Middle East At War: Israel Striking Back Unhindered By Global Politicos
Pajamas Media the round-up of news and reactions. But things are heating up as Drudge reports:
Hezbollah wants their kidnapped prisoners moved to Iran:
Israel has information that Hizbullah guerrillas who captured two Israeli soldiers are trying to transfer them to Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
Regev did not disclose the source of his information.
The IDF released the names of the two soldiers on Thursday. According to the IDF Spokesperson, the two reserve are Ehud Goldwasser, 31, from Nahariya, and Eldad Regev, 26, from Kiryat Motzkin.
Hizbullah guerrillas, who are backed by Iran, seized the soldiers Wednesday in a cross-border raid.
As if the presense of security advisor Larijani in Damascus was not enough for Prime Minister Olmert to believe that Iran had a hand in this latest violence, this idea of moving these soldiers to Iran should be more than enough of a hint. And this should also be a hint for the whole world, including Russia and France, who condemned the violence today:
Russia and France condemned Israel's strikes in Lebanon on Thursday as a dangerous escalation of the Middle East conflict but the United States said Israel had the right to defend itself.
President Bush defended Israel's attack on Beirut airport, but warned the Israelis they should be careful not to weaken the fragile Lebanese government.
"Israel has the right to defend herself," Bush told a news conference after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the ... government in Lebanon."
Two thoughts come to mind when I see a statement like that from the president:
Had the same tactics been used against the United States from Mexico or Canada, does anyone believe--for one second--that we would be worried about the governments of either country? Especially if either nation had backed up their kidnapping with rocket attacks? I think not, and I think the president should simply state his support of Israel, and leave the rest to the soldiers and commanders on the ground.
Secondly, the Lebanese government, while trying to stand on its own after Syria's departure, has an obligation to help Israel bring Hezbollah to heel; that is, they should be helping rid themselves and the region of a terrorist army who wants Lebanon to fall back into Syrian hands, or worse, fall into theirs.
And Russia and France are not the only nations condemning Israel's response. Greece is also on the list of those kvetching:
Greece on Thursday expressed "serious concern" over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and urged neighboring countries to show restraint.
Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros also urged the Hizbullah to release Israeli soldiers held hostage.
"Greece expresses its serious concern and is intensely troubled," Antonaros said.
"It is vital, to stop the (situation) worsening, Hizbullah must immediately release the soldiers taken hostage," he said. "At the same time, Greece calls on the government of Israel to avoid the use of excessive and pointless force which cannot provide a solution to the problem."
Greece has traditionally close ties with Arab countries but has also recently improved relations with Israel.
Obviously their relations are not good enough to support a nation that has been under rocket assault daily from Gaza, and has recently fallen under Hezbollah rocket attacks. According to this map on PJM's site, Hezbollah rockets have reached as far into Israel as Haifa. But Greece's concerns, while noted, fall into the same wastebasket that Russia's and France's concerns and condemnations lie.
But the international community just could not hold back, and the United States had to utilize its veto power on the United Nations Security Council:
The United States vetoed a UN draft resolution that would have called for an end to Israeli attacks and "disproportionate use of force" in the Gaza Strip as well as for the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
The Security Council resolution received 10 votes, one against from the United States with four abstentions, French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July, announced.
Explaining his negative vote, US Ambassador John Bolton described the text as "unbalanced" and was "not only untimely but also outmoded" because of the attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah militants and UN chief Kofi Annan's decision to send a crisis team to the region.
He said adoption of the resolution would have exacerbated tensions in the region and would have undermined "our vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."
I will step aside the foolish notion that the Palestinians and Israelis could live, side by side, in peace. I doubt very much that such a thing could happen, especially after 80% of the Palestinians voted to put Hamas in power! As for the international community, could we have expected any less from the United Nations? Their own, brand new, "revamped" human rights council two weeks ago proclaimed Israel as the leading nation when it comes to human rights abuses. So, the move to urge an end to the violence comes as no surprise to any of us at The Asylum, and I am sure the sentiment is shared by a fair majority of bloggers covering this ongoing war.
And make no mistake about where we stand on this. This is a war. Granted, I personally feel that Prime Minister Olmert is not doing all that is possible to deal with both Hamas and Hezbollah. The war efforts need to be ratcheted up by Israel, and a clear message needs to be sent to both Damascus and Tehran: Stay out of this, or else. And the "or else" should carry a hefty price that neither nation has the ability to handle, or even mount a significant retaliation. BOTH nations have their hands in this latest eruprtion in the Middle East, but they are being, in a word, cagey, about where they are involved.
Thomas, Sabrina, and I support Israel. Anyone who cannot needs to have their heads examined. Israel was attacked, and has been so for many months. The kidnappings were, as I put it yesterday, the straw that broke the camel's back. They are defending themselves, and we state that whatever it takes should be the measures taken by Israel. They should ride this one out until their enemies are removed from breathing.
