Monday, August 14, 2006

Monday, August 14. "CeaseFire Day"


7:01 PM Well, it looks like we've had our first day in a while with no rocket attacks on Northern Israel. Personally, I'm very skeptical that the quiet will remain...we'll wait and see.

Here's a video with a roundup of the war. Listen to the air raid sirens in the beginning...and imagine hearing them around the clock, and running back and forth to a bomb shelter. That's what life was like the past 35 days for Northern Israel.

Be back later...Hope all remains quiet (even the IDF is still on high alert in South Lebanon)

Sorry, the video clip was causing problems with the blog to load. Will try to fix it later. (Jameel)

6:09 PM AP reports that the IDF has killed 6 Hizbollah terrorists since the ceasefire started at 8:00 AM this morning. There are no wounded or casualties to IDF forces.

5:55 PM Channel 10 (Israel TV) reports of an SMS "petition" that was started by IDF soldiers in the elite "Egoz" unit, who were the first units into Lebanon. They are protesting the fact that the ceasefire doesn't include the return of the kidnapped IDF soldiers, and they request that every soldier who receives the SMS, to pass it on to an additional 10 IDF reservists...

4:45 PM Concerning the welfare of IDF soldiers during wartime.

A comment was left below by Eli concerning news reports that there were IDF soldiers in South Lebanon, with no food, and were told to "steal food." He wrote:

"IDF general says that if IDF soldiers in Lebanon don't have enough food or water they can break into Lebanese stores and steal it.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750384.html

I just posted about it on my blog.

What is wrong with our army? They are telling them to marauder."


While it may not look good for the IDF to have enough food or water, it is not considered "stealing" based on the Geneva Conventions. Article 54 of Protocols Additional I state:

Article 54.-Protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population

1. Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited.

2. It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works, for the specific purpose of denying them for their sustenance value to the civilian population or to the adverse Party, whatever the motive, whether in order to starve out civilians, to cause them to move away, or for any other motive.

3. The prohibitions in paragraph 2 shall not apply to such of the objects covered by it as are used by an adverse Party:

(a) As sustenance solely for the members of its armed forces; or

(b) If not as sustenance, then in direct support of military action, provided, however, that in no event shall actions against these objects be taken which may be expected to leave the civilian population with such inadequate food or water as to cause its starvation or force its movement.


4. These objects shall not be made the object of reprisals.

5. In recognition of the vital requirements of any Party to the conflict in the defence of its national territory against invasion, derogation from the prohibitions contained in paragraph 2 may be made by a Party to the conflict within such territory under its own control where required by imperative military necessity.


Bottom line; supply lines didn't get through (maybe it was too dangerous?) but I don't think it's wrong to take food if none was available. It's definitely not "stealing"...

4:20 PM Cleared for publication: Additional Two IDF soldiers killed in combat yesterday (total of 9).

3:02 PM Qassam rocket falls near Kissufim crossing into Gaza. No Injuries.

2:49 PM Israeli "talkback" commenters to hold rally demanding IDF action. Today (14/8) at 7:30 PM, at Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv, a demonstration is being organized by "talkback" commentators, against the Israeli Government's acceptance of the UN sponsored "ceasefire." The grassroots group is demanding that the IDF be allowed to "win"... developing story. (Link in Hebrew here) For more information, you can write to them at: atzuma.now@gmail.com

2:43 PM Reports of continued Hizbollah/IDF fighting in South Lebanon...could be the same report from earlier.

Very important posting for people to see -- what Palestinians do to those they believe are collborating with Israel. No trial needed here -- warning -- graphic photos and descrptions.

Is all here. (hat-tip: OlehGirl)

2:37 PM Stay away from the Iranian PM's blog...Oleh Girl has a whole expose on it here -- viruses..trojans...nasty stuff. I'm removing the clickable link from the posting below...

2:12 PM Still relatively quiet up North...I wonder how long it will last. And now, an important thought:

Only after the Israeli cabinet decided it was going to accept the ceasefire last week, did the "all out ground offensive" take place. IDF troops reached the Litani river on Shabbat, and according to the Israeli government, we now have all the force needed in South Lebanon, up to the Litani river, to keep the area secure from Hizbolla.

However...yesterday, Sunday August 13th, was the day with the most Katyusha rockets to hit Northern Israel. My question is; the Israeli government will tell you that the Litani is of important strategic value and that a strong IDF/UNFIL/LEBANESE ARMY force needs to be in place in South Lebanon, to keep Northern Israel safe. Yet, that's exactly where the IDF was on Shabbat and Sunday...and we managed to get hit by over 250 rockets! Is it possible they were fired from North of the Litani? If the IDF is in place south of the Litani, and yesterday was our worst day of rocketeering in the 35 days of fighting...then something is very very wrong.

1. Either the rockets are all coming from North of the Litani (in which case, the entire claim that the ceasefire is good for us, because it places an international force in South Lebanon, is a sham)

2. The IDF currently has at least 30,000 soldiers in South Lebanon, south of the Litani river, and yet, we were shot up pretty badly yesterday. Why will any other armed force be able to do the job better?

Food for thought.

1:17 PM Warsaw Uprising -- An Over-Reaction.



See it all here.

1:06 PM Joining the blog world is Iranian PM Ahmadinejad -- with a blog (its in Farsi, but if you click on the US flag, you can get some of it in English) of life in Iran. I assume it won't be as classy as the muqata blog, with graphics, pictures, movie clips and occasional jokes thrown in. I even wrote him a letter to politely request a blogroll link, yet I havent heard from him yet...I'll keep you posted.

Update: Click on the blog at your own risk, Oleh Girl seems to think its a bad idea (and I don't have time to get infected from it either) If you still want to go there, the url is: "http://www.ahmadinejad.ir")

1:00 PM
IDF kill one Hizbolla terrorist this morning in Randuriya, in the Easten sector of South Lebanon.

Current roundup of Israeli wounded:

114 soldiers wounded,
47 civilians wounded

34 of the wounded are in serious condition, 47 moderate.

12:45 PM 3 bodies of IDF soldiers extricated from tank near Misgav Am.

12:39 PMIDF troops open fire on Hizbolla terrorist in Western sector of South Lebanon (Kfar Chadta) who was about to fire on IDF troops. No injuires to IDF troops.

12:35 PM First reports of warfare since cease-fire declared at 8:00 AM. Hizbollah opens fire on IDF tank units in South Lebanon near Metulla. It is unclear if the IDF is returning fire. Update: an IDF tank is on fire...no injuries to IDF troops reported.

10:46 AM Cleared for publication: Two additional IDF soldiers killed in combat yesterday when a anti-tank missile hit their tank. Israel's firefighters have been called to Misgav Am to help in opening up the severly damaged tank.

10:12 AM I watched TV to see the ceasefire take place. As of 8 minutes before the 8:00 AM, the artillary commander hasn't received word to cease fire. In real-time, they showed him getting the order at 7:56, and he passed it on to his people.

I'll have a lot more to say later today, but here are some important news itmes to start off the day:

1. Hizbollah announces they will not disarm or leave South Lebanon. The Lebanese are slightly worried about this, and have asked the world for an additional 48 hours to resolve their internal crisis.

2. Two short-katyusha rockets were fired from Gaza at Southern Israel...one landed in Ashkelon, the other in an open field. One person slightly wounded.

3. MK Fuad Ben Eliezer (Labor), and cabinet minister announced during yesterday's (closed) government meeting, that Israel had lost the war. Ben-Eliezer, has previously been Israel's Defense Minister and had many command roles in the IDF before joining the Labor party. Another former Defense Minister in the cabinet, Shaul Mofaz abstained in the vote the agree to the cease-fire.

4. Last night, Hizbollah attempts at a large scale terror attack were thwarted by the IDF, as Hizbollah attempted to bring a truck full of explosives near Metulla.

5. Reuters reports that IDF forces in South Lebanon are starting to retreat towards Israel. (Huh? Didn't Israel promise we would stay till an adequate replacements arrive?")


