Israeli Jets Blast Hizbullah Position, Introducing New Rule for the Game

[Aidoneus]

note quite I/*P*, but close enough..

Israeli Jets Blast Hizbullah Position, Introducing New Rule for the Game

Israeli fighter-bombers have blasted Hizbullah anti-aircraft gun positions that fired at intruding jets from South Lebanon, introducing a new formula of hitting at anything that shoots at the air force of the Jewish state.

The 30-minute air strikes at Hizbullah gun positions in the Bayyada on the western edge of the common border were staged only two kilometers from the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Naqoura at sundown Wednesday.

Hizbullah said in a Beirut communiqué that the raid caused no casualties or damage to its weaponry and reserved the right to retaliate "to this flagrant aggression" at the time the party leadership chooses.

--snip--

The Israeli media on Thursday said Ariel Sharon's government launched the air raid after making a strategic decision to brand falling shrapnel of anti-aircraft fire at northern Jewish settlements as an act of terrorism.

--snip--

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/Story/96FEFC35C1FA12D242256D970028C63C?OpenDocument&PRINT

[StandWatie]

1. ok, terrorism now officially means nothing

falling shrapnel of anti-aircraft fire at northern Jewish settlements as an act of terrorism.

I'm going to remember this every time I hear an Israeli official bloviating about "terrorism" and using it to justify their own attrocities and remember just what a nothing word that is.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Terrorism is any resistance or opposition to US or Israel

That would include anti-aircraft fire directed at US or Israeli warplanes.

Anti-aircraft fire represents a deliberate action of opposition.

Falling shrapnel from same is prima facie evidence of this terrorist act.

[Gimel]

3. either it's terrorism

or an act of war. Is Lebanon attacking Israel? Is the Lebanese government behind this?

[StandWatie]

4. no..

Israel is overflying Lebanon (an act of war anywhere, Israel has a policy of shooting down civilian planes that cross it's airspace) and Hezbollah is shooting at them.

[Cassandra]

15. It was unclear from that article

whether the planes that were fired upon were actually above Lebanon or just near the border. I don't think falling anti-aircraft flack is terrorism, but you'd be pissed if you had to dodge it constantly.

[StandWatie]

16. I don't think it's great either..

Hell no, I don't want to dodge returning flak.

Israel regularly violates Lebanese airspace (I have no idea why) so it's a decent assumption that they were violating it again but Israel complaining about flak after they do this is like someone breaking into your house and then complaining that the wall the owner threw you against is rough.

[Cassandra]

18. For flack to be falling

into northern Israel, that suggests that the guns were aimed out over Israel (on the asumption that flack mostly falls straight down with minimum trajectory). If they can't get them over their own airspace (don't they get multiple opportunities? ) they shouldn't be firing towards populated areas (of non-combatents)not in their territory.

[StandWatie]

19. oh, lord...

I'm going to resist pushing the irony buttons for the state that blames Palestinians for living in Gaza after they have fenced them in there and die because Israel bombs the thing but wouldn't you think the blame belongs to Israeli fighters harrassing the Lebanese for no discernable reason?

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Iraqi terrorists used to do the same thing to US warplanes

So the US bombed them a whole bunch. Now they don't have any more anti-aircraft guns and they have to use car bombs.

If Lebanon persists in this terrorist resistance against Israeli warplanes, maybe Israel should just go occupy Lebanon.

[StandWatie]

6. at least there was sort of a figleaf of "no fly zones"

it served some purpose in keeping the Iraqi military away from the south and the Kurds, this is just picking a fight.

[DuctapeFatwa]

7. It is pretty much the same. All world's base belong to US and Israel

The US decreed the "no fly" zones, I guess they keep up that crap about Kurds because few Americans know they have been helping their good friend Turkey kill Kurds for 20 yrs or so, those who live in that part of Kurdistan the Crusaders call "Turkey."

I'm assuming Israel is just engaging in some routine territorial expansion in the region. The Lebanese people must submit meekly to this and stop all this terrorist foolishness with the anti-aircraft guns, or Israel may not show them the same kind of compassion they have the Palestinians.

[StandWatie]

8. Don't underestimate my cynisism

I'm just saying there really isn't even a propaganda reason for Israel to still be harassing Lebanon.

on edit: I can't think of any reason whatsoever unless Sharon has decided to restart his old dream of annexing Lebanon up to the Litani.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. Propaganda is the crutch of the novice imperialist

As the PNAC strategy blooms into its full flower, naturally accompanied by its faithful if somewhat smelly and bloated pitbull, Israel, I think we will see more standing tall and firing at will, and random, especially if will and random are children, and fewer contrived "reasons" and post-slaughter expressions of "regret."

Imperialism means never having to have a reason.

[Gimel]

10. Hmmm

I guess the daily news doesn't reach you. Missile attacks on civilian populations of a neiboring country is definately an act of war. It was more than one anti-missile shell falling. It's been happening for the entire year.

[StandWatie]

11. yeah, I missed the news

because it didn't ever happen. Anti-aircraft flak falls down after Israeli incursions.

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. And Israel has been violating Lebanese air space for years

With right around the same frequency that Sugar Daddy used to bomb Iraq.

Israel sends warplanes over Lebanon, Lebanon shoots at them, Israel has a hissy fit, jumps up and down pointing at Lebanon yelling "TERRORISTS!! TERRRORISTS!" except when they have one of the Russians do it, of course they say "TEWAAASTS!! TEWAASTS!!

Then boosh comes on TV and agrees that they are indeed tersts. Just like the ones in Iraq who are not cooperating in stamping out anti-Coalition sentiment.

[Aidoneus]

13. define irony

(or hypocrisy, but for now I'll stick with irony instead)
a citizen of the country that really pioneered the whine of "collateral damage" as a cop-out...complaining about "collateral damage". :wow:

[StandWatie]

14. it's not only not "collateral damage"

it's "terrorism" :shrug:

[tinnypriv]

17. LOL, genius

Is this like Vietnams "internal aggression", and "assault from the inside"?

The obvious principle is that Enemy States have no right to self-defense.

[Gimel]

20. No, it's

lack of information (aka intelligence) on the part of the onlookers from afar.