Russia says Israel offensive goes too far

Reuters ^ | 20 Jul 2006

[Tailgunner Joe]

MOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday that the Israeli offensive on Lebanon had gone "far beyond" the anti-terrorist operation Israel says it is conducting against the Hizbollah militia.

"The unprecedented scale of victims and destruction bear witness to the fact that the actions that were announced to (free captured Israeli servicemen) have gone far beyond the bounds of an anti-terrorist operation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli warplanes and artillery have been pounding Lebanon for more than a week. Israel says it is retaliating for the capture of two of its soldiers in a Hizbollah operation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the weekend he respected Israel's right to self-defence but added he believed Israel had other motives for the offensive. He did not say what those motives were.

The Russian Foreign Ministry statement underlines differences among major powers over how to respond to the violence. Washington has emphasised its view that extremists backed by Iran and Syria are to blame, and not Israel.

The United Nations Security Council, where Russia is one of the five veto holders, is to discuss a response to the crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a newspaper interview published on Thursday the first step to peace was a ceasefire. Washington has said a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire is unlikely to rein in Hizbollah.

[Brilliant]

They could be in Tehran soon.

[finnman69]

And just how far did the Russians go in Chechnya?

[mak5]

And the Israelis care what the Russians have to say because...? There is no "beyond the bounds" in an anti-terror operation until the terrorists are dead. Or have the Russians forgotten a certain Moscow theater?

[Berlin_Freeper]

Russia is dysfunctional and should be ignored. And they should be told that too.

[Marius3188]

Yawn..Grozny..

[romanesq]

Hey Tailgunner, you got any scorched dirt of what's left of Chechnya?
It was all reasonable then wasn't it Pukey?

[river rat]

No it hasn't....
Israel hasn't killed nearly enough of the offending cockroaches...

And, the cockroaches still haven't returned the hostages...

Give war a chance.
Returning captured lands, diplomacy, civility, agreements and the "Road Map to Peace" from Carter to Clinton -- has NOT WORKED...

Semper Fi

[Nachum]

What did they say? Russia went too far in Chechnya?

[Edgerunner]

pot-kettle-black

[JHBowden]

Oh, like Russia is one to talk.

They routinely deal with jihadis by flattening villages and sending in the tanks and stormtroopers.

[tobyhill]

Putin's a wimpy has-been that no ones listening to.

[Fitzcarraldo]

A reading of Russia's adventure in Afghanistan is called for here.

[tomzz]

Chechens are total savages and always have been. We cannot be in the position of trying to tell Russia that our terrorists are terrorists and hers are "freedom fighters". Chechens are universally hated, even by other slammites in the region.

[Sax]

"the Israeli offensive on Lebanon had gone "far beyond" the anti-terrorist operation Israel says it is conducting against the Hizbollah militia."

Terrorists don't get negotiations. If there are still terrorists on the loose (and still lobbing rockets) then the folks conducting anti-terrorist operations have further business to conduct.

[dighton]

Added keyword chutzpah, for the obvious reason stated in #s 3, 4, 6, and surely more to come.

[sgtbono2002]

Russia. A country known not to go to far.

How many German POW's were returned after the war?

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

And just how far did the Russians go in Chechnya?

About this far:

[js1138]

And just how far did the Russians go in Chechnya?

That was my first thought.

[xpertskir]

Look Russia, All your crazy friends are going down; do you want b!tch slapped too?