Olmert to Rice: Israel needs 10 days to 2 weeks of continued fighting

[bemildred]

I could swear I hear an echo in here.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said to US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that Israel needs between ten days to two weeks to continue its operational activities against Hizbullah. Olmert also revealed this to the ministers in the cabinet meeting.

Olmert planned to meet with Rice again Sunday in his office in Jerusalem about the events of Qana. Olmert added, "We intend to continue the military operation until the objectives of the operation are achieved." (Ronny Sofer)

Ynet

[cal04]

1. Israel denies Olmert said offensive needs 10-14 days

Israel on Sunday denied Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he needed 10-14 more days to press an offensive against Hizbollah in Lebanon.

"The prime minister did not tell Secretary of State Rice Israel needed 10-14 days of military action," David Baker, an official in Olmert's office, told Reuters.

The YNet news Web site, part of the Israel's biggest circulation newspaper, earlier said Olmert reported to the cabinet that he told Rice that Israel needed such a timeframe against Hizbollah.

"We intend to continue the military operation until it reaches its objectives," Olmert was quoted as saying on YNet.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30800379.htm

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Put that together with sabra's post::

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2423170

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292032964&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

IDF prepared for attack by Syria

While Israel is not interested in opening a front against Syria, if President Bashar Assad decides to attack Israel, the IDF will respond harshly and with its full might, a high-raking IDF officer in the Northern Command told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

"We are continuing with our message that we are not interested in fighting with Syria," the officer said, "But we are fully prepared for a Syrian attack, in the case of which we will strike back extremely hard."

The IDF officer said he believed Syria has been receiving the clear message Israel has been sending its way that Israel does not want to fight Syria. Whatever happened on border was completely depended on Assad, the officer said. "It is up to him, and at the moment we don't know what he plans to do."

He said that Saturday's IAF attack on a road that led from Syria into Lebanon near the border was meant to thwart attempts to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon.

[bemildred]

4. I do think they are worried about Syria.

I would be too. I doubt Syria wants to get in a fight with Israel, but they have said pretty clearly that there are limits. The IDF, OTOH, is looking for some way to alter the dynamic of the contest.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Sounds like the neocons in Israel and the US want a wider war

They are as deluded as the Crudasers that went to Jerusalem.

[partylessinOhio]

3. F Olmert! He is the new butcher of Beirut!

[mom cat]

5. Bingo!