Mideast Cease-Fire Fails Early Test

Shaky Truce Undermined By Israeli Demands And Lebanese Accusations

(CBS/AP)  On Saturday, Murr had threatened to stop the deployment of the army in south Lebanon, a key demand of the U.N. cease-fire resolution, after the Israeli helicopter-borne commando raid near the town of Boudai in the foothills of the Mount Lebanon range on the west side of the Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Israel said it launched the raid to interdict Iranian weapons shipments for Hezbollah as they crossed into the country from Syria. One Israeli officer was killed and two soldiers were wounded, one seriously.

Townspeople in Boudai said the Israel raid began at 3 a.m. and that 300 residents grabbed their guns and fought at the side of 15 Hezbollah guerrillas for 90 minutes before the commandos retreated and were flown back to Israel. Residents said there were no casualties on the Lebanese side.

Lebanon has started deploying 15,000 soldiers to the south, putting a government force in the region for the first time in four decades, as part of the cease-fire requirements. They are to be joined by an equal force of international peacekeepers, but wrangling among countries expected to send troops has so far delayed assembly of the force. The flare-up underlined concern about the fragility of the cease-fire and the U.N. pleaded for nations to send troops.

Further complicating efforts to form an international force, Olmert on Sunday said Israel would not accept the participation of peacekeepers from countries that don't have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh — Muslim countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel — are among the only countries to have offered front-line troops for the expanded force, which is to police the border.

Murr, meanwhile, did not return to his threat to halt the Lebanese deployment when he spoke on Sunday, apparently satisfied by Annan's declaration that Israel had violated the cease-fire and warned against future such actions.

A statement issued by Annan's spokesman late Saturday said that the U.N. chief spoke with both Saniora and Olmert about the fighting. "The secretary-general is deeply concerned about a violation by the Israeli side of the cessation of hostilities," it said. "All such violations of Security Council Resolution 1701 endanger the fragile calm that was reached after much negotiation."

Saniora, the prime minister, made his first and highly publicized visit to Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold Sunday, where the militant group's operatives were still handing out bundles of US$100 bills — $12,000 for each claimant who lost a home there. The stipend was to pay a year's rent and refurnish homes, which Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has promised to rebuild within a year.

"What we see today is an image of the crimes Israel has committed ... there is no other description other than a criminal act that shows Israel's hatred to destroy Lebanon and its unity," Saniora said to a big crowd of reporters and television crews invited on the tour of the region where Israeli airstrikes destroyed whole neighborhoods.

"I hope the international media transmits this picture to every person in the world so that it shows this criminal act, this crime against humanity," the Western-backed prime minister said.

Arab League foreign ministers convened for an emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss a plan to create a fund to rebuild Lebanon. The meeting ended with no plan, but foreign ministers said a social and economic council would convene to discuss how to fund the rebuilding.

Diplomats said Arabs want to counter the flood of money that is believed to be coming from Iran to Hezbollah to finance reconstruction projects. An estimated 15,000 apartments were destroyed and 140 bridges hit by Israeli bombardment in Lebanon, along with power and desalination plants and other key infrastructure.

"This is a war over the hearts and mind of the Lebanese, which Arabs should not lose to the Iranians this time," said a senior Arab League official, speaking on condition of because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has not said where the money would come from, but Iran, which helped create Hezbollah and is its strongest supporter, is widely believed to have opened its treasury for the rebuilding program.

Iran — which is not an Arab nation and is not part of the league — denied that on Sunday. "Hezbollah is a legitimate body in Lebanon; they have their own economic resources and popular support there," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

In Israel, Olmert announced the inquiry into the conduct of the war at his Cabinet's weekly meeting. He did not clarify what authorities the panel would have, officials said. He said he would coordinate his decision with the attorney general and ask the Cabinet to approve the panel's formation in the coming days.

Participants in the meeting said the panel apparently would not have the authority to make recommendations about those involved in the decision-making process. Some Cabinet ministers called for an official government inquiry. In 1982, an official inquiry with broad authority forced Ariel Sharon to resign his post as defense minister after a first Israeli war in Lebanon.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz had already appointed his own panel to look into the army's performance during the war that erupted July 12 after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Three others died pursuing the guerrilla fighters into Lebanon.

