Saysame - On Israel--history-repeat-with-a-twist: August 2006

I-8 A shaken Landscape ---- A New Reality

With both Israel and Hezoballah claiming victory, former senior CIA official Milt Bearden says, "the winners and losers are clear."
"Where it counts, Hezbollah is clearly the winner,"

Bearden goes on to say. "For Israel ... not winning is losing. And for an irregular force like Hezbollah, not losing is winning."

What the signals to other oppressed nations in the area and around the world is beyond words.

"Food for thought"
JR
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UPDATE: '06 Aug 19 Saturday
Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon raid

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah fighters battled Israeli commandos who landed near the militants' stronghold deep inside Lebanon early Saturday, killing one soldier, in the first apparent large-scale violation of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire between the sides.

UpDate '06 Aug 19 2:00 pm
Beirut fury at 'ceasefire breach'
The raid, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, left one Israeli dead and two injured. The Israeli raid centred on the village of Bodai, west of the city of Baalbek, some 100km (60 miles) north of the Israeli border. Israel said it was trying to disrupt the movement of weapons from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah, and insisted the ceasefire was still intact.

It is the first incident of its kind since the ceasefire came into effect.

In Beirut, the raid prompted an angry response from Mr Siniora. "It is a naked violation of the cessation of hostilities declared by the Security Council," he told reporters. But Israel insisted it had not breached the ceasefire.

I-7 First analysis of the Israel - Lebanon WAR

Reports are now coming in on the casualties and damage inflicted on Lebanon and Israel during the 34 day war.

LEBANON:
• Deaths: 845 total — 743 civilians, 34 soldiers and 68 Hezbollah. Israel says it killed about 530 guerrillas. The Higher Relief Council put the overall death toll at 1,181 and said one-third were children and the majority were civilians.
• Wounded: 4,051.
• Number of buildings destroyed: More than 15,000 homes — houses or individual apartments within buildings. About 900 commercial structures, including farms and factories.
• Number of displaced people: 916,000, or about one-fourth of the population.
• Damage to transportation system: 400 miles of roads; 80 bridges; the international airport.
• Overall damage: At least $3.5 billion to infrastructure; $9.4 billion overall, including clean up of a major oil spill from an Israeli strike on a storage facility at a Beirut power plant.
• Access to water and electricity was severely interrupted. About $180 million in damage to the electricity grid; $70 million to the water treatment and delivery system.
• To see the damage Israel inflicted on Lebanon, see photos below this post

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ISRAEL:

• Deaths: 157 total — 118 soldiers and 39 civilians.
• Wounded: 860.
• Number of buildings destroyed: no official figures, but tax authorities report more than 6,000 claims for damaged buildings and more are expected as displaced people return home.
• Number of strikes: 3970 Hezbollah rockets, 901 of them inside cities.
• Number of displaced people: 300,000.
• Damage to transportation system: Not immediately available.
• Overall damage: Media reports say about $3 billion in damages and lost revenue, but do not give a source for that estimate. Israeli Finance Minister Avraham Hirschon could give no precise figure but said it would be "many billions."
• Access to water and electricity: Isolated water and electricity lines hit; repairs made within 48 hours.
• To see the damage Lebanon's Hezoballah inflicted on Israel, see photos at bottom of th is page.

You can view the entire report at this link.

I-6 A temporary Peace until the US & Israel have another plan

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert claims deficiencies in Israels War against Hezoballah

I-5 Israels rain of destruction

Israels rain of destruction

The U.N. estimates that Israel fired 2,600 artillery rounds, missiles and bombs into Lebanon each day of the five-week war. That's a total of 88,400 bombs dropped on Lebanon. Many of these aerial bombs carried 500lbs of explosives and are responsible for the mass destruction that you see in these photos.

The number of deaths in Lebanon so far stands at more than 1,100, mostly civilians, while Israel had 157 deaths, 118 soldiers and 39 civilians. For more of the story see Rain of Destruction

All this and for what? Oh Yea!!! I forgot... the Bush/Israeli rhetoric... that Israel has the right to defend itself.... This not defence!

Maybe instead of capturing those two Israeli soldiers, Hezoballah should have just killed them... then all this might not have happened.
To see the damage inflicted on Israel by Lebanon Hezoballah rockets, see this link Destruction in Israel at the bottom of the page.