Israeli soldiers ‘kidnapped’ inside Lebanon
insidejob | 26.07.2006 10:00 | Lebanon War 2006 | Anti-militarism
Israeli military against Lebanon based on a lie. First reports of the Hezbollah operation alleged that ‘started’ the conflict states that it took place in Lebanon. Israeli tank involved in operation has not been retrieved. Israel did not grant observation of location of 'kidnap'.
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KIDNAPPED IN ISRAEL OR CAPTURED IN LEBANON? OFFICIAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ISRAEL'S INVASION ON THIN ICE
by Joshua Frank
July 25, 2006
Antiwar.com
As Lebanon continues to be pounded by Israeli bombs and munitions, the justification for Israel's invasion is treading on very thin ice. It has become general knowledge that it was Hezbollah guerillas that first kidnapped two IDF soldiers inside Israel on July 12, prompting an immediate and violent response from the Israeli government, which insists it is acting in the interest of national defense. Israeli forces have gone on to kill over 370 innocent Lebanese civilians (compared to 34 killed on Israel's side) while displacing hundreds of thousands more. But numerous reports from international and independent media, as well as the Associated Press, raise questions about Israel's official version of the events that sparked the conflict two weeks ago.
The original story, as most media tell it, goes something like this: Hezbollah attacked an Israeli border patrol station, killing six and taking two soldiers hostage. The incident happened on the Lebanese/Israel border in Israeli territory. The alternate version, as explained by several news outlets, tells a bit of a different tale: These sources contend that ISRAEL SENT A COMMANDO FORCE INTO SOUTHERN LEBANON AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ATTACKED BY HEZBOLLAH NEAR THE VILLAGE OF AITAA AL-CHAAB, WELL INSIDE LEBANON'S SOUTHERN TERRITORY. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT AN ISRAEL TANK WAS STRUCK BY HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS AND THE DEATH OF SIX. As the AFP reported, "According to the Lebanese police force, the two Israeli soldiers were captured in Lebanese territory, in the area of Aitaa al-Chaab, near to the border with Israel, where an Israeli unit had penetrated in middle of morning." And the French news site www.VoltaireNet.org reiterated the same account on June 18, "In a deliberated way, [Israel] sent a commando in the Lebanese back-country to Aitaa al-Chaab. It was attacked by Hezbollah, taking two prisoners."
The Associated Press (
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And the Hindustan Times (
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"The Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah movement announced on Wednesday that its guerrillas have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. 'Implementing our promise to free Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, our strugglers have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon,' a statement by Hezbollah said. 'The two soldiers have already been moved to a safe place,' it added. The Lebanese police said that the two soldiers were captured as they 'infiltrated' into the town of Aitaa al-Chaab inside the Lebanese border."
Whether factual or not, these alternative accounts should at the very least raise serious questions as to Israel's motives and rationale for bombarding Lebanon.
MSNBC online first reported that Hezbollah had captured Israeli soldiers "inside" Lebanon, only to change their story hours later after the Israeli government gave an official statement to the contrary.
A report from The National Council of Arab Americans, based in Lebanon, also raised suspicion that Israel's official story did not hold water and noted that Israel had yet to recover the tank that was demolished during the initial attack in question.
"The Israelis so far have not been able to enter Aitaa al-Chaab to recover the tank that was exploded by Hezbollah and the bodies of the soldiers that were killed in the original operation (this is a main indication that the operation did take place on Lebanese soil, not that in my opinion it would ever be an illegitimate operation, but still the media has been saying that it was inside 'Israel' thus an aggression first started by Hezbollah)."
Before independent observers could organize an investigation of the incident, Israel had already mounted a grisly offensive against Lebanese infrastructure and civilians, bombing Beirut's international airport, along with numerous highways and communication portals. Israel didn't need the truth of the matter to play out before it invaded Lebanon. As with the United States' illegitimate invasion of Iraq, Israel just needed the proper media cover to wage a war with no genuine moral impetus.
insidejob
Comments
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inconsistent with other stories
26.07.2006 11:41
IF events were as you describe, the initial incident from a deep penetration by a lone Israeli tank inadequately supported by infantry, would we be having statements from Hezbollah that they "miscalculated the Israeli response to what they had done"?
