« McCain's Verbal Slip | Main | Michelle Obama: Name Hussein Is 'the fear bomb' »
February 29, 2008
Israel and IDF Prepare For Gaza Incursion
Israel prepares international opinion for assault on Gaza
As Hamas drew Ashkelon into the circle of communities coming under heavy rocket attacks, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the Foreign Ministry on Thursday began preparing both Israeli and world opinion for the possibility of a large-scale incursion into Gaza.
Barak, during a series of meetings at the Defense Ministry, said, "We should be prepared for an upswing in hostilities in Gaza. The big ground operation is a reality and it is tangible. We are not eager to embark upon such an operation, but we are not put off by it either."
According to defense sources, the goals of such an operation - reportedly in the planning stages for weeks if not months - would not "merely" be to reduce the threat of rocket fire and rocket manufacturing in the Gaza Strip, but would also likely entail paralyzing the Hamas government's ability to operate, and even include "regime change."
Barak spoke with Quartet envoy Tony Blair and Egyptian intelligence head Omar Suleiman and said Israel could not tolerate the current level of rocket fire in the South without offering a wider response.
And the Foreign Ministry, in talking points sent to its representatives abroad, instructed them to say that when Israel left the Gaza Strip in 2005 it did so without the intention of ever returning, but that the continuation of terrorist attacks was likely to place the country in a position where it may have no other choice.
Entire article HERE
....And there is this.......
IDF forces prepare for Gaza incursion
Dozens of tanks, artillery battery positioned just north of Gaza to reinforce infantry, engineering corps forces already inside Strip ahead of possible large-scale ground operation. PM returns from Japan, updated on Grad, Qassam rocket attacks on Ashkelon
Over the past few days the IDF has positioned an artillery battery near Kibbutz Beeri, located about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Gaza border, and dozens of tanks have made their way to an assembling area just north of the Strip.
Forces from the Givati Brigade, the Armored Corps' 9th Battalion and the Engineering Corps have already entered the Strip ahead of a possible large-scale ground incursion.
The reinforcements, while limited, appear to indicate increased readiness on the part of the IDF.
Meanwhile, during his flight back from Japan Friday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was updated on Thursday's Grad and Qassam rocket attacks on Ashkelon and the western Negev. The political-security cabinet is scheduled to convene Wednesday to discuss the escalation in the south.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Egyptian intelligence chief Omer Suleiman are due in Israel Tuesday.
...... And this........
Hey FuzzyMuzzys - the U.S.S. Cole is back, an this time your the target!
.
The amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4) leads a formation of ships during an Atlantic Ocean crossing of the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew King (Released)
U.S. Navy ships move closer to Lebanon ( 9 ships )
WASHINGTON (CNN)
The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
The deployment comes amid a political standoff over Lebanon's presidency, but the Navy would not say whether the events are linked.
"It's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our Navy do, the presence is important," Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday.
"It isn't meant to send any stronger signal than that," he said. "But it does signal that we're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity, and that's a very important part of the world."
The destroyer and two support ships are close to Lebanon but out of visual range of the coast, Pentagon officials said. Another six vessels, led by the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau, are close to Italy and steaming toward the other three, the officials said.
Mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president, which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week. But he said the vote was "important," and Washington was waiting for it to take place.
And a Bush administration official told CNN the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringSyria that "the U.S. is concerned about the situation in Lebanon, and we want to see the situation resolved."
"We are sending a clear message for the need for stability," said the official, who was not authorized to speak for publication. The ships "should be there a while," the official added.
...... And this........
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Hezbollah on Friday rejected the deployment of U.S. warships off Lebanon, calling it a threat to the country that will not affect the militant group.
"We are facing an American threat against Lebanon," Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah said. "It is clear this threat and intimidation will not affect us."
Wild Thing's comment........
I was wondering why CNN would let out about our ships, then I realized that if we didn't want anyone to know they wouldn't know. It seems they want this to be public for a reason, its a show of force. It would be a safe bet that there is stuff going on in the background that we don't know about. This is way too major a move just to act as a show of force for Lebanese domestic politics. We'll just have to wait and see.
Enough with the world opinion I am tired of having to consult with the world about anything. Israel’s only giving the world a chance to restrain them. Just do what you gotta go & let the world scream afterwards, when there’s nothing they can do about it anymore.
This is actually quite serious. First of all, the Russians have 3 ships to the north at the Syrian port. Its something to consider.
Second, Israel is going to put the hurt on in Gaza.
Clearly, these ships are there as a deterrent to prevent Hezbullah from opening up a second front while Israel mops up Hamas in Gaza. But, Iran may have no choice. We (US, Israel, NATO to a degree) are going to systematically remove Iran’s chips from the ches board.
Israel is going to wipe out Hamas maybe not sure. If so in return, Iran almost has to activate Hezbullah to open fire. That is when the US will be ready to pound them, or Israel will pound them. If not, then Iran loses Hamas and is left only with Hezbullah, who will get pounded later.
The wildcard is Russia.
Just some thoughts on this of course I have no idea.
The main thing ......prayers for our troops and the IDF, and for America and Israel.
Posted by Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 04:55 AM
Comments
I don't understand all of this. We sent our ships to "keep the peace" and the people we are trying so hard to protect say we're trying to "destabilize" the region.
No, we aren't. You want us there. Trust me.
And yes, pray every day for America and Israel.
