For those just tuning in, a scorecard is in order: Southern Lebanon is controlled by Hezbollah and is a legal "autonomous zone" in Lebanon...which is to say that Beirut's law doesn't apply there.
Posted on 07/12/2006 12:45:57 AM PDT by HAL9000
CNN reporting -
Lebanon - Hezbollah TV says two Israeli soldiers taken captive
Yeah, but the only problem with those is you'll be informed about how the glorious freedom fighters captured evil Zionists and are defending themselves gallantly.
Here is a web page with a working link: link - click "Listen Live"
Yeah, the BBC is so anti-Israel it isn't funny. Even when they try and act fair, the bias is still so obvious.
"Israel doesn't pussyfoot around like we do."
Unfortunately lately they do.
Israel should have never held negotiations with the Gaza terrorists - it is no wonder more kidnappings are happening.
Just listening to BBC World at the moment.
Cannot stand the tone of the news anchor.
That said, BBC, like many of the Euro-leftist news outlets certainy like to cover the middle east conflict - off course sympathising with their favourite victim group.
I probably get the best news from Haaretz and of course from the collated resources here at Freerepublic.
Cheers.
From Haaretz:
12:08 Lebanese security sources: IAF strike kills two civilians in south Lebanon (Reuters)
12:08 Beirut gov`t: Israel Navy ships enter Lebanese territorial waters (Haaretz)
12:03 Hezbollah official: Abductions of IDF soldiers are not an escalation (Israel Radio)
Yeah, just scrolled at the top of the Haaretz page that the Israeli Navy has entered Lebanese territorial waters.
Sky News are reporting that Israeli ground forces have entered Lebanon searching for the soldiers.
Hezbollah seizes Israel soldiers
The Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah says it has captured two Israeli soldiers during clashes across the Lebanese-Israeli border.
The Israeli defence ministry has confirmed the two soldiers were seized by Hezbollah, Associated Press reports.
The capture occurred during morning clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Hezbollah launched dozens of Katyusha rockets and mortar bombs at the Israeli town of Shlomi and at Israeli outposts in the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
Israel said its aircraft hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon after the rockets were fired and bombed a bridge.
Israeli tanks were also firing artillery rounds at southern Lebanon.
At least four people were wounded in the clashes, reports say.
The news comes as a major Israeli offensive is under way in Gaza. An Israeli soldier was kidnapped by Palestinian militants in Israel over two weeks ago. captured
Announcement of the soldiers' capture was made on Hezbollah's television channel, al-Manar.
It did not give many details about the capture operation, but the news anchor said more information would be released later.
The group says it has captured the soldiers to secure the release of detainees held in Israeli prisons.
"This operation has taken place as a kind of materialisation to the promise that Hezbollah has kept to the Lebanese, that they are going to do everything possible to make the swap," the chief news editor of Hezbollah Television, Ibrahim Moussawi, told the BBC's World TV.
"[That is] because Israelis still occupy parts of Lebanon, and still hold hostages in their prisons. Some of them have been there more than 25 years."
Hezbollah captured three Israeli soldiers in 2000 - they died during the operation, but their bodies were later exchanged for prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that those who "try to shake Israel's determination" will "pay heavily" for their acts.
He has called a special cabinet session later on Wednesday.
IDF ground troops searching for the two inside Lebanon
The Defense Ministry confirmed early Wednesday afternoon that two soldiers had been kidnapped by Hizbullah after an attack. IDF ground troops had been sent into Lebanon to search for the two. IAF jets, helicopters and UAVs were also flying above Lebanon searching for the soldiers.
Hizbullah's Al Manar TV broadcast earlier Wednesday that the organization had kidnapped the two soldiers. A senior Hizbullah official said that at least one of the allegedly kidnapped soldiers was still alive.
Hizbullah launched a heavy barrage of Katyusha rockets and mortar shells at IDF positions and communities along the northern frontier on Wednesday morning starting about 9:15 a.m.
