Israeli troops take control of border village

[lostnfound]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13929959/

ON THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER - Israeli troops took control of a village just across the Lebanese border on Saturday after the area was pounded by bombs and artillery through the night.

Several Israeli soldiers, backed by artillery and tank fire, moved into the large village of Maroun al-Ras on the Lebanese side of the border, military officials said on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the information, and said it was under Israeli control.

At one point, a half-ton bomb was dropped on an Hezbollah outpost, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the border.

The raid was part of Israel's wider strategy of running a "limited" ground operation aimed at destroying Hezbollah's tunnels, hideouts and weapons stashes in south Lebanon.

[lostnfound]

1. Another headline just disappeared, re TV towers in central & North Leb

It was on msnbc.com: Israeli warplanes hit TV towers in central and north Lebanon

but it's gone now.

[cantstandbush]

2. Terrorists of the first order: state sanctioned terrorism. nt

[Jersey Devil]

3. Showtime, obviously

Suggesting that the seizure of a deserted village a quarter mile from the border is a symbolic stoppage of Hezbollah would be laughable if people weren't dying during the performance.

[truth2power]

4. How far from the border is the Litani River?

Probably a Hezbollah outpost there, too. :eyes:

[daleo]

14. I thought I saw 4 miles given as the distance on the news today

The military analyst on CNN said the IDF would probably go as far as the Latani River. From a military point of view, that would make sense. A river would be a natural defensive position. It would also bring the river's water into reach for exploitation, of course.

[ixion]

5. 'take control' is propaganda for invade and occupy

which is what they've done. They invaded a soverign nation, and are now occupying part of that nation.

And somehow, that's okay with the US. :puke: :grr: :eyes:

[Moderator]

6. kick

[Poll_Blind]

7. IDF tanks, bulldozers knock down border fence, enter southern Lebanon (AP)

Reported on Ha'Aretz Flash News around two hours ago:

15:47 IDF tanks, bulldozers knock down border fence, enter southern Lebanon (AP)

Another, more recent and equally-ominous entry:

16:33 IDF radio broadcasting in Lebanon warns residents of 13 villages to flee by 4 P.M. (AP)

At the time of this writing, it is 17:27 in Israel.

Updated:
17:42 Bush: Actions of Syria, Iran threaten the entire Middle East (AP)
17:43 Bush: Actions of Syria, Iran stand in the way of resolving current crisis (AP)

PB

[HereSince1628]

8. Put the water on, there's an occupation to brew up.

[Poll_Blind]

9. 18:24 At least 9 Katyusha rockets land in open areas near Lebanese borde

From Ha'Aretz Flash news. They're trying to attack the incoming tanks and troops with Katyushas.

PB

[Spazito]

10. More coverage...

Israeli sends tanks to gain Lebanon foothold

AVIVIM, Israel (CNN) -- Israel sent tanks and troops across the Lebanese border Saturday in the 11th day of its military offensive against Hezbollah militants.

The reinforcements headed to a village where troops are already positioned and appears to be a widening of its limited operations, not the beginning of a full-scale invasion.

Hezbollah guerrillas fired rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel Saturday, continuing the conflict that began with militants capturing two Israeli soldiers.

About 5,000 Israeli troops are massed at the Lebanese border as speculation grows that the military -- which so far has relied mostly on air power -- will launch a major ground offensive. (Watch tanks roll through orchards into Lebanon -- 2:59)

more

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/22/mideast/index...



Israeli forces move into southern Lebanon

Israeli tanks, bulldozers and personnel carriers knocked down a border fence as part of the country's limited ground campaign on Saturday and entered southern Lebanon.

Vehicles carrying 25 soldiers raced past a UN outpost towards of a village where other Israeli soldiers had already taken control.

Israeli fighter planes also fired missiles at communications and television transmission towers in the central and northern Lebanese mountains, police said.

Within seconds, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., the nation's leading private network, and two other TV stations went off the air.

more

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/07/22/israe...

[Spazito]

12. Very weird, the links above have now gone dead, will re-post them

Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/07/22/israel-lebanon.html

Israeli sends tanks into Lebanon

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/22/mideast/index.html

[Scurrilous]

11. Israel building prison for Lebanese captives

Exclusive: IDF has started building detention compound to be used for holding Hizbullah members that will be taken hostage during fighting in north. Officials: Project attests to government's plans for large-scale ground incursion in Lebanon

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3279762,00.html

<snip>

"Preparing for an extended ground operation: The IDF has started constructing a temporary detention center designed to hold the Lebanese prisoners that will be taken hostage during army operations in Southern Lebanon, Ynet has learned recently.

A truck convoy carrying barbed-wire fences, containers, and mobile showers and toilets started unloading equipment at the Filon military base near Rosh Pina Friday, and construction works at the place are already underway. According to plans, the structure should be able to hold up to hundreds of Hizbullah prisoners at any given time.

The fact that the army was granted special permission from the Chief Military Rabbinate to continue with construction works throughout Saturday attests to the urgency attributed to the project.

Army sources told Ynet that the decision to build the detention center followed an earlier decision taken this week to call up reserve brigades and launch preparations for a ground offensive deep inside Lebanese territory in the near future."

[Scurrilous]

13. IDF to residents of 10 south Lebanon villages: Leave by 7 P.M.

<snip>

"Israel Defense Forces troops urged residents of around 10 villages in southern Lebanon to leave by 7 P.M. (1500 GMT) on Saturday ahead of planned air strikes against suspected Hezbollah guerrillas, military sources said.

"In tackling the terrorists, we have two choices - either to send in troops or to bomb their infrastructure from the air. Clearly the latter is preferable, but we want to give the civilians time to leave," a military source said.

The source said the villagers had been asked to leave via broadcast messages and requests passed to community leaders, and that the deadline had been given "well in advance."

There was no immediate word on how many people were believed to be in the villages after 10 days of fighting in the region."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/741318.html

[OKNancy]

15. kick

[Judi Lynn]

16. Missiles Hit a Lebanese TV Station Hard

Jul 22, 6:52 PM EDT

Missiles Hit a Lebanese TV Station Hard

By SAM F. GHATTAS
Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Israel has been unable to silence Hezbollah's television station, its powerful voice at home and in the Arab world, despite 11 days of bombing. But warplanes on Saturday did knock a Lebanese station often critical of the guerrillas off the air in parts of the country.

Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. TV appeared to have gotten caught in Israel's campaign to prevent Hezbollah from communicating among its fighters and spreading its word in a war that has played out on television to viewers across the Middle East - bumping even the violence in Iraq.

Three missiles leveled a transmission station in Fatqa, about 10 miles northwest of Beirut, leaving it a mountain of rubble and twisted antennas. The head of LBC's transmission center, Sueliman Chidiac, was killed.

Another airstrike crippled a transmission tower at Terbol in northern Lebanon, where relay stations for LBC, Future TV and Hezbollah's Al-Manar as well as cell phone towers are located.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MIDEAST_FIGHTING_TELEVISION?SITE=MIDTF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-07-22-18-52-34

[xchrom]

17. well if we can't bomb hizbullah's tv station we will bomb just

any old tv station -- that'll show 'em.

[54anickel]

18. The war will not be televised. Maybe they don't want the world to

see the grand finale once that expedited US shipment arrives.

[Monkeyman]

20. yep heavy bombs

[MADem]

19. Cell phone towers...that is what they are aiming for

If you have anyone over there, call now. Might be a while before you can get ahold of them again.

[ShortnFiery]

21. To hell with free speech ! The Great Authoritarians ...

will decide what the people should believe. :(