Israel Surrenders to Hezbullah

By now everyone has heard about Israel's terrible retreat from Lebanon for the second time in six years. Shlomo Wollins at israelreporter.com has an excellent commentary on the pro terrorist cease fire. I will not elaborate on his words:

"The modern state of Israel has made a series of security blunders of enormous magnitude over the last two decades that have in large part resulted in the current nightmare in Northern Israel. Israel has initiated and pursued sophomoric & dangerous policy decisions that have created the ideal operating theatre for its genocidal enemies, both in terms of the military and political environment. Israel foolishly brought this war upon itself, fought a fool's war, and is now making a fool's peace. Make no mistake - this U.N. Resolution will neither bring peace or security to this region - but it will bring regional war within two to three years on the outside.
Our website is currently packed with expert opinions from all perspectives decrying this U.N. Resolution as nothing less than an unmitigated disaster (Caroline Glick). We concur - however what is truly perilous going forward is that the cease-fire agreement is a clear and definitive victory for Hizbullah on all counts. Anyone who lives in Israel will attest to the national obsession with peace as defined by quiet. Most certainly, Israelis just bought themselves a few months of peace and quiet at the future cost of a combined jihadist war against the state that will be unprecedented in force, ferocity, and peril. All I can do is repeat what we have been stating for the last 18 months on this website and in numerous media interviews - the modern state of Israel is in existential danger and not likely to survive the current decade as a sovereign state. Most regretably, every aspect of the Israeli reaction to this unparalleled terror attack from the North serves to reinforce our opinion.The U.N. Resolution provides Israel with virtually none of its survival requirements:
(1) Hizbullah will not be disarmed of its missile arsenal. This can only be achieved by the Israeli army at great cost of life and with the proper motivation. The idea that a international and/or Lebanese force will disarm Hizbullah has a probability of zero (Newt Gingrich).
(2) Iran and Syria will not be sanctioned or even recognized for their funding, arming and orchestration of the attacks on Israel. Hizbullah is simply a forward army of Iran via Syria. Despite Iran violating the U.N. charter daily by threatening a member state with destruction (Israel) and Syria providing the military lifeline for Hizbullah, neither are held accountable for their complicity in this unilaterally-initiated terror war.
(3) The UN peacekeeper forces are a laughing stock from any military standpoint and clearly pro-Hizbullah from a motivational standpoint. Note that 2,000 UNIFIL troops have been stationed in southern Lebanon for the last 5 years and have not lifted a finger to prevent the installation of thousands of Katyusha rockets aimed at Israel. In fact, it appears that UNIFIL withheld video evidence in its possession (after denying the existence of the video) of the kidnapping of Israelis soldiers near the Lebanon border after the Israeli pull-out.
(4) After a total withdrawal from southern Lebanon and a UN acceptance of the international border between Israel and Lebanon, the Hizbullah propaganda machine generated a fiction of the Shebaa Farms being disputed territory. In a remarkable and perilous appeasement, this strategic region adjacent to Mt. Hermon has been placed into dispute with Kofi Annan (U.N. chief and virulent anti-semite) required to render a ruling on the area within 30 days.
(5) Nisrallah and Hizbullah will remain in the Lebanese Cabinet and retain its political power within Lebanon, and will be afforded the time and opportunity to re-arm its missile arsenal under the less-than-watchful eye of the European and Arab peace-keeper forces.
(6) Remember our two soldiers who were violently kidnapped and have been held hostage for one month? Remember what started this war? The UN Resolution provides no concrete mechanism, timetable, or process for the release and return of the kidnapped IDF hostages. An agreement which will erode Israeli army morale even further and bring national deterrance down to uncharted territory.
One of the sagely pundits of Israeli politics, Prof. Paul Eidelberg, recently stated that if Israel doesn't win this war - it may be the last. Well, we lost - and it maybe the last. As Shai Ben-Tekoa has remarked: every one of these missiles is a war crime in that its intention is to kill and wound innocent civilians. And what is the Israeli reaction to 3,700 war crimes in one month and over 150 dead? A national desire for quiet. Yes, the concept of a total and morally-justified military victory is as foreign to the Israeli ideology in these times as is a day without terrorism.
Let me share a secret with you: there is only one solution to terrorism - overwhelming, unremitting, and disproportional military force. It worked in World War II and it would work today - but between America's nation-building and Israel's peace-making - no one has been willing to do it the old-fashioned and tried way. As General George Patton said: War is not about dying for your country, but about making the other bastard die for his.
But don't tell that to the unholy trinity of Olmert/Peretz/Peres - they are too busy planning the next eviction of 100,000 Jews from their homes in central Israel. Who will care about Hizbullah when the local terrorists can shoot missiles from the highlands within 10 kilometers of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion Airport? Israel is driving 100 mph off the cliff - at some point, even a change of direction will be too little, too late."

Also, be sure to read Caroline Glick's latest column titled, "Olmert Must Go". Here is an excript:
"Diplomatically, in the space of five weeks the government managed to undermine Israel's alliance with America; to hand Syria, Hizbullah and Iran the greatest diplomatic achievements they have ever experienced; and to flush down the toilet the unprecedented international support that US President Bush handed to Israel on a silver platter at the G-8 summit."

Maryland Court Rules Early Voting is Unconstitutional

Earlier in July, we reported on the efforts of Maryland Republicans to petition the state to place the early voting bill as a referendum on this year's November ballot. The Republicans led by Marylanders for Fair Elections (MFFE) gained enough signatures to succeed in the referendum but the Maryland Board of Elections mysteriously threw out several thousand signatures, leaving the petition just 137 shy of the required amount. MFFE sued the Board of Elections in an Anne Arundel County court, but the judge threw out their case by invoking an obscure law that required MFFE to petition the court within ten days of the Board's final tally. MFFE appealed this decision to the State Supreme Court, but they upheld the rationale of the lower court without pontificating upon the claim against the Board of Elections itself.

Well, last Friday turned out to be a complete victory for fair election supporters. Instead of attempting to revive the petition against the early voting bill, Maryland Republicans changed tactics and went after the head of the snake. They filled a new suit with a local Court in Anne Arundel County to strike down the law based on the fact that the whole idea of early voting in person is unconstitutional. The unbelievable thing is that the Court concurred with their claim and struck down the bill. This means that we don't need to worry about the legitimacy of the original petition to referendum. The bill is dead on the spot. The Baltimore Examiner reports:

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Silkworth ruled that the
stateconstitution allows voting only on a single day in November, not for
severaldays. Silkworth also ruled that it would be illegal to permit voters to
castballots outside their home precincts, as allowed under the new early voting
law."The General Assembly exceeded its constitutional authority in enacting
theearly voting statutes," Silkworth wrote in his opinion.

