Israel Kills 3 Hezbolla Fighters

[raysr]

BEIRUT - Israeli aircraft and commandos raided a Hezbollah bastion in eastern Lebanon and killed three guerillas on Saturday in the first big attack since a truce halted Israel's 34-day war with the Shi'ite Muslim group.



Lebanese security sources said commandos in two vehicles unloaded from helicopters were on their way to attack an office of senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek in the village of Bodai when they were spotted and intercepted.

--more--

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=47846

[HongKonger]

1. Can I rewrite this as a journalist?

BEIRUT - Israeli aircraft and commandos raided a Hezbollah bastion in eastern Lebanon and killed claimed to kill three guerillas on Saturday in the first big attack since a truce halted Israel's 34-day war with the Shi'ite Muslim group Lebanon.

[hughee99]

3. I guess it depends what paper one writes for, then.

BEIRUT - Israeli aircraft and commandos raided a civilian area in eastern Lebanon and claimed to kill three spiritual, peace loving members of the humanitarian organization Hezbollah, on Saturday, in the first big attack since a truce halted Israel's 34-day war with the humanity.

On edit: :sarcasm:

[HongKonger]

6. Breaking news from Israel

Washington Tel Aviv - peace loving members Israeli commandos who got their ass kicked and needed planes to bomb in a blind rage raided a civilian area in eastern Lebanon and claimed to kill thred Hezbollah, on Saturday, in the first big attack since a truce halted Israel's 34-day war with the humanity.

[hughee99]

7. As I said, it depends who you write for...

Here's the same story from a different source:

The headline is Hezbollah 'foils Israeli raid'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4749763E-9242-4A0F-99FB-B9CB3BAD32B5.htm

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Your rewrite is incorrect.

Israel is at war with Hizb'allah, not Lebanon. The Shi'ite Muslim group just happens to be holed up inside Lebanon. Also, the Lebanese army and Hizb'allah have made the same "claim" that three "militants" were killed. What they (the 'journalists,' yourself included) neglect to leave out is that Lebanon is in violation of the truce because they failed to stop the transfer of arms to Hizb'allah, which is a direct violation of the truce.

[HongKonger]

5. Israel

Has driven a million Lebanese from their homes, completely destroyed their infrastructure as a country, and killed hundreds of innocent civilians.

7 Killed, 36 Injured in Israeli Air Raids on Convoy of Lebanese Security Forces, Civilians who Escaped Marjayoun

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/0/FB8DE408A2CA69E6C22571C800228349?OpenDocument

Don't like my source? Google another one.

In the guise of 'defending' itself.

Sounds like Bush dogma on Iraq.

[HongKonger]

8. Israel has DESTROYED Lebanon.

Nor have the Israelis released the kidnapped Lebanese in jail (who are, by the way, not being legally offered habeas corpus and being held a la' Guantanamo.... so are in no better a state then the Israeli lads who got nabbed.

Behind the ... well I would call it the ball.

You can try - and try and try to defend the Likudniks-cum-Neocons-cum-AIPAC lads here at DU - but let me tell you.

YOU ARE LOSING.

Over here in Asia we have seen the writing on the walls for a long time.

The hypocrisy is stunning.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. You need to check your sources.

The Lebanese in jail were tried and found guilty. There are only three of them. You are mixing up Lebanese and Palestinian.

I am trying to point out that the propaganda being spewed here is as inaccurate as some of the things coming from the Israeli side. Seems though, you and others think that only Israel is deceptive and the other side are saints and above reproach in the actions and reactions.

And as far as Asia is concerned, well, they just have a stunning free press. :eyes:

[Kagemusha]

9. Regardless of that, why does Israel want to go back to war?

I don't really get that part.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. They don't. That is the point.

If Hizb'allah gets re-armed, don't you think they will pull the same shit as before? The bigger question is why Lebanon is willing to let interlopers settle in their land and use it to launch war from their land?