Marcie
Pajamas Media the round-up of news and reactions. But things are heating up as Drudge reports:
Hezbollah wants their kidnapped prisoners moved to Iran:
Israel has information that Hizbullah guerrillas who captured two Israeli soldiers are trying to transfer them to Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.
Regev did not disclose the source of his information.
The IDF released the names of the two soldiers on Thursday. According to the IDF Spokesperson, the two reserve are Ehud Goldwasser, 31, from Nahariya, and Eldad Regev, 26, from Kiryat Motzkin.
Hizbullah guerrillas, who are backed by Iran, seized the soldiers Wednesday in a cross-border raid.
As if the presense of security advisor Larijani in Damascus was not enough for Prime Minister Olmert to believe that Iran had a hand in this latest violence, this idea of moving these soldiers to Iran should be more than enough of a hint. And this should also be a hint for the whole world, including Russia and France, who condemned the violence today:
Russia and France condemned Israel's strikes in Lebanon on Thursday as a dangerous escalation of the Middle East conflict but the United States said Israel had the right to defend itself.
President Bush defended Israel's attack on Beirut airport, but warned the Israelis they should be careful not to weaken the fragile Lebanese government.
"Israel has the right to defend herself," Bush told a news conference after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the ... government in Lebanon."
Two thoughts come to mind when I see a statement like that from the president:
Had the same tactics been used against the United States from Mexico or Canada, does anyone believe--for one second--that we would be worried about the governments of either country? Especially if either nation had backed up their kidnapping with rocket attacks? I think not, and I think the president should simply state his support of Israel, and leave the rest to the soldiers and commanders on the ground.
Secondly, the Lebanese government, while trying to stand on its own after Syria's departure, has an obligation to help Israel bring Hezbollah to heel; that is, they should be helping rid themselves and the region of a terrorist army who wants Lebanon to fall back into Syrian hands, or worse, fall into theirs.
And Russia and France are not the only nations condemning Israel's response. Greece is also on the list of those kvetching:
Greece on Thursday expressed "serious concern" over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and urged neighboring countries to show restraint.
Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros also urged the Hizbullah to release Israeli soldiers held hostage.
"Greece expresses its serious concern and is intensely troubled," Antonaros said.
"It is vital, to stop the (situation) worsening, Hizbullah must immediately release the soldiers taken hostage," he said. "At the same time, Greece calls on the government of Israel to avoid the use of excessive and pointless force which cannot provide a solution to the problem."
Greece has traditionally close ties with Arab countries but has also recently improved relations with Israel.
Obviously their relations are not good enough to support a nation that has been under rocket assault daily from Gaza, and has recently fallen under Hezbollah rocket attacks. According to this map on PJM's site, Hezbollah rockets have reached as far into Israel as Haifa. But Greece's concerns, while noted, fall into the same wastebasket that Russia's and France's concerns and condemnations lie.
But the international community just could not hold back, and the United States had to utilize its veto power on the United Nations Security Council:
The United States vetoed a UN draft resolution that would have called for an end to Israeli attacks and "disproportionate use of force" in the Gaza Strip as well as for the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
The Security Council resolution received 10 votes, one against from the United States with four abstentions, French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July, announced.
Explaining his negative vote, US Ambassador John Bolton described the text as "unbalanced" and was "not only untimely but also outmoded" because of the attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah militants and UN chief Kofi Annan's decision to send a crisis team to the region.
He said adoption of the resolution would have exacerbated tensions in the region and would have undermined "our vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."
I will step aside the foolish notion that the Palestinians and Israelis could live, side by side, in peace. I doubt very much that such a thing could happen, especially after 80% of the Palestinians voted to put Hamas in power! As for the international community, could we have expected any less from the United Nations? Their own, brand new, "revamped" human rights council two weeks ago proclaimed Israel as the leading nation when it comes to human rights abuses. So, the move to urge an end to the violence comes as no surprise to any of us at The Asylum, and I am sure the sentiment is shared by a fair majority of bloggers covering this ongoing war.
And make no mistake about where we stand on this. This is a war. Granted, I personally feel that Prime Minister Olmert is not doing all that is possible to deal with both Hamas and Hezbollah. The war efforts need to be ratcheted up by Israel, and a clear message needs to be sent to both Damascus and Tehran: Stay out of this, or else. And the "or else" should carry a hefty price that neither nation has the ability to handle, or even mount a significant retaliation. BOTH nations have their hands in this latest eruprtion in the Middle East, but they are being, in a word, cagey, about where they are involved.
Thomas, Sabrina, and I support Israel. Anyone who cannot needs to have their heads examined. Israel was attacked, and has been so for many months. The kidnappings were, as I put it yesterday, the straw that broke the camel's back. They are defending themselves, and we state that whatever it takes should be the measures taken by Israel. They should ride this one out until their enemies are removed from breathing.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 2:02 PM
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