Bush: 'A New Power' In South Lebanon

President Says Israel Defeated Hezbollah Guerillas In Monthlong War

(CBS/AP) 
Olmert said Monday he takes sole responsibility, as Israel's prime minister, for the Lebanon campaign. "We will continue to pursue them everywhere and at all times," he said. "We have no intention of asking anyone's permission."

Olmert advised patience for critics who believe that the war fell short of Israel's original goal of dismantling Hezbollah. "We don't plan to apologize," he said.

Three Knesset members were ejected from parliament during Olmert's speech for heckling; several others have called for a commission of inquiry into the offensive.

Olmert acknowledged there were "deficiencies" in the way the war was conducted. "We will have to review ourselves in all the battles," he said. "We won't sweep things under the carpet."

Anticipating that another war with Hezbollah may come in the future, the prime minister said Israel will learn the lessons of this war and "do better."

The prime minister also promised to do everything he could to win the return of two captive Israeli soldiers — ostensibly the original reason for the invasion of Lebanon.

"We are today before a strategic, historic victory, without exaggeration," Nasrallah said in a taped speech on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV. "We came out victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated (before)," the black-turbaned cleric said.

He further declared now was not the time to debate the disarmament of his guerrilla fighters, saying the issue should be done in secret sessions of the government to avoid serving Israeli interests.

"This is immoral, incorrect and inappropriate," he said. "It is wrong timing on the psychological and moral level particularly before the cease-fire," he said in reference to calls from critics for the guerrillas to disarm.

He declared that the massive destruction inflicted upon Israel was an expression of what he called its "failure and impotency."

He promised the militant Shiite organization would help the Lebanese people rebuild.

"The enemy destroyed thousands of houses in the south, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs," Nasrallah said. He said 15,000 housing units were completely destroyed in the 34 days of fighting.

Israelis are skeptical about the cease-fire, reports Berger. One newspaper headline said the government expects the truce to fail.

Earlier Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz promised "We have no intention of sinking in the Lebanese quagmire."

Several incidents Monday morning marred the cease-fire, as Israeli soldiers fired upon groups or individual Hezbollah guerrillas approaching their positions.

Some 30,000 Israeli forces remained in Lebanon and Nasrallah said the militia would consider them legitimate targets until they withdraw from the country. The next step — sending in a peacekeeping mission — still appeared days away.

A Lebanese cabinet minister told Europe-1 radio in France that Lebanese soldiers could move into the southern part of the country as early as Wednesday. The U.N. plan calls for a 30,000-member, joint Lebanese-international force to move south of the Litani River, about 18 miles from the Israeli border, and stand as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah militia.

"The Lebanese army is readying itself along the Litani to cross the river in 48 to 72 hours," said Lebanon's communications minister, Marwan Hamade.

The deployment of the Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers was a cornerstone of the cease-fire resolution passed Friday by the U.N. Security Council. France, Italy, Turkey and Malaysia have signaled a willingness to contribute troops, but consultations are still needed to hammer out the force's makeup and mandate.

Officials said Israeli troops would begin pulling out as soon as the Lebanese and international troops start deploying to the area. But it appeared Israeli forces were staying put for the moment. Some exhausted soldiers left Lebanon early Monday, but were being replaced by fresh troops.

Israel also would maintain its air and sea blockade of Lebanon to prevent arms from reaching Hezbollah guerrillas, army officials said.

[grazinggoat]

Remeber Saddam in Koweit?
It's the first time Israel HAS BEEN driven into the mud by its best accomplice. It's the first time Israel Has not been fighting a real defensive war. As per Seymour Hersh it was a greedy attempt to grab more of the land North of it and test the resolve of the Lebanese Resistance Whereever it took it's arms from... They (IDF) faced a determined and stiff Lebanese Guerilla, the only type of resistance to prove able to resist the IDF Barbaric attack. Which in such case of frustration turned its anger on defenseless CIVILIANS. UN secretary general Annan, and many other international Humanitarian orgs question the possibility of bringing the rogue state of Israel to court for crimes against humanity, committed on the Soil of Lebanon- Qana... (What for? could they? Obviously Useless) .

Olmert for the first time recognizes this decision was not easy to manage and mainly with the influence fo GWBush administration Israel and it's political felt dragged into this Litani swamp full of Ferociously hungry Croccs, that is the lebanese resistance. Their losses are certainly less important than the IDF losses, in term of nice little war ... It's the first time a resistance organization beats the IDF losses.
Does Israel controle it' destiny while serving the GW won interests... the best court Olmert could face is the next justice rendered by the people of Israel during the elections ro come...

[abu ammar]

President Bush now says the Lebanese crisis was part of the war between "freedom and terror." I thought the combatants in the war he has assigned himself to wage were himself and what he refers to as Muslim fascists.

