Have no doubt that Hizbullah took this action to try and relieve the pressure on Gaza, because Israel will be seen as an aggressor into Lebanon despite the repeated provocations and now capture of its citizens. Israel has taken casualties in the effort as well.
Israeli warplanes struck two bridges over the Litani River deep in southern Lebanon, killing two civilians on the main north-south highway between the port cities of Tyre and Sidon, Lebanese security officials said. The pan-Arab satellite TV al-Arabiya station said that at least seven Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting, and that several more were wounded.
The Israeli army confirmed casualties among the soldiers, but did not comment on the reports of possible deaths.
Israeli troops crossed into a southwestern sector of Lebanon, near where the soldiers were seized, trying to keep their captors from moving them deeper into Lebanon, Israeli security officials said. Hezbollah said it destroyed an Israeli tank as it tried to cross the frontier.
UPDATE:
PM Olmert is calling this an act of war by Lebanon. Not good for Lebanon. Or Israel. Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon in 2000 after having carved out a section of Southern Lebanon as a security zone to prevent rocket attacks against Northern Israel. Israel has vowed to retaliate and to recover its soldiers. They're even threatening to turn Lebanon back 20 years in the process. Again, not good for either Lebanon or Israel, but Israel's security has been compromised once again by terrorists determined to destroy Israel - one soldier at a time.
UPDATE:
Carl in Jerusalem has running updates, and points to a WaPo story indicating that seven Israeli soldiers were killed in the raid into Lebanon thus far. Keep scrolling for updates on the situation in Lebanon and Gaza. This piece provides background on the two Israeli soldiers who were captured by Hizbullah and taken into Lebanon.
UPDATE:
Where should the proper military response be directed? At Lebanon? Or Syria, which is providing the backing for not only Hizbullah but Hamas as well. Syria uses the terrorist groups as a proxy army - reducing the direct links between Syria and attacks against Israel. However, the links are there and can be seen clearly as Meshaal and other Hamas leaders operate freely in Damascus and are in contact with Assad and his minions. Syria has long dominated Lebanon, and its fingerprints are still all over the country. The Cedar Revolution notwithstanding (complete with protest babes), Syria still has a grip over the country, as do the terrorists. An Israeli invasion of Lebanon would destroy what progress has been made in Lebanon since the bulk of Syrian soldiers left the country.
So which is why Israel must go after the source, not the symptoms.
Terrorists are being funded by the likes of Assad, who provides shelter and condones the attacks. Dealing Syria a blow militarily could cut off the financing that makes the brazen attacks against Israel less likely.
UPDATE:
This situation is quickly developing and turning more serious by the hour. It appears that the Israelis have made a general callup of reserves, which means that Israel is getting on a full war footing. That's consistent with what Olmert and the IDF leadership were saying earlier today.
Kofi Annan will never get it. After the Lebanese PM calls for Israel to cease and desist, Annan calls on Israel's restraint, but doesn't bother to note that it was the Islamic terrorists who launched this latest attack against Israel - a UN member state, and one that has endured repeated terrorist attacks from Gaza and Southern Lebanon while showing tremendous restraint thus far. Israel has shown far more restraint than any other country would be willing to endure under the circumstances.
FoxNews reports the following about the Israeli miltiary action and diplomatic maneuverings:
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, on a visit to Cairo, Egypt, said the capture of the two Israeli soldiers was "a very dangerous escalation" that "puts at risk all the effort thats being put forth by many to find a solution to the current situation."Lebanon has not dealt with the problem of Hizbullah carving out Southern Lebanon for its own safe haven, and Israel has to deal with the instant threat, but keep an eye towards the big picture - that attacking the symptoms of the problem might solve an immediate problem - finding and recovering its soldiers, but does little to improve Israel's long term security situation.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called for the immediate release of Israeli soldiers and condemned Israel's immediate retaliation. "We would not want to see an expansion, an escalation of conflict in the region," he said in Rome.
The top U.N. official in Lebanon, Geir Pedersen, met with Lebanon's prime minister and said Hezbollah had crossed the border, known as the Blue Line, into northern Israel.
"Hezbollah's action escalates the already tense situation along the Blue Line and is an act of very dangerous proportions," he said in a statement.
By the afternoon, seven hours after the Hezbollah raid, Israeli military aircraft were striking large areas of southern Lebanon — targeting bridges, roads and Hezbollah positions in areas as deep as halfway between the Israeli border and the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Lebanese security officials said.
Some bridges were hit more than once to ensure destruction.
Others blogging: Kim at Wizbang, Hugh Hewitt, Charles at LGF (keep scrolling), Carl in Jerusalem, Israellycool, Kesher Talk, Blue Crab Boulevard, Ankle Biting Pundits, QandO, Meryl Yourish, Atlas Shrugs,
Hot Air has a big roundup.
UPDATE:
Dave Bender has interviewed an Israeli resident with a ringside seat to Lebanese border. He's got much more so scroll through his updates as well.