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

16 comments:

AMERICA~LAND OF THE FREE said...

Please post something about the victims that were in the helicopter that went down. I have heard nothing about whether they were recovered or not. Thanks.

I can only hope that Lebanon will step up to the plate and take on Hebolahh and make them disarm. I will pray that someting GOOD may come from this. Thats all you can do at this point. :O)

Unknown said...

Ahmadinejad's blog is in Farsi, not in Arabic. Also, it looks like he had a whole team of IT people working on that blog and translating it. I wonder if we are getting the real thing or is it written for PR by professional writers.

Olah Chadasha said...

I was going to be that Warsaw thing up on my blog, but I decided it was inappropriate. Anyways, time to oust the government yet?
-OC

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

OC: Not time yet...soon...sometimes it's best to let the masses have a go at the government first. I didn't think the Warsaw post was inappropriate, since it's a cynical attack on those who don't like us.

Eli: You are of course, correct, that it's Farsi. Does it matter who writes it? Does anyone believe a word of it?

cyrano: Sorry I missed you...too much of a balagan at home.

America: I'm trying to find out what the deal is with the air-crew from the helicopter...

AMERICA~LAND OF THE FREE said...

Check out the link below.
These demons are the sickist I have ever seen in my life. This is going on right next to you. Where is the human rights orginization ? That little chunk of land and all its dermons needs to be pushed into the ocean. UNREAL UNREAL ! OMG
I heard about this person being killed but did not know that this is what they did to him. I am overwhelmed.

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2006/08/a_demonstration.html

Unknown said...

Has anyone seen this crazy article?

IDF general says that if IDF soldiers in Lebanon don't have enough food or water they can break into Lebanese stores and steal it.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750384.html

I just posted about it on my blog.

What is wrong with our army? They are telling them to marauder.

Does anyone think now it's a good time to oust the government and the IDF top command?

Unknown said...

Jameel.
Thanks for posting from the Geneva convention.

But seriously, how can we not be able to get a supply line so close? And the media will have a field day with this. (I guess they already are).

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Eli: It was very hard getting all our soldiers to the Litani, all of them (I think) were shipped in by helicopter, (or almost all of them) which was very dangerous for all involved. To use helicopters "just" to drop in food is rather dangerous (perhaps too dangerous...)

If the media wants to have a field day with anything, I suggest they have one with the lack of preparedness of the IDF -- to the point that families were BUYING helmets for their husbands/children who were sent in to Lebanon...without helmets...since the IDF "ran out" of them.

That's insane.

Jim said...

The Iranian PM blog is a means of 'measurement' of their enemy (us) in this other field of battle, that is my opinion, the less concrete info they have in all fields the better. My opinion.

Jerusalemcop said...

is there a cheaper-kol somewhere near the Litani? Maybe there is a rimon in downstown Beirut

J.

Rafi G. said...

whatever happened to "spoils of war"?

Amir said...

What sort of propaganda is that? Make me laugh! Is that the first time you have come cross that security alert? It only means that there is not a certified signature which could be identified by internet explorer. But it does not mean that the site has any viruses.

read the news on it in bbc : Iran's president launches weblog
as well.

Olah Chadasha said...

Um... The video isn't working.
-OC

AMERICA~LAND OF THE FREE said...

Fox News: 2 Fox news employees kidnapped in Gaza

Monday, August 14, 2006; Posted: 2:47 p.m. EDT (18:47 GMT)


GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Two Fox News employees were taken against their will Monday in Gaza, according to Fox News' Jerusalem bureau.

Negotiations are ongoing to secure their release, a Fox News reporter stated on air.
``````
Anyone know anything about this ? Who were they ?? Oh no !!

AMERICA~LAND OF THE FREE said...

http://www.gogomag.com/sc3/

Here is a picture of who the fox employee is that was kidnapped. His camera man was also taken.

AMERICA~LAND OF THE FREE said...

http://www.thoseshirts.com/blogshirts.html

This is funny. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY. :o)

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