Posted on 07/24/2006 10:45:27 AM PDT by SmithL
The American government is rushing a shipment of precision bombs to Israel, which is carrying out a 10-day plan to weaken Hizbullah before foreign pressure forces a cease fire.
The Bush Administration has given Israel approximately two weeks to continue attacks on the Hizbullah terrorist infrastructure before negotiations should begin, according to the London Guardian.
The Administration accepted without debate a decision to rush precision bombs to Israel, despite the chances that Arab countries will compare American arms shipments to Israel to Iran's arming of Hizbullah, The New York Times reported.
The shipment of bombs is part of an arms sales deal approved last year, but the special request for laser-guided bombs indicates that the IDF wants to target many more terrorist sites in Lebanon. Last year's agreement allows Israel to buy "bunker buster" weapons that can penetrate underground terrorist command centers. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah is believed to be operating from underground.
The American-backed Israeli plan explains the change in the itinerary of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was originally scheduled to fly to Egypt and other Arab countries before visiting Israel this week. She instead left Cairo out of her initial itinerary, stopping off in Beirut Monday morning before her scheduled landing in Israel in the evening.
Arab countries also don't want to host Secretary Rice because of fears that they will be viewed as siding with the American rejection of an immediate ceasefire, according to Martin Indyk, former United States ambassador to Israel.
Rice has flatly stated that the Bush administration is not interested in a ceasefire that would return the situation in Lebanon to its former status quo. The U.S. has rejected a request from Saudi Arabia that it act to halt the Israeli retaliation. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said he gave American President George W. Bush a letter asking him to act for an immediate ceasefire "to stop the bleeding in Lebanon."
President Bush and Secretary Rice have agreed with Israel that Hizbullah must return two kidnapped IDF soldiers and that Hizbullah's deployment in southern Lebanon must be dealt with before a ceasefire can be discussed.
Following the meeting with the Saudi official, the White House said one of the subjects discussed was the the "humanitarian situation" in Lebanon.
Arab countries and foreign media have emphasized the number of civilians who have died in Israeli Air Force attacks on Hizbullah centers in Lebanon, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert complained to foreign reporters on Sunday that they are not reporting the true picture.
A BBC recording was played on Israel Radio in which a reporter he admitted that he saw terrorists using private homes to direct terrorist activities, yet added," It is difficult to quantify who is a terrorist and who is a civilian."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz says that Hizbullah has longer-range missiles than those that have so far been used, which can strike as far south as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The terrorist organization also has cells set up outside of Lebanon that may be planning to attack worldwide Israeli and Jewish targets
I hope its not 10 days, although I fear it is. If they don't clear out the Bekaa, its all going to come back to haunt them.
Watch the pro-terrorist side complain. To which we should respond with, "Okay, let's give 'em a bunch of old WW2 dumbfire carpetbombs and an old B-29."
They should be happy that we're giving them quality, guided ordinance to minimize civilian casualties. But they won't be.
The Arabs all don't want to be seen as siding with Israel, so why has the price of gas not gone through the roof? I think it is because the Arab states that sell us oil are far more comfortable with Israel winning than with Iran winning. They know that atomic weapons in the hands of the Iranians will threaten them as much as they threaten Israel.
Anyone know anything about neutron bombs? Do we even have them anymore?
I don't even beleive this report. Israel has been planning this response for quite some time. These are 2 enemys that know each other very well. Why would Israel be lacking supplies?
Yes, I do. No, they're not.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
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"Last year's agreement allows Israel to buy "bunker buster" weapons that can penetrate underground terrorist command centers. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah is believed to be operating from underground."
I have not seen Nasrallah since last Thursday. I wonder if the Israelis really did get him but are not publishing it.
This is INSANE.....Shipping bombs to Israel IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR!......
.....these things should have been sent to them months ago...
Greater accuracy and penetration to eradicate the bunkers. Sounds like a winner to me.
Wow! Thanks for the link.
Why are we dictating conditions to Israel? If Cuba bombed us, would we listen to dictates from Israel?
Its not a diktat. Doubtless the President negociated this with the PM beforehand. Israel knows that the situation
cannot be allowed to persist where planes are bombing Lebanon and rockets are hitting Haifa.
On the other hand, I am curious about exactly who represents
the Hezb at the negociations? Kind of like negociating with
the Gambino Family.
Fuel Air Exposives carpeting ALL OF LEBANON will get the international communities attention and just may put the pressuer on the AGGRESSORS to fold up their tents instead of pressuring Israerl to accept the presence of rocket attacks as part of their daily lives.
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