Nasrallah, who leads Hizbullah, calls the latest attack the only and logical right. Oh, and Israel should expect more surprises. Umm, how about not attacking Israel? Did that ever enter your mind? Instead, you'll unleash the dogs of war in a battle you cannot win - unless your purpose is to find out whether the claims that you go to paradise and get 72 virgins is true. There was no apparent advance warning of the attack.
Nasrallah is also saying that he's open to exchanging prisoners for the soldiers. Of course he is. He knows that Israel cherishes its soldiers more than the terrorists care about their survival.
UPDATE:
Reality bites Hizbullah, who had gone on the record with Michael Totten that Hizbullah doesn't attack civilians. Meryl Yourish and Laurence Simon have the details. I'm assuming Hizbullah's excuse is that they were not civilians or that they were collateral damage in attacks against the Israeli military. Everyone attacked by Hizbullah that has been killed can be explained away in this fashion. Doesn't matter if you're a 2-year old or 80. The thing is that Hizbullah keeps acting as though this latest attack will help them. Does Hizbullah think that it will really help them when Israel turns Hizbullah hangouts into parking lots. And Hizbullah parking lots into craters. And Hizbullah craters into bigger craters. [sarcasm there]
Nahariya residents were informed to seek shelter. So have Kiryat Shimona residents. That's not good. Not good at all. Meanwhile, the IAF bombed targets within 10 miles of Beirut.
Even the Israeli Navy is getting in on the action - taking out targets in Lebanon. The targets appear to be PFLP terrorist locations.
The names of the two soldiers taken by Hizbullah are Eyal Banin and Shani Turgeman.
Big Pharoah counsels caution and thinks that the UN should be given a chance. Sorry, but the UN is like rolling loaded dice. You know the outcome before you start.
Others blogging: Tigerhawk and Vital Perspective.
UPDATE:
Still more rocket attacks into Israel, though no casualties. The IDF fears that Hizbullah may have even longer range missiles in their considerable arsenal, which means that areas in and around Haifa could be in range of Southern Lebanon.
The US lays the blame for today's attacks squarely on Syria and Iran who back Hizbullah. Lest we forget, Hizbullah has had no qualms about killing Americans - as they killed 240 Marines and sailors in the attack on the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983.
UPDATE:
Israel is worried about the terrorists seeking to open a third front - which would be the West Bank. The terrorists are already threatening to do just that, which would bring yet more Israeli cities into range of the terrorists' missiles and rockets. But of course, the New York Times wants to focus on the troubles facing the Palestinians as a result of their elected leadership taking them down the path to war. Not mentioned is the fact that Israel is scrambling to keep their own population safe from the incessant rocket and mortar attacks that are pushing many communities to head to the bomb shelters.
Israel continues to target Hamas leadership, nearly killing Mohammed Deif, and they pulverized the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, which is being run by Hamas minister Mahmoud Zahar. Airstrikes were also launched into Sheba Farms, which is an area where Lebanon, Syria, and Israel's borders come together. Hizbullah has long claimed that Israel never fully withdrew from the area as a provocation for attacks, but even the UN has recognized that Israel has complied and withdrawn from the area. Guess that might be changing too.
Matthew Yglesias notes the complete and utter silence on the subject from the Left:
This is sort of mind-boggling. Let me just go on the record as saying that as bad an idea as bombing Iran may be, doing so as part of a wildly impractical scheme for Israel to launch a general Middle Eastern war is significantly less appealing.Maybe the problem is that the Left doesn't think that Israel should be able to defend itself. Or maybe the problem is that the Left can't weasel out of the situation that has been several decades in the making - terrorists have been gunning for Israel for years, and the Left has counselled patience, negotiation, and trying to make deals with groups that call for Israel's annihilation.
Meanwhile, I totally understand why establishment liberal foreign policy types don't like to talk about Israel, but things are getting to the point where I don't think total silence in the face of dramatic goings-on is very viable.
The terrorists have backing from Syria and Iran. As I keep stating, going after the terrorists might stop matters for the short term, but the terrorists will get replenished from those two countries, aided and abetted by a world community that always seems to keep Israel from eliminating its enemies that start these conflicts in the first place.
The current situation in Lebanon, along with the situation in Gaza were due to Palestinian terrorist groups invading Israel, attacking Israeli soldiers, taking wounded soldiers into Lebanon and Gaza respectively, where there have been no Israeli forces since 2000 and 2005 respectively, and now they claim that they'll return those soldiers in return for Palestinian prisoners.
The terrorists are trying to make excuses for their own heinous acts, and the Left provides them the cover under which to operate.
Memeorandum has a comprehensive roundup of those who are blogging the situation in Israel. Euphoric Reality also has a good roundup.
Others blogging: Uncooperative Blogger, Webloggin', Blogs of War, Daily Pundit, Atlas Shrugs, and Rick Moran.
Technorati: terrorism, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, Eliyahu, Asheri, Ashri, Abbas, Rains, Summer, cavaliers, wrath, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel
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