The only hurdle left for Maryland Republicans to overcome is an appeal to the Maryland Court of Appeals filed by MD attorney general Joseph Curran. The Court is expected to rule on this case by the end of August, just two weeks prior to the Maryland primary. The decision will have more of an impact on the general election because if this early voting is not defeated there is no way for the Republicans to overcome the thousands of fraudulent votes that the Democrat low lives will generate prior to election day as a result of this unconstitutional bill. Oh, and keep in mind that there is no requirement to show ID at the polls in Maryland (welcome all illegals!).

Side note: Joseph Curran is the father in law of Baltimore Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Martin O'Maley. Go figure!

Israel Fights for her Survival

(Note: this post will be updated throughtout the day with breaking news)
Updated: Friday August 11th

- An Italian left wing activist is stabbed to death by Arab terrorist in Jerusalem's old city
- 2 Israeli Arabs, a mother and child killed by Katysha rocket several more wounded, over 160 rockets fired causing more heavy damage
- Olmert delays major ground invasion to "give diplomacy a chance"
- Major fighting in the eastern sector, casualties reported in Marjouyon, 2KIA, at least 16 injured, 9 severely
- Iranian Guard soldiers found amongst the Hizbollah dead

Friday 11:20 AM EST: The rockets are still as intense as ever. 45 people were treated for varying injuries. Kiryat Shemona was hit hard again with widespread destruction. Also, another Fagir- 5 long range missile struck Haifa today. Yet, despite the continued destruction Olmert is begging the UN to send in troops so he can retreat and get back to more important things like deporting Jews from Samaria and giving their land to terrorists. In fact, Olmert has enough troops to spare to destroy a Jewish home in Samaria yesterday, claiming that it was illegaly built!! Imagine expelling your own citizens during a time of war to give their land to the very enemy that is currently killing you??!! Meanwhile, some Likud MK's are finally coming out of hiding to criticise Olmert's surrender plan. Lets hope that they back up their words with action.

2:05 PM EST: We reported earlier that 8 more soldiers were wounded in battles in the east. Well, they are now publishing confirmed reports of 1 KIA and two severely wounded in today's fighting. Update: The tourist that was stabbed by an Arab terrorist has died from his wounds. He was an Italian citizen.

A tourist has been stabbed by an Arab terrorist in Jerusalem's old city. The victim is reported to be in moderate condition and the attacker has not been found. This is one more reason why these A rabs must be deported.

10:55 AM: Major rocket barrage is under way in the north. Over 40 rockets fired this past hour. there are casualties reported in the Haifa suburbs. There have been widespread fires across the north. They estimate that over 750,000 trees have been burnt. I doubt that we will hear any protest from the environmental wackos.

There are battles raging throughout the eastern sector without enough firepower and soldiers. At least 8 more soldiers were injured in Marjayoun, Alhayam, and other villages, 7 more terrorists were killed. So the IDF continues to drift aimlessly in and around southern Lebanon, worrying about civilians that aren't even there, and fighting 18th century battles while the bulk of their forces are stuck on the other side of the border while Olmert plays footsies with the leftists of the world.

8:00 AM EST: Rockets continue to pummel the north with close to 100 of them landing throughout the Galilee. Several more homes were destroyed and there are out of control fires raging in the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, Olmert has halted the ground invasion for a few days to" give diplomacy a chance"!!! This is while they are fighting for their lives in northern Israel! Now they are leaving only 10,000 troops in Lebanon in the middle of urban settings without a clearly defined mission. There already unconfirmed reports of some more casualties in Marjayoun. Even worse, Olmert said that if there is a major attack then he will continue the operation! What in the world is going on right now?! 150-200 rockets are landing every day, killing and maiming civilians, and destroying hundreds of houses. Disastrous!

In other news, about 480 Hizbollah were killed so far. There are new reports of Iranian bodies being discovered amongst the Hizbollah dead. This is certainly no surprise, as we have been reporting on this since the first clashes of the war.

Column Update: Here is the latest Victor Davis Hanson piece. Also, the National Review has a report on the devastation of the rockets that are packed with ball bearings.

6:40 AM EST: Over 60 rockets were fired today throughout the north. One rocket scored a direct hit on a home in the village of Dir el-Asad, near Karmiel, killing a baby and a woman. The infant was initially critically injured, but later died of his wounds. Two more people were wounded, one seriously and one lightly, while 38 others were treated for shock. The 4 year old brother of the dead baby was in serious condition. Rockets also struck Nahariya, Safed, the Golan Heights, and the Haifa Bay area. Sirens were also heard in Ramot, Tiberias, Acre, Ma'alot, and Shefayim. No rocket hits have yet been reported.

On the ground in Lebanon, overnight Wednesday IDF troops moved into Marjayoun and Alhayam, two Lebanese villages in the eastern sector north of Metulla where they took up positions inside the towns said to be Hizbullah hideouts. There were some heavy gun battles. Keep in mind that these villages are right on Israel's border.

Primary Roundup: Big Day for Conservatives

Every major election race from last night turned out to be a major victory for conservatives. Here is the roundup:

Michigan: District 7- The biggest victory was the unseating of liberal RINO congressman Joe Schwarz by conservative challenger Tim Walberg 53%-47%. Schwarz, a one term congressman, has been an ultra liberal who supported abortion, high taxes, open borders, and is against domestic drilling. Schwarz was one of the House liberals that killed ANWR drilling several months ago. Walberg on the other hand, is a solid red meat conservative who was strongly supported by the great conservative activist group Club For Growth. This is after Schwarz was helped by John MCain and President Bush! This is another stellar victory for Pat Tommey and the Club and will be a net gain for conservatives because this is a solid Republican district that will be easily won in November. Walberg will become one of the best members of the House by advocating not just the typical Republican positions but also absolute border security, no birthright citizenship, property rights, ending pork spending, and everything else that concerns American conservatives. This should serve as a model for all liberal Republican incumbents!

