It's war Says Israel. (moral, hell, suicide, Jerusalem, moral)

[michel]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...267864,00.html
World News

The TimesJuly 13, 2006


Israeli soldiers in Zarit, northern Israel, on the Lebanese border, as Israel starts its biggest strike into Lebanon since 2000 (Yaron Kaminsky/AP)
It's war, says Israel as troops are kidnapped

From Stephen Farrell in Jerusalem and Nicholas Blanford in Marjayoun

ISRAEL accused Lebanon of an act of war yesterday after Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a daring cross-border raid and killed eight others.
Within hours Israeli warplanes, tanks and gunboats were shelling southern Lebanon, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, promised “very, very, very painful” reprisals.
NI_MPU('middle');The events marked a dramatic escalation in the stand-off over the Israeli soldier held hostage in the Gaza Strip, and threatened to turn a localised incident into a regional conflagration. Mr Olmert, facing his most serious test since he took over from Ariel Sharon, said: “The murderous attack that took place this morning was not a terror attack. It was an act of war by the state of Lebanon against the state of Israel within its sovereign territory .”
As he spoke, F16 jets destroyed three bridges crossing the Litani river, cutting off much of southeast Lebanon from the capital, Beirut. Israeli troops also crossed into Lebanon for the first time since they withdrew in 2000 after an 18-year occupation.
The Israeli military, already stretched by operations in Gaza, where it bombed the Palestinian foreign ministry early today, called up thousands of reservists. An emergency Cabinet meeting last night authorised a “severe response” against Hezbollah.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, said that the raid was carried out in solidarity with Palestin-ians under siege in Gaza, and the Israeli soldiers would only be released if Israel freed Lebanese prisoners.
“No military operation will return them. The prisoners will not be returned except through one way: indirect negotiations and a trade,” he said.
The action began at 2.30am when Israeli warplanes bombed a house in Gaza in an effort to kill Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas’s military wing. Deif was severely injured, and another Hamas activist and his wife and seven children were killed. Hours later Hezbollah fighters crossed the Lebanese border into Israel, killing three Israeli soldiers and taking two hostage. Israeli troops pursued the raiders back across the border, where an Israeli tank was blown up, killing five more soldiers. Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz, the army chief of staff, said that Israel would “turn back the clock in Lebanon by 20 years” if the soldiers were not freed

[Paw]

I hope Israel's willing to pay for the damage...

[jamaesi]

I doubt this will end well for any side involved.

[Paw]

I doubt this will end well for any side involved.

I agree completely.

Right. They bombed the airport and two airbases.

Want to know something funny?
Lebanon has no 'warplanes'. We do have helicopters, though; I wonder if they can attack anything.

[Fluffy]

I hope Israel's willing to pay for the damage...

This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about in another thread. Israel's goal should be set firmly on ending all traces of hostility on both sides. It may very well have gotten to the stage where armed conflict is necessary but it is certainly not necessary if Israel isn't going to do everything in its power to do damage limitation.

Paying for the damage that they cause would be a very, very good political and moral move. Paying for (and ideally having already prepared) a huge amount of aid for the Lebanese people which they can roll into action if and when needed would also be fantastic. Why can't they just do things like this? What do they expect to achieve otherwise except the hatred from yet another people? They have to at least try.

[jamaesi]

Lebanon has no 'warplanes'. We do have helicopters, though; I wonder if they can attack anything.

Well, I suppose you could toss rocks down from the helicopters.

Isn't that how it's going? One side has nuclear weapons and the other has stones...

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by jamaesi

Well, I suppose you could toss rocks down from the helicopters.

Isn't that how it's going? One side has nuclear weapons and the other has stones...

Lebanon is too close for Israel to use nuclear weapons. Besides, in my opinion the world will not tolerate the use of nuclear weapons from any country. Who would ally or trade with such a country? For Israel it would be suicide.

[kai]

Originally Posted by jamaesi

Well, I suppose you could toss rocks down from the helicopters.

Isn't that how it's going? One side has nuclear weapons and the other has stones...

these stone wielders have already entered Israel destoyed two military vehicles including a tank killed seven soldiers and captured two, and their "stones" are now hitting Haiffa.

[Shadow Wolf]

Either UN should put up border around the Middle East to keep everything already in it in, and everything outside of it out. Ever since the begining of civilization they have been fighting, and sever thousand years later, I doubt anything will stop the fighting any time soon.