Israel Part 5: Rockets Reach Deep Into Israel
According to the Jerusalem Post, Katyusha rockets reached as far as 25 km inside of Israel--a first for Hezbollah:
One person was killed and twelve were wounded - one seriously - when four Hizbullah-fired Katyusha rockets landed in central Nahariya on Thursday morning. A rocket scored a direct hit on a house killing its inhabitant.
Residents of the North were asked to remain in bomb shelters in anticipation of further attacks.
Katyushas also fell on Thursday morning in Kfar Nasi in the Galilee and in Kibbutz Mahanayim, signifying an increase in the range of Katyusha rockets to 20-25 kilometers. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attacks.
Earlier Thursday morning, several Katyusha rockets, fired by Hizbullah from southern Lebanon, landed on an IDF base in Mount Meron on Thursday morning. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
Hizbullah also shelled the Western Galilee with mortars. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
But Israel bombed the Hell out of Lebanon all day, including a raid on Beirut Airport:
IAF fighter jets bombed runways at Beirut International Airport early Thursday morning. It was part of a military campaign which the IDF vowed would be harsh and quick against the Lebanese government and Hizbullah, which killed eight IDF soldiers and kidnapped two others along the northern border on Wednesday.
Al-Jazeera television network reported that 15 people were killed in the airstrike.
The IDF said that the airport was targeted because it was used by Hizbullah to import weapons.
The IAF attack forced the closure of the airport and the diversion of two flights to Cyprus.
Meeting in emergency session late Wednesday, the Cabinet approved IDF plans to target the airport and other strategic infrastructures inside Lebanon including power plants.
At this rate, Beirut will surrender just out of sheer desperation, but Israel will still not have won its war. I'm tending to follow Marcie's logic here that Israel isn't doing what it could do. Early this afternoon we were treated to news stating that Israel was mulling over a formal declaration of war. The announcement never came, and probably because the Olmert administration doesn't want to seem overly aggressive towards what has happened to the nation it serves.
And I have heard rumblings (across blogs, in interviews, etc.) that the Israeli military isn't very happy. Much of the criticism is coming from the old guard that's now retired, but a good amount of it is rising fromt he ranks. The military there knows what may be asked of them, and in defense of Israel, they simply await Olmert's word. The problem is that his word isn't coming any time soon, it seems.
While their strikes are successful, and hitting the infrastructure of the nations/people they have a grievance with, they will do little to achieve the ends that Israel proper is hoping for. That would be an end to the Palestinian attacks, and the end of Hezbollah as a constant agitator. It would also send a clear and concise message to the regaion as a whole.
Don't mess with Israel. Not now, and not ever again.
That message isn't being translated too well right now. The more that Hezbollah is free to rain rockets down on Israel, as long as Hamas is free to launch Kassams and kidnap soldiers, Israel will always be threatened. This wasn't the way it used to be. Under leadership like that of Netanyahu or Sharon, Israel was protected. This "new look" Israel is pitiful. And it's also a downfall I predicted. I didn;t think that Olmert had what it took to stand up to those wishing Israle's destruction. And now I seem to be correct.
If Olmert wants to salvage his nation--its integrity, its honor, and its people--he had better come up with something fast. The casualties, right now, are low, even by Israeli standards. They're not removing their enemy as much as they're removing worldwide criticism. What Olmert fails to understand is that in the end the world community (read: UN) will find criticism no matter what steps are taken to ensure the lowest body count, and the least amount of true damage done to Israel's enemies.
Publius II
According to the Jerusalem Post, Katyusha rockets reached as far as 25 km inside of Israel--a first for Hezbollah:
One person was killed and twelve were wounded - one seriously - when four Hizbullah-fired Katyusha rockets landed in central Nahariya on Thursday morning. A rocket scored a direct hit on a house killing its inhabitant.
Residents of the North were asked to remain in bomb shelters in anticipation of further attacks.
