Originally posted by FistOfThe North
How so? In what way?Israel has the most powerful military in the middle East
Playing War games with a border state is very dangerous look at Rwanda & Burundi there could be serious loses to both sides.
Isreal are'nt invincible they have military might but still can't deter their enemies. Both sides would have to put their cards on the table for negociation which they've tryed in the past and still no peace.
(CNN) -- Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah apologized for an attack that killed two Israeli Arab children in northern Israel, saying the youngsters were "martyrs for Palestine."In a Thursday interview with Arabic-language news network Al-Jazeera, Nasrallah accepted responsibility for the Wednesday attack, while conceding that an apology to the family was not sufficient.
"To the family that was hit in Nazareth -- on my behalf and my brothers', I apologize to this family," he said.
"Some events like that happen. At any event, those who were killed in Nazareth, we consider them martyrs for Palestine and martyrs for the nation. I pay my condolences to them."
As volleys of Hezbollah rockets have soared across the border for the last nine days, Israel has pounded Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes. Despite Israeli claims to the contrary, Nasrallah said the attacks have failed to faze Hezbollah politically or militarily.
"I can say at this moment, and assure without exaggeration, without psychological warfare, just facts, that the political leadership of Hezbollah has not been harmed," Nasrallah said. (Watch Nasrallah promise Hezbollah 'surprises' -- 1:17)
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it dropped 23 tons of bombs on a bunker housing Hezbollah senior leadership. On Thursday, the military said it estimated that its days of attacks had destroyed about half of Hezbollah's military assets.
Both claims are false, Nasrallah said.
"They are unable, up until this moment, to do anything to harm us, and I assure you of that," he said. "Hezbollah has stood fast and absorbed the strike and now is going to initiate and will deliver surprises that it promises. We keep other things for ourselves that we'll do later on."
He did say, however, that Hezbollah leaders' homes have been destroyed and their families displaced. On the other hand, several Israeli spies have been seized, he said.
Technical and intelligence failures have caused the Israeli military to strike the wrong targets, he said.
Asked if he was downplaying Hezbollah losses, Nasrallah flatly denied it.
"We don't hide our martyrs. Throughout history, we have not done so," he said. "You know Lebanon. There are no secrets in Lebanon."
After Israel announced that it had struck the bunker, Hezbollah said on its Al-Manar television station that Israel had hit an under-construction mosque, but caused no casualties.
Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel but is lauded by many Lebanese for its social endeavors, became the target of Israeli assaults after the group's guerillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three others during a cross-border raid July 12.
Though Israel has struck what it calls strategic points throughout Lebanon -- including airports, docks, roads, bridges and Hezbollah political offices -- Nasrallah said Thursday that his group is still operating calmly and methodically. (Watch Israeli pilots describe strikes -- 1:54)
Though some Israeli troops have crossed into Lebanon, Nasrallah said that a ground war had yet to begin.
"Fighters on the ground, up to now, they have not even begun," he said. "Our fighters who are present at the border, they have not made a great effort in the past few days."
Call for negotiation
Only "indirect negotiation" will bring about the return of the two kidnapped soldiers, Nasrallah said."Even if the whole world comes down, they will not be able to return the two Israeli soldiers unless we have an indirect negotiation," he said.
After the soldiers' abduction, Hezbollah demanded Israel open negotiations on a prisoner exchange. Israel rejected the demand, saying it would encourage more kidnappings.
Hezbollah enjoys backing from Syria and Lebanon, but Nasrallah denied during the interview that either country played a role in the current conflict.
"Hezbollah is not fighting for Syria. Hezbollah is not fighting for Iran. Hezbollah is fighting for Lebanon," he said.
"Hezbollah has always put the Lebanese interests first," he said. "We are a resistance on Lebanese land. We have prisoners in Israeli jails. We have the right to have them back."
Nasrallah said several times that Israel is a formidable opponent, especially considering that it possesses "the most powerful air force in the Middle East and one of the most powerful in the world, and they own the skies."
He further said it was "logical" that Lebanon has incurred more casualties than Israel because Israel has better military technology and, unlike Lebanon, its civilians have bomb shelters.
Israel's response to Hezbollah rocket attacks has been excessive because its goal is not to free the soldiers but "to eradicate Hezbollah and every other resistance in Lebanon," he added.
Israel, he said, would have found a pretext to launch the current offensive even if the soldiers had not been kidnapped.
"Israel was told by America to go ahead and finish this issue," he alleged. "This is what Israel is doing. This is what America needs to recreate the region anew."
As for a lack of support from some Arab nations, Nasrallah said he wasn't surprised because the international community has never supported Hezbollah. In their hearts, though, Arabs support the movement, he said.