In other Michigan news, Conservative Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R) successfully turned back an energetic primary challenge from liberal Oakland School Board Member Pan Godchaux by a 2-to-1 margin. In the Senatorial primary Rick Bouchard defeated Keith Butler by a wide margin. I felt that Butler was more conservative, but he was never really expected to win. Bouchard should receive a big bump in the polls and will have a good shot at defeating incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow. The fact that Gubonatorial challenger Dick Devos is running ahead of Gov. Jennifer Granholm will help Bouchard immensely in his Senate race.

Colorado CD-5: In another great victory for the Club For Growth, conservative candidate Doug Lamborn won the Republican primary against his less conservative challengers for this open seat. This is also a net gain for conservatives. While Congressmen Hefley, who is retiring this year has been pretty conservative, it is clear that Lamborn will follow in the footsteps of fellow Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo.

Georgia CD-4: It is great news for everyone that Hank Johnson soundly defeated incumbent Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney in the Democrat primary. McKinney has been one of the most radical, anti American members of the House who happens to be a black supremacist and an anti Semite.

CT Senate: Lamont Defeats Lieberman 51-48%. This is great news for conservatives in my opinion. First, it exposes the truthful face of the Democrat party for the Stalinist, anti American entity that it is. If a former VP candidate who is a far leftist, and has scored a perfect 0 ACU liberal score for two years has no place in their party then who does? Many Americans will be asking this question subconsciously. Also, this will force many Jewish Democrats to reflect upon their unconscionable support for the sewer party and how they are able to remain in a party in which anti Semites like Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and all of the nutroots are the most prominent players. Furthermore, since Lieberman plans to run as an Independent and has a good chance of winning, that will result in one less Democratic Senator in a solidly blue state. Hopefully, if he wins in November he will wake up to reality and become at least slightly more moderate. It will also be enjoyable for conservatives to sit back and watch the unprecedented wedge that will be created in the party. Who will support Lieberman and who will be forced to oppose him? This will place the Democrats in a very rough position. For now, lets sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch the circus. John Hawkins has a great analysis of the CT situation.
Update: Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Russ Feingold, and Harry Reid wasted no time in offering full support for Lamont. Even worse, his fellow Senator from CT, Chris Dodd is trying to convince him to quit.

Israel-Lebanon War

(Note: this post will be updated throughout the day woth breaking news and commentary)
Updated: Wednesday, Aug. 9th

- 15 more soldiers killed in S Lebanon 38 wounded, most of them in western sector,9 of them special ops, at least 30 Hizbollah dead

- 4 fagir- 5 long rang missiles land near Jenin, one in Haifa, no damage or casualties, over 170 rockets fired
- Cabinet finally approves expanded ground war to Litani, but Olmert retains power to issue the orders

Tuesday's Headlines
- 5 KIA's and 15 wounded near Bint Jabel, 30 terrorists killed, 5 captured
- Over 150 rockets fired so far, a few injuries reported, heavy damage in Kiryat Shemona and Safed
- Olmert to look into Lebanese army deployment on border!
- Israeli gov't to evacuate 25,000 residents of border towns
- Security cabinet to meet tomorrow and decide whether to expand ground war to Litani

5:30 PM EST: Everyone was waiting for the unfortunate news of KIA's in and around Bint Jabel. The news services are reporting 15 KIA's in today's fighting. It's not clear yet as to how many were wounded and if the previous number of 25 includes those that died. Update: It appears that 9 of the deaths occured when Hizbollah fired missiles at a building in Dabel in which the troops were holed up in. The structure collapsed, killing 9 and wounding 20. All 9 KIA's were special ops. Hizbollah then proceeded to fire into the collapsed structure making it hard to evacuate the casualties and probably caused more casualties. In another battle, Four soldiers were killed after an antitank missile fired by Hizbullah gunmen hit and destroyed an IDF tank in the village of Aita al-Shaab. Also, 2 more soldiers were killed in the eastern sector, one by enemy mortar shells and another in a friendly fire incident. About 38 soldiers were wounded throughout the day, some of them seriously.

Meanwhile, Olmert is waiting two or three days to unleash the invasion. So what is happening is that the 8-10 thousand troops that are currently in Lebanon, are bogged down in urban warfare with no definitive mission. Olmert's leftist policies are clearly causing more casualties. Why are they not flattening these border villages. These casualties are not happening in big "civilian" cities like Tyre, they are happening right along the border where everyone has been evacualted!

2:45 PM EST: Haaretz is reporting that 25 soldiers have been wounded in today's fighting. This all confirms the earlier reports of heavy fighting and is probably a prelude to a confirmation of some KIA's. Also, Nasarallah gave another TV address in which he begged Arab residents of Haifa to evacuate so he wouldn't have to kill his brothers. He also endorsed the idea of the Lebanese army deploying to the border. This begs the question of how some Israeli officials can support an idea that is backed by Hilter in a headscarf?!

12:15 PM EST: JPost is reporting that about 40,000 soldiers are awaiting deployment. In regard to the status of Hizbollah on the ground, a senior IDF officer told JPost that Hizbollah's Nasser Unit, in charge of southern Lebanon, was still operational, and numbered several thousand Hizbollah fighters, including reservists, which the guerrilla group had called up in anticipation of Israel's planned massive ground incursion. Hizbollah, the officer said, still retained its command and control abilities throughout Lebanon and had fighters deployed in between 100-130 villages from the Litani south. North of the river, the officer said, Hizbullah had a smaller presence, but one that still numbered several thousand fighters. There have also been reports of 11 IDF casualties being evacuated to Israeli hospitals after heavy battles in the western sector. It is still unclear how many KIA's and wounded there were in today's fighting.

11:00 AM: Olmert and his cabinet have finally approved an expanded ground war amidst much domestic prssure. Chief of Staff Halutz is predicting the operation to last for 30 days and will involve troops invading southern Lebanon until the Latani river. Lets just hope that it won't be fought in a hesitent PC manner. Keep in mind that in 1982 the IDF made it past the river in 48 hours. The vote was 9-3, but the details are still unclear. I am not happy about some of the rhetoric coming from the liberal cabinet members about not expanding the war immediately.

In other news, the Israeli navy shelled a Fatah Palestinian base in Lebanon that was supplying weapons to Hizbollah. Keep in mind that this is Mahmoud Abbas's terrorist group that Olmert and Rice want to create a state from? Also, here is a good WND article on the living dead in the photos of the liberal media.

