Posted on 08/14/2006 6:51:34 PM PDT by blam
Israel humbled by arms from Iran
By Adrian Blomfield in Ghandouriyeh
(Filed: 15/08/2006)
Abandoned Hizbollah positions in Lebanon yesterday revealed conclusive evidence that Syria - and almost certainly Iran - provided the anti-tank missiles that have blunted the power of Israel's once invincible armour.
After one of the fiercest confrontations of the war, Israeli forces took the small town of Ghandouriyeh, east of the southern city of Tyre, on Sunday evening, hours before a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations took effect.
Israeli soldiers hold a Israeli flag after returning from Lebanon
At least 24 Israeli soldiers were killed in the advance on the strategic hilltop town as Hizbollah fighters were pushed back to its outskirts, abandoning many weapons.
The discovery helped to explain the slow progress made by Israeli ground forces in nearly five weeks of a war which Hizbollah last night claimed as "a historic victory." Israeli political and military leaders are facing mounting criticism over the conduct of the offensive, which was intended to smash the Iranian-backed Shia militia.
Outside one of the town's two mosques a van was found filled with green casings about 6ft long. The serial numbers identified them as AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank missiles. The wire-guided weapon was developed in Russia but Iran began making a copy in 2000.
Beyond no-man's land, in the east of the village, was evidence of Syrian-supplied hardware. In a garden next to a junction used as an outpost by Hizbollah lay eight Kornet anti-tank rockets, described by Brig Mickey Edelstein, the commander of the Nahal troops who took Ghandouriyeh, as "some of the best in the world".
Written underneath a contract number on each casing were the words: "Customer: Ministry of Defence of Syria. Supplier: KBP, Tula, Russia."
Brig Edelstein said: "If they tell you that Syria knew nothing about this, just look. This is the evidence. Proof, not just talk."
The discovery of the origin of the weapons proved to the Israelis that their enemy was not a ragged and lightly armed militia but a semi-professional army equipped by Syria and Iran to take on Israel. The weapons require serious training to operate and could be beyond the capabilities of some supposedly regular armies in the Middle East. The Kornet was unveiled by Russia in 1994. It is laser-guided, has a range of three miles and carries a double warhead capable of penetrating the reactive armour on Israeli Merkava tanks. Russia started supplying them to Syria in 1998.
Israeli forces were taken by surprise by the sophistication of the anti-tank weapons they faced. They are believed to have accounted for many of the 116 deaths the army suffered. Dozens of tanks were hit and an unknown number destroyed.
The missiles were also used against infantry, in one case bringing down a house and killing nine soldiers. They played an important part in Hizbollah's tactics of using a network of concealed positions to set up ambushes for the Israelis as they inched in. Last night, Hassan Nasrallah, the Hizbollah leader, said his men had achieved "a strategic, historic victory" over "a confused, cowardly and defea-ted" enemy. He said the militia would not disarm, as Israel and the UN Security Council were demanding. It would be "immoral, incorrect and inappropriate," he said. "It is the wrong timing on a pyschological and moral level."
As the militia leader was claiming victory, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, defended his handling of the crisis and said that the massive air, ground and sea attack had changed the face of the Middle East. But he admitted that the military and political leadership was guilty of "shortcomings", not least in underestimating the threat from anti-tank weapons.
Critics say that he placed too much faith in the ability of the air force to break the back of Hizbollah and delayed launching a major ground offensive until it was too late.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud Party leader and a rival, said: "There were many failures - failures on identifying the threat, failures in preparing to meet the threat, failures in the management of the war, failures in the management of the home front."
Last night, President George W. Bush blamed Iran and Syria for fomenting the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah. "We can only imagine how much more dangerous this conflict would be if Iran had the nuclear weapon it seeks," he said.
Why don't you answer the question about UNA/UNSO? Do you agree with your Ukrainian Nationalist organization (UNA/UNSO) when they call for Ukrainians to kill American soldiers? Do you agree with them when they say Ukraine should help America's enemies? What is your stance on Ukrainian companies providing America's enemies with arms?
"Nothing disgusting me more - as a professional military man - than seeing poor underfed Russian soldiers begging on the streets for cigarettes"
Which military, Romie? The one you joined to "fight communism? What war was that? What foreign war against communism in the qualifies you to be in the VFW?
BWAHAHAHAHA -
And stop the crocodile tears for the "poor" Russian army - they are ruthless and dangerous as ever.
http://sholademi.livejournal.com/254763.html
Hi Redstaterocker,
Yes, I guess what really aggravates me is the current meme that Israel "lost." This talk merely emboldens Nas'rallah, Hez'bollah, Hamas, and their leaders, Iran, et. al.
The IDF destroyed much of Hez'bollah's strongholds, killing hundreds of their fighters. It is not over by any means. Nas'rallah can claim victory but he mistakes one short term battle for a total war.
