7/21 Middle East Live Thread

Middle East Live Thread ^ | 7/21/06 | me

[BurbankKarl]

An Israeli soldier scouts the area near the Israel-Lebanon border, July 20, 2006.

[Eurotwit]

Another banner says:

"Israeli military: Will expand ground operations, call up "massive" reserves."

[tiredoflaundry]

placemark

[Pro-Bush]

Watching the Fox retread with Gretta on. I can't believe madeleine allbright is on. FOX has sunk to a new low.

[ScaniaBoy]

Whatever FOX does it cannot be worse than the steady drone of the European anti-Israel propaganda. Here is a prime example, from the formerly pro-US, pro-market Daily Telelgraph:

Convoy of fear driven out by war machine

Pretty unbiased title. /sarcasm

[Pro-Bush]

Wow, they do hate Israel over there - Totally, sympathetic to the hezballs.

Regarding FOX, It's a toss-up, I can't stand to look at Madeleine, or Gretta for that matter. ..they are both hard on the eyes.

[IrishRainy]

I'm a night owl too. I also work at night so I'm always lurking. Too bad I can't find a way to get paid to lurk at Free Republic....

[casino66]

It seems as though when the sun rises in the ME, Pipeline goes down.

[ScaniaBoy]

BREAKING NEWS!

On Haaretz:

11:05 Israel says Hezollah rockets have hit UN observation post (AP)

Can I say Schadenfreude?

[browardchad]

From YNet:

Al-Hayat: Israel to release prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Hamas that "a large number of prisoners" would be released from Israeli jails in exchange for the release of IDF soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit, the London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported. According to the report, Abbas' statements came following his meeting with Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin. (Roee Nahmias)

(07.21.06, 09:45)

Let's see if this report holds up. Not a good sign, if true.

[AdmSmith]

Russian-Syrian cooperation

In January 2005, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad paid a visit to Moscow. Then the Declaration on further development of friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries was signed. Separate attention was paid "to development of traditional cooperation in the military and technical sphere".

Within the last year Moscow delivered to Damascus antiaircraft-missile installations of the "Strelets" type suitable for mounting on helicopters, ships and armor. In parallel, the Russian manufacturers have informed on the conclusion of the contract with Syrians about the sale of the "Pantsyr" type newest air defence systems.

The bilateral top-level military cooperation contacts have been proceeding also in the latest time. In September 2005, the chief of the General Staff of Syrian army Ali Habib visited Moscow. His Russian counterpart Yury Baluevsky paid a visit to Damascus in January 2006. According to Russian sources, during those visits deliveries to Syria of the Su-30 fighters, Yak-130 training warplanes, "Pantsyr-S1" complexes of air defence, and two diesel submarines, as well as the issue of modernization of MiG-29 fighters and a thousand of T-72 tanks were discussed.

Advisers and professional training
Though at the end of the 1980s - the beginning of the 1990s the number of the Soviet and later on - the Russian military advisers and experts had been considerably reduced in Syria, they are still working in this country. In the last years their number reached nearly 100 people. And since the beginning of the 2000s, a gradual increase of the number of Russian military experts is marked in Syria. Besides, since the Soviet period, preparation of the officer staff for the Syrian army in the military educational institutions of Russia has not stopped. In 2005 the both sides agreed to double their number (up to 60 people).

Point of material support
Since the Soviet period there is a point of material and technical support of the Navy, located at the South Syrian coast of the Mediterranean, in the Russian property. This object includes warehouses of the coastguard service, a raft workshop and three sea moorings. After the corresponding agreement was signed in spring 1983, repair and updating of the material stocks of the ships of 5-th flotilla of the USSR Navy was carried out in Tartus till autumn 1991. In 1999 there were the intelligence vessels of the Russian Navy that were tracking the NATO warships taking part in the Yugoslavian campaign. In June 2006 it became known that the Russian experts begun works to deepen the bottom at the Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia (the latter was also used by the Soviet Navy in the past).

Military rear of Syrian-Iranian alliance

In the light of the aforesaid, it is obvious that in case of the conflict, it will be the Syrian units under command of the recent graduates of the Russian military universities equipped with modern combat technique of the Russian manufacture that will withstand the Israeli troops. It is not only ascertaining of the facts, but also an integral component of the military doctrine of the Syrian-Iranian alliance. The contract on the military cooperation signed by the ministers of defence of the two countries this June eloquently testifies that Syria and Iran have been considering Russia as the "rear" of their confrontation with Israel. In this document the sides agree upon the necessity of increase by Damascus of import of the Russian arms on the eve of an eventual conflict with Israel. According to the contract, Tehran undertakes the initiative to pay for the Russian deliveries for the needs of the Syrian army. An important place in the agreement is allocated to the cooperation of Iran and Syria on the Lebanese direction, especially in rendering assistance to the armed formations of Hezbullah.

http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=995

[goldstategop]

I agree. If Israel is going to pay Hamas, why not pay Hezbollah. But an Israeli surrender to Arab terror would not suprise me. They did it before.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em, Down Hezbullies.)

[Timeout]

Too bad I can't find a way to get paid to lurk at Free Republic....

LOL!

Can't tell you how many times I've come across a particularly good post and thought, "The GOP should be paying someone to send along these good ideas".

[Straight Vermonter]

Was that Elie Cohen?

Yes

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659022/posts?page=1346#1346

[ScaniaBoy]

Thanks!

Bookmarked.

[Cindy]

You're welcome ScaniaBoy.

[Allegra]

11:05 Israel says Hezollah rockets have hit UN observation post (AP)

Muffling it....muffling it....trying real hard not to snicker...

[Pro-Bush]

I can relate.

[defenderSD]

Now why would the Hezbullies be targeting the UN observation post?....hmmmmmmmm...inexplicable (/sarc off)

[jeffers]

Allegra wrote:
11:05 Israel says Hezollah rockets have hit UN observation post (AP)

Muffling it....muffling it....trying real hard not to snicker...



Kofi's gonna ba all over Hezbollah like stink on a skunk.

He'll go through them like a chainsaw through balsa.

Land on them with both feet.

Kofi's gonna bring ALL the power of the UN down on their heads.

;-)