Posted on 07/14/2006 4:31:28 PM PDT by SJackson
ISRAELI fighter jets have destroyed the main road linking Lebanon to Syria and pounded the Hezbollah heartland in the south of Beirut in a bid to stop militants smuggling two captured soldiers to Iran. The Lebanese capital is now isolated, with Israeli planes and ships controlling the sky and waterways two days after the soldiers were seized by Hezbollah militants in a cross-border raid that has sparked the most serious violence in Lebanon since the height of its civil war.
Claiming he had "sealed his own fate", Israel yesterday threatened to assassinate Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who trumpeted the soldiers' kidnappings on Wednesday.
Israeli intelligence chiefs had earlier received information that Hezbollah may try to use the land border with Syria to smuggle their captives into the hands of arch-enemy Iran.
The Australian Government said last night there were 2800 Australian citizens registered in Beirut. The Australian-Lebanese community in the city is estimated at up to 25,000.
Australia has reopened its embassy in Beirut to provide passports and emergency assistance to its nationals, but could offer no guarantees land routes out of the country were safe.
"People are best served by staying indoors, and we're attempting to determine the extent to which land crossings from Lebanon into Syria are safe to use," a Foreign Affairs Department spokesman said.
Rockets continued to barrage Israel's northern towns and cities from Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, with two reaching the port city of Haifa, more than 30km from where they were launched.
Hezbollah, which launched 85 rockets on Thursday, claimed it had developed rockets that could reach all corners of Israel.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday warned Israel not to attack Syria in a bid to punish Hezbollah, claiming such a strike would lead to a "fierce response".
"If the Zionist regime commits another stupid move and attacks Syria, this will be considered likeattacking the whole Islamic world and this regime will receive a very fierce response," he said in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that was later recounted by statemedia. World leaders have urged restraint, fearing the conflict could spark a regional war. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "profoundly worried" by developments and condemned attacks against civilians. As many as 61 Lebanese have been killed in three days of raids.
John Howard said he feared the siege of Beirut could topple the fragile Lebanese Government. "I don't think Lebanon is in a strong enough position," he said. "One of the worries in all of what is happening is that the present Lebanese Government, weak though it may be, could fall and be replaced by a government even more heavily under the influence of Syria."
A UN Security Council delegation is heading to the region in a bid to limit the crisis.
Israel last night bombed the main road to Beirut International Airport and, for the first time, a terminal. Israel dropped six bombs on the airport's three runways on Thursday. Bombs also fell on a power transformer in Beirut's south and bridges.
Jet fighters dropped leaflets over central Beirut warning Lebanese civilians that Hezbollah was leading them to ruin.
See post 26. Israel isn't about to inflict more civilian casualties than necessary. A single tube rocket or mortar crew are gone in well under a minute. That's rarely enough time for a visual id. If an armed drone is right overhead, great, there have been several of those in Gaza, but over a period of months. But it's luck.
Time to stand up and be counted.
Time to fight.
Forget the democrats and the politics. With them it's all lies and games of deciet anyway.
Time to face the enemy and live or die.
You're right, and the Arabs have a long track record of miscalculations, particularly when it come to Israel. I could certainly see Syria stumbling in conventionally, street opinion could be a factor, but it would be an awfully stupid move. They don't have a Soviet patron able to stop the IDF any more.
That you are aware of - yet. This hasn't played out yet. As it stands right now, you are correct.
Ahmadenijad doesn't have to have the bomb to speak so belligerently. He speaks like this all the time.
He believes that Israel is weak and that Israel won't attack Syria, which is far more dangerous than Lebanon. But he also believes everybody else is weak, except for him, his terrorists, and his fellow terrorist states. He is a terrorist. He shares their warped and twisted understanding of strength.
Ok, under what plausible scenario would the Russians get involved?
I can't see any. They'll battle diplomaticly perhaps, but this isn't their fight. Besides, they no longer have the force to project in the middle east. When they did, they were either faced down (by the US) or shot down.
Yup!
The Iranians clearly do not comprehend "DiploSpeak."
They will soon learn the true meaning of some big words.
