The news out of the Middle East today is grim and getting more grim by the hour. Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran are nerving themselves for a confrontation that could turn into a general war if things were to get out of control.
First, visit my friends Kit and Heidi at Euphoric Reality. They will have regular updates throughout the day and night. Their sources appear solid and their analysis is sharp. Also, they will be on WAR Radio tonight from 10:00 PM - 12:00AM Central with their thoughts and reactions to the days events.
These events seem to this observer to be slowly spiraling out of control. This is not the sudden spasm of war as we experienced in 1967 and 1973. This is like a slow motion explosion, almost a steady, determined march toward the battlements by Israel and its enemies as the IDF put more and more pressure on Hamas and the Palestinians to relent and release their captured soldier. It was perhaps inevitable that Hezbollah, believing the Israelis tied down in Gaza, felt it an opportune moment to pull the tail of the lion thinking that they would be relatively safe from retaliation. This morning, the terrorist group launched dozens of rockets and mortar shells into the disputed Shebaa Farms region in southern Lebanon killing several IDF soldiers. They then kidnapped two surviving IDF men which precipitated the massive raid by Israel involving planes, helicopters, gunboats, and tanks. So far, the Israelis are making Hezbollah wish they had stayed in bed.
Meanwhile, the United States is pointing the finger right where it belongs; Syria and Iran. If not aware of Hezbollah's attack prior to its launch, there is little doubt that the terrorists felt they would have the support of their two major backers in case things got sticky. Given what the IDF is doing to Hezbollah pretensions of being a viable military outfit, things couldn't get much stickier for them than they are right now.
Israel is calling up reserves and sources have revealed that unless the kidnapped soldiers are returned, Israel will escalate even further:
The IAF on Wednesday began to issue call up orders in preparation for retaliatory air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, Channel 2 reported. The air force will target power stations and Hezbollah outposts inside Lebanon.
The army was also calling up reservists. Only weeks ago, an entire reserve division was drafted in order to train for an operation such as the one the IDF is planning in response to Wednesday morning's Hezbollah attacks on IDF forces along the northern border.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Anna Creech
Thank you. After attempting to read Ruvy's description of events, it was nice to get something clear and concise.
2 - malcontent
Israel is not bound by any international laws. They are immune to reach of the UN Security council because the US will block any resolution that even suggests that Israel is not filled with angelic people who are incapable of causing harm to any living creature. This means they can and will kill any body they want, invade anybody they want, bomb anybody they want, torture anybody they want, destroy any civillian infrastructure they want. They are a true Rogue state out of the reach of international law and common human decency. They see the world in stark terms. You are either a jew or you are nothing. The life on one Israeli prisoner of war is worth the life of hundreds and thousands of arab civillians. They believe this because their god told them so.
Israel is a nation that has chosen to subjugate 3.5 million people for over two decades now and has made an enemy of all their neighbors as well as the most of the world. Any country that has embraced torture, mass arrests, ethnic cleansing, and the imprisonment of women and children by the thousands has accumulated more bad karma then you can share a stick at.
On the other hand the palestenians in the struggle to gain their independence from their occupiers have chosen to target civillians exclusively and have been able to kill thousands of them over the years (not as many as israel of course). They too have accumulated enough hatred and bad karma to doom them forever. They are probably the second most hated people in the world.
Now they must all live in the mess that they made. They are doomed to forever killing, dying, waging war and being hated.
There is no solution other then somehow instantly getting people to give up their god and embrace atheism and rational thought. As long as the israelis believe that God promised them the land, the palestenians believe that god promised them the same land, and the US believing that god promised to come back as soon as israel occupies that land the war will continue.
Birthplace of three religions and a showcase for the power of belief in god and the endless misery it brings.
3 - Lumpy
You listen to White Aryan Resistence radio?
4 - Arch Conservative
Let's get the show on the road already. The sooner Israel demonstrates to the rest of the world how to deal with Islam the better off we will all be.
Hopefully all the armed forces of western civilization can be brought to bear together to reject islamofacism and completely break the back of any uppity, muslim nation state or terrorist grouponce and for all.
Oh and anyone else wqho standsa in our way like that big haired midget in N. Korea will be steam rolled too.
5 - Rick Moran
Malcontent:
In that long, ridiculously one sided, overblown exaggerated,, hyperbolic comment, you neglected one teensy weensy teeny tiny detail:
Every single one of Israel's neighbors wants to wipe them off the face of the earth, push them into the sea, destroy every living vestige of their culture, their people, their history, and their religion.
Funny you should have forgotten that...
6 - Jared
Really. I want to see war in the Middle East no more than anyone else, but Israel isn't being preemptive here. You'd hope there can be some resolution, but it's not like Israel's coming out of the gate punching first.
7 - malcontent
"very single one of Israel's neighbors wants to wipe them off the face of the earth, push them into the sea, destroy every living vestige of their culture, their people, their history, and their religion."