[Kagemusha]

16. You wrote that seriously? Interlopers?

What, you think Hezbollah fighters were all born in Iran or something?... now I wonder where you get your propaganda from. But, I didn't intend to start an I/P argument (this thread wasn't I/P when I posted). You just speak like Hezbollah fighters aren't Lebanese. I find that odd.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. A little help...

in·ter·lop·er ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ntr-lpr)
n.
One that interferes with the affairs of others, often for selfish reasons; a meddler.

Does that not describe Hizb'allah? I think it does! To a damn "T!" It has nothing to do with their nationality and everything to do with their reasons and motives!

[Kagemusha]

22. That's thin, man. Thin.

These Hezbollah people happen to be the next door neighbors of the people they're "interloping" with. I don't generally refer to my neighbor as "interloping" with my community; he's part OF my community, not interloping WITH or IN my community.

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Your's is thin!

I don't see the crack dealer on the corner of my street having MY best interest in mind! (And, so you are not confused, I am not using hyperbole. There is an actual crack dealer on the corner of my street!) Sure, they pick up some trash on the street, and cut their lawn, but their primary motives...well, let just say...I have met one too many NOLA cops in the past month!

[Kagemusha]

25. This is why you go after the bad guys, not their neighbors.

Because if I wasn't mindful of collateral damage and was going after the crack dealer, I might get you in the line of fire.

Now, "interloper" isn't something that's defined by job description. If the crack dealer moved into your community to sell his dope, I can understand calling him an interloper. If, on the other hand, he lived in your community all his life and simply gravitated to selling crack as a career path, he is a local, no matter how distasteful he may be. Similarly, Hezbollah is composed of locals, not interlopers, regardless of their support from Syria and Iran. I'm fine with calling Hezbollah a lot of bad things if those bad things are accurate; interloper, seems to be a very poor word to use for them, implying that they are a foreign and not a domestic entity (however ruinous to their neighbors).

[barb162]

27. No it's a quite valid and strong point. Hezbollah was not appointed

by the Lebanese government to start a war, were they? Lebanon does have an official army. Doe your community just start wars for the US government without asking if it's okay?

[Kagemusha]

28. They're locals. They're Lebanese. They're also loose cannons.

I don't need to call them "interlopers" to condemn them for starting a war for which all Lebanon suffered, as I've done repeatedly elsewhere. At this point, I'm sure the Lebanese see IDF soldiers as interlopers far more than Hezbollah. I'm sure they saw the PLO as interlopers far more than Hezbollah, too, back in the day.

"Interlopers" is a red herring.

[barb162]

29. I'm not sure at all the Lebanese see the IDF as interlopers

far more than Hezbollah.

[Englander]

30. No, they see them as war criminals.

Who have just killed hundreds of civilians, & shredded the infrastructure of their country.

'Israel accused over 'war crimes'

Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.

The human rights group says attacks on homes, bridges, roads and water and fuel plants were an "integral part" of Israel's strategy in the recent war.

The group also calls for a UN investigation into whether both Israel and Hezbollah broke humanitarian law.

Israel said it did not deliberately target Lebanon's civilian population.

In a report released on Wednesday, Amnesty International bases its accusations on an examination of Israeli attacks and comments made by Israeli officials during the 34-day conflict with the militant group Hezbollah.

'Massive destruction'

"The pattern, scope and scale of the attacks makes Israel's claim that this was 'collateral damage', simply not credible," said Kate Gilmore, Executive Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5276626.stm

[Donald Ian Rankin]

10. Possibly someone ought to tell Israel that, then.

For a country not at war with Lebanon, they've done a pretty good job of invading it, destroying its infrastructure, killing or displacing its populace, etc...

[Behind the Aegis]

14. And there is a sad reason for that...

...the Lebanese have done nothing to protect their own land and allowed a "militant" group to attack from their soil. Seems there is much displaced anger and that is part of the problem that no one is willing to address.