Hez'bollah an the arm of the Iranian Guards, make no mistake about it. The MSM and the others can call them a "militia" but they are and have always been agents of Iran.
Remember how we warned Saddam and went to the UN forcing them to finally back up their resolutions against Saddam. When it was apparent to the world that Saddam was not going to comply then we took action.
I hope that this is what is now occurring, that there is a UN resolution on the books.. (everyone knows this isn't worth the thousands of pieces of paper it is written on) that if Hez'bollah does not disarm and the Lebanon army does not take control of the South along with the UN peacekeepers (another farce) then Israel has the green light to protect itself. At least now it is official.
We shall all pretend there hasn't been a UN resolution in place since 1978 with UNIFIL (the UN) in southern Lebanon.
One last thought, in war there is always a time to regroup and I wonder if this isn't one for Israel. They found out that Hez'bollah had far more weapons and bunkers than assumed. Amazingly all this activity the past six years happened right under the eyes of UNIFIL. How could they not know Hez'bollah was building these giant bunkers?
It is not over yet and I am not counting the Israelis and IDF out.
"Written underneath a contract number on each casing were the words: "Customer: Ministry of Defence of Syria. Supplier: KBP, Tula, Russia." "
Every evil gang of thugs since WW2 has been armed with Russian weapons. Russia is always on the side of evil.
What is really happening is that some basic issues are being resolved over dinner tables across Israel. There will be a major change at the top political level including who has the say-so about conduct of military operations.
This was by no measures a win.
Why, if you didn't know better, you might think that the UN was filled with Islamics and terrorist/tyrant sympathizers.
Lamaztaz...
Damn straight! This is not the time to be assigning blame. What have we evolved too? Perfectionist Standards Of Warfare?
Do the Israelis only get 30 days in which to wage a war?
Why, if you didn't know better, you might think that the UN was filled with Islamics and terrorist/tyrant sympathizers.
I know. What are we thinking? Not the glorious UN!
/sarc
This was known before the war. That's why so many said Israel had to take down Syria if they wanted to take out Hezbollah for the long term.
Yes.. this is true. Even the Prime Minister of Lebanon has reiterated many times how "proud" he is of the resistance fighters (Hiz'bollah) and this is the guy who is supposed to send his troops to ... do what?
Hiz'bollah has built several hospitals, they have a TV station, Manar, they have to ministers in the Lebanon parliament.
Why are we pretending that Hiz'bollah is separate from the so called democrat Lebanon government?
It is bizarre, this charade. It is no wonder that Israel has had a devil of a time trying to fight Hizbollah why the world sits back and shows no support while Iran publicly proclaims its goal is to eradicate Israel from the face of the earth.
"Which military, Romie? The one you joined to "fight communism? What war was that? What foreign war against communism in the qualifies you to be in the VFW?
BWAHAHAHAHA -
And stop the crocodile tears for the "poor" Russian army - they are ruthless and dangerous as ever.
http://sholademi.livejournal.com/254763.html"
I joined the armed forces of the country your Ukrainian heros in the UNA/UNSO has told Ukrainian soldiers to kill in Iraq. (Interesting that you won't condemn your UNA/UNSO leader's call for Ukrainian military revolt against the US).
That would be the US Armed Forces that I joined in 1983 Spanalot. Heard the call to defeat Communism by our greatest President - Ronald Reagan and signed up. Surely you are not still not sticking to your argument that the only wars against communism the US fought were in Korea and Vietnam?
Surely by your repeated insistence that the US only fought communism twice you are not inferring that we then sat idly by as the commies tried to extend their influence in ours and other regions of the world?
Surely you are not saying that continued US military vigilance after the Vietnam War, to include military actions in local conflicts against communist movements, does not deserve recognition?
Surely you are not disparaging the millions of American servicemen and women who have served the US after the Vietnam War by stating their service "wasn't worthy" because Spanalot only believes the US confronted communism ONLY in Korea and Vietnam?
And it's really sad that you cannot figure out which conflicts (hint: 2 of them) allowed me to join the VFW.
How long are you going to continue to disparage and discount American veterans' service to country?
Are you going to explain why you felt it was more important to become a hard currency tourist for the Soviets than it was to join the fight against communism in Vietnam?
How long are you going to refuse to condemn your Ukrainian Nationalist-Socialist brothers who wish harm on America?
PS - For someone who claims not to read Russian, you sure do post from a lot of Russian language websites. BTW, those "Paratroopers" are mainly guys who are already out of the service and those pictures only booster my claims the Russian military is a joke.
Pride or a sense of protecting one's self. Hiz'bollah... the local mob with more firepower than the military..
Anti-semitism is alive and well here in the US too. It is being taught in our universities..
It is mostly nuanced. Most people wouldn't be able to see it for what it is..
Well said.
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