On Sunday, Peretz told the Cabinet that Israel had to examine its failures in the operation "because we have to get ready for the next round."

[zeta22-2009]

This discussion has got into little less than complete hogwash. I%u2019ll be out.
But before leaving, I would like to just add an additional comment to what I previously said about this subject. And it is that now it has become clear why France, who has fought hard for a UN resolution together with the United States, offering since the very beginning to contribute with a substantial portion to the UN force and even to lead its operations, France, as I was saying, is now dragging its feet about the whole deal, and is even reluctant in committing many soldiers to such a UN force... Why? Because the UN resolution mandates that the international force is allowed ONLY to respond with force in self-defense, and NOT to make sure the terms of the UN resolution are actually implemented!!!... What a pitiful state of affairs... What a ridiculous disarray into which all the UN resolutions and actions (or lack of them!) have fallen...
Just remember what I said in my previous comment: No nation trusts the UN anymore to solve any problem. They either CANNOT or WILL NOT take any serious action to discipline a few rascals around the world... Look at Iran: They are doing whatever they please with their so called %u201Cpeaceful%u201D nuclear program and sticking their middle finger towards the UN resolutions!
What options does this leave to the World? Quite simply, nations who still can, need to take justice into their own hands. What a sad state of affairs!
And so goes our world...

[kilghardwolf]

i am 18 years old and i think that all the comments i have read on this one page make you all look like a bunch of children. You need to stop fighting like little girls and GET A LIFE!!!!

[ronniehm]

Instead of relying on what you heard, you should research these names:

Mohammad Amin al-Husayni

Rashid Ali al-Kaylani

Incidentally, I'm a devout atheist. Since you keep trying to impose a religion on my views, may as well clear that up.

[grazinggoat]

Remind you Mr RonnieHM, that the ones who killed and burnt 6 millions jews, were not arabs, not moslems. Those who killed the 25 000 000 to 50,000,000 (READ WITH ME FIFTY MILLION) humans in Europe in the second world war were not moslems. You know who they were, and still are. But they were not moslems. So please don't **** the whole world off with your hatred and intolerence toward whoever doesn't eat Kosher or doesn't stand in salute in front of the US flag/ Star of David.

By the way I'm not an Islamic expert, but I heard that Fundamental Islam is the naturel son of Fanatical Christianism and son of Fanatical Judaism. Seems that the Judaism is still closer to Isalm than Christianity. Some told me the five daily prayers in Islam and Judaism, the women in both religions who cover with scarves, the guys who get slicked when circumcised (Outch), the same Prophets and Kings, same books, no food but Halal or Kosher, no alcohol, no Pork... They say Islam is a softer version of Judaism. Is that true...? Because maybe they say Islam gave females the right of Ownership and the right to worship, whereas untill recently in the western hemisphere, they were still wondering if the female had a soul... the rest are details.

[grazinggoat]

(...Continued)
What has been forgotten in the successive revelations is the nature and the environment. It seems that GOD has kind of forgotten or did HE do it on purpose. HE forgot to tell about the natural selection as a way of improving the creation. Albert Einstein who said time is relative and for someone who is out of the time is eternal. Since GOD created the time, He who is Eternal, can SEE the future and present and the past at the same moment. So what we humans see as past-present and future are in fact the same moment for the Creator. He can see how one looks like when young, teen, adult, elderly and why not dead, and why not after death... the soul...

Where in the holy books is said that The Creator has not chosen the natural selection His way of making humans good and better, more beautiful, more intelligent, (some more stubborn!).
Peace on yall and on every creature on earth, amen

[reuben110-2009]

There is a lot of confusion about terrorism particularly in our country. As well as there being some very appropriate fears that the scum of the earth will try profusely to kill civillains, there are legitimate fears among the population of middle-eastern countries that in favt our troops will come and invade and kill their loved ones.

