So, the United States, peacemaker to the world ahem has brokered a cease fire in Lebanon, with help from their good friends, the French (take that wingers!). A “deal” which gives the Israelis almost everything they want, despite the fact that they committed war crimes and still got their asses handed to them. Early word is that Hezbollah is willing to accept the deal (no link yet). The Israeli’s reaction?
The Israeli army pushed deeper into Lebanon and air strikes killed up to 20 people on Saturday, despite a U.N. Security Council demand for a “full cessation of hostilities” in the month-old war with Hizbollah guerrillas.
Israeli helicopters airlifted hundreds of troops into south Lebanon as part of an expanding ground offensive launched despite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s announcement that he backed the U.N. vote. Olmert was expected to ask his cabinet to approve the resolution on Sunday.
Ceasefire? I guess that means “I keep trying to kill you and all of your neighbors until I decide you’re not going to keep shooting at me.”
Israel’s top general said the attack would go on until it was clear how any U.N.-backed ceasefire would take effect.
“We are fighting Hizbollah and will continue to fight it until a ceasefire is decided, but more than that, until it is decided what the mechanism for implementing (that ceasefire) is,” Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz told reporters.
“We will continue to operate until we achieve our aims.”
Oh, yes, THAT makes sense.
Israel claims this is necessary because Hezbollah has fired more rockets this morning, and they have no choice but to defend themselves by continuing to grind Lebanon into dust.
Blessed are the peacemakers, who maketh peace by moving in heavy infantry.
hat tip to The Side Street for the Bennett cartoon.
so much more could be done if there was an honest accounting of ALL the history, and ALL the crimes, on both sides.
No.
Israel ignored the UN Security Council resolution even after CNN reported Hezbullah would accept “with conditions.” (No link as I’m a lazy slob this morning.)
There are reports the IDF may have broken through the crust of the Hezbullah defense – again no link as IALSTM.
All of this brings up a possibility I totally discounted: the Israeli goverment is intending to occupy southern Lebanon. (????) Could they be attempting to depopulate southern Lebanon and turn it into a free fire zone? If so, why are they attacking people fleeing the area? Are they intending to use the 30,000 reserve reinforcements as garrison troops? Do they think they can drive Hezbullah out of their entrenchments, into the open, where cluster munitions are effective?
Color me baffled.
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TEL AVIV (Haaretz) Aug. 13 — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday met with the parents of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldiers Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser and told them that Israel will negotiate with Hezbollah over their release. Defense Minister Amir Peretz also attended the meeting.
Olmert gave the parents an update on the UN resolution and on the steps Israel is taking in order to release the three abducted soldiers (including IDF soldier Gilad Shalit abducted on the Gaza-Israel border). The prime minister said that Israel is doing its utmost to bring about the release of the two, who were kidnapped by Hezbollah on July 12 on Israel’s northern border.
The UN resolution on cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon calls for the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, but is not included as a binding section in the resolution.
≈ Cross-posted from my diary —
BREAKING NEWS: Israeli Cabinet Approves Cease-Fire Plan ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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Northern Frontier (Haaretz) Aug. 12 — Rice said the broadened IDF offensive in Lebanon, which was ordered Friday a few hours before the cease-fire resolution was adopted at the UN, had been anticipated and was normal.
“I understand that this is going on, my understanding is that this is part of the normal operations that were contemplated. When the cease-fire – the cessation of hostilities – comes into being, Israel will stop.”
Halutz said IDF troops would stay in Lebanon until an international force arrives. “We have almost tripled our forces that are operating in Lebanon.”
7 IDF Soldiers killed in fighting; IAF helicopter shot down
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
what a charade this whole thing is.
they cannot take the level of casualties being inflicted. It is likely that they intend to grab as much partially occupied land as possibble and then hand it over to the UN force thinking there will be no Hezbollah there again. hat they miss is that Hezbollah are the people of South ebanon. They will come back because they llive there or if Israel stays they will fight for it.
Then we shoulnt forget that when hezbolah joins the Leabnese army they will be there legitimately as a fighting force as well as people.
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Must be interesting … BBC World Radio
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY