Israel at War Watch: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Calls For An Immediate Cease-Fire in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers look at smoke rising from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli town of Metula Sunday July 30, 2006. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed ‘great sorrow’ Sunday for the airstrikes that destroyed houses in the Lebanese town of Qana and killed dozens of people, many of them children, but blamed Hezbollah guerrillas for using the area as a base for launching rockets at Israel.

AP: Annan calls for end to fighting in Lebanon

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called again for an immediate halt to violence between
Israel and Hezbollah, telling the U.N. Security Council he was “deeply disturbed” that his previous appeals went unheeded.

Annan condemned an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 54 people in Lebanon early Sunday, telling an emergency council meeting that it must demand an end to the violence.

“We meet at a moment of extreme gravity first and foremost for the people of the Middle East but also for the authority of this organization and especially this council,” Annan said. “Action is needed now before many more children, women and men become casualties of a conflict over which they have no control.”

The council been unable to take a stand on the fighting since it began three weeks ago. That is partly because the United States, unlike other members of the council, has refused to back Annan’s calls for an immediate cease-fire.

The United States should and MUST veto any resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire against Hezbollah. Will calling for Israel to lay down its arms be reciprocated by the terrorist Hezbollah?

There is NO gurantee.

There is NO international force that will fight and disarm Hezbollah.

An immediate cease-fire assures Hezbollah a VICTORY in the Global War on Terror.

Red Cross paramedics evacuate an injured Lebanese man recovered from the rubble of a demolished building that was struck by Israeli ware plane missiles at the village of Qana near the southern Lebanon city of Tyre, Sunday, July 30, 2006. At least 50 people, including scores of children, were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on this southern Lebanon village _ the deadliest attack in 19 days of fighting. Infuriated Lebanese officials canceled a planned visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, adding a major new hurdle to efforts to bring a cease fire.

In unusually frank terms, Annan said the council risked undermining its own authority if it does not take action.

“People have noticed its failure to act firmly and quickly during this crisis,” Annan said.

Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahoud criticized the council for its lack of action.

“Israel is committing atrocities against humanity,” Mahoud said. “The fact that such massacres are yet … to be taken up by resolutions of this august council,condemning an israeli airstrike that killed at least 54 people and that fact does not mean that the truth is to remain hidden.”

Israel is NOT committing atrocities against humanity.

Hezbollah started the conflict and continues to shoot rockets ATTEMPTING to kill Israeli civilians. Israel did not attempt purposely to kill these Lebanese civilians but why the hell are there still civilians in southern Lebanon anyway?

Israel was attacking Hezbollah “cowardly blended” terrorists who were using this area to stage rocket attacks on Israel civilians.

A cease-fire?

NO WAY – until Israel continues their campaign to seriously weaken and disarm Hezbollah. Anything less will be a defeat for Israel and protracted, yet postponed, continuing warfare with Hezbollah, Syrian and Iran.

Stay tuned…..

Israel at War Watch: Hezbollah Cowardly Civilian Blending Questioned?

Israel at War Watch: Iran – â€œThis War is Our Warâ€

Michael Ramirez on the Cowardice of Hezbollah

Israel at War Watch: Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah Threatens More Rocket Attacks on Cities in Central Israel

Technorati Tags: Israel, Iran, Hezbollah,UnitedNations, KofiAnnan

3 Comments

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July 30, 2006 at 11:37 am

Flopping Aces

john Carey

July 30, 2006 at 2:35 pm

Israel, Hezbollah and the Lessons for the U.S. Military
John E. Carey
July 30, 2006

I can still hear my favorite war college professor explaining for the simple minded, me among them: “Choose the time and place carefully, use overwhelming force, don’t underestimate the enemy, expect the unexpected, make attainable and quantifiable goals, and when you reach them successfully, get home.”

Israel might get an ” F ” in his course.

But the lessons leading to my professor’s simple calculus of war developed over time from studying many successful and unsuccessful military actions.

In December, 1862, a vastly superior Union Army force moved south through Virginia, while General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia, maneuvered to attain favorable locations and geography for a fight. Historian Robert Kirk wrote, “Lee neither flew ingloriously nor gave battle on his enemy’s chosen ground.” Lee worked to attain favorable ground and timing to his advantage.

At Fredericksburg, Lee seized the high ground and a strong defensive position. When Lee surveyed his forces and the terrain for the last time just before the Union onslaught, his artillery commander, Colonel Porter Alexander, who had his cannons in position to cover every inch of the attacker’s field, said, “General, a chicken could not live on that field when we open on it.”

The Union army attacked Lee and his Confederates repeatedly; resulting in unimaginable carnage to the Yankees. Lee won; the Union lost.

In July 1863, at Gettysburg, the Union Army managed to return the favor to Lee. After blundering into an engagement on July 1, Lee faced the Union Army which seized the high ground. Having failed to choose both the timing and terrain of this crucial battle, Lee failed to see the important advantages the Union troops had arrayed against him.

But Union Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock of the Union saw his advantages as soon as he surveyed the battlefield. “I think this is the strongest position by nature on which to fight a battle that I ever saw,” Hancock said.

It is not clear that Israel and the vaunted Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) correctly chose the timing of their latest fight with Hezbollah and their incursion into Lebanon. The terrain was ordained well in advance, the region offering few alternatives for appropriate military confrontation. In Israel’s case: you fight the enemy where you find him. So Israel’s remaining “special” advantage had to be time – and of course Israel’s decades long advantage: air power.

Both timing and air power seem to have failed Israel, this time.

“This is a war not of our choosing,” said Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to Washington.

When Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli soldiers and Israel responded with force called “disproportionate” by many, even Hezbollah was surprised by the reaction.

Mahmoud Komati, a senior Hezbollah official said, “we didn’t even expect this response” from Israel. Perhaps both sides blundered into war. The timing didn’t seem right; and the goals are still uncertain to many observers.

But Israeli war planners had an ace up their sleeve: overwhelming air power. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) commanders certainly promised a quick, overwhelming “shock and awe” type of attack upon key Hezbollah targets. Perhaps they have achieved that, at least in the minds of Israel’s citizens, where 70% of the population supports the current war effort.

Yet Israel’s use of air power is creating many civilian casualties and the world community is noticing. More and more people, especially Arabs, are speaking out against Israel and in support of Hezbollah.

Even U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s position seems to be eroding. At first, averse to a cease fire, Rice seemed to be begging for a cease fire by Sunday.

Civilian casualties in Lebanon even disrupted her mission to the Middle East Sunday, and she was compelled to cancel a trip to Beirut to meet with Lebanese leaders.

Israel was also taken by surprise by the extent of the Hezbollah rocket and missile threat. More than 1,500 rockets fired by Hezbollah have now landed in Israel and a sophisticated Chinese C-802 anti-ship cruise missile has hit an Israeli navy ship.

Still, the civilian deaths seem to be disproportionately in Lebanon and caused by Israel. For this, the IAF will suffer some consequences from the civilian leadership of Israel. But Israel blames Hezbollah for hiding among the civilians, a violation of civilized rules of war.

The lesson: expect the unexpected. This is asymmetrical warfare, where the sides do not match up and the events during the conflict require agility and changes to the game-plan on an almost daily basis. There is moral asymmetry; where one nations (Israel) refuses to hide behind civilians, while the enemy, Hezbollah, blatantly uses civilians for cover while launching attacks into Israel.

The U.S. military will certainly need to take in the lessons of the battle between Hezbollah and Israel. But for the simple minded like me, I can already sum up: “Choose the time and place carefully, use overwhelming force, don’t underestimate the enemy, expect the unexpected, make attainable and quantifiable goals, and when you reach them successfully, get home.”

This is a war on terror and it is not easy to watch. Our sensibilities in the U.S. are being tested. The entire nation of Israel is being testing tonight.

So today, as the sun sets in the Middle East, there is no cease fire. And the battle between Hezbollah and Israel will continue; probably until Israeli objectives are met.

Also at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_
john_e___060730_israel_2c_hezbollah_an.htm

http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/

john Carey

July 30, 2006 at 2:39 pm

Flap: I am working on completing an exclusive interview with a very knowledgable sourse in Israel. I expect the complete essay will appear in The Washington Times on Tuesday August 1…..

Here are some quotes from what I have for my TWT editor tomorrow…

SOURCE: â€œI think I can represent the view of the majority of Israelis. And I think I understand well the position of the Government of Israel.â€

â€œA cease fire now, without achieving the strategic goals of the operation in Lebanon, would be an incomplete finish for Israel. In fact, a cease fire now would be dangerous to Israel….”

â€œEvery Israeli regrets the loss of innocent lives….”

â€œI think there has to be a discussion with Syria, with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in fact. And the thought is that the United States has to lead this discussion with Syriaâ€™s president.â€

â€œWe would urge Syria to close all traffic and commerce with Iran. The nuclear program in Iran is a serious concern for the whole world and for the Middle East. The most serious long-term problem in the war on terror is the nuclear program in Iran….”

â€œAt some point, action would have to be taken against Iran. This is inevitable. But the near-term effort is to neutralize Hezbollah, and this means we have to give Syria the opportunity to help and understand that this is for their best interest….”

Pingback:

July 30, 2006 at 11:37 am

Flopping Aces
john Carey

July 30, 2006 at 2:35 pm

Israel, Hezbollah and the Lessons for the U.S. Military
John E. Carey
July 30, 2006

I can still hear my favorite war college professor explaining for the simple minded, me among them: “Choose the time and place carefully, use overwhelming force, don’t underestimate the enemy, expect the unexpected, make attainable and quantifiable goals, and when you reach them successfully, get home.”

Israel might get an ” F ” in his course.

But the lessons leading to my professor’s simple calculus of war developed over time from studying many successful and unsuccessful military actions.

In December, 1862, a vastly superior Union Army force moved south through Virginia, while General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia, maneuvered to attain favorable locations and geography for a fight. Historian Robert Kirk wrote, “Lee neither flew ingloriously nor gave battle on his enemy’s chosen ground.” Lee worked to attain favorable ground and timing to his advantage.

