Israel's PM rules out ceasefire - BBC

[MaineDem]

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said Israel is not ready to stop its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"The fighting continues. There is no ceasefire and there will not be any ceasefire in the coming days," he said.

Mr Olmert apologised "for the pain caused" to Lebanese civilians, but said Hezbollah had suffered a severe blow.

Israel and Hezbollah meanwhile continued to trade fire, less than a day after Israel declared a partial halt to air strikes on south Lebanon.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5232838.stm

[mike_c]

1. this is utterly crazy-- Hizbullah will only be strengthened by this...

...in the long term-- even in the medium range term. There MUST be another proximate motive, e.g. drawing Iran or Syria into the conflict-- either that or the Israelis have completely lost touch with reality.

[Zhade]

25. Maybe both!

NT!

[partylessinOhio]

2. I know Jews don't believe in Hell but that is where he should go!

Go to Hell, Olmert! Hope it is soon and take that original Butcher of Beirut with you.

There is no reason to kill and maim more innocent people. These women, children and old men haven't done a damn thing to Israel.

[superconnected]

3. Israel... what ever happend to THOU SHALT NOT KILL

brought to you by Moses, and commanded by God.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

5. "partial" halt indeed

only the south, and they can bomb in the south if they think it necessary. By the way, all civilians in the south, you need to leave now, if you can find a way, a ride, a road.

[eagler]

6. How can you support someone who has vowed to wipeout

an entire race and fires their weapons shielded behind children. Israel really has no choice but to do what they are doing as tragic as that may be.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. When the IRA bombed London, the RAF didn't turn around

and bomb the airport at Dublin. Give me a friggin break. Of course Israel has choices. Really, now: 600 Lebanese civilians for 3 Israeli soldiers. The ratio seems a bit out of whack.

[Karmakaze]

8. Got a link?

I would like to read where Hizbullah vowed to "wipe out an entire race".

[hadrons]

9. eagler, are you a paid troll or do you troll for free?

[eagler]

27. If I could have heard you guys criticizing suicide bombers killing

hundreds of Israelis and the countless missles fired into Israel after they had returned the Gaza , then I honestly could agree with you. Hezbolla is the arm of Iran and Iran has vowed to eliminate Israel.

[Teaser]

10. Israel has no choice but to lose?

Because that's what they're doing. They're losing.

[The Stranger]

11. Oh please, when is this going to stop? They are killing innocent Lebanese.

There is no threat whatsoever to the Nation of Israel. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

[Laotra]

12. Ya Nasrallah, ya habib, udrub udrub Tel Aviv

eom

[uppityperson]

13. Reuters article-NO ceasefire

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=TopNews&storyID=2006-07-31T224113Z_01_L30823603_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST.xml

[katty]

14. Israel just "approved" wider ground war (CNN)

[mom cat]

15. 'There is no ceasefire. There will not be any ceasefire'

Israeli PM Olmert issues grim warning as US blocks moves for immediate cessation of hostilities

An international drive for a ceasefire in Lebanon halted yesterday amid sharp differences at the UN security council, Israel's rejection of any truce in the near future and a Hizbullah warning that it would oppose the deployment of a multinational security force.

Amid undiminished outrage after the Qana tragedy and complaints that the UN was doing nothing, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said she was convinced a sustainable ceasefire could be achieved at the security council this week.

But Israel signalled dissent hours after she left Jerusalem for Washington. Ehud Olmert, its prime minister, shrugged off international pressure: "The fighting continues. There is no ceasefire and there will not be any ceasefire in the coming days.

"We are not fighting against the Lebanese people. We are not fighting against its government. We are fighting terrorism and we will not stop the fight against them until we push them away from our borders."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1834536,00.html

[uppityperson]

16. expanding groundwar today.

"We are not fighting against the Lebanese people" just killing them.

[mom cat]

24. Logic - smogic! The decision has been made to have a bloodbath.

Just as the decision had been made to attack Iraq, long before Bush took office, the Israeli demolition/massacre was pre-meditated.They know full well the results of their massive bombardment, Ans they have decided to keep on and even escalate the genocide against the Shia in Lebanon.

[joemurphy]

17. So what's our policy? To seek a "sustainable ceasefire"

which Condi thinks is feasible? Or "block a move for cessation of hostilities"?

Why isn't our fucking stupid media not focusing on the idiocy of these two diametrically opposed and logically incompatible positions?

This is nonsense. Do we have a policy or not?

Where, I again ask, are the Dems? All bought up by AIPAC? Why is Chuck Hagel speaking out, and our leadership says nothing?

I am so pissed about this I want to spit. I'm writing Bayh and Lugar as we speak.

[moobu2]

18. "We are fighting terrorism"

More like creating terrorism for decades to come, but, that’s what they do best.

[BeHereNow]

22. Bingo! That is the neocon plan in their backing of Israel.

I am convinced that the US backing of the Israeli atrocities
against civilians in Lebanon is designed to provoke
another attack on US soil, troops or interests so that Cheney
can launch his pre-emptive tactical nuke strike on Iran.

BHN

[AlamoDemoc]

23. The idea we are fighting terrorism in the Middle East is a fraud

I think we are fighting against Arabs in the Middle East for our own interest in the region. OIL. Our national security depends on it, and our long-term hegemony over Japan, China and Europe depends on it.

[bloom]

19. I wonder how people rationalize this idea

of pushing other people away from the border (on their own side). It seems to me - if Israel wanted space between themselves and people across the border - then it's up to them to make a border zone on THEIR side - NOT the OTHER side.

It seems like a way of just taking more territory. I would expect that that is how Lebanon/Syria/etc. see it.

[OwnedByFerrets]

20. Unfortunately, the MSM

is reporting that the "ceasefire" was brought about by condisleazy. No mention from any, that I have heard, that it was broken (even though we know it has been).

[Human Torch]

21. But Condi is having dinner with Bush tonight...

...that's worth SOMETHING, isn't it?

She should go buy some more Jimmy Choos and see if there's a musical comedy playing in DC. She needs a rest from all of her hard work which produced JACK SHIT.

:evilgrin:

[IndianaGreen]

26. Eric Margolis: War fever wins elections.

Published on Sunday, July 30, 2006 by the Toronto Sun

The Final Say

Israeli soldiers are again being sent into the quagmire of Lebanon, being used as battering rams by the U.S. against Syria and Iran

by Eric Margolis

The spreading war in Lebanon has bared the bizarre contradictions and self-destructive nature of U.S. Mideast policy.

<snip>

Attacking Hezbollah also serves as the long-predicted (by this column) "November surprise" to boost sagging Republican fortunes in U.S. mid-term elections.

Americans, steeped in deep ignorance and prejudice about the Mideast, are now being misled by the administration and its media allies that Lebanon is a new front in the so-called war on terrorism. As I recently learned doing radio shows across the U.S., a great many Americans cannot distinguish between Hezbollah, al-Qaida, Taliban, the PLO, Hamas, etc. All are terrorists. Listeners even called in to ask if the fighting in Lebanon was the prelude to Armageddon.

Bush has failed to stop al-Qaida and is stuck in lost wars in Iraq and Afghanistan costing $300 billion. His answer: Start a new crusade in Lebanon against the latest bogeyman, Hezbollah, and its Syrian and Iranian allies. War fever wins elections.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0730-26.htm