Breaking News

August 14

Hezbollah today distributed leaflets congratulating Lebanon on its “big victory” and thanking citizens for their patience during the 34-day war with Israel.

Supporters of the guerrilla group were seen passing out leaflets to cars heading south on the Zahrani highway, which connects the hard-hit southern cities of Nabatiyeh, Tyre and Sidon.

“Congratulations to you on the big victory, with the support of God, the mujahedeen (holy warriors) and your patience,” it read.

The flyers also warned people not to touch any suspicious objects, which could be unexploded ordnance.

eom

52 percent of Israelis: IDF failed

Survey: 58 percent believe Israel only achieved small part of objectives, if at all; Kadima, Labor would crash were elections held today, poll shows
Ilan Marciano

A Globes-Smith survey published on Monday showed that the majority of Israelis (52 percent) believe the IDF was unsuccessful in its Lebanon offensive, as opposed to 44 percent who believe the army did well.

According to the survey, 58 percent of the public believes Israel achieved few if any objectives in the war, up from 16 percent 11 days ago.

The survey showed that only 3 percent of Israelis believe that the country achieved most or all of its pre-war objectives, down from 33 percent a week ago.

According to the survey, were the elections held today Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima party would receive less than 20 mandates (as opposed to the 29 it received in the March elections), while Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s Labor party would receive only 12 mandates (as opposed to the 19 it obtained in the recent elections).

66 percent: Ceasefire agreement not good

Overall, 60 percent of those who voted for Kadima and Labor said they would not vote for them, with most becoming undecided voters at this time.

The picture emerging from the new survey is fundamentally different from the one prevalent during the month of the war in the North, where the public expressed its support for both the government and military – positions that can be characterized as "patriotic."

About half the public believes the ceasefire would be maintained for longer than a month, while 35 percent think it would only last a
week.

Only six percent of respondents said they thought the Security Council resolution that ended the fighting is good and achieves most of Israel's objections. Meanwhile, 66 percent believe the agreement is not good – only a quarter of those said this is the best agreement that can be obtained under the circumstances. Overall, 38 percent said the deal is not good but Israel had no choice but to accept it.

(08.14.06, 19:42)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3291214,00.html

with George Friedman:

Doesn’t see that the cease fire will hold and believes there will be constant battling after a short lull. Israel wants: the rockets to stop and for Hizbullah to be south of the river.

Hizbullah even if it withdraws, will have its main forces in place to continue to fight.

The Peacekeeping force would have to engage in combat with Hizbullah to stop them. They would have to suppress Israel forces too—just too big of an undertaking.

Israel has not accomplished much. The big winner is Hizbullah—it stood up to Israel and fought them to a standstill. If the war ended with today’s results, it would change the middle east and that is something Israel doesn’t want to happen—they will continue to fight.

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Comments: Not an encouraging report especially to the Lebanese population, some of whom are in the process of returning to their homes.

First, he talked about the sacrifices of all the Martyrs.
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He is saying that all the houses that are destroyed in the south, I would like to all the families not to worry, today, I will tell you my promise, that you have nothing to worry about, and go anywhere, you will be assisted by our brothers starting tomorrow.

We will not wait for the government to assist you, we will give all the families money to rent a house for at least a year including furniture. Tomorrow, we will start this service to all the families.
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We will provide housing for over 15,000 households.

Second, we will rebuild very soon with our assistance.

I ask all the engineers, we are here, we ask everyone not to price gouge and respect our families. I ask all Citizens to assist one another with love and respect.

I ask all students, engineers, teachers to go to the streets and rebuild, even if it is just a few hours a day, we can achieve it.
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Lastly,

About the HAs weapons a few days ago. My brothers and sisters, during the battles, your resistance movement, there were discussion on our weapons and about the army in the south and the UN. What is our position about Resistance?

This was going on before and after the UN resolution. After the UN resolution, some ministers in the government were talking on TV and radio and grew and grew out in the open. It was supposed to be discussed in closed doors but not out in the open. Some ministers took out to the open and that was not right.