8:10 AM EST: Over 100 rockets have struck the north so far. One person was wounded and several suffered from shock in the latest barrage on Safed. Otherwise, there have been few casualties today, but extensive damage in some border towns. There are also widespread fires raging in the Golan Heights and Galilee panhandle. Over 3,000 rockets were fired since the beginning of the war placing almost 2 million residents in bomb shelters for most of the war. No other country would tolerate such a situation. This is proof that Israel's government is the most liberal one in the world. They are fighting a PC liberal war. There are now reports of more casualties in the western sector area of Aita. This usual means that there were some fatalities but the IDF doesn't want to confirm it until later.

Column Update: Michelle Malkin has the latest in regard to the lies of the liberal media in their war reporting. Kathleen Parker also weighs in on this issue. On the other side of the aisle, the Washington Compost is continuing their tradition of having terrorist guest writers. Today, they published an op-ed from the Lebanese PM!

6:20 AM EST: The rocket attacks began early today throughout the north. Most of them landed in open areas resulting in no casualties. However, there was heavy damage in Ma'alot with the destruction of two houses. The big news was that more long rang Fagir-5 missiles were fired today with 4 hitting as far south as the Jenin area and one striking Haifa. No damage was reported. Two people suffered from shock in Haifa. In Lebanon, the IDF is currently engaged in heavy fighting in the western village of Aita where they took casualties last week. One soldier was moderately injured so far and there might have been some fatalities. They seem to continue on this path of being under manned and undersupplied which results in the accomplishing of nothing. Meanwhile, remarkably, the cabinet is still debating whether to expand the ground war with Chief of Staff Halutz finally approving it but several cabinet members along with Olmert wavering.

12:15 AM EST: Newt Gingrich was on with Israel National Radio last night and expressed disappointment in Israel's leadership for not calling up tens of thousands of reserves immediately and invading as far north as possible. If only Olmert would support his country as much as American conservatives do then this war would have been over already. Meanwhile, his cabinet is set to meet in a few hours to decide whether to pressure Olmert to approve a real ground invasion.

In other news, a new poll shows that 97% of Palestinians support Hizbollah's attacks eventhough they are killing Arabs with their rockets. And the libs want to give them a state??!

10:50 PM: It looks like two more IDF soldiers were killed in Bint Jabel, bringing the total number of KIA's to 5 this Tuesday. One was seriously wounded in a firefight, and another was killed during the evacuation of the casualties. The second one later died of his wounds.

8:00 PM EST: Rep. Peter King (R- NY) was on the Mark Levin Show and commented on the war. He asked rhetorically, "doesn't Israel have some B-52's so they can carpet bomb Hizbollah"? Oh, if only Israel had a leader like Peter King!

7:00 PM EST: Due to the continuous rocket attacks throughout the north, the Israeli homefront plans to evacuate at least 25,000 of the remaining residents of the north. This includes about 10,000 residents that have remained in the heavily damaged city of Kiryat Shemona. So what does the Israeli government plan to do about the rocket threat? Tomorrow, the security cabinet plans to meet to decide whether to finally allow the IDF to advance to the Latani river. As we have reported, the Defense Minister who is a Marxist, supports the invasion while the PM is to the left of this Marxist and opposes the operation.

In other news, here is an LA Times poll that shows incontrovertibly that the Republicans support Israel twice as much as the Democrats. In fact, the poll shows that the majority of Democrats feel that we should stop supporting Israel, while a plurality of them think that Israel was unjustified even in their weak response.

2:10 PM EST: There has been heavy fighting throughout the day in Bint Jabel. Seven IDF soldiers were wounded, one moderately when their unit came under anti-tank fire during clashes in Bint Jabail Tuesday evening. Another tank that arrived on the scene was hit by explosives, but there was no word of injuries in that incident. This is in addition to the 3 KIA's and 8 wounded earlier in the morning. In other military news, IDF Chief of staff Halutz appointed his deputy Maj.-Gen Moshe Kaplinsky as personal representative in the IDF's northern command. Some believe that this appointment was in response to some criticism of the current Northern commander Udi Adam by top military officials for being incompetent and inexperienced in fighting against guerrillas. As former OC Central Command, Kaplinsky's forte is the disposition of ground forces. He is a former commander of the Golani infantry brigade.

Inside Israel, the rockets continue to fall at a steady pace causing some more damage but no additional casualties. The brunt of the rocket attacks and damage has been directed at Kiryat Shemona.

9:40 AM EST: 17 people, including 5 children are being treated for shock after a rocket scored a direct hit on a house in Safed. Two people were wounded in a west Galilee village. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Al Reuters has been caught with another false report today. They fabricated a story about Israel bombing a village during a funeral several hours ago, that was later retracted without apology. They really need to be thrown out of Israel if not Lebanon.

8:00 AM EST: The rockets are falling at a heavy pace, but miraculously there were no casualties so far. Several people were treated for shock in Safed. One rocket landed close to a hospital in Safed, causing some damage.

In Gaza, Israel's anti-terror offensive continues, concentrating in the southern Gaza area of Rafah, where the army is searching for and destroying tunnels. Four Kassam rockets were fired from Gaza into the western Negev today; no one was reported hurt. Some 500 Hizbollah and Hamas terrorists have been killed or wounded in the past month of fighting.

6:30 AM EST: On the ground in Lebanon, another soldier, a paramedic, was killed along with 5 seriously wounded when their tank was struck by a missile in the village of Dbil, near Bint Jabel. Another soldier was seriously wounded in Bint Jabel itself several hour ago. This brings the total deaths in Bint Jabel this week to four and for the duration of the war 13. This is all due to their forced withdrawal by Olmert after capturing it two weeks ago. 7 Hizbollah terrorists were killed and 5 were captured when they were caught sleeping in their hideout. Also, 12 more rocket launchers were captured on the ground, while 6 more were destroyed by the IAF. Update: Its now being reported that two more soldiers were killed and 2 wounded in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, in Israel, Olmert has said that the Lebanese proposal to deploy troops along the border is "interesting" and will be studied. Its like saying that the Taliban's proposal to protect you from Al Quieda is interesting and worth further examination.