At Fredericksburg, Lee seized the high ground and a strong defensive position. When Lee surveyed his forces and the terrain for the last time just before the Union onslaught, his artillery commander, Colonel Porter Alexander, who had his cannons in position to cover every inch of the attacker’s field, said, “General, a chicken could not live on that field when we open on it.”

The Union army attacked Lee and his Confederates repeatedly; resulting in unimaginable carnage to the Yankees. Lee won; the Union lost.

In July 1863, at Gettysburg, the Union Army managed to return the favor to Lee. After blundering into an engagement on July 1, Lee faced the Union Army which seized the high ground. Having failed to choose both the timing and terrain of this crucial battle, Lee failed to see the important advantages the Union troops had arrayed against him.

But Union Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock of the Union saw his advantages as soon as he surveyed the battlefield. “I think this is the strongest position by nature on which to fight a battle that I ever saw,” Hancock said.

It is not clear that Israel and the vaunted Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) correctly chose the timing of their latest fight with Hezbollah and their incursion into Lebanon. The terrain was ordained well in advance, the region offering few alternatives for appropriate military confrontation. In Israel’s case: you fight the enemy where you find him. So Israel’s remaining “special” advantage had to be time – and of course Israel’s decades long advantage: air power.

Both timing and air power seem to have failed Israel, this time.

“This is a war not of our choosing,” said Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to Washington.

When Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli soldiers and Israel responded with force called “disproportionate” by many, even Hezbollah was surprised by the reaction.

Mahmoud Komati, a senior Hezbollah official said, “we didn’t even expect this response” from Israel. Perhaps both sides blundered into war. The timing didn’t seem right; and the goals are still uncertain to many observers.

But Israeli war planners had an ace up their sleeve: overwhelming air power. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) commanders certainly promised a quick, overwhelming “shock and awe” type of attack upon key Hezbollah targets. Perhaps they have achieved that, at least in the minds of Israel’s citizens, where 70% of the population supports the current war effort.

Yet Israel’s use of air power is creating many civilian casualties and the world community is noticing. More and more people, especially Arabs, are speaking out against Israel and in support of Hezbollah.

Even U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s position seems to be eroding. At first, averse to a cease fire, Rice seemed to be begging for a cease fire by Sunday.

Civilian casualties in Lebanon even disrupted her mission to the Middle East Sunday, and she was compelled to cancel a trip to Beirut to meet with Lebanese leaders.

Israel was also taken by surprise by the extent of the Hezbollah rocket and missile threat. More than 1,500 rockets fired by Hezbollah have now landed in Israel and a sophisticated Chinese C-802 anti-ship cruise missile has hit an Israeli navy ship.

Still, the civilian deaths seem to be disproportionately in Lebanon and caused by Israel. For this, the IAF will suffer some consequences from the civilian leadership of Israel. But Israel blames Hezbollah for hiding among the civilians, a violation of civilized rules of war.

The lesson: expect the unexpected. This is asymmetrical warfare, where the sides do not match up and the events during the conflict require agility and changes to the game-plan on an almost daily basis. There is moral asymmetry; where one nations (Israel) refuses to hide behind civilians, while the enemy, Hezbollah, blatantly uses civilians for cover while launching attacks into Israel.

The U.S. military will certainly need to take in the lessons of the battle between Hezbollah and Israel. But for the simple minded like me, I can already sum up: “Choose the time and place carefully, use overwhelming force, don’t underestimate the enemy, expect the unexpected, make attainable and quantifiable goals, and when you reach them successfully, get home.”

This is a war on terror and it is not easy to watch. Our sensibilities in the U.S. are being tested. The entire nation of Israel is being testing tonight.

So today, as the sun sets in the Middle East, there is no cease fire. And the battle between Hezbollah and Israel will continue; probably until Israeli objectives are met.

Also at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_
john_e___060730_israel_2c_hezbollah_an.htm

http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/
john Carey

July 30, 2006 at 2:39 pm

Flap: I am working on completing an exclusive interview with a very knowledgable sourse in Israel. I expect the complete essay will appear in The Washington Times on Tuesday August 1…..

Here are some quotes from what I have for my TWT editor tomorrow…

SOURCE: â€œI think I can represent the view of the majority of Israelis. And I think I understand well the position of the Government of Israel.â€

â€œA cease fire now, without achieving the strategic goals of the operation in Lebanon, would be an incomplete finish for Israel. In fact, a cease fire now would be dangerous to Israel….”

â€œEvery Israeli regrets the loss of innocent lives….”

â€œI think there has to be a discussion with Syria, with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in fact. And the thought is that the United States has to lead this discussion with Syriaâ€™s president.â€

â€œWe would urge Syria to close all traffic and commerce with Iran. The nuclear program in Iran is a serious concern for the whole world and for the Middle East. The most serious long-term problem in the war on terror is the nuclear program in Iran….”

â€œAt some point, action would have to be taken against Iran. This is inevitable. But the near-term effort is to neutralize Hezbollah, and this means we have to give Syria the opportunity to help and understand that this is for their best interest….”