Words, like "green light" and "sic em" Fido!
Why are you so focused on Russian military involvement? They have absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose by attacking Israel. ....it's just not going to happen. Sure, they'll sell Iran and Syria some hardware, but that's the extent of it.
Ezekiel 38 and 39 take place when Israel is relatively at peace and God will place a hook in the mouth of Gog and Magog. Other countries mentioned in the mix are Turkey (Togarmah), Ethiopia, Libya, perhaps some Caspian Sea country or perhaps the former muslim soviet republics. For this to take place something huge would have to happen beforehand that would draw them down. In this day and age a surprise attack doesn't seem logical, unless the U.S. were somehow out of the way - another theory that has been bantered about. If Israel were attacked with WMD, like a Nuke in Haifa or something like that, would they respond with Nukes on Damascus or Tehran? Perhaps. Other prophecies foretell the complete destruction of Damascus - laid waste - something that has not yet occurred in history. Only God knows.
The first, in the waning days of the 48 war, probably just before the truce or just after, they knew they'd lost, the King of Jordan (remote possibility an Arab League official in Damascus) was confronted by a large "kill the Jews" demonstration, guns firing in the air and all. Those things haven't changed. Knowing the war they knew they'd win in days was lost, and at great personal risk, he confronted the crowd with a bullhorn, the message, the enlistment office is right there--he pointed across the street--go and fight. The demonstration ended. Not with mass enlistments.
You can't predict how these things will turn out once started.
The second, either from Sharon's autobiography or an interview, relates to the great fighting characteristics of the Arab warrior. That's not sarcasm, from his perspective of probably the 60s at least, a couple decades of fighting them, he considered them the equal of any warriors he'd seen. From fixed positions. Brave, no ability to improvise on a small unit level, and led by a largely political, marginally competant officer corps. Deviate from what's expected, they collapse. Though often not after miscalculating. Review Sharon's career, many of his victories were a result of misdirection, hit them where you're not expected. No, it's not a unique strategy, but effective for him. I frequently thought of his comments during the Gaza withdrawl, which whether one supported it or not, had a very rational basis.
If recent history is a guide, the Arabs may well miscalculate, and Israel may well capitalize on their mistakes.
Yeah, I'm surprised that we don't hear of JDAM equipped fighters orbiting the area and waiting for a launch signature. Shouldn't be too hard to land a 500 lb bomb on some location shortly after a launch.
Where does it mention Damascus? I'd really like to read that. Also, I've read the same thing about Israel being in relative peace before Ezekial 38 & 39 so you are correct in that. As for Russia, I don't trust them and I never will. Far as I can, they are the real instigators in this whole mess because they're the ones supplying all the military hardware to these muslim nations and they know exactly what Iran the Syria will do with them.
I'm also kind of hoping that if a missile is fired into Jerusalem that it hits the Temple mount destroying the Dome. If that should happen, watch out world because end time events would undoubtably start happening in rapid fire succession.
Although you may e right about them already having "The Bomb", I am pretty confident that at the very least they've got Saddams WMD's tucked away for a rainy day.
**The Australian Government said last night there were 2800 Australian citizens registered in Beirut. The Australian-Lebanese community in the city is estimated at up to 25,000. ***
I just had a flash from the past, of British citizens fighting each other like cats and dogs to flee Singapore in the face of the Japanese advance.
They were moved to Syria -- Iraqi Ba'athists giving to their Syrian Ba'athist brethren. Most are probably still there, although it wouldn't surprise me if Hezbollah now has some in So. Lebanon.
A timely reminder. Amen.
Since we're playing bible Bingo, I hought I'd play along as well...
King James Version, Isaiah 17...
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. 2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. 3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. 5 And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.
6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. 7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. 8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.
9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. 10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: 11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! 13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. 14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.
enjoy.
King James Version - Jeremiah 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. 24 Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. 25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? 26 Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the Lord Almighty. 27 "I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad."
Is this a prophecy that has already come to pass? Is it now? or is it in the future? :) I dunno. I'm not a historian. but theres the info ya asked for. :) Peace Bro.
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