Comments on: Mideast Cease-Fire Fails Early Test

Shaky Truce Undermined By Israeli Demands And Lebanese Accusations

[reuben110-2009]

Furthermore, I hear the Israeli soldiers have expressed their disatisfaction at the way the war was handled, the reservists in particular claimed their training was very limited, that there were people fighting who hadn't thrown a grenade in 15 years, that water supplies were pitiful to the extent they had to drink from a Hizbollah canteen. They said communications were very poor, and occasionally their was fire exchanged amongst themselves on the presumtion that they were facing Israeli disguised Hizbollah guerillas.

Olmert has not emeged from this in the way in which he had hoped. People now hope at if Israel is dragged into another war that he will not be at the helm, and rightfully so.

This war was a disgrace, they even managed to have a statement released by Kofi Annan claimin that they had intentionally attacked a UN base.What a complete and utter shambles. With a reputation of a strong and professional millitary that in 6 days managed o defeat both Syria and Egypt, could not conclude a victory in 30days, and were politically forced into a ceasefire. With the outcomes as truly dismal as they are, why is it that people are bewildered as to why the terrorists are claiming a istric victory. Sure if you look at it from an Isael versus Lebanon perspective, that is one thing, but Israel versus Hizbollah is quite another. Dont put yourself under any illusions, a ceasefire is not a comprehensive victory.

[reuben110-2009]

You have to question, as the war has now drawn to a conclusion whether or not it was worth invading it in the first place, and if the Israeli PM is now content with the outcome of the war, given that his rating have suffered. Had he been told that his army were going to fight hizbollah, fail to disarm them, fail to secure the release of the kidnapped soldiers, fail to get their tv station off air, spark worldwide protests as far as the Phillipines, and make them even more popular then they were with a good chance that they may eventually take over Lebanon...You have to question would he have done it? And of course i missed out what maybe less significant in their eyes, displaced millions, injured thousands, and killled just over a thousand civillians.

Either which way, yes, it is by no means a bad thing to fight terrorism, but what our government and media had hoped was that Hizbollah would be viewed in the same league as Al Qaida, which consquently it didn't. This was a PR disaster. Not only that but the majority of the world, especially if you watch other news networks such as the BBC, will tell you that the way in which we and the Isrealis conducted ourselves has created us more enemies than we in the first place. It is undeniably this sort of conduct that hampers our progress n the War on Terror. It is this sort of foreign policy that makes the terrorist's recruitment even easier.

No-one likes them, but we played right into their hands on this one.

[jms_cheung]

I believe the Israelis Army has done the right thing to prevent Hisbollah from RE-ARMING themselves to bombard Israel's cities -- thus it cannot be construed as a violation of UN ceasefire. It is the prerogative and rights of Israel to go into Lebannon ANYTIME in the future to destroy the weapons caches & terrorist-masterminds of the Hisbollah whose terrorism is sponsored by Iran & Syria. As long as Hisbollah is not de-militarised, Israel will continue to have this right to pre-emptive the terrorist plots of the Hisbollah.

[zeta22-2009]

(Continued)
Now, to claim this action as a flagrant violation of the cease-fire agreement, when the same agreement was never fully accepted by the Lebanese government and by the hezbolah who, in the first place, refused to disarm this terrorist movement (it would suffice, as they declared, that they would not exhibit their guns in public, can you imagine? Well, these were not the terms of the resolution!) and when the UN force is taking forever to assemble and take over the space left by the IDF, what the hack are we talking about?
Attitudes like these just reinforce in many people's minds the idea that the UN cannot or will not provide viable solutions and that nations will be forced to take upon their hands to defend themselves and their interests against a growing hysteria of extremist fanaticism covered, in part, by a very politically correct media, incapable of putting out factual and unbiased information, no matter who likes it or dislikes it.
It's just sad.

