Israel rejects Russia's humanitarian truce plan

[cal04]

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman rejected on Friday a Russian proposal for a 72-hour humanitarian truce in the month-old war between Israel and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas.

Gillerman said he met Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin to "explain that a ceasefire of this type would serve only one purpose, to allow Hizbollah to regroup and recover".

"We think this is a bad idea," Gillerman, speaking from New York, told Israel Radio.

(snip)
"Unfortunately, we at this point came to the conclusion that we do not have an immediate prospect of this resolution being accepted," said Churkin. "War is raging in Lebanon and the humanitarian situation is getting catastrophic."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11357651.htm

[breakaleg]

1. what a surprise....

[evox]

2. Last I heard

Israel are getting screwed, I wonder why they want to keep going.

[Solo_in_MD]

3. Last few days it looked like the IDF was going to get serious on the

ground. New general and more troops. However tonight I saw a link from the J-post that the pols were going to give the diplomats one more chance. Faux was carrying a similar story.

Clearly bombing Hezbollah into submission was not working, so a ground war was called for. Hopefully the cookie pushers (diplomats) can get something going soon to minimize any further bloodshed. However the basic calculus is clear, unless the rockets stop, Israel won't either.

From a military position, Israel is right about a 3 day pause being used by Hezbollah to resupply. Nasarallah has also called for all Arabs to leave Haifa. Somehow I don't think he is interested in stopping either.

[Sherman A1]

4. I don't think the initial strategy

of an air campaign was working just too well. It takes boots on the ground and that brings casualties to those troops which affects political will and there ya go.....

[ShrewdlyDone]

5. Seeing as how

Israel is getting hammered by Russian Munitions... I would think twice too before I let "Humanitarian" supplies through from them.

[oasis]

7. Where'd you get the info on that?

[ShrewdlyDone]

8. IDF was giving an interview earlier on CNN...

They were talking about most of the casualties have been due to Anti tank weaponry that is Russian Built.. sold to Iran and later transported to Hezbollah.

True or not.. that is their perception of the facts.

[oasis]

6. Gillerman is such an arrogant, condescending, machine head s.o.b. (eom)

[HongKonger]

9. Pigs

I have nothing more to say. Humanitarian aid means UN aid, not Russian.