7/17 Middle East Live Thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1666537/posts?page=3202 ^ | 7/17/06 | me

[BurbankKarl]

09:02 Amir Peretz: We won`t stop fighting before achieving our objectives (Haaretz)

08:52 Barrage of Katyusha rockets hits Kiryat Shmona (Itim)

08:48 IDF arrested 12 wanted Palestinian militants in overnight West Bank raids (Itim)

08:32 Two Qassam rockets land in Ashkelon; no casualties or damage reported (Channel 10)

08:07 One IDF soldier lightly injured in fighting in northern Gaza Strip (Israel Radio)

07:57 Asia-Pacific officials working to evacuate citizens from Lebanon (AP)

07:31 Rocket barrage slams into Safed; no immediate report of casualties, damage (Haaretz)

07:30 Two people lightly injured in Acre from rocket hits (Haaretz)

07:21 Alarm sirens heard in Tiberias, no hits reported as yet (Channel 10)

07:20 Two people lightly wounded by sharpnel in Qassam hits on Sderot (Haaretz)

07:07 Lebanese: IDF attacks Beirut port; large fire breaks out (AP)

07:00 Third Qassam rocket hits Sderot; no casualties reported (Haaretz)

06:56 IDF soldier injured in Beit Hanun (Haaretz)

06:49 Katyusha rocket hits community near northern town of Acre; 4 people injured (Haaretz)

06:43 Two loud explosions rock southern suburbs of Beirut (AP)

06:37 Two Qassam rockets hit Sderot; no casualties (Israel Radio)

06:16 Lebanese: 17 fatalities, 9 of them soldiers, in latest round of IDF strikes (Israel Radio)

06:13 Qassam rocket hits western Negev; no casualties (Israel Radio)

06:08 IAF strikes over 50 targets in Lebanon in overnight attacks (Israel Radio)

06:05 IDF says air raid sirens in Haifa were false alarm (Israel Radio)

06:03 Air raid sirens sound in Haifa (AP)

05:46 IDF: Lebanese military involved in Friday attack on Israeli ship (AP)

05:43 IDF: Radar stations targeted were used in Friday attack on Israeli ship (AP)

05:37 IDF: Latest attacks in Lebanon are against radar stations used by Hezbollah (AP)

05:13 Israel blames Hizbollah after Canadian deaths in southern Lebanon (Reuters)

04:35 Oil surges back toward record highs after weekend of Middle East violence (Reuters)

04:13 13 killed, including 8 soldiers, in renewed overnight IDF attacks in Lebanon (AP)

03:21 EU foreign ministers discuss diplomatic options in effort to end Mideast violence (AP)

[Rte66]

Did he get on the plane and did it leave on time?

[goldstategop]

Yes, it does. By its very nature, war is an exercise in brute force, not in egalitarian symmetry. Then again, the world applies a different standard to Jews than it does to non-Jews. I too am tired of hearing Israel has applied "too much force." On the contrary, what's amazing is how little of it Israel has deployed so far. It is in Israel's power to completely demolish Lebanon's cities and it has refrained from doing that. The Israeli Air Force has been methodical and precise in its hits on its targets. In this war, the dead toll in Lebanon should be in the thousands. By historical standards, its been very low. There is no cause for any one to complain Israel's war conduct has exceeded any acceptable boundaries.

(Go Israel Go! Slap 'em down Hezbullies.)

[conservative in nyc]

Any idea why so many more Filipinos in Lebanon (30,000) than Americans (25,000)?

Somebody needs to work in Lebanon's hotels and tourist industry. A lot of Filipinos go overseas to work in hotels.

[sofaman]

yup...on his way to London..should be there in about 6 hours...he had to change planes in Amsterdam...

[WestVirginiaRebel]

I thought this might be appropriate, and the Israelis can borrow it if they wish:

"And the rockets' red glare... The bombs bursting in air... Gave proof through the night... That our flag was still there!"

[Rte66]

So, are (some of) the people that The Philippines is trying to evac from Lebanon some Filipinos who are actually in jail? In a conflict, would that happen?

[BurbankKarl]

09:24 IDF soldier killed by Palestinian militants during gunfight in Nablus (Haaretz)

09:19 IDF soldier killed in gunfight with Palestinian militants in Nablus (Haaretz)

09:14 Blair: Deployment of international force is only way to end Lebanon crisis (Sky TV)

09:11 Hezbollah: Proxy leaders being prepped in case of attack on Nasrallah (Israel Radio)

09:10 British PM Blair, UN chief Annan call for deployment of int`l force in Lebanon (AP)

[Rte66]

Great! Whew! Good thing he's a good kid, with an Amsterdam layover!

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

EU foreign ministers discuss diplomatic options in effort to end Mideast violence

================================================================

The Europeans keep calling on Israel to exercise "restraint". They all but dictated that Israel give up "land for peace", to create a "Palestinian Authority" on Israeli soil. The Europeans have dictated indefensible borders for Israel, and unfortunately, the Israeli's exercised poor judgment in accepting those terms without verification or enforcement. So now, Israel has indefensible borders, as evidenced by the constant bombardment by Iranian and Syrian Missles.

Here's a question for the Europeans and American Democrats: How many Katyusha rockets are they willing to accept on European soil? Let's be complete fair about this. The Israeli's were willing to accept the P.A. on it's soil, to give up sovereignty, and accept Hezbulla within strike range of Israel. So, should the EU and American Democrats be willing to match their calls or "Israeli restraint" with an offer to "resettle" a certain number of the 10,000 rockets in Lebanon? How 'bout Finland take.. say, just 450 rockets inbound on their cities? There probably won't be more than a couple of dozen deaths, and 400 injuries. And Germany, and France, and maybe Spain; they could take a 1000 or 1500 each.

Of course, there'd be the problem of delivery. We'd have to figure out some way of getting them in range of European capitals. Israel can show restraint. Hezbulla can show it's "restraint" as it launches it's rockets on Europeans, and maybe New York City, and everyone will be happy.

What?? You think I'm nuts? You don't think the Europeans will accept that many Hezbulla rockets on their soil? Well, gee, other than blatant, murderous, Nazi-style anti-Semitism, why else would the Europeans be demanding that Israel do anything less than commit herself to all out war in her own defense??? Ditto for the American Demo-rats.

SFS

[Knitting A Conundrum]

That's good news.

[sofaman]

lol

[BurbankKarl]

IAF launched 60 strikes last night.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

09:14 Blair: Deployment of international force is only way to end Lebanon crisis (Sky TV)

Does he think peacekeepers can reign in Hizbollah? Wishful thinking...

[woofie]

Ok ...I made the mistake of looking at DU which sent me to Huffington PO something about a pig so off I go to google and find this:

Bush's pig tales show disengagement

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-wobush0716,0,5816676.story?coll=ny-top-headlines


So its late and I missed the pig stuff ...are there any rational comments about it?

[BurbankKarl]

IAF dropping more leaflets, advising residents to leave South Lebanon.

[BurbankKarl]

There already were UN peacekeepers there...they let Hezbollah operate for years under their noses.

[mfccinsd]

Thanks for keeping us going!

[Michael81Dus]

15 stars??? 15???
And 15 stripes?? 15???

[wildcatf4f3]

stil here, between work in garage