[zeta22-2009]

I can't decide what to admire more: The stubborn stupidity of some auto proclaimed defenders of islamic fanaticism or the naivete of some when arguing those extremists' actions.
Let me be clear. I don't think that all muslims (not even a very substantial percentage of them) are extremist or fanatical. Far from that. I know the vast majority are decent people who care for their own and their families well being, thru hard and honest work, like anyone else in the world. Just look at the scenes in the streets of Bagdad... The problem is, the small minority of fanatics are, by their own nature, quite noisy and brutal.
It's a shame that a substantial part of the media seems to be willing to "sell" their message without much regard for the factual truth.
Case in point: It's obvious and logical to anyone, with no need to be in Lebanon, that Israel (or any other democratic nation) would very much prefer live in peace rather than at war. If Israel has anything good is their intelligence services. And it doesn't take a genious to realize that this last raid to the norwest of Beirut could only have been to intercept yet another shipment of arms and ammunition from Syria/Iran.
(To be continued)

[carlylaine]

RonnieHM

YOU GO!

[carlylaine]

ReturnToEden:

It doesn't matter if we've never lived in the Middle East. There are other ways of learning other than being there. What a stupid argument that is. Shall I become a drug addict so I can KNOW what it is like to stick a needle in my arm or live with holes in my arms? NUTS!!?

Who would want to live in the Mid East hell hole just to find out what we already know that arabs are vindictive, hateful and mean? I care not for the Middle Eastern countries at all-except for Israel.

[carlylaine]

ReturnToEden:

It doesn't matter if we've never lived in the Middle East. There are other ways of learning other than being there. What a stupid argument that is. Shall I become a drug addict so I can KNOW what it is like to stick a needle in my arm or live with holes in my arms? NUTS!!?

Who would want to live in the Mid East hell hole just to find out what we already know that arabs are vindictive, hateful and mean? I care not for the Middle Eastern countries at all-except for Israel.

[carlylaine]

carwy...I love it when we aren't afraid of them or of the truth. Glad you wrote what you wrote.

[ronniehm]

You want me to be disappointed for the rest of my life because I don't agree with you? No wonder I don't understand your position. I don't hate you.

[grazinggoat]

Then I'm happy, RonnieHM you're disappointed and stay that way all your life. The best hitting targets (unfortunately to those who died, and their relatives) were the 100's some or some 100's military casualties hardly recognized by IDF. For the first time IDF gets hit more than its foes in a military confrotation. And that is quite regrettable for the parents of young kids gone to the front, or their young families if married. We're not here to discuss Y that started. I'm saying mismanagement and the Bully attitude the Zionist State has always taken toward its neighbors: Everything can be solved by force, are the main responsible of what happened.
The best way to solve this problem, is to sit and negotiate. Give justice a way to settle the problem with the Palestinian authority and the palestinian newly democratically ELECTED government, without labelling them as terrorists and acting upon them accordingly (Jimmy Carter was an observer in the election Process). Give the road map a chance without negating it every five days, and building walls of shame.
Force and Power are the weapons of the past. Things have changed in the Middle-East, the distribution of Power has shifted toward a more radical regimes, because of the intransigence of Israeli Adminstrations and their Bully attitude.
I'm sure this day will come soon. It only needed an first show of resolve in front of Israel. Hezballah just did it.

[ronniehm]

Why do people say "not to disappoint you" when they intend to disappoint you? Well, not to disappoint you, but did Hezbollah even hit anything non-civilian? A mailbox? A donut shop? Anything? And how do you give warnings to civilians when you yourself have no idea what you're hitting? What did they take -- about 200 shots at those fuel tanks? The only reason Hezbollah didn't contaminate Israeli beaches is that they missed.

