by acknowledging the facts, not putting forth your dreamworld where you get everything you want.
He ain't perfect, but he's the best of the lot and has earned far more respect than this shit.
#9
OK, so that was a rather stupid statement - and I apologize for that.
I have a lot of respect for President Bush and what he has been able to accomplish. There are some areas where (at least lately) he doesn't appear to be all that bold. And your right to think of the alternative (President Kerry?) makes me shudder.
Sorry for offending your sensibilities Flyover. I guess I had to have a go at stupidity too...
#10
Thank you for that, flyover. I'll read it over a few more times today, and hopefully I'll start to feel better about things -- all this time I was sure Olmert had a rabbit tucked up his sleeve, so I'm taking its absence badly. I've cousins over there, and more cousins and friends in Europe within reach of Iranian missiles, so I'm taking it all a bit too personally.
#13
Oh dont be GWB Playa Hayta it could be worse right? Well isnt that all fine and frickin dandy. Read the Senates version of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. You know the one. The one Ted Fn Kennedy wrote. Yep its the same one GWB has endorsed. Do you honestly believe Bush is sincere? Or maybe, just maybe, hes stroking it? If youre leaning towards the latter then CrazyFools backbone comments need no apologies. I didnt like it when Billy Tsunami went prime time to convince us he wasnt getting hummers in the oval office and this is worse. Apologies in advance for the vulgarity but this is a backdoor dry-run without as much as a reach-around.
#14
Well that was pretty incoherent, DepotGuy. Drunk so early? So you're a single-issue kind of guy and if Bushy doesn't get on the stick and satisfy your personal agenda on 1 item he's a loser? Flush everything? Asstard. You entirely missed the points made. Talk about a dry run without a reach-around.
#15
I'll take a shot at Bush. Why does he allow the MSM to frame the debate ? There are things he could have done to screw the MSM, but he wants to come off like a good guy. For years, anywhere Bush went, crouds lined the streets waving pictures of their family at him. All that time, the MSM worked it's little ass off undermining Bush and his programs. They drew blood, and Bush has yet to retaliate.
Sure, he started strong, but he softened.
Bush will be pres for 8 years. During that time, I would have had Karl Rove organize and lead a grass roots effort to overwhelm every democrat running for office in every red state and most blue states until the democrat party was a mere memory. Then, I would take on the blue states and expose every scandle and investigate every vote. The democrats would be on the defensive and their name would be synonymous with corruption.
It wouldn't have taken much more than focus and effort to achieve all that. By now the war at home would already be over, and we could focus on the splodydope element without interference.
#16
flyover, one more thing. I'm from Pennsylvania, where Bush found it necessary to endorse Specter while we conservatives were ready to replace that jerkoff with Pat Toomey as OUR senator. Pennsylvania could be a red state with a little help, but we got shit.
#17
Well that was pretty incoherent, DepotGuy You entirely missed the points made
Dear TG 4667,
Heres a little advice should you be so inclined to accept. Before you put words into peoples mouth it helps if you know what youre talking about otherwise you might come off sounding like a tool. Just so were clear, I understood the points that were made perfectly. And guess what I still think Bush has handled the immigration issue badly. Not only that, I dont think anybody has to apologize for characterizing his actions on that issue as spineless. In fact I think that is a very appropriate description. What do you think of those apples? You sound pretty clever with that Asstard stuff but just in case Ill explain. I can respect opinions that I dont share. What I dont respect is the load of disingenuous bullshit the administration is peddling. Frankly it seems odd coming from an administration that, for the most part, means what it says and says what it means. So I have to ask myself what is different about this issue. I suspect they sold out for political expediency. And I find that objectionable.
#18
If the Mullahs continue isolating themselves and proving their true intent, the destruction of Israel and hegemony over the oil of the M.E., Bush will eventually get the go ahead from our cowardly Senate to destroy them. (flyover)
Does really Bush need the approbation of the Senate to attack Iran ? I remember that Reagan decided without any Senate backing to bomb Lybia in retaliation for the Berlin bombing that had killed 4 US soldiers.