One rocket scored a direct hit on a house in Shtula. Magen David Adom said they had treated six people so far. Both soldiers and civilians have been wounded. The wounded were being evacuated to Nahariya hospital.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reacted for the first time to the events in the north on Wednesday morning during a welcoming ceremony for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
"There are elements in the north and in the south who are threatening our stability and are trying to test our steadfastness. They will fail, and pay a heavy price for their actions."
The IDF vowed to hold the Lebanese accountable for the attacks.
According to Channel 10, Hizbullah has offered to exchange the two soldiers and Cpl. Gilad Shalit for thousands of security prisoners.
IDF sources estimated that the attack was a Hizbullah response to Israel's early Wednesdayattempted strike on top Hamas terrorist Mohammad Deif in Gaza.
IAF helicopters, along with IDF tanks and artillery were firing at Hizbullah along the northern border and had reportedly blew up a bridge inside Lebanon.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz has convened an emergency meeting of top brass and Olmert will convene a special meeting of the cabinet at seven Wednesday evening.
Residents of the Western Galilee had entered their shelters, and in the community of Shlomi, residents were asked to enter fortified rooms.
Olmert expressed satisfaction that Koizumi had gone ahead with his visit during these difficult days. He is the first Japanese prime minister to visit Israel in eleven years.
The northern border has been on high alert since Operation Summer rains began.
Two weeks ago, IAF planes buzzed Syrian President Bashar Assad's summer palac reportedly while he was in residence.
A month and a half ago, Israel launched a massive retaliatory strike after Hizbullah fired a series of Katyushas at Israel.
For those just tuning in, a scorecard is in order: Southern Lebanon is controlled by Hezbollah and is a legal "autonomous zone" in Lebanon...which is to say that Beirut's law doesn't apply there.
IDF Ground Troops in Lebanon
12:16 Jul 12, '06 / 16 Tammuz 5766
(IsraelNN.com) The IDF has send ground troops and tanks into southern Lebanon to search for the two soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists Wednesday morning. The military establishment also is preparing to call up reservists.
Air Force planes have bombed bridges in southern Lebanon in an effort to prevent the terrorists from fleeing into central Lebanon.
This is the terrorist Hizbollah wants Israel to free.
Murderers awarded honorary Palestinian citizenship
http://www.likud.nl/extr398.html
March 13, 2006.
In 1979 Lebanese terrorist Samir Quntar murdered Danny Haran and his four-year-old daughter, Einat. Danny's daughter Yael, aged two, suffocated while hiding in a crawl space with her mother. Quntar is serving multiple life sentences totaling 542 years in prison. Smadar Haran, wife and mother of the murder victims, described the murder in the Washington Post in 2003:
"It was a murder of unimaginable cruelty. It had been a peaceful Sabbath day. My husband, Danny, and I had picnicked with our little girls, Einat, 4, and Yael, 2, on the beach.
Around midnight & the terrorists burst into our building. Danny helped our neighbor climb into a crawl space above our bedroom; I went in behind her with Yael in my arms. Danny grabbed Einat and was dashing out the front door when the terrorists came crashing into our flat. They held Danny and Einat & I will never forget the joy and the hatred in the terrorists voices as they swaggered about hunting for us, firing their guns and throwing grenades.
As I lay there, I remembered my mother telling me how she had hidden from the Nazis during the Holocaust. "This is just like what happened to my mother," I thought.
The terrorists took Danny and Einat down to the beach.
There, according to eyewitnesses, one of them shot Danny in front of Einat so that his death would be the last sight she would ever see. Then he smashed my little girl's skull in against a rock with his rifle butt. That terrorist was Samir Quntar." [Smadar Haran Kaiser, Washington Post, May 18, 2003]
This is the Samir Quntar who last week was granted honorary Palestinian citizenship. Palestinian organizations responded with applause to this announcement: "The "friends of the prisoners" organization sees the decision, of the present [Fatah led] government, to award Palestinian citizenship to two Arab prisoners Samir Quntar from Lebanon and Sultan Al-Ajaluni from Jordan an act of Palestinian national obligation and in dedication to this honored history, that the Arab prisoners have provided to the Palestinian issue."