Katyushas also fell on Thursday morning in Kfar Nasi in the Galilee and in Kibbutz Mahanayim, signifying an increase in the range of Katyusha rockets to 20-25 kilometers. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attacks.
Earlier Thursday morning, several Katyusha rockets, fired by Hizbullah from southern Lebanon, landed on an IDF base in Mount Meron on Thursday morning. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
Hizbullah also shelled the Western Galilee with mortars. No one was wounded and no damage was reported.
But Israel bombed the Hell out of Lebanon all day, including a raid on Beirut Airport:
IAF fighter jets bombed runways at Beirut International Airport early Thursday morning. It was part of a military campaign which the IDF vowed would be harsh and quick against the Lebanese government and Hizbullah, which killed eight IDF soldiers and kidnapped two others along the northern border on Wednesday.
Al-Jazeera television network reported that 15 people were killed in the airstrike.
The IDF said that the airport was targeted because it was used by Hizbullah to import weapons.
The IAF attack forced the closure of the airport and the diversion of two flights to Cyprus.
Meeting in emergency session late Wednesday, the Cabinet approved IDF plans to target the airport and other strategic infrastructures inside Lebanon including power plants.
At this rate, Beirut will surrender just out of sheer desperation, but Israel will still not have won its war. I'm tending to follow Marcie's logic here that Israel isn't doing what it could do. Early this afternoon we were treated to news stating that Israel was mulling over a formal declaration of war. The announcement never came, and probably because the Olmert administration doesn't want to seem overly aggressive towards what has happened to the nation it serves.
And I have heard rumblings (across blogs, in interviews, etc.) that the Israeli military isn't very happy. Much of the criticism is coming from the old guard that's now retired, but a good amount of it is rising fromt he ranks. The military there knows what may be asked of them, and in defense of Israel, they simply await Olmert's word. The problem is that his word isn't coming any time soon, it seems.
While their strikes are successful, and hitting the infrastructure of the nations/people they have a grievance with, they will do little to achieve the ends that Israel proper is hoping for. That would be an end to the Palestinian attacks, and the end of Hezbollah as a constant agitator. It would also send a clear and concise message to the regaion as a whole.
Don't mess with Israel. Not now, and not ever again.
That message isn't being translated too well right now. The more that Hezbollah is free to rain rockets down on Israel, as long as Hamas is free to launch Kassams and kidnap soldiers, Israel will always be threatened. This wasn't the way it used to be. Under leadership like that of Netanyahu or Sharon, Israel was protected. This "new look" Israel is pitiful. And it's also a downfall I predicted. I didn;t think that Olmert had what it took to stand up to those wishing Israle's destruction. And now I seem to be correct.
If Olmert wants to salvage his nation--its integrity, its honor, and its people--he had better come up with something fast. The casualties, right now, are low, even by Israeli standards. They're not removing their enemy as much as they're removing worldwide criticism. What Olmert fails to understand is that in the end the world community (read: UN) will find criticism no matter what steps are taken to ensure the lowest body count, and the least amount of true damage done to Israel's enemies.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:11 AM
3 Comments:
I am encouraged that our allies are taking the fight to the enemy
I don't a people that argue as much as the Jewish people. How they agree on anything is truly a miracle. One thing they do agree on is "never again." Israel stepped up to the plate taking the fight to the terrorists where many have feared to tread. Israel is fighting for many reasons, the most important is don't tread anymore on us. Israel knows their enemy. And they know the terrorists would show no mercy. Rawriter
Fern: I TY for your extensive post, and May God be with the Jews.
RW Guy: I too feel that it is time that we take this fight to our enemies.
Raw: The Israelis did step up to the plate, but I question the intestinal fortitude.
Folks, we're at a cross-road, and right now Israel stands at the fork in the road. I'm content to believe that they will deal with this. Marcie feels more should be done.
We will see which direction Olmert takes, and I do have hope he takes the right one.
Publius II
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