Posted on 07/31/2006 9:38:15 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
The wife and father of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, Karnit, holding a wedding photograph, and Shlomo Goldwasser arrive at Heathrow Airport in London, Monday July 31, 2006. Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers on July 12, triggering an Israeli offensive against Lebanon that has killed hundreds of people, mostly civilians.
I agree. I also think there is a deliberate "push/pull" on that issue coming from us in order to give Israel all the time it takes. We need this from Israel.
Sounds familiar. What is it about?
there are "GOLDEN" moments in all wars,,,,i fear "this" one will pass,,,!
We need this from Israel.
_________
Very good point
I agree.....
I think come morning when we awake, we are going to see some interesting things.....
AHA!!! Trying to hijack our thread??? ;^)
Seriously...seems illegal immigration has been knocked off the front page and surely knocked off the right side bar in here.
Ah well...perhaps they plugged the hole at the border. /s
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge on Friday denied a government appeal to keep incarcerated a top fundraiser for an Islamic charity the government says has ties to terrorism.
AIM The motion came a day after U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter ordered the release without bond of Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, 45, who is being held at the Terminal Island federal detention facility.
Hatter denied the motion without comment, according to court documents filed late Friday.
"The judge clearly said the government has no business detaining him," said Hamdan's attorney, Ranjana Natarajan of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.
It was unclear when Hamdan could be released, or whether the government would appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the department was aware of the judge's decision and was reviewing its legal options.
Contacted at her home late Friday, Hamdan's wife, Entesar Hamdan, said she was unaware of the ruling but hoped the government wouldn't take the case any further.
"I didn't expect they would take it one last step," she said. "It's sad. It's already been two years of his life, of our lives."
Hamdan, who founded a mosque in Anaheim, was arrested on immigration charges in July 2004 as federal authorities unsealed an indictment against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. The government charged that the Texas-based charity funneled millions to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The following month, Hamdan was ordered deported on the immigration charges. His requests to be released on bond while he fights the charges had been denied until this week.
Hamdan, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank, was accused of having ties to terrorism but was never charged. Instead, he was convicted of overstaying a student visa he got 27 years ago.
The Holy Land Foundation's president, chairman and director of endowments have been charged with terrorism-related crimes
Merkava tanks prove their mettle
Aug. 1, 2006 2:42 | Updated Aug. 1, 2006 5:12
Merkava tanks prove their mettle
By ANSHEL PFEFFER
METULLA
"It was a small hit; we thought they were only mortar shells," recalled Sec.-Lt. Yotam. His Merkava 4 tank had been directly hit by two anti-tank missiles. The four crew members evacuated to another tank, unscathed.
Their tank was dragged back to the Israeli side of the border, south of Metulla, and technical crews clambered over it, astonished at the way it had withstood the attack. Among them were members of the Defense Ministry's Merkava Project Directorate, some with a 20-year record in the development of Israel's main indigenous weapon system. The look of satisfaction on the face of Lt.-Col. Baruch Mazliah, head of the armor department in the Merkava Project, said it all.
"It did the job it was supposed to do," he said, patting the tank's side.
But the success of the latest version of the Merkava did little to hide the frustration of the soldiers at the fact that despite their efforts, Hizbullah anti-tank teams were still acting, hidden in positions so near the border, within mortar range of Israel's northernmost town.
The tank crews of Brigade 401 spent 36 hours in Lebanon over the weekend, cooped up in their tanks, taking "Stopit" tablets to control their bodily functions, and hunting for Hizbullah fighters in the villages of Kilah, Adisah and A-Taibe. Despite the success of the tanks and soldiers of the Nahal infantry brigade in killing about 20 Hizbullah members in and around the villages, they were still unable to eradicate their presence, as was proved by the anti-tank missile firings at the tanks returning on Monday morning.
"We saw a missile flying over the border road behind us," said a tank commander. Two tanks that were hit and an engineering corps Puma AFV that had overturned just within the fences had to be dragged out by other tanks, while the artillery supplied covering fire on the hills opposite Metulla. Smoke bombs were also fired to hide the force from Hizbullah gun-sights. Altogether nine soldiers were lightly wounded in the fighting.
The consensus was that with less well-armored tanks, the toll would have been much higher.
"Actually most of the time it was a bit boring," complained Yotam. "My tank barely did any shooting. It was very hard to see them from inside the tank."
The company commander said that he had done quite a bit of shooting. "Now we're waiting to go back in again. It wasn't easy sitting in the tank for 36 hours, but that's what we're trained to do and what the tanks are built for. We'll go back in for as long as it takes," he said.
The continuing presence of Hizbullah around the border villages caused the IDF to spread a wide security perimeter around Metulla. Squads of reserve soldiers, called up 10 days ago, were stationed next to the border. This is one of the first operational tasks to be carried out by the reserve units, who haven't yet taken part in battles across the border.
The fighting around Metulla hasn't allowed the local farmers to pick the apples, most still hanging ripe on the trees, some already rotting on the ground. Only the reservists have been enjoying them.
On Monday night, the government was expected to authorize the use of these soldiers in wider ground operations planned to take place over the next few days within Lebanese villages.
2nd the motion.
A decent analysis. The one thing we have going for us is the knowledge that he doesn't back down (even when we want him to...as on immigration).
Yes, there are. The first test has been passed today. Political correctness has been defeated today. Not only did Olmert not give in to the UN, he ramped up operations by calling up another 15,000 troops. I'm encouraged. Today would have been the day for failure, it wasn't.
I like yout tag. And a 102 year old home!
Central Ac really messes with the look unless the whole place is redesigned when it is installed.
I agree.....
I think come morning when we awake, we are going to see some interesting things.....
________
It seems to be unusually quiet as far as reporting goes. John Roberts for CNN indicated last night there was something big in the air. He felt like something "major was about to happen"
Prayers for Israel.
So you have some inside perspective?
I can't shake the "daddy's rich boy wanna stay that way" impression I get everytime I look at Assad.
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