Israel's Attack on Lebanon and Hezbollah

[Sniper]

Peretz: Israel to hold south Lebanon security strip until int`l force arrives (Reuters)

Officials: Up to 20,000 peacekeepers needed to take over south Lebanon (Reuters)

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
These threads are funny. As someone who lived in Lebanon for 1/2 his life, and visited every summer since, I find it interesting - from an anthropological angle - how humans can construct wild views of the world when they have never even lived in those parts.

The assumptions made on this forum - about Lebanese civilians, Hizbollah, Syria, and so on - are so far off that I can't help but chuckle.

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Instead of chuckling why dont you inform us?

[Sniper]

Peretz: "There will be an agreement that will bring about the distancing of Hezbollah from south Lebanon, the control of the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, the prevention of the passage of new weapons," he said. "And of course that will bring about a multinational force with an enforcement capability, a force that will be capable of maintaining the agreement that will be signed."

[Sniper]

50 IDF tanks moved back into northern Gaza early Wednesday, residents and Palestinian security said, as Israel pressed ahead with its Gaza offensive alongside fighting in Lebanon.

Aircraft carried out at least three airstrikes as the troops moved in, killing a Hamas operative and wounding five others. Hamas said the men were about to fire a rocket at Israel.

The army said forces were operating in northern Gaza as part of a campaign to stop terrorism and rocket barrages at Israel. The military said aircraft targeted three groups of militants who were approaching the troops.

Early Wednesday, troops took over rooftops of several houses in northern Gaza, residents said, and Israeli aircraft blasted several houses of Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives after warning the people to leave.

[Sniper]

Brig.-Gen. Gal Hirsh, commander of Division 91, revealed that troops operating in Bint Jbail had discovered war rooms with eavesdropping and surveillance equipment made by Iran, being used by Hizbullah against Israel. They also found large cache of weapons and communications devices.

[BCPVP]

Israeli bombing Kills 4 U.N. Peacekeepers

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Israel denies it was intentional and has apologized for the accident. The article fails to mention that Kofi Annan or someone speaking for him acknowledged that there are 3 missile launching facilities in the immediate area of the UN post that might have been the actual targets.

Another case of HZB attempting to use civilian and now UN assets to shield their bases of operation.

[Sniper]

Dan Ayalon, Israel's Ambassador to Washington, demanded that Annan apologize for the remarks, which he called "baseless."

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Some details from the Condi Rice proposal:

The plan initially would involve putting an international force of up to 10,000 Turkish and Egyptian troops under a NATO or U.N. commander into southern Lebanon following a cease-fire.

That force ultimately would be replaced by another international force of up to 30,000 troops that would help the Lebanese government regain control over the southern part of the country, where the Shiite militia Hezbollah now dominates.

The conditions...

1. Hezbollah either would have to agree to the plan or be defeated militarily.

2. Israel wants to drive as far as 20 miles (32 kilometers) into southern Lebanon to end the threat of Hezbollah missiles hitting northern Israel. Such a military campaign might take weeks to accomplish.

[Copernicus]

Meanwhile on the other front (sorry if its been posted before, I havent seen it), Hamas has apparently agreed to a cease fire under the terms proposed by Egypt, which include the immediate return of Shalit in exchange for a commitment for the future release of PLO prisoners.