#19
leroidavid, while I think that technically President Bush got the go-ahead to do whatever he deems necessary to fight the War on Terror with the first Senate votes following the September 11th attacks, historically he has gone back to get additional approvals -- in order to make things bi-partisan, I think. Similarly, he keeps going back to the US Security Council for agreement on sanctioning Syria and Iran, and the current nonsense in Lebanon. I don't understand it, but as far as I can tell, Mr. Bush strongly needs to develop consenses for these major steps.
#20
Even Zenster, who really doesn't like Bush, LOL, has the stones to call it fair and square - and he gets my no-bullshit respect for doing so. :)
Bush was the man on whose watch the shit hit the fan, thanks to us. He has responded to the challenges far far better than the alternatives we could've been stuck with. Perfect? No. But spineless? Hell fucking no.
Agreed on all points, flyover. Gore (or Kerry, for that matter) would probably still be mulling over alternative responses to the 9-11 atrocity. It just goes beyond me why Bush has not painted Iran much more vividly for the terror sponsor and aspiring nuclear power that they are. Properly framing the mullahs and their constant evil-doing would better prepare the American public for the badly needed destruction of Iran's military
#21
Likely as not Bush is avoiding the Iranian issue because there's little to be gained from dragging it into the public arena. Everyone knows what Iran intends to do, no one will join the US in stopping them, and a lot of bellicose rhetoric will do little other than stir up a hornet's nest of anti-US sentiment while alerting the Iranians that we're losing patience with them. Better to just set an internal deadline and stick to it without telegraphing our intentions. Or at least I'd like to believe that's how it's being played in Washington.
#22
Bush strongly needs to develop consenses for these major steps. (trailing wife)
But when Bush will decide to attack Iran (I can't imagine he won't), I suppose it's going to be a surprise massive aerial attack... Asking the Senate for its approval would undercut the advantage of the surprise.
#23
I think you should imagine real hard leroidavid. Bush is not going to bomb Iran unless we are hit first. He doesn't have the political capital to do it and I don't think he has the military support either. That's not to say they don't think it should be done, I just don't think they want to do it now. They are, after all, rather tuckered after 3+years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military just isn't that big anymore.
Flyover, I like Bush but I've got lots and lots of beefs with the administration. They've let congress spend like drunken fools without a single fricken veto (until the stem cell stupidity). Heck he lead the way on that prescription drug fiasco. That is bad governing in my book, especially in a time of war. His communication department is always in react mode particularly over the conduct of the war. The immigration response is also weak.
Again, I think he is a good guy and no comparison to the alternatives we could have had. But there is a lot of room for criticism and it is not single issue.
BERLIN - Germanys foreign minister was to set off Monday on a Middle East trip that will include talks with Syrias leaders aimed at persuading the country to play a constructive role in the region, the government said.
While Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier launched himself into the diplomatic fray, officials remained tightlipped on whether Berlin would contribute to an international force in Lebanon following a UN cease-fire. Government spokesman Thomas Steg said he expected more clarity at the end of the week. With the Nazi-era past in mind, German leaders have been cautious about deploying soldiers near Israels borders.
That would be a problem.
Meanwhile, Germany has tried to draw Syria -- a key supporter of the Hezbollah militants, whose July 12 capture of two Israeli soldiers sparked the fighting -- into efforts to defuse the crisis.
Good luck with that one.
Steinmeier intends to argue for a positive position on the part of the Syrian government amid moves to implement the UN cease-fire resolution, he added.
Last month, Steinmeier held out the prospect of closer relations with the European Union if Syria cooperates. Ploetner said that, on this trip, he will not have any concrete promises or anything like that in his luggage.
As for Germanys own plans in the region, political leaders have sent mixed signals, citing concerns that the military is already stretched with deployments in Afghanistan, Congo and former Yugoslavia and worries over the weight of history. A deployment would require parliamentary approval.
