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Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Helicopters Put Down IDF Commandos Near Baalbek (Haaretz

Haaretz reported that the IDF has landed commandos in Baalbek and tayyar.org quoted unnamed Israeli sources that the objective of the mission is to kidnap Sheikh Yazbek, a senior HA official.

Such a development (if it turns out to be true) would signal that the Israelis are trying to gather bargaining chips and increase the ante in their war with HA. The question of whether or not they will succeed is still open and the results of their actions on the negotiation process remain unkown. (12:59pm ET)

Update

It seems that the fighting is centered around the Hikmeh hospital where the IDF seems to believe Yazbek is. The hospital has been targetted and is burning at the moment. (1:41pm ET)

Update 2

Israel sources say that their forces captured three HA militants. HA say the three are not members of HA. This is borderline comic.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yo R --

Have I pissed you off?
What gives?

If so, just tell me.

fubar

R said...

Hey fubar,
hahaha... you havent pissed me off at all. I just thought that this recent development might indicate that the ISraelis want to change the rules of the game by capturing a high ranking official so that HA understand that they can't play the kidnapping game anymore. Why did you think I was pissed off ?

Anonymous said...

Israel changed the rules when they called the temp abeyance in air strikes. Now they are going full out. You think the Lebanese are pissed. The Israelis are steaming mad. This is not good for either side.

They captured some Hezbollah guys in that hospital. Aren't saying who. I don't know, but I am betting they are not seeking prisoners to exchange. They are seeking intelligence and probably hoping to catch a Syrian or Iranian in the process. I think they are also trying to rattle Syria and cut off all remaining passages between the countries.

I thought you were pissed off because of your posts. Sometimes it is hard to tell when reading (not seeing someone).

I thought you were pissed because I analyze everything and keep emotions out of it. I told you that from the first we talked. And I intentionally do not post any comments relative to internal Lebanese comments on politics and casualties, other than when they otherwise affect the discussion. Not my place. I don't have family there. I have trouble just keeping the players straight.

In answer to your last question on a previous Abu Kais thread.
Yeah, I do believe that. And I have immediate family and close friends who have fought in Afghanistan and have and are fighting in Iraq, and one getting ready to go. I know why they are there. I do think the future of the ME is in democracy, but the US cannot do it alone or all at one time. Some argue that Muslims are not worth our time or the lives of our soldiers (after all they just want to kill us anyway). I am not one of those. I don't know what will happen in Afghanistan or Iraq, only time will tell, but I will never say that it was not worth a try.

R said...

Well fubar,

I am not sure what the Israelis want, just speculating...

As for US foreign policy. You are a very analytical person, I really find it astonishing that you believe in the good vs evil kind of rhetoric or that the US is a force for good in the world. Iran gate ring a bell? the Vietnam war? Nicaragua? Chile?
DOn't get me wrong, I am not saying any foreign policy is all good or all bad, I am saying that its all driven by some form of perceived interest. The US is no exception. Again, given a choice between the US and any form of crazed religious type regimes, I stand by the US, for lack of options...

Anonymous said...

lol, R - we'll take you any way we can get you.

I will never say that US policy is not driven by US interests. It is the most important reason for foreign policy. Lebanon being a free, independent democracy is definitely in the US interest.

I will also never say that every US undertaking has been wise. In our democracy, the administration changes every 4 to 8 years. And priorities can change daily it seems. Who fucking knew we would have to know something about Lebanese politics 3 weeks ago.

But when given a choice, I'm not giving up my US citizenship.

Food for thought, Vietnam was lost because the politicians never let the military fight a full out war (not the case in Israel today) and the US took over only after the French got their asses kicked in French Indochina (aka Vietnam). The US will never let that happen again, now the military calls the shots. Up until the other day, the Israeli politicians were attempting to limit the military (I know you find that hard to believe), but now, the military is calling the shots. This just keeps getting worse and worse.

Anonymous said...

And if you want to blame someone for the current events in Lebanon (besides the Lebanese that is), go ahead and blame the US. This conflict was set in motion in 1979 when the Iranians seized our Embassy. The US failure to go in and kick their asses then has led directly to where we find ourselves today - with Iran seeking nukes and Lebanon radicalized by Hezbollah which is sponsored by Iran.

See, it is always America's fault. lol

R said...

lol, whew I was trying to figure out how to blame the US for that :P.