BREAKING: Israel To Suspend Air Strikes For 48 Hours
Via Breitbart/AP:
Israel has agreed to a 48-hour suspension of aerial activity in south Lebanon while it investigates an attack on a Lebanese village that killed a number of children, U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Sunday.
The airstrike killed at least 56 Lebanese, mostly women and children, when it leveled a building where they had taken shelter. The deadliest attack in nearly three weeks of warfare forced Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to cut short a Mideast mission and increased world pressure on the United States to back an end to the fighting.
The stunning bloodshed pushed American peace efforts to a crucial juncture, as fury at the United States flared in Lebanon, which said it no longer would negotiate a U.S. peace package without an unconditional cease-fire. U.N. chief Kofi Annan sharply criticized world leaders _ implicitly Washington _ for ignoring his previous calls to stop the violence.
This seems like a smart move by Israel for the purposes of quelling the international angst that has been created by this air strike. Of course, this is a victory for Hezbollah and might be beneficial for the organization in the short term, however, I doubt seriously that this could somehow result in a cease-fire that will end Israel’s assault against Hezbollah for good.
UPDATE: More here.
Whatever “international angst” is going on, it’s not a smart move for Israel; It gives Hezbolah what it desperately needs; a chance to regroup. Which in turn will cause more civilian deaths.
If there’s “international angst” over Israel’s attacks it’s because those with said agnst have been unable to learn that lesson, yet…. or else, are considered that Israel might actually succeed in elimination of Hezbolah.
Bithead:
You have it right on target, This will surely give Hezbollah a victory along with the opportunity to rearm.
This is a victory for Hizbullah, only in so much as they enjoy seeing kids killed. Whether on the Israeli side or their own side, it’s a propoganda-style victory for them, at least.
Definitely a propaganda victory for Hezbollah, and now they get a chance to go hide in buildings among even more women and children.
This is also a propaganda victory for Kofi and the UN. Now the UN can lend some credence that Israel is the “Bad Guys” in this war and get the heat off themselves.
The cold hard fact that the inability and lack of will to fully implement 1559 by the UN is the sole basis of this war and the UN should be held totally responsible for the deaths of civilians on both sides.
However you and I know that the UN will put the blame on Israel as they always do and never take responsibility for their whimsical lack of blame for anything. Kofi and most of the UN Members should be put on trial for malfeasance in office.
So why is Israel handing Hezbollah propaganda victories?
Why doesn’t Israel care enough about figuring out what they’re bombing before they bomb it to avoid handing Hezbollah propaganda victories?
And does ANYONE on this comment thread have children? Because I do, and when I imagine them being blown up by Israelis or Hezbollah on some half-assed rationalization, I find it difficult to think of it as a “propaganda victory” for anyone. Mostly I think about it as precious children, dead.
And for what? For a half-assed war that Israel lacks both the strength and the will to conduct in a manner remotely suited to achieving its goals. For a bunch of Iranian pawns who have no hope of achieving their wicked goals.
This is sadly all too fitting:
Damn straight. Rice rejected calls for an immediate cease-fire; she wished for the bombing to continue; and we see the results.
We at OTB can argue all day whether the U.S. is helping Israel to wage war against Lebanon, but I can’t fault the Lebanese for having no remaining doubts on the subject.
I have but two questions:
1. How does one know with certainty that Sec. Rice wished for the bombing to continue ?
I never heard her or anyone else in the administration say that.
2. How does one know with certainty that Israel does not have the strength and the will ti win a war with Hezbollah ?
seems to me that Israel is doing a pretty good job so far.
Anderson, perhapos you’re unaware of the situation?
Boortz, today:
I’d suggest Israel knows full well what they’re doing and why; because they have been left no choice.
Unless you’re suggesting they should merely stand by and take it.
Bithead:
It seems that we are in the mist of those who think it is OK to kill innocent Israeli is, but not Ok to kill innocent civilians in Lebanon,
By the way, where is the evidence that these Lebanese Civilians were “Innocent” and they were not a part of Hezbollah.
I contend that there are NO Hezbollah innocent civilians.
bithead:
I for got to add this,
There are persons that are completely “Aware” of the situation, But, do not care to be aware in order to full fill their “Hate Bush” agenda.
Isn’t it strange that some seem to advance their personal agendas rather than supporting those who fight the GWOT.
I guess they have no memory of the 3000 who died on 9/11 and have no desire to review the history of that horrible day
Herb;
Quite.
Krauthammer the other day:
.
ANd As to the import of all this to the US… and you know that argument’s going to come up…
It is, I think, a fatal mistake to label these incidents as unconnected to the larger war in Islamic Terrorism we have faced fomr some years, now.
Once again, I point to a link that is unbreakable, and that is at the core of all the world’s problems at the moment; Radical Islam. When we limit Israel’s ability to respond to it, we limit our own defense, and if by our limiting Israel, we further the cause of radical Islam… and I think we do… we’ll end up having to deal with the terrorists ourselves.