[Al-Quds, Mar. 7, 2006] "The Palestinian Liberation Front, through general secretariat member, Dr. Wasil Abu Yusuf, praised the government's decision& to award the imprisoned fighters, Sarmir Quntar and Sultan Al-Ajaluni , honorary citizenship and Palestinian citizenship as an act of dedication to their struggle and their heroic suffering in the occupation's prisons.
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Mar. 8, 2006] "The Palestinian Popular Committees expressed their appreciation for the government's decision to award the two imprisoned fighters, Sarmir Quntar and Sultan Al-Ajaluni, honorary citizenship and Palestinian citizenship as an act of dedication to their struggle and their heroic sufferings in the occupation's prisons.
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Mar. 9, 2006] Palestinian Authority (PA) TV and PA leaders have long seen Quntar as a hero. His picture is repeatedly shown on TV and he was proclaimed the "model warrior," "brave," and a "leader" and "head" of the prisoners. PA Minister of Prisoners, Hisham Abdul Razeq, defined Quntar as the leader of the prisoners: The torch of freedom [that] was lifted by our heroic prisoners and headed by the great warrior Samir Quntar...and our thanks to you.
[PA TV, Aug. 15, 2004] Prominent PA TV broadcaster Muhammad Albaz:
"Here before us is the picture of the great Lebanese Palestinian warrior Samir Quntar. A thousand blessings to the warrior Samir Quntar [the audience claps] and to his family in Lebanon and to this hero who was sentenced to 576 year [in prison] and this is the evil and this is Israeli democracy.
[PA TV, Aug. 25, 2004] PA TV extolled him:
"Quntar is a model of a brilliant warrior - who believes in his goals, knows his way, and perseveres in achieving those goals...."
[PA TV, Aug. 18, 2004] Another TV broadcaster referred to him as a leader:
"The leader Samir Quntar, our wish for him is that he will soon be released."
[PA TV, Aug. 18, 2004] A broadcast describing Quntar's life defines his murder as "brave:
"He was sentenced to 542 years in prison for committing the brave Nahariya action in Palestine (note-Israel city of Nahariya is defined as 'Palestine.')
[PA TV, Aug. 18, 2004] Palestinian demonstrators supporting a prisoner hunger strike singled out Quntar as a model to be followed:
"We bless the family members of Samir Quntar, we are with you. He is your son but he is also our son, the son of Palestine. We ask of Allah, that there will be 100 more Samir Quntars, 1,000 more Samir Quntars, 1,000,000 more Samir Quntars, that do and act for the Palestinian issue.
[PA TV, Aug. 18, 2004] Finally it should be noted that this act of granting honorary Palestinian citizenship to Quntar was done by the present Fatah headed government. The Hamas led government has not yet been appointed.
Oh, it's an escalation! Israel's going to smash Hezbollah. Might as well take out the rubbish in Gaza while they're at it, too.
It's also worth noting that U.S. fatalities in Iraq have plunged to less than 1 good American per day...which is to say, Al Qaeda in Iraq is no longer an effective fighting force (and has probably retreated to Southern Lebanon and their ally Hezbollah).
What's left inside Iraq are a few die-hards and some factional animosity against us. It's clear to anyone paying attention that Al Qaeda has utterly lost the military fight there.
This is all inter-related. Hezbollah is acting up due to Israel smashing Hamas in Gaza, as well as because Hezbollah now has battle-veterans back from Iraq (e.g. Al Qaeda).
Likewise, Al Qaeda's allies such as LeT in Kashmir are bombing India trying to provoke the same sort of Pakistan/India war over there that Al Qaeda tried to goad the U.S. and Iran to fight 6 months ago.
Same playbook. Same plays. Different stadium fields.
"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
jeeze this is really beginning to spiral now...all we need now is the iranian president to butt is face in and i rekon the israelis will blow a friggen gasket...
Al Jazeera reporting that 7 Israeli soldiers killed in Hezbollah attack.
WBZ five am news in Boston...CBS...says Israeli forces have entered Lebanon. Sounds like boots on the ground.
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