Updated
A Hezbollah leader said today in an interview with the Associated Press that it was surprised by the strength of Israel’s response:
A senior Hezbollah official said Tuesday the guerrilla group did not expect Israel to react so strongly to its capture of two Israeli soldiers.
Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah’s political arm, also told The Associated Press in an interview that his group will not lay down arms.
“The truth is _ let me say this clearly _ we didn’t even expect (this) response…. that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us,” said Komati.
He said Hezbollah had expected “the usual, limited response” from Israel to the July 12 cross-border raid, in which three Israelis were killed.
In the past, he said, Israeli responses to Hezbollah actions included sending commandos into Lebanon to seize Hezbollah officials or briefly targeting specific Hezbollah strongholds.
He said the Shiite group had anticipated there would be negotiations on exchanging the Israeli soldiers for three Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails, with Germany acting as a mediator as it did before.
Hezbollah’s surprise at Israel’s response proves once and for all that Israel’s use of restraint, which the international community has demanded every time Israel was attacked, has prevented peace from flourishing in the region. Rather than creating peace, it actually encouraged the terrorists to continue their car bombings, homicide bombings, and rocket attacks because they knew they would not be severely punished. So, whenever Arafat’s PLO fired rockets into Israel, dispatched homocide bombers into crowded Israeli marketplaces or on busses, the international community insisted on peace negotiations, giving the terrorists and their actions legitimacy. It’s a shame really. If Israel had not been restrained all these years and had been free to respond quickly and fully, the terrorists may not have reached the level of dominance that they have today.
Well, it’s about time this violence finally stopped and there’s only one way to stop it. There can be no cease-fire – of any kind. Instead, the Israelis should conduct their war for as long as required to make sure Hezbollah is not only disarmed but destroyed – completely. Israel needs to squish Hezbollah like a bug on a sidewalk. In fact, every single time a terrorist organization pulls a stunt like Hezbollah’s kidnapping of Israel’s soldiers, Israel’s response can be nothing short of complete destruction of the terrorists. Only when the terrorists understand that even the smallest infraction will be met with an iron fist will peace finally take hold in the region and around the world.
Update: Alexandra writes We are all Jews Now.
Similar “surpise factor” Osama got after 9/11.
U.S. response had typically been the lobbing of a few cruise missiles. Yes, OBL expected TWICE the usual number. But I guarantee he, and especially Mullah Omar, NEVER expected to have their pretty little terror kingdom uprooted!!
Same principle!
“There can be no cease-fire – of any kind.”
Well, there will be. You can’t fight an unlimited war against terrorism (something you bushies can’t seem to grasp). It’s wac-a-mole forever.
Israel is creating the safe zone it needs, there will be a cease fire, and then talks. Get real.
“The truth is _ let me say this clearly _ we didn’t even expect (this) response…. that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us,” said Komati.
Israel needs to publicly say – this response will now be considered the standard response.
One missle, one suicide bomber, and Israel will come in and blow up your shit like you never thought possible – 20 years back was so that you could comprehend the setback – how about setting you back 500 years or maybe 1000? Israel will strike back 1000 times the blow you reach out with until you learn to live in peace with Israel. If you want war, Israel will be happy to deliver it right to your doorstep in 30 minutes or less or the next GPS guided warhead is free………
You’re right. The fighting will continue. Even when one side is anihilated, there will be resistance for years. Generations of hate will cause it to proliferate until one side is nullified.
It’s not the extermination we’re after though, it’s that crushing blow that limits their scope to firecrackers instead of dynamite.
That’s why Jefferson said that the tree of Liberty must be watered from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants.
World peace is a joke with no punch line.
You’re right. The fighting will continue. Even when one side is anihilated, there will be resistance for years. Generations of hate will cause it to proliferate until one side is nullified.
It’s not the extermination we’re after though, it’s that crushing blow that limits their scope to firecrackers instead of dynamite.
That’s why Jefferson said that the tree of Liberty must be watered from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants.
World peace is a joke with no punch line.
A long time ago, I knew a guy who had the very bad habit of picking fights in bars. He’d win a few, he’d lose a few, but he never got hurt too bad. A few stitches, an occasional sprain or a black eye, but nothing really serious.
Then, one time, he took a random swing at one guy who wasn’t in the mood at all. A couple of weeks in he hospital, damned near died. He blamed the other guy for overreacting.
…but he never started another fight…
Lee,
You need a better grounding in behavioral psychology. Eventually even the most stubborn realize that the stove is hot & they shouldn’t grab it once they get burned enough.
Israel needs to squish Hezbollah like a bug on a sidewalk.
And Israel has the balls to do just that.