The fact that Israel failed to achieved its avowed objectives of destroying Hizbullah and rescuing the two captured Israeli soldiers is a clear statement that Bush and his proxy Israel lost the war.

[one_american]

alphaa10:

You couldn't be more wrong in your views. There is no future with persuing Middle East peace in the manner which it has been done for many decades now. Liberal appeasement will only allow Islamic Fascism to grow unchecked. That is the brain-damaged policy which you speak about. Your way of thinking is outdated, irrelevant, and misguided by your "progressive" (read regressive) party, and your time is over. There is no future for your way of thinking.

[ralphj53]

August 14, 2006

Hello;

I don't think EITHER side won the war. Both LEARNED good lessons on how to wage a GUERRILLA war. At the very beginning, ISRAEL hesitated and wanted to LIMIT the war to "pin-pricks" assualt.

Shakespeare once said that "He who hesitates is lost". Next time, I bet you... it's going to be an "ALL OUT ASSAULT" by the army, with no quarters asked or given. By ISRAEL.

Neither side won because ISRAEL did NOT disarm HEZBOLLZH by force. HEZBOLLAH still has those MISSILES pointed at ISRAEl. Wars are won on the battlefield... just like we DISARMED Saddam Hussein.... BY FORCE... like it or not!!!

A piece of paper... like the United Nations Security Council mandate.. is just that... a piece of paper.

The rest is up to the combatants.

ISRAEL has the best INTELLIGENCE in the world... the MOSSAD. Why did they NOT know about those missiles being pointed at their country?

And usually, ISRAEL "pre-empts" a strike... to disable the enemy.
Who knows?

Thanks,
Ralph J. Monasterio

[alphaa10-2009]

BigAl321321-- Your comparison of Hezbollah to Al Capone was probably as apt as Bush PR about "rebuilding" Iraq-- except in Lebanon, the natives actually believe Hezbollah.

Clearly, any terror organization like Hezbollah needs to cultivate the locals, especially in Lebanon. But your conclusion to exterminate Lebanon in order to exterminate Hezbollah is faulty. The Israeli invasion gained little, just like the last Israeli invasion in 1982, because its purpose was to disarm Hezbollah. And this time, the damage to us is worse-- the Israeli invasion has cut our diplomatic feet from under us as an honest broker of peace in the MidEast.

[tomflint69]

Hisbullah you won the match!
u caused Mr. Bush, UN and others to arrange for international forces to save the nose of Israel. I wonder that Israel that has been falsely known every where for its millitary strength, air power and with US given weapons, how you defeate it. This time I must say the terrorist have won.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American, Part 1--
You have misunderstood. The inept defense always asks rhetorically, "OK, a little brutality never hurt anybody. Ya want to coddle criminals?... Ya want to appease terror"? Not at all-- I want something better, and so should you. We should want something more practical and intelligent than Neocons tutoring Bush, and a brutal Israeli overreaction-- earnestly playing to the Islamic jihad movement around the world. They have enough videotape of urban rubble and torn Lebanese civilian bodies to last a generation.

Again, unintelligent and bungled plans only make things worse. That is why America must condemn both Bush and the Israeli invasion he endorsed subrosa for *** up this latest episode in Lebanon. We should have been an honest peace broker, working simply to stop the killing of Lebanese civilians immediately. A ceasefire would have maintained the conditions which prevailed before the two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped. Now more than 100 Israeli soliders and uncounted civilians on both sides are dead. An honest American peace broker would have gained immensely in prestige-- which this country certainly could have used in the region.

[alphaa10-2009]

One_American, Part 2
Unfortunately, any peace but a postwar peace was not enough for Bush and his Neocon friends in Washington, or for Olmert and backers in Israel. Bush and the Neocons (as in, "new con-men") want to stop Iranian influence from growing in the region by any means, and if they can launch a proxy war via Israel with tanks, jets, artillery against Hezbollah, they consider it a "victory".

Sad to say, Lebanon is a defeat for everything America stands for. Lebanese are now convinced we did nothing to help stop the attacks because we are what the Iranians and Syrians and Hezbollah says-- rich stooges for a Zionist plan to oppress them.

We Americans must seriously reevaluate our misguided policy in the MidEast. With enemies like us, terrorism needs no other friends. By your misguided support of brain-damaged neocon policies from Bush and the Israeli invasion, you support the advance of terror in the MidEast.

[one_american]

nomifla:

There has never been a time when the Arab world hasn't been engraged about something, and it is always someone else's fault. Maybe if they loved their children more than they hate the Jews, the world would be at peace.

[one_american]

alphaa10:

If you believe in appeasement of terrorist entities, then by all means, fall on your sword. Don't expect anyone to follow your retreat from the war on terror.