7/18 Middle East Live Thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1666987/posts ^ | 7/18/06 | me

[BurbankKarl]

Israeli girls write messages on a shell at a heavy artillery position near Kiryat Shmona, in northern Israel, next to the Lebanese border, Monday, July 17, 2006

[tsmith130]

David Asman is kicking some Muslim's butt on Fox.

[Bahbah]

David Asman is kicking some Muslim's butt on Fox.

Saw that. LOL.

[tsmith130]

Oops...posted too late. It's over. It was an American Muslim from some Muslim organization that was complaining that Israel is reacting too strongly. Yada, yada, yada...

[Knitting A Conundrum]

News Ticker

22:48 Canada`s pro-Israel stand on Lebanon fighting sparks domestic criticism (Reuters)
22:43 Pope Benedict XVI says he supports G8 declaration on Israel-Lebanon fighting (AP)
22:38 Qassam rocket hits Sderot; no casualties (Haaretz)
22:35 Magen David Adom: 68 total Israelis hurt by Katyusha rockets Tuesday (Haaretz)
22:28 Olmert: Hezbollah raid, abduction was coordinated with Iran (Reuters)
22:27 Olmert says it`s premature to discuss stationing int`l force in Lebanon (Reuters)
22:15 PM Olmert pays surprise, secret visit to Haifa (Channel 10)

[Krodg]

Thank you. I thought maybe since it was an exclusive, we might hear a little more about it. Maybe FOX didn't get the response they wanted...LOL

[TexanToTheCore]

I think they have a lot of those problems solved. Gas can be moved from one tank to another and with the crappy missiles that Hesbollah is using, the chance of a hit is very low.

They also may have evacuated the area around the plants, as they would be a definite target.

I am not at all sure that a direct hit with a Katyushin missile would breach the tank. I think it might take a sustained barrage to open one up.

[cardinal4]

Hello, Bahbah. I just got home from work where I was pretty blacked out from the news. I was listening to KMOX and 97 Talk on the way home but they didnt mention Father Biondi at all. Any news?

[justiceseeker93]

From Jerusalem Post (July 18, approx. 10 PM Israel time)

IDF drops flyers over s. Lebanon mocking Nasrallah

IAF planes on Tuesday night showered southern Lebanon with flyers making fun of Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah and calling on him to come out of hiding.

"Where are you hiding?" the flyers read in a mocking tone.

Earlier Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post learned that 40 to 50 percent of Hizbullah's military capacity has been destroyed in the six days of the Israeli counter-attack following last Wednesday's Hizbullah raid in northern Israel.

The IDF, it is understood, believes it needs at least another week or so to achieve its military goals in terms of removing Hizbullah's capacity to threaten Israel.

The IDF further believes, it is understood, that it will be given at least that long to continue its actions, in light of the G8 nations' essential support for Israel and those nations' branding Hizbullah and Hamas as responsible for the current escalation.

For the rest of the story:

http://www.jpost.com

[jhp]

that's still a heck of a lot of rockets, i was hoping bwtn the expentiture of supplies + the knocking out of stockpiles would have been lower. I'd be curious to know what type of launch platforms they have left, after all can't launch a rocket without a pad

[JimSEA]

Thanks, do you happen to know if Israel has addressed rail and truck transport vulnerabilities?

[Bahbah]

I haven't heard anything about him at all and I've had my ears open.

[cardinal4]

It appears that nothing has really changed since I went to work this morning. I know the nutcase made a statement, but thats about it..

[pgkdan]

bookmark

[NewConservTexan]

If will still had a Democratic Administration we would have bailed from Iraq like we did in Somalia and there would be mass chaos all over the ME. Anyone notice how nice the lack of Iraqi scuds is?
Bush (and in this case Israel) is confronting terrorists and not appeasing them.

[harwood]

I certainly have noticed. I just remarked to my wife the other night how Saddam would be gleefully joining in with his stoopid scuds.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Rockets laden with yogurts?

[unfortunately a bluestater]

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3763

[NewConservTexan]

I understood the "chemical plants" were refineries that were running. Yes, a chemical plant or refinery could be emptied to make it significantly safer. Given the time line we have had my guess is that would be occurring right now. I doubt the plants were done before the attacks started.

My assumption would be that Israeli chemical plants or refineries would be even more protected that our own plants. Even with all of that JimSEA is right a direct hit to the wrong spot on a Chlorine Tank or something like that could be problematic. Given the translated message earlier it looks like that was Hezbollah's plan. I believe all the rocket attacks on Haifa are meant to hit a petrochemical asset.

[Miztiki]

Serious question here.

I was just listening to President Bush's remarks on the ME. He talked about the goverment of Lebanon and how he wants that government to remain intact. I think Sinoria is the head of the Lebanese government. He also talked about Syrian influence in Lebanon.

What indications are there that Sinoria and the Lebanese government are trying to be a good and honest government over a good an honest country? What indications are there that Sinoria is trying to expel any Syrian influence? What indications are there that Sinoria is trying to get rid of Hezbollah from within the government and the population?

Are there anti-Hezbollah commercials on Lebanese tv like there are anti-terrorist commercials on Iraqi tv? Are there rallies against Hezbollah? Laws prhibiting Hezbollah activities? Kids taught in school that Hezbollah and other terrorist orgs are bad? Anything?

If Sinoria and the Lebanese government have not and are not taking steps to rid their country of Hezbollah then why is Bush so intent on keeping the Lebanese goverment intact? I would think that Israel would be doomed to failure with their goal of nearly eliminating Hezbollah's efectiveness against Israel from inside Lebanon too. No?

[unfortunately a bluestater]

Daniel Pipes will be on John Gibson's TV show on Fox News in the second half of the show (after 2:30 Pacific time)