Nasrallah concurred with Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, who said Saturday that the Middle East process was "dead." (Full story)
certainly...a respectable gesture?
Originally posted by FistOfThe North
How so? In what way?Israel has the most powerful military in the middle East
Soleran is right...I'm not referring to military strength. IMO, Syria and I ran have a clear role in this. But why kidnap now...what do they have to gain?
1. Isreal already invaded Palestine..they are busy with another military conflict.
Benefit: Isreal has to fight on two fronts.
2. The G8 conference...Iran's nuclear program and the Syrian role in the Hariri assassination wer on the agenda...they were sidelined for obvious reasons.
Benefit: Less global action against Syria and Iran.
3. Extremism. No matter what Isreal says they're doing, they are doing a very successful job of attacking all of Lebanon. They are destorying infrastructre, telling people to leave thier homes. This stirs up tons of anti-Isreali sentiment. Since the Lebanese government cant fight Hezbollah without starting civil war, Hezbollah will be increasingly viewed as the good guys (standing up against Isreal's belligerancy)...
Benefit: Increasing Hezbollah's power
4. This leads to increased Hezbollah influnece in the official government, which gets Iran, but especialyl Syria back in the dirver's seat of the Lebanses government since they wer kicked out a year ago.
Benefit: Increased extremist elements and local power.
5. Increased anti-Isreali sentiment across the islamic world.
Benefit: Incread manpower for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
6. Trapping the US. The us can't get involved...because Iraq is nicely situated between Syria and Iran. A regional war would destroy the US's presence in the region.
7. International support of Isreal has plummeted...even the US is having trouple passing a resolution to support them.
So, on one side, we've got Bush and Puppy Dog saying that Syria and Iran are supplying Hezbollah with weapons. Then, on the other side, we've got Israel, which is basically sponsored by the US and Britain, which is subsequently bombing the shit out of the whole of Lebanon.
Nice work, guys. Now tell us who the baddies are...
Originally posted by Ya Krunk'd Floo
So, on one side, we've got Bush and Puppy Dog saying that Syria and Iran are supplying Hezbollah with weapons. Then, on the other side, we've got Israel, which is basically sponsored by the US and Britain, which is subsequently bombing the shit out of the whole of Lebanon.Nice work, guys. Now tell us who the baddies are...
Tell me again who is "sponsoring" Hezbollah?
Originally posted by Osaka
Far lower? I not the american so keep trying 😆
how could you miss this delicious irony?
Originally posted by Yoshiaki
I kinda have to agree with Osaka.Americans are pretty stupid, compared to like every European country, Asian country, and Canada we have a lot more... err... "Ignorant" children. We also don't seem to care about ourselves, so we eat McDonald's every day and then sue when we spill hot coffee on ourselves because it was hot.
i find idiotic prejudice eletist twats who stereotype an entire nation while having no knowledge of it or its people to be far more stupid. what do you think?
Originally posted by PVS
funny how when people point that out in all their grand knowledge, they still bash the "stupid american", dont they? more delicious irony, considering they indirectly confess their detest for south, central, and north americans
And let's be honest, Bill Hicks was American (applicable)...there goes your "stupid american" bye-bye.
Stupid foreigners (ironic as well).
What their views are and what they think about the whole situation and what they're going to do to try and quell the situation since the international community keeps mentioning them and kinda indirectly calling them out, accusing them of supplying munitions to Hezbolla.
There has to be diplomacy and communication among all parties in order to find a peaceful solution to what going on over there. The last thing we (even here in the U.S.) want is a mushroom cloud in the region.
We keep being told that the conflict was started by Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip when a total of three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped. BULLSHIT. What is happening is the latest outbreak of hostilities that began when the Rothschild dynasty targeted what was then Arab Palestine to be what it called a 'Homeland for the Jews'.
What do most Israelis, Arabs, Jews, Gentiles, Chinese, whoever, really want? They want peace and love and harmony in their lives. So let us grasp that together. It is what unites us, this desire for peace, love and freedom. It crosses the delusions of the religious and racial divide. Why should we go on allowing the crazies to deny it to us?How do we change the world from hatred and war to peace and love?
We must be peaceful and loving and cease to cooperate with the forces of hatred and war.
They can only control us and dictate to us with our cooperation because they are the few and we are the many. We are the power on this planet if only we realised that and expressed it with a passion. The dark eyes and dark suits can only have power through divide and rule. They want us to fight among ourselves, only then can these pathetic people have their wicked way.
As Gandhi said: 'We must be the change we want to see in the world.'
Truer words never spoken.
'I'm ready, what about you?
i have the full article IF people are interested