In northern Israel, about 50 rockets have been fired, causing heavy damage in Ma'alot and Kiryat Shemona, no casualties reported.
Column Update: Here is Caroline Glick's latest article detailing the plans of Olmert and Israel's enemy within. Jack Kelly writes about the liberal media being a mouthpiece for the terrorists. Also, there is a great National Review article that explains the dangers of Condi Rice's push for a suicidal UN resolution and deal with the devil. A little off topic but connected, Dennis Prager has a column about the media's blackout of the Seattle terror attack and their obssesion with Mel Gibson. The London Times has a must read article detailing all of the Chinese weapons that have found their way into the hands of Hizbollah through Iran. We reported earlier that many of the upgraded anti tank missiles that have accounted for most of the IDF casualties are made in China.

Israel Under Siege

(Note: this post will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and commentary)

Updated: Monday, Aug. 7th

- Rocket attacks continue, damage and injuries reported in the north with over 160 fired

- IDF commando operation under way in Tyre, Hizbollah drone shot down

- 3 KIA, 6 wounded in Bint Jabel, 3 more wounded in eastern sector, 14 terrorists killed

Sunday's Headlines

- 3 dead, over 100 injured when rockets collapsed an apartment building in Haifa
- 12 army reserves killed in major rocket attack in a village near the border
- Major commando operation in Tyre resulted in the destruction of rocket launchers, killing of terrorists, and the capture of 3, one who participated in the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, two commandos seriously wounded
- Heavy fighting in the east, 5 IDF injured, 15 terrorists killed
- Lebanon reject cease fire, Syria says its prepared for war
- IDF will not fight on to the Latani

7:00 PM EST: Did you ever wonder how Hizbollah's rockets are so accurate eventhough they are lacking any guidance system? Well, WND is reporting that there are Arab spies living in Israel who are providing Hizbollah with vital information. This enemy within lives within so called pre 67' Israel and most of them hold Israeli citizenship due to the ultra leftist policies of the traitors in the government. They report that Al Aksa Martyrs terrorists (Abbas's group) are working in conjunction with Hizbollah to inform them about the location of rocket impactions in order to perfect their accuracy in the future. How can a state survive with such an enemy within?

Meanwhile, the Lebanese government is claiming that they plan to call up 15,000 of their reserves to take control of the border. That's right! The Lebanese are going to protect Israel's border from Hizbollah. If this weren't sad and tragic it would be funny. On the ground in Lebanon today, Israel's Northern Commander is claiming that they have killed 20 terrorists, bringing the total to about 450.

2:30 PM EST: A Hizbollah drone was just shot down off the coast of Israel. The debris is being gathered by the navy. In other news, 2 more soldiers were killed and two wounded in Bint Jabeal by an anti tank missile. I'm not sure if they ever had control of the city or if they gave it up, but they certainly don't have control at this point. Unbelievable!

12:15 PM EST: Rockets continue to pummel northern Israel. Over 50 rockets have hit Kiryat Shemona resulting in widespread damage and raging fires. A school building suffered a direct hit, along with several homes. A few more civilians were injured in the latest attacks, no fatalities reported. Over 160 rockets were fired today.

Remember the fake Al Reuters picture of smoke billowing out of Beirut yesterday? Well, it looks like the Islamonazi media has struck again. Al Reuters was forced to pull another picture, this time depicting Israeli F-16's shooting missiles at Lebanon. The doctored the real pictures of the jets shooting deflecting flares to look like missiles. Michelle Malkin has the full roundup.

10:30 AM EST: There are currently 40 IDF special forces operating in the Tyre area to root out terrorist rocket launching cites. They were dropped off by helicopter on a hilltop overlooking the city and are engaged in gun battles with some local Hizbollah fighters.

In other news, DM Amir Peretz said today that if a diplomatic solution fails, then they will target rocket launchers all over Lebanon. What!? Is he saying that they currently know where more rockets are located and are not destroying them because of so called diplomacy? I think that the volume of rockets beign fired almost four weeks into the war answers that question. President Bush just held a press conference at his Texas ranch. While he expressed support for the terrorist Lebanese government and the creation of a Palestinian terrorist state, these are the convictions of the current Israeli government and Bush was merely supporting their views. In regard to Hizbollah he couldn't have been more resolute in his support for the war. So any hesitation in regard to the destruction of Hizbollah is coming from Olmert and not the White House.

8:00 AM EST: As the rockets continue to be fired at a rapid pace it is no surprise that Syria and Iran are orchestrating the attacks. DEBKA reports: "The command which coordinates the pace of those attacks is located at the Anjar base of the Syrian Army's 10th Division opposite the Lebanese town of Az Zabdani. It is manned by Iranian and Hizbollah officers, who take their orders from a Syrian military intelligence center in Damascus to which Iranian Revolutionary Guards intelligence officers are attached. It is headed by a general from one of SyriaÂ’s surface missile brigades. This joint command is provided with the most up-to-date intelligence and electronic data available to Syria on targets in Israel and IDF movements. The timing and tempo of Hizbollah rocket strikes are set according to that information." And Israel still refuses to hold Syria accountable?!

In Lebanon, there is still heavy fighting in Bint Jabel. 14 terrorists were killed while at least one soldier has been killed.

Today's column picks: Diana West, Jeff Jacoby, Mark Steyn, Jack Kelly.

6:30 AM EST: Rocket attacks have resumed during the morning hours in Israel. There were injuries reported in Kiryat Shemona, Shlomi, and Safed. Several houses sustained direct hits, but there were no fatalities so far today. Meanwhile, major parts of Haifa's main hospital are moving to underground bomb shelters. Many smaller ones have already done this, as several hospitals have already been hit.

On the ground in Lebanon another soldier was killed in Bint Jabel and 4 more were wounded. This is what happens when they pull out of the villages that they fought so hard to capture. It appears that at least a part of it is under Hizbollah's control. There were also heavy battles in the eastern town of Khule where three soldiers were wounded and several terrorists were killed.

Monday 12:00 AM EST: Overnight, the IAF resumed airstrikes on the southern part of Beirut. As we have mentioned before, you really have to start wondering how much of this is just "loud noise" on the part of the IDF. If all of the reports of bombings over the past three weeks were true then there would be no infrastructure left. This doesn't even factor all of the cites that were "bombed" 10 times. Anyway, there were also reports of heavy explosions in the Bekaa valley city of Baalbek. There was also more heavy fighting in the eastern sector village of Khule. There are no specifics about that battle yet.

