selective reading? The fighting raged for four hours after the Israelis landed near a previously evacuated Hizbollah-run hospital outside Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa Valley, as helicopters fired missiles and heavy machineguns to support the assault...The fighting was substantiated on video that was released...I didn't see it on the net, but on television it was clearly released to the news media... I don't doubt for a second that 4 hours of fighting in and around a hospital is beacuse of Hezbollah resistance. Thankfully the IDF took some hostages and made it clear on video of the resistance at the hospital...I beg hezbollah to stop these tactics...It is loathesome. I applaud Israel, on specific targeting and commiting commandos as necessary rather than just bombs...(which pics of which may be doctored as has been shown to be the case ) To summize:, "baalbek the last stand" symbolizes to me the new method in which specific commando drops has offered visualization of the wicked tactics by Hezbollah and a counter against Hezbollah supporters, as well as increased Hezbollah prisoners for interrogation and leverage (not to mention the counter against weapons with cover)...The result, and I propose and hope for and as such regard as a distinct possibility... that a ceasefire proposal involving a multi-task force which acknowledges that Hezbollah is illegitimate moreso than ever...
that is the dumbest thing i have ever seen, you just backed your argument with a wikipedia article stub that you yourself can edit.
Are you saying that the hospital is qualified as a Hezbollah HQ because the hospital was run by Hezbollah? While there may have been Hezbollah resistance, does that qualify it as a HQ? Did they capture anyone important? Did they destroy a big weapon cache at the hospital? Did they do damage to the Hezbollah infrastructure? Come on roxran, self proclaimed master of logic, even you can see the distinction between a Hezbollah HQ and a hospital run by Hezbollah right? I also do prefer that Israel send in commando instead of deliberately bombing civilian targets. However, I am still compelled to comdemn them for every civilian casualty during these assaults.
OldmanBernie, that is the kind of opposing post I have been hoping for in this thread...Good job. You brought up good points and that was a quality post I can respect. My response is that I feel the area is undisputed as Hezbollah based...Your counter that it may not have been a HQ is valid I must admit. But I feel there was a basis of merit in taking the hezbollah prisoners...In addition, utilizing Hezbollah with weapons at the hospital is apparent and the fact of such lends the question why it utilized a civilian based structure as cover in tandem with weaponry?...As such, it demonstrates that the usage exists, and the usage involves as reasoning on why it may be necessary for Israel to attack such guised structures/buildings...
Thanks ROXRAN, I appreciate your respect for my post. Can you elaborate the merit of taking Hezbollah prisoners? Will the capture have a strategic effect on ending this conflict? While I cannot dispute Hezbollah have used weapons at the hospital, if you have read the article I have posted, you will understand that Hezbollah has been the primary peacekeeping force in preventing looting and other crimes in the abandoned areas. While the killing of Hezbollah terrorists is justifiable, the article you posted fails to distinguish whether the people they killed and captured are actually terrorists. What really scares me is if Israel's true intent is to kill EVERY Hezbollah in this conflict, it will lead to a endless cycle of bloodbath. For every dead Hezbollah, his/her friends and family would become polarized and join in the fray as terrorists.
Removing Hezbelloh is impossible. If history has taught us one thing, it is this: In guerrilla warfare, a foreign state can not beat a local guerrilla force without the willingness to commit genocide. This is because it's nearly impossible for a foreign state to distinguish between civilians and guerrillas. Israel's and Bush's complaint that hezbelloh is using the population as "human sheild" is quite ridicuouls. Our nation obtained it's freedom using guerrilla warfare in many ways. If anything, Hezbelloh is merely mimicking successful tactics.
I disagree. It is a quite sound fact when it occurs...Hiding behind civilians in combat and hiding rockets in homes are irresponsible tactics...But then again, it's terrorist hezbollah...So what else is new?