No one talks about the IRA, or ETA, no one talks about the Israeli who killed Palestinian workers with a mindless gun rampage after the pullout of Gaza. Perhaps we should use him as an example. Perhaps people ought to recognize that he felt powerless, weak, and insufficient as his Government did not protect his interests, and the interests of his nation. It isnt wrong for middle-eastern muslims to feel the same way, a lot of them ought to feel that way. Al Qaeda is the scum of the earth in my opinion there is no lower being then those who are members or supporters.

At the same time however to put Hizbollah into this category is nonsensical. Perhaps people ought to look at it from another perspective, if you were lebanese, and it was your loved ones and neighbours that were dieing, would you be moderate? would you back Israel? Not a chance and rightly so.

People must realise,that all of a sudden if you are elected, it doesnt mean that if you bomb schools and hospitals and deny aid that you have moral high ground.

But I will say something in favour of the Israelis, at least they rape less and don't run prisons like Abu-Ghuraib!

[ronniehm]

I'm comfortable knowing that civility is one of my stronger traits. No matter how many times you call me stupid and ignorant, I'll have no contempt for you.

[reuben110-2009]

if intellect isnt one of your stronger traits..at least you can console yourself that honesty is..i think i have said enough now..take care

[reuben110-2009]

no i have contempt for stupidity...shame that that is all you could come up with...a measly 2 lines. your almost as pathetic as your views, though i dont want to embarass you further, before you get the impression that i am mad...which i very truly am not..let me re-iterate..i feel sorry for you..

[ronniehm]

P.S. If by Islamophobe, you mean someone who's scared of Islam, then yes, I guess I'm one.

[ronniehm]

Wow, you really have contempt for people who don't agree with you. It's hard to believe your attitude hasn't brought peace and harmony to the Muslim world yet.

[reuben110-2009]

cont...

Then you go one step further, you really hit the epitomy of stupidy, i mean you really reach the summit. Most muslims hate non-muslims?? If i was to say most jews hate non-jews, you would scream anti-semitism at me.You are an islamophobe. Actually muslims have a population of 1.5 billion people worldwide, a very very small minority are terrorists, their religion condemns the killing of the innocent. Most of them, and this is the enlightening bit for you, so listen carefully, perhaps read over once more, to make sure this really hits home for you, most muslims love their families, work to earn for them and sincerely care for their well-being. You are either a radical jew, or anotther one of those ignorant folk who feel the outskirts of Nebraska need to be protected from terrorism. I truly feel sorry for people as ignorant as you going by some of the absurdities that have travelled from your brain to you fingertips and managed to pollute

[reuben110-2009]

I don't know why Ronnie is slating the UN, afterall if there is any nation that has made the UN a laughing stock it is Israel. Why are you talking about UN resolutions Ronnie, let me give you a fact, there is no nation on God's green earth that has failed to comply with UN resolution more than Israel, its just that the US has stood by to veto any chapter 7s. Why criticise the UN when Israel is the cheif non-compliant nation?

What you said in your little message was interesting, you mentioned 2 warring parties, this is how most people viewed the war(equally). Hence anyone who stood by and watching the US deliver weapons, has every right to watch Hizbollah recieve weapons.

Cont..

[grazinggoat]

Please calm the game here. The UN is an assembly of the peoples of the Earth. The one and only we have and on which we all humans, goim or gentiles or whatever you want altogether with the animals, live and share. (By the way I don't digest this auto-labelling of being the best between humans and the rest are less than nothing. This leads to apartheid, and exclusions). The critics about what is written in this kind of writings (holy books) has been remedied to with the creation of the United Nations which gave rights to all humans on the same base. I here let you have a look at it.

http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/88/IMG/NR004388.pdf?OpenElement

It eliminates such pogroms in the name of difference, and it gives the right to all humans, (which are the CREATION OF THE CREATOR, pleases to some extreme semites or extreme Neo-Cons, or not...) because it grants the garantees to all with no distinction of religion, ***, color or minority origin. So there is something weird into auto-labelling best of the best... It's what Sigmund Freund called the Paranoia. Everybody wants to kill me and I'm a victim, so please help me. (please read continued...)

