Posted on 07/31/2006 7:53:06 PM PDT by yatros from flatwater
The security cabinet approved early Tuesday morning expanded ground operations in Lebanon, while the IDF, under the assumption that only a few days were left for the operations against Hizbullah, was already gearing up Monday night for a massive ground incursion into Lebanon on three different fronts, utilizing the Golani, Nahal and the Paratroopers infantry brigades.
The plan, senior IDF sources said, was to utilize the last remaining days of the operation, which they estimated would be over by week's end, to push Hizbullah back as far north as the Litani River in central Lebanon. The plan was pending approval by the cabinet, which was meeting late Monday night.
"An extensive ground operation could destroy the Hizbullah terror infrastructure there," a high-ranking IDF source said. "This is our opportunity to strike at Hizbullah."
Defense Minister Amir Peretz rejected calls for a cease-fire on Monday. "This is a difficult and painful fight but we can overcome it," he said during a speech in the Knesset plenum. "We cannot agree to a cease-fire that will go into effect immediately."
In addition to the attempt to push Hizbullah north to the Litani, the IDF is also working on carving out a two-kilometer security zone along the northern border, under which all of the Hizbullah outposts there would be completely razed and guerrillas would not be allowed to return to the borderline area.
Hizbullah fired two Katyusha rockets at Kiryat Shmona on Monday. No one was wounded, but fires broke out as a result of the explosions.
At the moment, the IDF said that it did not intend to send the thousands of reservists who had been called up under emergency orders into Lebanon. Sources said the reservists would be used the earliest by Wednesday, although the decision was dependent on decisions made at the late-night cabinet meeting.
According to intelligence assessments, the areas that would be invaded in eastern and western Lebanon were loaded with Katyusha rocket launchers, weapons warehouses and Hizbullah headquarters.
Meanwhile Monday, a US-brokered 48-hour suspension of aerial activity went into effect as IDF troops from the Nahal Brigade operated on the ground in southern Lebanon in the villages of Ataybeh and Al-Adisa, just north of Metulla. Nine soldiers were wounded during the fighting. Three of the soldiers were wounded after an APC flipped over near the village of Kila in southern Lebanon.
IAF fighter jets struck the main Lebanese-Syrian border crossing on Monday for the third time in as many days, hitting a vehicle, the IDF and witnesses said. The military said the strike hit a truck importing weapons from Syria at the Masnaa border crossing. It said the strike was in Lebanese territory.
But Lebanese police officials said two missiles struck near a vehicle carrying relief supplies near the Lebanese customs post, wounding five people, including a customs officer.
Also Monday, in accordance with a decision by the political echelon and in light of security assessments, a general closure was imposed on the West Bank. Throughout the duration of the closure, the IDF said there would be an easing of restrictions for the population, and humanitarian cases would be handled and approved by the District Coordination and Liaison offices.
The IDF said it would continue to exercise sensitivity towards the West Bank population, while performing thorough inspections at checkpoints and crossings. The army added that it would continue to operate to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel, while preserving, to the best of its ability, the fabric of life of the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, a heightened state of alert, which was declared in Haifa on Monday afternoon, was lowered after two suspected terrorists were arrested. The security establishment had received intelligence that a terror attack was being planned in the region.
In response, police set up roadblocks and increased its presence.
Just giving a little benefit of the doubt, I think the fog of war may have been getting to him.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675494/posts
is this what you were referring to?
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
The post makes no sense from any perspective. And if it's satire, it's poorly done.
Now THAT's funny!
The more the Israelis keep saying that their ground operations will be limited in scope and will end soon, the more I think this is disinformation. Why not keep Hezbollah in southernmost Lebanon as much as possible while you observe them, bomb them, pick them apart and attack concentrations as they are located? If the ultimate plan involves massive attacks in the Bekka Valley, I think it would make sense to keep Hezbollah from learning this for as long as possible.
I don't think so. Part of the problem had to be that the air force said, "Let us soften them up." This would indeed save Israeli troopers lives, but would be viewed as "weakness" by the Islamists. Another part of the problem has to be that this is a brand new cabinet just feeling its way on security issues.
As for calling for a cease-fire, so what? What the US has done is give Israel more time _after_ a cease-fire has been called for to finish the job. "Playing for time."
And what are the Europeans going to do? try to impose sanctions on Israel? That will get vetoed real quick. So Olmert and Rice agreed to call the 48 hour temporary halt in bombing to make it look like Rice had "pressured" Israel. This would play well with the Arabs. "See," they can say to their people, "The US is trying but the Israelis are intransigent, as they always are."
And notice the crowd in Beirut. 5,000 people. Staged event. Nobody gets hurt, nobody gets arrested, and the international media can play it up big. But 5,000 is _nothing_. Once again the impotence of the Arab street is revealed. And the impotence of Syria and Iran are being even more revealed. Iran won't even admit they have armed Hezbollah. Syria is making noises, but they know, if they weren't capable of hurting Israel in 1982, when they lost big time in the Bekaa, there is no way in 2006, with Israel armed with modern US weaponry, that they stand a chance in hell of taking them on. Heck, they couldn't break through the Golan Heights in 1973 with a 10 to 1 tank advantage. Hardly likely they can do it now with Israel armed with Merkava tanks, f-15s, f-16s, JDAMs, and all the other precision guided munitions.
What is all this cease-fire crap about anyway. Is Hizbullah really going to agree to disarm? Is Hizbullah really going to hand over the Israel soldiers it kidnapped? The UN can declare a cease-fire all they want, if Israel and Hizbullah aren't both on board then how exactly is this "cease-fire" going to go into effect.
I for one am hoping for no cease-fire until Israel has smashed Hizbullah sufficiently for it to be a clear Israeli military victory.
I hope the UN throws a cease fire, and no one shows up. At least not for a couple weeks till the situation on the ground changes sufficiently in Israel's favor.
Unnamed source alert.
There will be an agreement that the IDF holds down the fort till some international force are in there. No way they can get in in less than 6 to 9 weeks. The IDF will have plenty of time. Just like with the 48 hour thing, it will be in theory only since the Hezzies cant resist attacking the big bug zapper the IDF provides.
That sounds tolerable. So long as Israel has plenty of time to root out and dismantle Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon.
Push smoosh. When it comes to Hezballah, kill them all.
How about pushing them back to hell?
What, no "negotiations"?
Hmmm..I have not seen this..I would be interested in an article quoting Rice.
No, rebuild the churches the PLO and Hezbollah burnt to the ground. Rebuild the christian villages.
The PLO is always soo hot on the "right of return". I say we have a right of return for all the decedants of the Lebannse christians the muslims raped, pillaged, and murdered in Lebannon in the 1980's.
If they keep pulling back at this same rate, they'll have "pulled back" all the way to the Russian border.
;)Indeed!
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