I didn't neglect that. I merely pointed out why. Both sides claim that god promised them the same piece of land. Of course the Arabs want israel out. It's a jewish state popped in the middle of a muslim area. Furthermore I pointed that Israel occupies 3.5 million people who are all muslims and arabs. I think one can certainly understand where the hatred of israel comes from.
I fully accept that Israel is hated by all of it's neighbors and furthermore that it's severly disliked if not outright hated by most of the rest of the world too. It basically has one ally, a handful of countries that are somewhat friendly and that's it.
Anyway none of that justifies torturing people. No country has the right to torture anybody ever, under any circumstances.
Targetting civillian infrastructure such are bridges and power plants is a war crime no matter how much your neighbors hate you.
Rounding people up and jailing them without trials and jailing minors is against international law no matter how much your neighbors hate you. A recent Supreme court ruling has stated that even George Bush has to provide for trials.
George Bush has recently (finally!) agreed to give full geneva convention rights to his prisoners, Israel should do the same. It's the civilized thing to do.
God is the center of this conflict. Religion is causing this. How long will people ignore the elephant in the middle of this room?
8 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
HEY, SCHANNON! GET OVER HERE AND PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!
G-d is the center of this conflict. Religion is causing this. How long will people ignore the elephant in the middle of this room?
Very good Malcontent. You finally recognize the truth. The elephant in the middle of the room is the Creator of the Universe. Israel has few friends because it is supposed to be alone, apart from the rest of mankind. G-d is making His will manifest. This will happen in spite of the secular idiots who think they run the world. If you try to pretend that G-d doesn't exist, you'll see death spread your way.
Having recognized the centrality of G-d's role in all of this, all you need to do is to seek out His law and follow it and you'll be fine. If you are Jewish that will mean seeking out the 613 comandments and attempting to follow them. If your are not, it will mean seeking out the Seven Laws of Noah and following them (they are a lot easier than the 613 comandments, that's experience talking).
I won't argue the merits of the latest outbreak of war here, or the whys or the wherefores. I worked hard enough on my own article and can hold forth there. Come and read it. According to Anna Creech (comment #1), it isn't easy reading, so feel free to ask questions.
And Mark. The key to events here is to see the guys behind the curtain the Israeli government is trying so hard to hide - those pigs who want to kill innocent people with their missiles in Samaria. Not infrastructure, Malcontent - live human beings.
9 - kender
Lumpy, if that comment was regarding Wide Awakes Radio you and I have a slight problem.
Wide Awakes Radio does not condone nor have any contact with, allegiance to or in any way is connected to any supremacist organization.
Comments to that effect may very well be libelous, and I am more than willing to bring legal counsel into this discussion if I feel that your comment was aimed at Wide Awakes Radio LLC.
Please clarify if you indeed were taking a cheap and potentially expensive shot at W.A.R., or if there is a "White Aryan Resistance radio" please provide a link.
Thank you.
10 - someone
malcontent
[Edited]
you make it sound like israel is the most religious country in the world
when infact most of the goverment is not religious at all
only a very small part
but you make it sound as if Olmert is talking to god at this very moment asking for advice
this is beyond idiocy
[Edited]
11 - gazelle
hezbollah do not wish to stay in bed. I bet the israelis regret the sun rose.
Israel after all the hubris cannot do anything except destroy, which scares no one.
As for iran, they are no saddam's-iraq, they will not attack. They also have not violated any international agreements, including the NPT which okays nuc energy for civilian use, leaving aside political 'suspicion'.
Just some thought to get some things-facts straight.
best
12 - Martin
Read Revelation, we are living the last days that Jesus talked about in the bible.
13 - Nir
Martin, with respect - I'm Israeli, we've been living these days for as long as I can remember and I heard it was even worse before that.
Gazelle - you might want to consider the Hezbollah started all this, and have been constantly trying to ignite the area even though Israel, under UN supervision, fully withdrew out of Lebanon 6 years ago.
What will happen now is more death and more destruction for all sides. "Scares no one"? It scares *every* one, Lebanse and Israeli, except - to our tragedy - the Muslim fanatics who start it all. For them it's a glorious opportunity to die for Allah.
14 - gazelle
Nir,
i think on balance i can agree with you re 'ignite' and 'glorious opportunity' as much as this being a super opportunity for israeli and american hawks and warmongers to warm to the occasion - some of whom we have seen in action recently in iraq - while we acknowledge all the pending unfulfilled UN resolutions especially in regards to peaceful coexistence, sovereignty, etc.
best
15 - Rick Moran
Okay...let me get this straight.
Hizballah leader Shiek Nasrallah comes out and says they've been planning this operation for 5 months...and you're blaming Israel and the United States for the violence?
What a whacko.