[grazinggoat]

...Continued,
If humans came to a comprehensive undertanding of each's needs, then there is no war (Which has been done by writing the United Nations charter of rights. I consider this is a God Revelation, at the exception of not having the sacred stamp we find in the old Holy Books). If Prophets and old-time Kings were alive, they would like this kind of charters and they'd certainly rectify their old versions. They would qualify it of innovative and profitable to humans, so they'd stamp ((DEVINE)) on it... Proof to this is the relative growth stability of the total population of the earth. It increased from hardly two billion in the 1950's to the actual 6 billions + in less than two generations. That is quite an acheivement.

I also include the link to the page of United Nations related to the protection of civilian persons in time of war.

http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/civilianpersons.htm
It's rather fantastic. Everybody should read it and stick to it. I'd rather say that it should apply to in time of peace into some countries that don't provide the minimum to their subjects.

So peace on everybody, creatures of the God, now tomorrow and for ever... amen

[ronniehm]

goat, unless your side is in compliance with every single UN resolution (or even just the last two), don't bother quoting the UN as an authority. I don't.

[ronniehm]

reuben, the real truth is most Muslims hate non-Muslims. They have for centuries, so to analyze this conflict based on who did what last week is a little silly. As for the grand efforts of the almighty UN, they just make one resolution after another that does nothing but acknowledge the failure of the last resolution. This so-called cease fire between Israel and a government that has no control over what's happening in Lebanon was absurd. If the agreement isn't between the two warring parties, what's the point? Then, to guarantee its failure, the UN didn't even put one single soldier into Lebanon to assure compliance. They left Israel standing around to watch weapon shipments being delivered to a group that was supposedly disarmed from the previous resolution. Now I assume that the UN would have prevented arms from reaching Hezbollah if any of those 400 (sigh) French solders had bothered to show up. And I suspect France would have been in compliance with the cease fire for doing exactly what Israel did. Hypocrites.

[reuben110-2009]

Grazingoat leave them to their views,

The truth is most jews I know, would go so far as to support Israel were it to launch a pre-emptive strike on Malawi, if there was a suspicion it harboured terrorists.That is the truth of the matter. They harbour the view that Israel is the holy land, so if it were to attack the White house, it would be justified. They fail to comprehend that just because a government is fighting, it is justified. How more nonsensical can you get. Soon it will dawn on people that a terrorism is the destruction and killing of innocent civillains and their infrastructure. Just because all of a sudden you are democratically elected, it doesnt give you license to do that.

Arabs are victims of poor governance that fails to address their problems, that fail to stand up to monster states, and hence these people take matters into their own hands. They are seen as vigilantes.

If you think this war was the correct decision read my preious two comments, id be interested in a response. Its strange, I am a jew, though im not religious what i stand for is a just and moral. When i do not see it i say it. People are probably going o brand me a supporter of terrorism now, and i say to them in advance:YOU ARE IN DENIAL

[grazinggoat]

What a licking stand from you RonnieMH, CarlyLaine, Zeta22 and cheung. At first, the attack on Lebanon was never decided by the incompetent Israeli Administration, specially not the turtle face Olmert. It was pushed by the intransigent and incompetent bully monkeyface-GWB administration. Nothing to be proud of at all. Human history taught us the stubborn-aggressive standing never leads to successful survival. You all don't even want to consider arguments that Israel has inflicted to Lebanon and its population what the UNITED NATIONS, calls CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, and condemn it. Just cannot believe that you are defending a criminal state. And you want the Lebanese resistence to disarm and that CRIMINAL OF WAR to continue its abject acts upon Lebanese Civilian population. U are either Zionists or simply out of your mind. It's like U are willing to let the JonBenet suspect-killer, be in presence of another girl in one hotel room, alone. Imagine what would happen... With the Qana2 massacre done to civilians hiding in a shelter, still fresh in mind, you should at least say enough is enough. (see continued)

[grazinggoat]

Continued
Unless you don't care about the law of International Bodies such as Uited Nations, which seems to be the case, and then why The Lebanese Resistence would care to, since it has no value for Israel. So face to face and the belligerents fight again and see who wins. Zionists have just tasted the will and resolute of the lebanese resistence. They (zionists) are now stealing and abducting people belonging to Lebanese resistence in order to exchange them. That is agood sign of frightness and cowardise of the most powerful army in the middle east.