Some argue that Berlin should help with sea patrols or security on Lebanons border with Syria, or stay out of an international force altogether. We will in any case participate in efforts to bring stability to the region, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, a leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats, said on ZDF television. Whether that is with soldiers, whether we will help with border security or the like, we will have to see, he added. Schaeuble said there had been discussions on whether Germany could help with border security, but did not elaborate.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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BEIRUT - Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Monday called on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to work to end the Israeli air and sea blockade following the announcement of a ceasefire.
Siniora summoned ambassadors of the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China and stressed the importance of reopening the sea ports and airports as called for in UN resolution 1701, a Lebanese official said. Siniora highlighted the negative impact the continuation of the blockade could have on the arrival of humanitarian assistance, the official said.
And it's much harder for the Iranians to get new rockets to the Hezbies.
Israel said it would maintain the blockade of Lebanon imposed the day after the war began on July 12 despite a ceasefire on the ground. The maritime and aerial blockade will be kept in place until a mechanism is put in place to control smuggling of arms to Hezbollah, an Israeli military source said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Sure, we'll end the blockade, just as soon as Hezbollah moves next to your house up North, turns over the 2 kidnapped soldiers, and disarms. Enjoy.
ROME - A planned United Nations force for Lebanon must have a clear-cut mandate, Italys prime minister said on Monday before a government meeting this week to discuss Romes contribution to the mission.
Defence Ministry officials say up to 3,000 Italian troops could be deployed and Prime Minister Romano Prodi seems eager to win opposition backing for the missionwhich he has branded a great opportunity for political unity in Italy.
The centre-right opposition led by Silvio Berlusconi says it will give its approval only if the rules of engagement are clear, arguing that the UN resolution authorising the deployment is confusing.
He noticed that, did he?
Our soldiers must be allowed to defend themselves from any attack and be able to help fulfil on the ground the provisions of the UN resolution, which calls for Hezbollah to be put in a position where it cannot harm, said Fabrizio Cicchitto, a senior official of Berlusconis Forza Italia party.
Because otherwise they're known as 'targets'.
If the international force does try to rein in Hezbollah, they will be targets of Hezbollah car bombs, rockets, etc. The Hezzies saw how fast the UN bugged out of Iraq when their HQ got boomed.
Prodi, keen to change Italys international profile after the US focus of his predecessor Berlusconi, has said Italy will contribute troops to the Lebanon force. He has talked of himself as a facilitator in the Middle East peace drive.
Good luck with that.
Prodi told US President George W. Bush in a phone call on Monday that Italy wanted a clear mandate, free from ambiguity for the force, his office said in a statement. However, wary of irking his far-left and pacifists allies, he stopped short of spelling out what he believed the mandate should be.
Typical weasel politican.
Communist and Green parties in Prodis patchwork coalition have criticised Italys military presence not just in Iraq, but also as part of a NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.
Because they're communists after all.
Prodi, who has a wafer-thin majority in the Senate, had to resort to a confidence vote last month to keep Italian troops in Afghanistan and is hoping to avoid a divisive debate this time around.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
... he stopped short of spelling out what he believed the mandate should be.
I'm sure we could all come up with a few constructive suggestions, but I doubt they'd be acceptable to Prodi.
#2
Thankfully, Berlusconi can still see thru the fog of crap laid down by the UN. It should be clearly stated that Italian military personnel can defend themselves, shoot Hezbs outright, and cut down any French who try to protect Hezbs. Until this is in black & white, no Italians into the free fire zone.
#3
"A planned United Nations force for Lebanon must have a clear-cut mandate"
"U.N." and "clear-cut mandate" - doesnotcomputedoesnotcomputedoesnotcompute
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/15/2006 16:13 Comments ||
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#4
To SOP35/Rat:
I don't think the French soldiers (if they deploy as planned) will "try to protect Hezbs". Since the Lebanese president Hariri, Chirac's friend, was killed by Syria with Hezbollah's help, Chirac wants to punish them, and the dismantlement of Hezboshiite would make him happy.
I'm not saying that to defend Chirac (I despise him totally).