This does not serve our interests but serves the Israeli enemy. Some still want to take Lebanon to interests that do not represent Lebanon.

I ask these ministers who took this issue out to the open, and this was a very grave mistake.

Mistake 1: this is Unethical from their part. Lebanon was under heavy bombardment, but mostly in the south, beqaa and the south of beirut. During this, 1 million lebanese refugees, and 15,000 houses destroyed, and many massacres was taking place and you saw them on Television. AND during Israelis failed
Under ALL THIS, some ministers get into discussions under their air conditionsed rooms while sitting on their couches, and talk about us the resistance. How can they have ethics and morals, how can they all be true Lebanese when their brothers and sisters are getting killed.

This is a grave mistake by them.
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We stood up with our heads proud, while our enemy is showing humiliations.

Second, again about the HA and the weapons south of the Litani. What about the weapons north of the Litani, what about the weapons in other parts of Lebanon.

This does not work, please don't get into "pressures" don't waste your time in discsussing this. The american/israeli war is about HA weapons. The strongest army in the middle east could not remove the weapons.

To you local ministers, you are giving in to the American and Israeli demands. Did the local ministers get any guarantees about who will protect us from Israeli agression? Any Israeli government knows that any war in Lebanon is a complete failure.

About the army, we are ok with the army in the south, but the army is not capable in defending the south. UN also can't do anything about protecting Lebanon even with 10 15 thousand soldiers.
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Nasrallah :

Build a strong goverment and a strong Army and then come and speak of Disarming Hizbollah , IF we saw a strong goverment we will not have any reason to bear weapons !

IMO , This is very true.

Salam

We are here to talk, but always some ministers want things their way. We are in the government. Is this the government that supposed to protect you? It is wishfull. But we have talked about it during the discussions we had with the rest of the ministers.

Promise the southern Lebanese that you can protect them.

Finally,

Lets take the dialogue back to where it belongs. today the Lebanese force is in the resistance, and together we can build a stronger Lebanon, with its army.

Dont get lost into wasting time and nonsense, this will weeken the resistance. Lets take this discussion into closed doors and the ministers should understand this.

I wish all the returnees, you are the owners of the land, you are the pride, build and and history will show.

God bless...

Nasrallah: Soon will speak in public squares

Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in an al-Manar broadcast "Soon I will address people in public squares and tell them the details of what happened."

The statement was a response to Ehud Olmert's speech to the Knesset plenum Sunday, in which the PM declared that Israel would continue to track down Hizbullah operatives. (Ali Waked)

(08.14.06, 20:34)

ynetnews.com

21:01 Celebratory gun fire rings out in Lebanon as Nasrallah declares victory (AP)

1701 does not forbid arms in Lebanon. Lebanon can have arms all over the country. It just says that whatever arms there are should be with the consent of the government and be under the control of the official Lebanese armed forces. Same goes for the supply of arms and training from abroad, it must be done only with the consent of the government.

1701 in effect calls for the Lebanese government to exercise its sovereignty over the whole territory of Lebanon.

OK, fine. Just declare Hizballah a division of the official armed forces of Lebanon! Call it the 'Hizballah Division' of the Lebanese Army. Order it deployed in the south. Request arms supplies from the sovereign government of Iran. Re-equip it.

Exercize sovereignty over all Lebanon by kicking out the Zionist invader and rebuilding fortified defensive line across the whole southern border, and when asked, just say you're implementing 1701.

Then watch the Zionist and neocon heads exploding.

pull out of South Lebanon before the displaced refugees who are currently pouring out of the North in their thousands get back to what used to be their homes.

If the residents of places like Bint Jbail find Israeli troops in what's left of their town I dread to think what will happen.

I also wonder how many Hizbollah fighters, RPGs, AK47s and boxes of ammunition are hidden amongst the convoys of these fervently pro Hizbollah refugees.

as Juan Cole points out the:

Kosovo Liberation Army

The KLA were at one time classified as a terrorist organization.