Personally, I think our present do-nothing (or least look busy while doing nothing) strategy stance with Israel is the right one. Let them do what needs to be done. No more talking; no more international interference; no nothing. Hezbollah (aka: Little Iran) has made it abundantly clear they’re not interested in talking, so don’t talk. Shoot. And shoot a lot.
And sorry to the Lebanese but, well, maybe next time maybe you” realize you’ve been played by Hezbollah as a shield against and you won’t be so goddamn accepting of assholes in your midst.
If the Lebanese had the same balls as the Israelis, they’d join the Israelis in crushing Hezbollah. I don’t see that happening, just more f***ed up whoa-is-us, look-what-the-Jews-do bullshit marytrdom and zero sense of personal responsibility.
Go Israel. I wish the hell we would follow your example in places like Iraq.
“Eventually even the most stubborn realize that the stove is hot & they shouldn’t grab it once they get burned enough.”
Fine if you’re a fan of Pavlov, but I’m more in line with BF Skinner. I think we are creating terrorists by the way we respond to them. We’ve giving them a cause to die for…
Kofi the commune(icator) “Isreal deliberately targeted UN observers!” I wish they would deliberately target Your disgustingly corrupt traitorous ass!
Kofi the commune(icator) “Isreal deliberately targeted UN observers!” I wish they would deliberately target Your disgustingly corrupt traitorous ass!
So Annan is a traitor to Ghana? How so?
Lee, were you raised in Skinner Box? That might explain a few things…
Hezbollah’s surprise at Israel’s response proves once and for all that Israel’s use of restraint, which the international community has demanded every time Israel was attacked, has prevented peace from flourishing in the region. Rather than creating peace, it actually encouraged the terrorists to continue their car bombings, homicide bombings, and rocket attacks because they knew they would not be severely punished.
That was just worth saying again.
epador I strongly disagree.
Critters placed in a skinner box eventually learn something.
Lee darling,
You say “You can’t fight an unlimited war against terrorism (something you bushies can’t seem to grasp)”
You stated not too many posts ago that the nuclear option was justified in this conflict. Yee olde switch and bait or more likely just not sure what to think of all this complicated stuff?
Nice Bait & Switch.. But who really cares about Ghana? Unless You stand to financially profit that is..? A running theme with Kof it up Kofi.. Hes a traitor to real peace, A traitor to the US, a traitor to the taxpayers of this country who fund His cocktail drinking mansion buying playboy lifestyle. In short He needs to go!
Most of all Hes an enemy of Isreal!
Mantis, Lee how good to hear from you. No, seriously, I mean that. I thought maybe you had learned something about truth, and were too embarassed to return here. Judging by your posts, nothing could be further from the truth. Lee, if you do not fight them, forever if necessary, they will kill you, which is their goal. Mantis, Kofi is a traitor to humanity. Check out what the Swedes say about his knowleged of the corruption in the oil for food program. And don’t pick nits, he is the general secretary of the UN. The way to defeat terrorists is to kill them till they stop comming at you. Even they get tired of dying for a lost cause.
Sayeth Lee: “I think we are creating terrorists by the way we respond to them. We’ve giving them a cause to die for…”
That sentiment is exactly what is encouraging these attacks. They’ve had a “cause to die for” since the 1970’s, embicile.
You are the King of No Self-Awareness, and now, the King of No Clue in Middle East affairs. You seem not to have noticed they started this in Beirut in the ’80’s, then 1993 WTC attack, then Cole, then Kobar, then Ethiopian embassy, then 9/11, and on and on and on.
If you can’t get your brain around that one, then you really haven’t a clue.
The reason nations don’t go to war is not because we all sing kumbaya together dancing around the UN flag. It is because, normally, the wages of war are disastrous. The U.S. and Soviet Union didn’t keep from blowing each other up for 50 years because they loved peace, but because they were afraid of war.
Terrorism is being used as war by other means, proxy war. In this case, Iran wants to go to war with Israel. But war would be too costly. So they fund and arm Hezbollah to do their dirty work for them.
Or do you think Hezbollah bought those missiles, or built them? Hezbollah was created, funded, supplied, and trained by Iran to wage war on Israel. The proper response is to crush them just like you would an enemy army that has attacked your country.
Peace comes three ways – one is to crush your enemy (WWII). Another is to make your enemy too afraid to attack (The Cold War). The third is both sides decide to stop being enemies (hmmm, can’t site any examples….Israel/Egypt maybe).
I think Israel has tried No. 3 many times (withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Sinai, Gaza). It worked once, and failed twice. Time to try options 1 and 2.
