Posted on 07/29/2006 10:43:47 AM PDT by Dark Skies
Just heard on Fox (Jennifer Griffin)...Israel will not require Hezbollah to disarm for a cease fire to be accomplished.
Jennifer called the Israeli Foreign Ministry (Not just some "official") they confirmed the report (as also reported elsewhere). Then they called here back to deny the report. This is what she said in her report.
The guy Olmert put as head of Foreigh Ministry is Peres i think, a notorious dove
Two possibilities
1) an incredibly display of psyops
OR
2) internal disaray which is starting to spill out into the public, i've got a feeling the Olmert govt and the IDF/Likud are engaged in their own form of hand to hand combat right now. I wouldn't discount the possiblity of an emergency govt put in place or a vote of no confidence called
The rush to be first . . .
Let's hear it directly from Israel first before we lament to much. I don't believe they would agree to this.
Syria - your move.
In the arab world, the perception of victory is just as important as an actual victory.
For Israel to "win" this conflict, they have to deliver upon early expectations - whether those be media expectations or claims made early on by the Israeli government.
At this time, Hizbullah is still able to lob near 100+ rockets in Israel each day. Israel has not been able to seize and control much if any Hizbullah/Lebanese territory. Israel, to date, has not created any new buffer zone of any kind. Israel has not been able to effectively degrade Hizbullah's ability to spread propaganda via their TV network or otherwise.
Militarily Israel is clearly doing a fair bit of damage to Hizbullah, but Hizbullah only need run the clock out. Quite simply, time is working against Israel here.
Israel needs to accomplish something that will be clearly regarded as a victory. Something along the lines of infantry and armor racing to the river and declaring a buffer zone, followed by a quick call for a cease-fire and EU/NATO troops to fill the void. Another victory might be finding and killing Nasrallah. If Israel stops now, I believe the best case is that the perception would be that Hizbullah fought Israel to a standstill. Considering it is unlikely Israel gets its kidnapped soldiers back with a prisoner exchange, it is even more likely the victor will appear to be Hizbullah.
Israel definately needs to step up here and make damn sure they significantly diminish the strength and prestige of Hizbullah. As of now, I would say they have not accomplished either.
Bush gave Israel a green light, but Olmert is unwilling (or unable) to fight.
---There is no reason in the World for Rice to be in Israel right now except to exert pressure on Israel ---
Exactly. She barely got off the plane from her last trip. I wonder what our government is hearing from the oil producers over there? An Arab oil embargo right now, would be disasterous and probably result in a much wider war. The thing is, I don't think anyone can keep the pot from eventually boiling over. We need to show the kind of single-minded determination we showed in WW2.
I think they'll blame Hezbollah too. I would hope that if Isreal can get Hezbollah out, that they'd help rebuild homes and infrastructure... too much to hope for on both counts eh?
If Israel blinks now, the terrorist have taken over and are in charge.
If the report is correct, it's worse than that. Game over. Just a matter of time.
That was Brian Wilson's take. He said, when you see that many confirmed reports then be denied, it usually indicates an internal split spilling out into the public.
It's true that the Administration tune started changing as the Saudis began sounding more belligerent but I believe more crucial was Tony Blair.
US support for the "Road Map" was born from a similar emergency trip to see Bush by Tony Blair as was evidenced yesterday.
Iraq/Afganistan war = Three plus years and counting.
Israel against terrorists = Less then three weeks is too much already.
I'd bet on No. 2 in your list. Bibi waiting in the wings? I believe he has been in Israel meeting with Olmert in the last couple of days.
Maybe the conversation went something like this:
Olmert: The UN, the Arabs, Kofi Annan, the whole world is on my back to pull out of Lebanon. Who cares that these rockets are still raining on the North, those citizens only have so many votes. I have announced to reporters that we have decided that we will pull back and implement a unilateral ceasefire immediately.
Likud/Netanyahu: Allright, then we are calling for a vote of no confidence and I'll be Prime Minister.
Olmert: Peres, call that reporter back and tell her no ceasefire.
Israel's Foreign Minister- and next in line for PM if Olmert is incapable- is a woman named Tzippi Livni.
She has gone soft lately but, with her background, if push came to shove she is probably tougher then Olmert.
Count on it.
NO LINK POSTED. THIS IS A BOGUS THREAD.
NO LINK POSTED. THIS IS A BOGUS THREAD.
NO LINK POSTED. THIS IS A BOGUS THREAD.
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