Three-pronged attack aims to push Hizbullah back to Litani

The Jerusalem Post ^ | August 1, 2006 | Yaakov Katz,

[yatros from flatwater]

Just giving a little benefit of the doubt, I think the fog of war may have been getting to him.

[mystery-ak]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675494/posts



is this what you were referring to?

[Alouette]

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

[ohioWfan]

I'm still waiting for an explanation.

The post makes no sense from any perspective. And if it's satire, it's poorly done.

[ohioWfan]

He's confusing Condoleezza Rice with the U.N. Security Council?

Now THAT's funny!

[rogue yam]

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.

[burster]

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.

[Longbow1969]

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.

[FreeReign]

FOX just said a cease fire would go into effect on Friday. Rice said so. Israel needs to stop before they destroy the enemy.

Unnamed source alert.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

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.

[Longbow1969]

That sounds tolerable. So long as Israel has plenty of time to root out and dismantle Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon.

[Carry_Okie]

Push smoosh. When it comes to Hezballah, kill them all.

[StJacques]

"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."

Though I would much prefer that Israel continue after reaching the Litani River and pummel Hezbollah into fine chalky powder, I do believe that if they reach the Litani River that could form the minimum basis for a cease-fire that will say to everyone "now we have reached a point where a meaningful solution to the problem can be approached on the minimal basis of guaranteeing Israeli security from attack."

It's not everything I want, nor what I suspect my fellow Freepers would wish for either, but it does constitute a victory of some sort. Hezbollah will be out of the southernmost area of Lebanon and they will then have to look their fellow Lebanese in the eye on soil other than that which they control by geography and explain why they felt that all of that destruction was worth the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. It will reverse the initial advantage Hezbollah had in holding the Israelis into a clear liability.

[StJacques]

"When it comes to Hezballah, kill them all."

Yes; God will know his own.

[EricT.]

How about pushing them back to hell?

[RasterMaster]

What, no "negotiations"?

[MEG33]

Hmmm..I have not seen this..I would be interested in an article quoting Rice.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

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.

[Darkwolf377]

I don't know how many FReepers have posted since this started that Bush and Israel were "pulling back" and wussing out, yet here we are again.

If they keep pulling back at this same rate, they'll have "pulled back" all the way to the Russian border.

[MEG33]

;)Indeed!