Debka => Salt to taste, but they probably are not far off.
While the damage caused Israels military reputation tops Western assessments of the Lebanon war, DEBKAfiles Iranian sources report an entirely different perception taking hold in ruling circles in Tehran.
After UN Security Council resolution 1701 calling for a truce was carried Friday, Aug. 11, the heads of the regime received two separate evaluations of the situation in Lebanon one from Irans foreign ministry and one from its supreme national security council. Both were bleak: their compilers were concerned that Iran had been manipulatively robbed of its primary deterrent asset ahead of a probable nuclear confrontation with the United States and Israel.
#3
yup. But is it not possible that Olmert screwed up with the ground offensive dithering, yet the result is not so bad as some on both left and right insist? Hezb DID fire 3500 rockets to little substantive effect, and the IDF undoubtedly destroyed a lot on the ground - one shouldnt be misled by the MSM that insists only children and baby ducks were hite by the IAF.
#4
The Lebanese Shiite villagers, aka human shields, aren't going to be any too pleased when they get home to find twice-bounced rubble and a Hizb'allah organization that insists on remaning on a war footing rather than supporting rebuilding. Where up 'til now Hizb'allah has been swimming in the sea of a supportive population, the IDF will likely soon start getting helpful phonecalls.
#5
TW, I certainly hope you're right. I'm afraid that Hezb's murderers are going to use their "strong horse" argument to good effect. Israel didn't do what they should have in putting a real hurt on the Islamofascists while they had the chance and I fear it will come back to haunt all of us very dramatically and very soon.
Posted by: mac ||
08/15/2006 11:23 Comments ||
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#6
mac, I'm praying hard that I'm right, too. Because I'm not at all certain at the moment.
#7
" God's promises have come true."
MAhmoud Ahmadienjiad
Give 'em and inch.......
Posted by: J. D. Lux ||
08/15/2006 11:59 Comments ||
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#8
TW, the logical person in me thinks that the locals would be mighty pissed at the Hizzies too. But I think it will only take a few brave souls criticizing the Hezzies to be dragged into the street and shot for them to go into quiet acceptance mode. Now the Sunnis up north may be a different story. Don't forget that there were billions and billions of Saudi dollars blown up in this Hezzie escapade. That will not be forgotten.
#9
I roughly calculate every 1748 sq meters of Leb south of the river had 1 arty shell. That being over 800,000 fired.
Or every square of land about 41 meters to a side.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Germany gave its strongest signal yet on Tuesday that it will send troops to join a U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, a move that is likely to prove divisive in the country 60 years after the Holocaust.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008, on Monday criticized the Bush administration for failing to do enough to protect the country from terrorists.
NEW YORK (AP) - Gov. George Pataki signed legislation Monday to greatly expand benefits for workers who have died or become sick from toiling in the smoke and dust that hung over the ruins of the World Trade Center.
GAZA CITY - Gaza marked the first anniversary of the start of Israels historic pullout from the coastal strip Tuesday amid bitterness that the end of the Jewish settlements did not bring an end to occupation and bloodshed. At midnight on August 15, 2005, Israel began withdrawing 8,000 Jewish settlers and thousands of troops from Gaza, the start of a month-long operation to end the Jewish states 38-year occupation. But a year later residents in the impoverished strip continue to die from Israeli fire, the economy is in shambles and the mood is grim.
The border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt briefly re-opened on Friday, for the second day running. The Rafah crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the world that does not go through Israel, opened for three hours. Reports say 1,200 people crossed into Egypt.
America's plan for a "new Middle East" has collapsed after Hizbullah's successes in fighting against Israel, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday in Damascus. "The Middle East they (the Americans) aspire to ... has become an illusion," he said. 
Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria.
BEIRUT - Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Monday called on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to work to end the Israeli air and sea blockade following the announcement of a ceasefire.
ROME - A planned United Nations force for Lebanon must have a clear-cut mandate, Italys prime minister said on Monday before a government meeting this week to discuss Romes contribution to the mission.
