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July 15, 2006

Breaking news: Israel strikes central Beirut and Tripoli (Updated)

AP

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Witnesses said Israeli aircraft attacked central Beirut Saturday for the first time in a four-day offensive, striking a lighthouse and the capital's seaport.

In Lebanon's northernmost city, Tripoli, witnesses said Israeli helicopters carried out the deepest strike yet into Lebanon, firing four missiles into the city's port area and hitting grain silos.

Hot Air has been following the fast developments over the past 24 hours.
Also check out PJ Media's frontpage

President Bush clearly lays blame where it belongs, on Hezbollah while President Putin engages in jaw-dropping hypocrisy

"It is absolutely unacceptable to try to reach political goals through the use of force," Putin said through a translator at a joint news conference with Bush after their meeting. "At the same time, we work under the assumption that the use of force should be balanced."
Mr. Putin, why is it that you would deny Israel the means to deal with Islamists that you do not deny yourself in dealing with the same scourge?

UPDATE JeffG highlights this open letter penned by Former NYT Middle East correspondent and WSJ Energy Editor Youssef M. Ibrahim

Dear Palestinian Arab brethren:

The war with Israel is over.

You have lost. Surrender and negotiate to secure a future for your children.

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Posted by Darleen at July 15, 2006 09:11 AM

Comments

You are confusing Hizbollah with the rest of Lebanon. Putin is not. Hizbollah is the enemy, not the 3.5 million people of Beirut. Israel is simply destroying infrastructure and killing civilians.

Posted by: PoliticalCritic at July 15, 2006 09:50 AM

Hezbollah maintains headquarters in Beirut.

Israel is justifibly responding to an act of war. And they have warned the citizens of Lebanon to get out of the area that Hezbollah controls. Those that choose to stay and tacitly support Hezbollah choose to take the risk that they may end up in harms way.

Israel is not attacking on a whim. Indeed, the Russian to Iran to Hezbollah missiles fired into Israel clearly demonstrates where full responsibility lies.

Posted by: Darleen at July 15, 2006 10:00 AM

Political Critic is right.

Israel isn't working in its best interests by destroying the lives and property of people who have nothing to do with terrorism.

Israel just keeps on creating and renewing the very thing that it supposedly is fighting against; Islamic terrorism.

***

Another fact conviently ignored by the current government in Washington:

There are thousands of Americans now stranded in Lebanon, put in mortal danger by Israel's acts of collective punishment.

How long will it be before Americans start being kidnapped and held as bargaining chips against Israel.

***

Now I'm beginning to wonder if there's going to be another Arab oil embargo. It's happened before.

Won't that be fun....

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at July 15, 2006 10:09 AM

Can we question their patriotism now ?

Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at July 15, 2006 11:39 PM

I was under the impression that Hezbollah was part of the Lebanese government. Is that false, or is the current outrage by the rest of Lebanon of being dragged kicking and screaming against their will into a hot shooting war by the thugs in Hezbollah have merit?

And do our friends Carl or PoliticalCritic deny that Hezbollah's cross-border raid rises to an act of war between states?

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at July 16, 2006 07:04 AM