5:00 PM EST: The IDF has just announced that it does not plan to fight until the Latani river! This is being reported in the backdrop of the heaviest and most deadly rocket attacks since the beginning of the war. There is no doubt that this was the decision of the Olmert government and not the IDF. So what exactly is their plan to stop the rockets and destroy Hizbollah? Surrender?

In regard to the Haifa attack that killed 3 and wounded well over 100, it is now being reported that the rockets were launched from Qana. Yep, that Qana! The IAF just destroyed one of the launchers. So much for the peaceful city of civilians.

3:20 PM EST: The big news of the hour is the massive rocket attack on Haifa after a week of relative quiet for Haifa residents. Hizbollah fired about 6 rockets from the port city of Tyre, striking seven residential blocks in different parts of Israel's third largest city. One rocket scored a direct hit on an apartment building which caused the whole structure to collapse. 3 people were killed, 11 others were seriously or moderately hurt, and over 100 more were treated for shock and light injuries. Several people were trapped under the rubble before the rescue workers arrived on the scene and cleared the area of any casualties. There were several large fires that broke out around the building and are now under control. This is more proof of the fact that there are not enough troops on the ground in Lebanon to seriously mitigate Hizbollah's rocket launching capabilities.

The attack on Haifa was the second major casualty incident today. Earlier this morning over 40 rockets struck the Kiryat Shemona area, killing 12 army reserves in an nearby village. These soldiers were just called up for duty and were gathering to participate in an army exercise. 15 more people were injured in the area. Over 170 rockets were fired into northern Israel, continuing the steady flow of Hizbollah attacks of the past five days. 58 soldiers and 36 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the war.

On the ground in Lebanon, it appears that most of the fighting is taking place in the eastern and western sectors with the center remaining relatively quiet. In the west, special forces operated south of Tyre. The troops destroyed 3 rocket launchers, a bunker, three weapons warehouses, and three cars used to transport rockets. IDF aircraft also fired missiles at a vehicle south of Tyre. The magnitude of the blast and consequent explosion indicate the presence of rockets in the car. Two soldiers were wounded, one seriously and one moderately, in the fighting south of Tyre. 3 mid level Hizbollah terrorists were captured during the raid with one of them confirmed to have been part of the Hizbollah unit that captured the two soldiers several weeks ago.

In the east, five more Golani soldiers were wounded in the city of Mabeeb during a raid on a terrorist safe house. One is in serious condition. In other news, the Syrian Foreign Minister visited Lebanon today and announced that he is prepared for a war with Israel if they are attacked. While meeting with the Lebanese FM, he also rejected calls from the French to end hostilities and agree to a cease fire. This is yet another proof of the unbelievably blatant collaboration between Syria, Lebanon, and Hizbollah. The central strategic failure of Olmert at this point is his refusal to declare war on the Lebanese government and completely stop Syria from transporting weapons. Syria (and Iran) have already declared war on Israel but their hostilities are not reciprocated.

In other news, here is a great video that won't be shown on the liberal news, which shows Hizbollah's cowardly tactics of firing out of civilian homes. The liberals are too busy creating false pictures of Israel's destruction of Lebanon. I'm sure that most people have already heard about the Reuters photographer that doctored a picture of Beirut after an IAF strike, depicting two columns of smoke billowing from the groung in perfect symmetry. The fraud was detected by the great conservative blog Little Green Footballs, along with some others. This is just one more lie exposed, along with hundreds of others from their Qana reporting. Reuters has pulled those photographs from their news site and has suspended the photographer. Here is an article that has a full roundup of this latest media lie.

Exclusive Comprehensive Coverage of Israel Under Siege

(Note: this post will be continuously updated with breaking news and commentary)
Updated: Friday, August 4
- Three Israelis killed in latest rocket attacks, 100 injured some seriously, 2 killed and 42 injured near Carmiel alone, more than 220 rockets fired
- 3 Khabir Rockets hit Hadera for the first time, 90km south of the border was the farthest since the beginning of war
- Iran has supplied Hizbollah with a Zelzal battery that can reach anywhere in Israel
- More heavy fighting on the ground close to border, 2KIA's 2 more soldiers injured by anti tank missile,one severely, 5 terrorists killed
- IDF warning everyone south of Latani to evacuate

Thursday's Headlines
- 8 Israeli civilians killed in Akko and Ma'alot, dozens wounded in an intense barrage of rockets throughout the north
- Over 180 rockets fired today, Nasarallah threatens to hit Tel Aviv
- Heavy fighting in western sector, 4 IDF KIA's one seriously wounded from anti tank missile, 13 Hizbollah dead, 5 captured
- 8 brigades of 10,000 soldiers operating in 20 villages
- New rounds of air raids in the Dahiya part of Beirut
- Al Aksa terrorist says that Olmert's talk of concessions emboldens them
-DM Peretz in favor of expanding the invasion to the Latani, PM Olmert and Condi Rice are reluctant

4:45 PM EST: The big news of the past few hours was that Hizbollah, in an unprecidented escalation, launched 3 Khabir-1 long range missiles at Hadera, some 50 km south of Haifa. Hadera is a large city that is 90 km south of the border, representing the deepest attack into Israel since the commencment of hostilities. Thankfully, nobody was injured except five people who were treated for hysteria. Keep in mind that these missiles are not only upgraded in their long range capabilities, but also carry a heavy payload of explosives that can be extremely deadly. There were reports of explosions even farther south of the city, but turned out to be from the attack in Hadera. This just goes to show how powerfull these things can be and how perilous the current threat is to Israel's major population centers.

Also, to make matters worse, there are now reports that Iran has shipped a battery of upgraded Zelzal missiles to Hizbollah through Syria. This is another example of Olmert's lack of resolve to go after Syria and prevent such weapons from getting into the hands of Hizbollah. One battery contains 16 Zelzal's that have a range of 300 km. They can hit anywhere in Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and the nuclear facilities in Demona.

11:30 AM EST: It appears that the earlier report about a man killed in Kiryat Shemona was wrong. He is listed as being in critical condition. However, there was just a massive rocket attack on a village near Carmiel that killed two and injured 42, several seriously. Several rockets scored a direct hit on a resurant resulting in most of the casualties. Over 150 rockets have been fired today.

9:10 AM EST: The rockets are continuing to fall at a rapid pace in numerous locations. One more person was killed when a rocket landed next to his car in Kiryat Shemona, while another was severely wounded. 5 more people were injured near Carmiel, and several others in Safed. About 135 rockets have been fired today.