The REAL "inside which country" isn't about deep penetrations but the ever ongoing dispute about the exact location of some border and in almost all places is a matter of 100 m or so but in some significantly more. Remember that technically the '48 war is still on between Lebanon and Israel -- just long periods of cease fire. The border is a de facto line, not agreed to. When the '48 fighting ended, the line was the stream itself. Subsequently the Israelis erected fences and defensive positions on their side, running straighter than the stream itself thus leaving some area between the stream and the fences (you can't very well erect a fence and defensive positions IN a stream bed). The Lebanese claim that by this "withdrawal" the Israelis conceded the land between their fences and the stream to be Lebanon. The Israelis do not agree this to be the case. When actions take place in this disputed area (eg -- placing of mines has been the most usual in the past since that had a good chance of hitting an Israeil patrol BOTH sides are making a "true" claim "this happened in OUR territory.
Mike Novack
e-mail:
stepbystpefarm mtdata.com
Origin of Those Accounts Was Extemist Olmert Gov't - Proven LIARS
26.07.2006 14:56
WERE CAPTURED IN LEBANON
The militant group Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers during clashes Wednesday across the border in southern Lebanon, prompting a swift reaction from Israel, which sent ground forces into its neighbor to look for them. The forces were trying to keep the soldiers' captors from moving them deeper into Lebanon, Israeli government officials said on condition of anonymity. [Forbes 7/12/06]
The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement announced on Wednesday that its guerrillas have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. "Implementing our promise to free Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, our strugglers have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon," a statement by Hezbollah said. "The two soldiers have already been moved to a safe place," it added. The Lebanese police said that the two soldiers were captured as they "infiltrated" into the town of Aitaa al-Chaab inside the Lebanese border. [Hindustan Times 7/12/06]
The Lebanese Hezbollah movement announced Wednesday the arrest of two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Lebanese police said that the two soldiers were arrested as they entered the town of Aitaa al-Chaab inside the Lebanese border. Israeli aircraft were active in the air over southern Lebanon, police said, with jets bombing roads leading to the market town of Nabatiyeh, 60 kilometers south of Beirut. [Bahrain News Agency 7/12/06]
TRANSLATION: According to the Lebanese police force, the two soldiers were captured in Lebanese territory, in the area of Aïta Al-Chaab close to the border, whereas Israeli television indicated that they had been captured in Israeli territory. [fr.news.yahoo 7/12/06]
In the afternoon, the scene changed in the streets of southern Lebanon, which was the target of 32 Israeli raids that mainly targeted areas near the area where the two soldiers were captured in Aita al Chaab, close to the border with Israel. [news.monstersandcritics.com 7/12/06]
According to the Lebanese police force, the two Israeli soldiers were captured in Lebanese territory, in the area of Aïta Al-Chaab, near to the border with Israel, where an Israeli unit had penetrated in middle of morning. [AFP 7/12/06]
It all started on July 12 when Israel troops were ambushed on Lebanon's side of the border with Israel. Hezbollah, which commands the Lebanese south, immediately seized on their crossing. They arrested two Israeli soldiers, killed eight Israelis and wounded over 20 in attacks inside Israeli territory. [Asia Times 7/15/06]
TRANSLATION: In a deliberated way, Tsahal sent a commando in the Lebanese back-country to Aïta Al Chaab. It was attacked by Hezbollah, making two prisoners. [voltairenet.org 7/18/06]
Only weeks ago, an entire reserve division was drafted in order to train for an operation such as the one the IDF is planning in response to Wednesday morning's Hizbullah attacks on IDF forces along the northern border. [JPost 7/12/06]
Israel's military response by air, land and sea to what it considered a provocation last week by Hezbollah militants is unfolding according to a plan finalized more than a year ago.
In the years since Israel ended its military occupation of southern Lebanon, it watched warily as Hezbollah built up its military presence in the region. When Hezbollah militants kidnapped two Israeli soldiers last week, the Israeli military was ready to react almost instantly. [SFGate 7/21/06]
Do you get it yet?
Israel sent troops across the border into Lebanon. They then claimed the captured invaders were "kidnap victims" and launched their attacks.
An Israeli spy network arrested in Lebanon
" One of the prominent figures in the network confessed that Israel has put itself on the alert 4 days before arrest of the two Israeli soldiers"
Zionism, Irrelevant Within A Generation