[madrchsod]

11. 'and the beat goes on....."

i`d say the lebanese army is pretty much ineffective so to expect them to do anything is ridiculous. more to the point is is that the idf killed many lebanese soldiers so i would say they look the other way. no matter what the truth may be the attack by idf was a really bad poor move.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Not saying it wasn't a bad move.

Perhaps the Israelis should have gone and whined to the UN like the Lebanese have done. I doubt it would have accomplished anything at all. The UNIFL and the Lebanese army are supposed to stop arms transfers that are not approved by the Lebanese government. They have failed. Seems many here want to turn a blind eye to that issue.

[Double T]

2. neocon governments will always try to have the 'last word'........

regardless of ceasefire agreements; the equivalent of a bratty bully

[malaise]

17. Beirut fury at 'ceasefire breach'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5266688.stm
<snip>
In Beirut, the raid prompted an angry response from Mr Siniora.

"It is a naked violation of the cessation of hostilities declared by the Security Council," he told reporters.

He said a complaint had been made to visiting UN envoys about the operation.

But Israel insisted it had not breached the ceasefire.

"We had specific information of arms transfers taking place and we acted to prevent that violation, so that violation is not from the Israeli side - we were responding to a violation of the resolution by Hezbollah," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.
----------
So a breach of the ceasefire is not a breach of the ceasefire. Israel needs a new language.

[raysr]

18. It's amazing the defense

that Israel gets here. How can you do it? There's no defending what they've done. I keep seeing, "what sources are you using?" " who says it's so?" You know what, there's NO defense for Israel's behavior. None, notta. F-16's against a bunch of guys with rockets that can't hit the broad side of a barn. People forced to use their bodies for weapons against a force that has everything from tanks to nukes. Rock throwers shot with M-16's.

[malaise]

19. We know this

but do they and their defenders care?

[hughee99]

23. Might makes wrong?

Look, I've heard plenty of reasons why there's no defense for Israel's behavior, but to suggest that there's no defense because they have far superior weaponry doesn't make any sense to me. Would Israel be justified if they got out of their tanks and planes and fought hand to hand? Would they be justified if they stoned the rock throwers to death instead of shooting them?

[Scurrilous]

20. Hezbollah claims it foiled IDF raid near Baalbek

<snip>

"An Israel Defense Forces officer was killed and two other officers were wounded - one seriously - during a commando raid near the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon early Saturday."

<snip>

"Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said the unit was transported by helicopter before dawn, and was being driven in two vehicles to raid the office of senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek in the village of Bodai before being discovered by Hezbollah militants. A battle gunbattle erupted and the troops were forced to retreat, Hezbollah TV said.

Lebanese sources said the troops were carried in two Lebanese army vehicles and were wearing Lebanese army uniforms.

Lebanese security officials later said that three Hezbollah guerrillas were killed in the fighting, but Hezbollah sources claim their operatives emerged from the battle unharmed. IDF officials voiced skepticism at Hezbollah's claim.

Channel 10 TV and Israel Radio reported that several Hezbollah operatives were taken as prisoners in the raid, though the army declined to confirm or deny this report."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/752185.html

[bemildred]

26. Special forces had targeted Hizbollah commander

THE Israeli special forces who triggered claims that they had breached the UN-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon early on Saturday were on a mission to assassinate Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek, a senior Hizbollah commander.

Wearing Lebanese army uniforms, two teams from the elite Sayeret Matkal – Israel's equivalent of the SAS – were inserted by helicopter near the village of Boudai in the Bekaa Valley.

Boudai is Yazbek's home and had been the location on Friday of a funeral for Mahmoud Ahmed Asef, a Hizbollah fighter killed in Bint Jbail.

An Israel Defence Force source said: "Such funerals for minor commanders often draw big fish. There was also some intelligence that the two captured soldiers whose kidnap started the all-out war might be held there. It was a question of a double-header for us. Unfortunately, the raid went wrong."

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/68340.html