8:20 AM EST: The north is currently under a heavy rocket attack with over 80 rockets landing so far. One woman was killed in the village of Mughar. Also, following the last wave of rocket attacks in northern Israel, Magen David Adom emergency medical service officials report that in the Tiberias district, 1 victim is in critical condition and 1 serious. Another woman was seriously injured in Ma'alot. In the Kiryat Shmona area, there are 1 serious, 1 moderate and a number of hysteria patients. In Lebanon, it is now being reported that 2 soldiers were killed in Makabe in the eastern sector. Those were the ones that were previously reported to be injured several hour ago.

6:30 AM EST: In addition to the 2 soldiers who were injured in early morning fighting there were two more injured, one very seriously by an anti tank missile in Taibeh. At least 5 terrorists have been killed. The IAF has been dropping leaflets warning everyone to evacuate all areas south of the Latani. Also, there have been a number of rocket attacks on Safed, Kiryat Shemona and elsewhere. Thankfully, most of them have landed in open fields.

Column Update: It has now become public knowledge what we have been reporting from day one, that Olmert is a traitorous liberal. Here is the latest Krauthammer column showing how Olmert's lack of leadership is disappointing American's. Caroline Glick has a must read piece on Olmert's failures. She writes, "Israel's national leadership has so far managed to take every political and strategic advantage that Israel has, and turn it into an impediment. Today, assuming Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will let us win, what three weeks ago could have been a rapid victory will now be costly and slow." Paul Greenberg has some good notes and observations on the war.

Meanwhile, instead of focusing on victory, Olmert is begging the German's to send troops to Lebanon. The Germans!!!? He is also begging for diplomatic talks with Indonesia and Malaysia, two of the biggest Islamofacist countries in the world!

Friday 12:30 AM EST: The IAF is continuing to strike targets across Beirut and northern and eastern Lebanon. On the ground, there is heavy fighting in the eastern sector of the border. 2 soldiers were injured in a clash in Markaba, while 5 terrorists were killed in fighting in other villages. Meanwhile, the rockets have begun to fall on Kiryat Shemona.

10:00 PM EST: The IAF has resumed airstrikes on the terrorist Dahiya neiborhood of Beirut. Despite the lies of the media about widespread destruction of Beirut, only 1% of Beirut has been targeted, which means that not even all of Dahiya has been under attack. I really hope that they will finally level this area into submission. And they need to stop warning the terrorists when they are going to strike. This is a war that was started by Hizbollah and backed by the pro Syrian Lebanese government and they need to pay for it.

In other news, we reported earlier that the Defense Minister Amir Peretz is in favor of expanding the ground operation to the Latani river. This is the bare minimum that is required to neutralize the rocket threat and prevent more IDF casualties by hamstringing the army. Well, Haaretz is now reporting that PM Olmert opposes the idea!!! That's right! Olmert is to the left of Peretz who is a self described Marxist! This war cannot be won until Olmert is removed.

On the diplomatic front: Sec. Rice hinted to a willingness to call for a cease fire before Hizbollah is destroyed at all. She said to garlic breath Larry King that the U.S. is moving "towards being able to do this in phases that will permit first an end or a stoppage in the hostilities and based on the establishment on some very important principles for how we move forward." While this statement is certainly reprehensible, I believe that she is just echoing the sentiments of the traitor PM Olmert.

5:00 PM EST: The IDF has announced that another soldier was killed by an anti tank missile in Al Taibej this evening. This brings the total number of KIA's today to 4. Here is an informative analysis of Hizbollah's anti tank missiles. Also, DEBKAfile has a must read report on the failings of Israel's leftist government in conducting this war.

Column Update: In regard to the Qana incident, INN has a full report on what really occurred. Here is a great Human Events piece on the liberals attitude towards Israel.

4:00 PM EST: The NY Post is reporting that a German newspaper has obtained information that Osama Bin Ladin's son, Saad, who has been under house arrest in Iran for two year, has been released by Iranian officials and dispatched to Lebanon to help Hizbollah. Saad has been a major figure in Al Quieda and has been involved in the planning of many terrorist attacks. This is just more proof that Shiites and Sunnis will put aside their differences and unite to fight against the west.

In other news, WND is reporting that Hizbollah has been executing suspected collaborators in Bint Jabel for giving aid to the IDF. Earlier we reported that many local villagers have been giving vital intellegance to the Israelis. This is something that will not be published in the liberal media.

3:30 PM EST: WND is reporting that a top Al Aksa terrorist said during an exclusive interview that he heard PM Olmert's comments about surrendering more land and claimed to be emboldened by it. He cited the past examples of how terror attacks have constantly forced Israel to retreat and give them the strategic gains needed to facilitate more attacks against Israelis. After hearing this from a terrorist, I cannot understand how Olmert is still in charge and not expelled from Israel. Talk about giving aid and comfort to the enemy!

Update on attacks against Jews: There have been many attacks against Jewish cites around the world since the Seattle shooting. They have occured in Australia and throughout Europe. Well, evidently there has been a firebomb attack on the Baltimore Hebrew University yesterday. Of course the media is silent about the ordeal and refuses to suspect it to be a (muslim) hate crime. The Baltimore Sun has the details here.

3:00 PM EST: In Northern Israel: The big news is the tragic murder of 8 Israelis by Hizbollah rockets. 5 civilians were killed outside a bomb shelter in Akko, including a father and daughter. 3 more were killed in Ma'alot on a farm. About 13 civilians were seriously injured and another 35 were treated for light injuries and shock. There were two major waves of rocket attacks today. The first one occurred in the morning when about 40 rockets were fired and caused some damage in Kiryat Shemona, but no casualties were reported. However, around 4 PM Israel time an intense barrage of 130 rockets commenced that lasted for over an hour, and resulted in all of the casualties and tremendous damage. Many people were wounded while driving in their cars. Over 180 rockets were fired in total today in addition to the 210 fired yesterday.

In Lebanon on the ground: There was heavy fighting throughout the day within 20 villages along the Lebanese-Israel border. Most of the fighting is taking place in the western sector. 3 IDF soldiers were killed and one was severely wounded in the southwest village of Rajmin when their tank was destroyed by a Hizbollah anti-tank missile. This is in addition to the 4 soldiers who were killed in Aita over the past two days; also as a result of anti tank fire. 13 Hizbollah soldiers were also killed in the fighting and 5 more were captured.
Hizbollah's anti tank missiles have been the greatest threat to the IDF on the ground. In the past few years, Hizbollah has equipped itself with missile systems and other means against Israeli tanks, which are among the most advanced in the world. The terror group possesses Fagot and Cornet missiles with tandem warheads that can neutralize tank shields and destroy even the IDF's advanced tanks.