Posted by: Lynn at February 29, 2008 07:44 AM
Wild Thing, your assessment sure makes sense. Russia won't do any more than the same nuisance activity she did during the Cold War. Any involvement by her ships and they would be history.
Much of this could have been avoided if Israel had not given up Gaza. If she has to go back in, Israel shoul hold and keep Gaza as her own again.
Posted by: TomR at February 29, 2008 09:05 AM
I do so love "shows of force". Something we need to do more often, imo.
It would be nice to live in kumbayah land but we don't. There are too many people out there who have never heard that little ditty ~ no matter what the "peace folks" think. And just because one wears patchouli and tie die shirts does not protect one from them.
Rockets and missiles tend to be "Party affiliation-Blind".
Posted by: yankeemom at February 29, 2008 09:31 AM
Hmmm. I truly hope we have top strategists evaluating this whole thing. We definitely need to stand behind Israel on this and support them to the fullest extent possible but we don't need to repeat what happened to Hilter in WWII.....too many fronts. And I wouldn't be surprised if Iran and Russia are preparing to play that card.....and try to force us to overcommit, (i.e. Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran and Russia). Forces are a tad thin now and you all know that the Dems will do all in their power to get us defeated before we even begin!!!!
And what is Condi think she is going to do? Sell Israel further down the river because she had a bad childhood and "knows how it feels to be oppressed"? She hasn't got a clue!!!! Me thinks it is time for her and George to step aside and let Cheney run things for awhile. He isn't afraid to call a spade a shovel!!!!!!!!!
Just my thoughts!!!! LOL
Posted by: John at February 29, 2008 01:08 PM
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government has been debating asking the international community or NATO to send troops to the Gaza Strip while most senior IDF officials strongly oppose the idea of NATO or international troop deployment in Gaza.
Why should the IDF trust the UN, NATO or the United States? When all three have the propensity to abandon them or once committed pull out troops, funds and material like we did in Vietnam and like the UN and NATO have done in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have backed Fatah and Hamas openly with their blatent support of Palestine and it's terrorism. The legacy of Johnson, Carter and the Bushes have preceded us and the IDF only have to look at Condi to see Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi's reflection and their policies of surrender.
Posted by: Jack at February 29, 2008 01:31 PM
Where is Harry Truman when you need him? President Truman used a totally disproportionate amount of force to end WWII with Japan. I am not advocating that Israel use nuclear bombs in Gaza but an exponential amount of force should be used in response to each new Kassam rocket attack. When the Palestinian terrorists fire one rocket into an Israeli civilian population center the response should be 10 rockets into Palestinian population centers starting in Gaza. The next time a rocket is fired the response should be 100 rockets, then 1000, then 10,000 .... A simple lesson in cause and effect.
There have been over 2500 Kassam rockets fired into Israel over the last seven years with most of them coming from Gaza and falling on the town of Sderot. The Israeli response has been a weak tit-for-tat effort of it's own stupidity as well as from pressure from George Bush and Condi Rice for them not to hurt the poor innocent Palestinians civilians. The mayor of Sderot even resigned because the government refused to protect his town.
Maybe Bush and Rice could get the Palestinians to wear some sort of large color-coded identification indicating that they are Hamas, Fatah, al Qaeda or other terrorists, poor innocent civilians, or not so innocent civilians. That way, Israel could just target terrorists and not so innocent civilians. What a way to fight a war.
The left-wing Olmert government is so committed to the failed policies of the past in giving land and other concessions for nothing in return that I am afraid this latest possible Gaza invasion will be just one more feckless response tying the hands of the IDF to do the job that must be done. I don't feel good about it but the horrific devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did send a message loud and clear. Enough is enough!
Posted by: Les at February 29, 2008 03:51 PM
Lynn, yes they better want to have us there.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:04 AM
Tom I agree so much. I hated that when they gave up Gaza. It was such a horrible mistake.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:05 AM
Yankeemom......."I do so love "shows of force".".....me too! Showing strong support like this is such a good thing.
Love what you said about the "peace folkls" too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:08 AM
John I would LOVE for Cheney to be put in charge of all of it. I would feel much safer for one thing and I trust his judgement a lot.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:09 AM
Jack thanks and this is the kind of thing I truly hate. Getting permission to do something from the UN a known Israel hater big time. And what you said abouto them not trusting us too is easy to understand. I can't blame them at all after what Condi told them to do the last time they fought back. sheesh
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:12 AM
Les, I sure wish they had someone else then Olmert. What a huge difference it would make to have strong leadership and one that the IDF can respect too and one that can say to Bush and Condi NO way we protec Israel, join us or shut up.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 12:15 AM
During our Cold War missions against the Evil Empire... Iron Curtain...Warsaw Pact nations,etc.
the Russkies and Yankees realized the massive retaliation consequences - that we could blow one another up and the world - so it was a mutual 50:50 understanding...but now the islamofascists having nukes? They'll blow themselves up and others for 72 virgins and the gain of a future islamic state? YOU DECIDE who should be our US President! It's as easy as cool crisp H20 and pure bodily fluids WT.
Posted by: drstrangeloveb52isok at March 1, 2008 12:56 AM
drstrangeloveb52isok, it sure is obvious I agree. No problem there.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 1, 2008 02:36 AM
BEN NETANYAHU for Israel's Prime Minister! - Make My Day 2008!! Lynne is right WT... So goes Israel, so goes the USA! I love that John Hagee too in San Antonio, big time.
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at March 1, 2008 05:53 AM