Mitchell, you left out the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Jimmy Carter presiding. We saw how far his appeasement got us. You are correct at picking out the comment about creating terrorists. This is the fundamental difference between those on the right and most of the left of this issue, the mindset that we caused the problem. The simple fact is that the islamo-facists hate our liberal ideals and way of life, period. The sooner those on the left and right can come together on this realization the better off the world will be. If not, God help us all.
If Israel tells the truth we will know that the so called U.N. observers were working for and with the terrorists and using the U.N. facility to provide target information to the terrorists. Coke Head Annan should be arrested on a charge of ripping off the Oil for Food program. The money has showed up in his bank accounts but the world let him lie his way out of it. Close the U.N. put the money in cartoons (makes more sense than the U.N.), destroy the U.N. buildings and see how many foreign listening post you find. That place is ate up with spies, criminals and stupid people. Coke Head is on the top of the pile of stupid.
Amen, Kim! Well said.
ReadyFirst: that’s the issue. Is our culture/civilization to debased and narcissistic to survive all of this.
Given the polls, I’d say the jury is out. 50/50 chance we have enough of a clue to get through it intact.
I hope we don’t lose that American trait that has elevated us above every other civilization to inhabit the planet. The decency and clear-eyed pursuit of freedom, democracy, and compassion for the good of us all. Our founding fathers were realists.
Are we?
“Lee darling,
You say “You can’t fight an unlimited war against terrorism (something you bushies can’t seem to grasp)”
You stated not too many posts ago that the nuclear option was justified in this conflict. Yee olde switch and bait or more likely just not sure what to think of all this complicated stuff?”
Red Fog, I chose your comment as being representative of the moronic blathering above because you show consistent stupidity in your comments here on Whizbang.
When you drooled “switch and bait” what exactly are you referring to? I have stated repeatedly that I support Israel’s efforts here, and yes – I’ve stated that the nuclear option would have been justified in going after OBL in Afghanistan after 9/11 – although that opportunity has now passed.
Instead, the actions of the Bush administration has only served to increase terrorism – and yes, you cannot fight an unlimited war on terrorism – which has nothing to do with chasing OBL in Afghanistan, you idiot.
Nice Bait & Switch.. But who really cares about Ghana?
In order for it to be bait and switch there has to be some bait. I just thought it was funny that you called him traitorous. Now I understand that he’s traitorous to peace, the US, and humanity. Ok then. Sounds like he should prosecute himself in the Hague.
I think we are creating terrorists by the way we respond to them. We’ve giving them a cause to die for…
So, I guess that I’ll see you at the Mosque on Friday, right?
Mantis
I agree. Only it will be the Hague He never married!
“I think We are creating terrorists by the way We respond to them. Weve given them a cause to die for…
So why dont they just end the suspense already and DIE!! What are they waiting for? Chocolates and Flowers?
Big D. – Ireland.
So, the way I heard it, one day some Hezbollah general decided that capturing soldiers would be a good way to get his prisoners back.
He was going to keep doing it until a prisoner exchange would be agreed to.
Clever idea, wrong country.
Miss Lee,
To answer your question about your bait n switch:
The Bait: You say “yes – I’ve stated that the nuclear option would have been justified in going after OBL in Afghanistan after 9/11 – although that opportunity has now passed.”
The Switch: You say “You can’t fight an unlimited war against terrorism (something you bushies can’t seem to grasp).”
Lee, darling, when you choose to drop a nuclear bomb on Islam – although you now inexplicably think it’s a bad idea because its “too late” – would undoubtably trigger an unlimited world war.
Perhaps you could switch to those soft hands because you sure aren’t going to satisfy us with an open mouth and a gag reflex, girly boy.
I figured you were full of sh*t Red Fog, thanks for confirming it.
Lee/field-negro:
Beyond my being “full of sh*it”, is it really too late to nuke Islam while limiting the war? I don’t understand your hatred toward all people. It’s just plain goofy, dude.
It’s ok, Lee, we understand it’s your anorexia kicking in again.
You see, Lee was born without a penis. Sad.
‘nuke islam’ its obvious most of you guys are Jewish… why this blatent hatred?! is this because you are the ‘chosen people’ so you can say or do what you want?
Being jew like being Muslim or Christian means that you belief in the teachings of god in your Torah. Does God tell you to kill and hate?! or do you just USE the name of Gods religion but have completely different beliefs(Zionist)
true word,
It’s your brother Lee who wants to nuke Islam. Nobody else. No, I’m not Jewish nor am I a frat brother.
Yes, true word, we are the chosen people.
Now, scram so the adults can have some play time.
Kids are in the Kiddie Pool over at Kos.