16 - gazelle
Rick
that wouldn't be for the last 5 months, it would be for the last 58 years since 1948.
please whack yourself. i hate violence! :)
best
17 - malcontent
It may be true that most israelis are not religious but that does not mitigate the fact that the state of israel is a direct result of biblical lunacy. The jews claim that land as a promise from god. The muslims also claim rights to that same land. The cristians support the jews so that biblical prophesy can be fulfilled, jesus can come back so he can kill all the jews and lift the christians to heaven (with friends like these....).
The so called holy land is a perfect example of what happens when enough people believe in God. Stuck in a never ending cycle of hatred, death, torture, and pain. Each side taking temprorary pleasure in killing the others till the other side strikes back and kills a few of them. Whoo Whoo isn't god great!. Isn't religion wonderful!.
The only way this will ever end is if all these people "miraculously" give up god, become atheists, and start acting like civilized, rational human beings.
Don't hold your breath though. The chances of anybody in the middle east acting civilized is pretty damned near zero. Have you heard? Israel has bombed the Beirut airport killing 27 civillians. Whoo Hoo. Isn't god great!
18 - Martin
Hi Nir, I,m so happy to meet you and that you resonded to my opinon. Jesus said that the end of times there would be earthquakes, a evil and a adultress generation, kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation, brother against brother, wars and rumor of wars but the time is not at hand for these are the begining of sorrowful times. Nir, the bible talks about how all nations will be gathered to gather in one place to do battle. This battle is called the war of Armageddon. Just want you to know that this is not exact quotes out of the bible, but what I can remember reading about. Never before can I remember events taking place like the ones today,hurricains,earthqakes,and the generation that we are seeing today,the technology, the nations that are presently in Iraq and the middle east. Yes, I believe that we are living the last days that Jesus was talking about.
19 - Nir
Gazelle - Israel was founded as a result of UN decision which divided the land between Jews and Arabs. It were the Arabs which chose, until today, not to accept this two state solution.
Malcontent - to the extent it's at all possible to argue with your views - we do not "take temprorary pleasure in killing the others", Israelis and Arabs are human beings just like you. Yes, we do have idiots who go "whoo hoo" when the other side is hit - but hey, there are idiots who go whoo hoo in blog comments when they aren't even part of the conflict and obviously have no clue about it whatsover.
20 - gazelle
Nir
i'm sure you weren't talking about these: www.action-for-un-renewal.org.uk
things an average joe should know. why is israel and (to shield it from criticism) the US are 2 lonely and stubborn people in a big world of 240? countries and 6500 million people, being condemned by the UN ?
i'll give a hint: because they are arrogant and they think they they can push and carve everything by themselves for themselves. i mean a little civility would have been nice. guns are better.
best
21 - Arch Conservative
"because they are arrogant and they think they they can push and carve everything by themselves for themselves"
That's the UN for ya!
22 - john
israel is the most oppressive country in the world, it has inslaved an entire people for far to long. whose land was it before they took it by means of violence with us support ? they have become the monster they supposedly hated and are now the most dangerous country on the earth ! they call other groups terrorists when they themselves have no problem killing women and chirldren almost daily!
23 - Lumpy
[Personal attack deleted] The article makes no reference to nor does it provide a link to Wide Awake Radio. It refers to WAR Radio and WAR is widely recognized as the acronym for the white aryan resistence. WA Radio would be the acronym for the group you are referring to which i've never heard of. If you don't want to be mistaken for being associated with a well known group like WAR it seems pretty damned dumb to use their acronym without ever spelling the full name out.
24 - Lumpy
Sorry I misstated in the last comment. There is a link to WAR Radio in the text. Still a very unfortunate choice of names when WAR is so well known. And yes WAR does have a radio show syndicated nationwide hosted by perrenial fuhrerTom Metzger.
25 - malcontent
"Malcontent - to the extent it's at all possible to argue with your views - we do not "take temprorary pleasure in killing the others","
If you didn't then you would not do it so often. Every year Israel kills a couple of thousand palestenians and palestenians kill a few hundred israelis. It must be enjoyable otherwise you guys would have stopped by now.
"Israelis and Arabs are human beings just like you."
No you are not. You guys believe that God promised you a some land. I am a rational human being and don't believe silly things like that. I don't think God promised me some land and I certainly don't kill people because they happen to be living on that land.
"but hey, there are idiots who go whoo hoo in blog comments when they aren't even part of the conflict and obviously have no clue about it whatsover."
Oh I am sorry, here I thought anybody was allowed to comment on the situation. Apparently you have to be either an Israeli or a palestenian (or a lebanese, or an egyptians, or a syrian, or a iranian) to comment on it. But really since Israel is hated by a billion muslims and since there are millions of jews in the world maybe I know a muslim or a jew so therefore am kind of involved.
Either way I think I will ignore your advice to "shut up and sit down".