[grazinggoat]

Not to disappoint you RonnieHM, but it's a war duty of every part in a conflict to advise the others' civilians that they are going to undergo a bombardment or whatever harming act to be done. So Civilians can hide and protect themselves... The Lebanese resistance not having and most probably not wanting to invade the Zionist air space (anyway they had not the chopers or fighterjets Israeli have), the Lebanese resistance had aired on TV. Before targetting Haifa for example, Hiz-ball-ah made the threat clear for Israeli population and Civil Protection in Izrael to put the civilian population in underground shelters... The essential of all acts are the results. Izrael has broken the UN civilian and collective punishment rules, by breaking the infrastructure of Lebanon and making over 900 pure civilians (QanaII and others), but also led to the contamination of about 100 miles of beautiful Lebanese Mediterranean Beaches, after the non-savage and civilized Israeli jets bombarded power generating central close to the Waterfront. Not only killing civilians workers but also inflicting a longterm damage on the flora and fauna of that spot of the world for decades to come. I'd not be proud israeli nowaday. I'd rather be ashamed of what the bunch of Israeli incompetent managers inspired by the less competent US administration.

[ronniehm]

When Israel dropped leaflets to warn civilians to get out of harm's way, I stopped wondering who the good guys were. That's not the act of a savage society.

[grazinggoat]

Another reply to emanualhyman
In your comment saying jews being expelled from the arab countries. Let's rectify this pretension: Morroco being an arab country, its jewish community is flourishing, and living well. One can say, they are in the governing class and over-represented despite their small number in the population. Same situation in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon... This is the case in EVERY arab country. Maybe you don't know, but there are still Jews in IRAQ and IRAN, pretty well respected, I'd say and they don't want to leave...
Zionism was the major cause that brought Jews out of Arab countries and heading in Israel. NOT EXPELLED. NO arab countries expelled them, No arab countries KILLED 6,000,000 of them. Please stop distorting facts.

[ironflag1515]

It's sad to say but tranquility in the Middle East is virtually impossible. As with previous years, Hezbollah and Israel are just two more enemies in an area in the world where hostilities run high and peace is unforeseeable. Iraq is on the quivering edge of political collapse from the threat of sectarian-minded terrorists and revolutionaries. Iran openly resents the very existence of Israel as a nation and America, in the eyes of most middle eastern nations, is a zealous enemy to the non-western world. While the ratification of a U.N. mandated cease-fire resolution may occur, utter peace, in an area where animosity thrives, is a false hope. This threat to peace is a testament of this militaristic instability.

[returntoeden]

To Rightisright:
You would be right at home on The Texas Ranch. Your ignorance is appalling.

Have you ever been to Baghdad or any place beyond Waco? Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and other Middle-Eastern and African countries are the cradle of civilization.

Their engineering, scientific and mathematical contributions from thousands of years ago, still astounds the so called civilized world.

[heardenuff]

LIKE I said Savages..... THOUSANDS of years they have been fighting and killing each other for whatever resaons they moght have and thousands more they shall continue to.....

good luck - hopefully the wind will be heading the right direction upon detonation.....

GO NATURAL FUELS!!!!!!!!! - down with oil...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/18/earlyshow/main1910319.shtml

[Carwy]

Out of all those time how many of them where they attacked first?
All of them. I'm tired of you people thinking you can do no wrong. You are human and not god like people. Islam is not the only religion in the world, however it is the only one that talks about holy war and killing off all other religions. I think you are all a bunch of fanatics that need to crawl back in your caves and stay there. This will make the world a better place.

[grazinggoat]

reply to emanualhyman:
One can be silly enough to distort the genral view of reality. 'By Way of Deception' is the title of a book written by a former Mossad/IDF thing. He decided to write what his heart suggested to asy. U still say it's justly earned land. So be it if it were true. Look at the eloquent number of violations of rules and attacks on other lands the Zionist state has done since only decembre 2005.

Zionist State is known for its rich history of violation of UN resolutions, let the numbers speak.

Checking periodical reports submitted to the Secretary-General and the General, the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations reported 529 %u201Cviolations of Lebanese sovereignty committed by Zionist State%u201D for the period between December 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006:

- December, 2005: 96 violations reported
- January, 2006: 61 violations reported
- February, 2006: 72 violations reported
- March, 2006: 110 violations reported
- April, 2006: 51 violations reported
- May, 2006: 139 violations reported

So can you still pretend a just Land. It's only what you wish it were.