There are currently 8 brigades of roughly 10,000 soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. The Israeli DM Amir Peretz announced that they plan to establish a security zone that will extend 6-8 km inside of Lebanon, in which all Hizbollah towns will be razed. He has also called for the IDF to advance all the way to the Latani river in an effort to destroy the rocket launchers. This will involve the occupation of the major port city Tyre and will require the approval of the cabinet to call up more reserves. I'm not sure what they are waiting for. 10,000 soldiers is not nearly enough for an operation that requires the destruction of 6 years worth of Hizbollah defenses. This is causing unnecessary casualties. After 3 weeks they are still fighting and taking casualties within 2 km of their own border!
Also, if they think that after 25 years of Hizbollah occupation they only have their weapons deployed south of the Litani, they are mistaken. It is going to take the full strength of the IDF and many weeks to destroy Hizbollah in every corner of Lebanon. All of this talk of a several day time limit and UN resolutions are nonsense and should be discarded. Only a firm resolve to fight this war whole heartedly, with a decisive goal and without any political correctness will lead to victory with the help of the Lord. Prayer is the biggest weapon against these godless vermin.

In the air campaign: Israeli jets renewed air strikes Wednesday night, hitting 70 Hizbollah targets Thursday. They bombed Hizbollah-dominated S. Beirut, rocket sites in Tyre, Iranian weapons re-supply routes via Syria in the east and a bridge in northern Akkar. The bridge over the Orontes River connected the Hizballah's northern stronghold in Hermel. Meanwhile, the IAF just dropped more leaflets over southern Beirut warning all "civilians" to evacuate. This might be a prelude to the major destruction of this terrorist stronghold. Nasarallah responded in a televised address that he would fire missiles on Tel Aviv if they continue to bomb Beirut. A senior Defense official said that they would detroy the entire infrastructure of Lebanon if such an attack occurred. I seriously hope that he means it.

On the forgotten Southern Front: Debka reports that the IDF has mounted a ground, engineering, tank and air counter-terror operation in Rafah, Gaza. Rafah is close to the place where Hamas kidnappers seized an Israeli soldier on June 25 sparking intense Israeli military action to recover him and halt the daily Qassam barrage on southwest Israel. Palestinians report five dead, while the IDF says 8-10 armed Palestinians were killed. At least one was identified as belonging to the governing Hamas and three were claimed by Islamic Jihad. They fought the advancing Israeli APC's with guns and anti-tank rockets. Meanwhile, the Kassams continue to be fired on a daily basis.

Comprehensive Coverage of the War on Israel

(Note: this post will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and commentary)
- IDF commandos raided a terrorist hospital deep in the Bekaa valley and captured 5 Hizbollah members alive but failed to capture regional leader Yazbek, no casualties incurred
- 10,000 ground troops in Lebanon
- Over 210 rockets fired in the north causing widespread damage and injuries,126 people treated, one killed near Nahariya
- Two long range Khabir-1 missiles were fired at Jenin, 70 km south of border, 8 more in Afula
- More heavy fighting in Aita and across the border, 1 Israeli KIA, 9 soldiers wounded, one very seriously, 15 terrorists killed
- Ground troops enter southern Gaza for counter terror operations
- Olmert announces that the Expulsion/retreat from Judea and Samaria is on!

7:00 PM EST: It has now been cleared for publication that during the second round of fighting in Aita a soldier was killed along with the three wounded that was reported earlier. Evidently in a similar incident to the one yesterday, an anti tank missile was fired at a house where the troops were holed up in. The IDF is claiming that they will establish a security zone in the cental sector of the border tomorrow. However, fighting is still continuing in Aita and other parts of the eastern sector.

On the southern front: there is an extensive operation underway in southern Gaza that involves the Givati armor brigade and the IAF. 5 terrorists were struck by the IAF today along with some weapons caches.

4:00 PM EST: How do you know that the UN has copletely gone over to the side of the terrorists? When even the State Department sharply condemns them. Following the harsh criticism of US policy by the UN number two man Mark Brown, State Dep't spokesman Sean McCormack said, "We are seeing a troubling pattern of a high official of the U.N. who seems to be making it his business to criticize member states and, frankly, with misplaced and misguided criticisms."

1:30 PM EST: 3 more people were injured in Nahariya when a rocket landed near a house. There have been well over 200 rockets fired today which is a single day record. This shows that the lull in attacks over the past two days was not a result of diminished Hizbollah capabilities, but rather due to strategic shifting of their launchers.

In Lebanon, 9 soldiers were wounded, one seriously in today's ground battles, mainly around the village of Aita, near the border. 6 were hurt in a morning battle and 3 were wounded in an evening battle that is still raging near the location where the IDF took 3 KIA's yesterday.

In other news, WND is reporting that Palestinian groups such as Fatah (Abbas) and Popular Resistance Front (PELP) are providing Hizbollah with rifles, ammunition, several kinds of long range rockets, and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. Keep in mind that both groups have bases and commanders in Lebanon and Syria and are backed by Iran. It is criminal negligence on the part of Olmert that not only does he decline from eradicating Fatah, but he actively works with their leader Abbas and desires to give them a state!!

11:40 AM EST: This past hour, the IDF gave a press briefing offering some more information on the Baalbek operation. They said that 200 elite soldiers were involved in the operation in which 10 Hizbollah fighters were killed. They believe that the kidnapped soldiers were being held their soon after their capture. It was also noted that there have been 15 similar operations conducted deep into Lebanon. In regard to the rest of the ground effort the IDF spokesman said that they plan to clear out all resistance in the central sector by tomorrow. The Chief of general staff said that 300 Hizbollah terrorists were killed since the beginning of the war. We will see if this will happen, as there are still heavy ground battles in that region. Although, it appears that the bulk of the resistance is now in the eastern sector of the border. Meanwhile, the rockets continue to pummel northern Israel. No more casualties were reported this past hour.

10:50 AM EST: Rockets continue to wreak havoc throughout the north. More katyushas continue to hit Haifa. There are now reports of close to 200 rockets fired today. Column Update: Here is Michelle Malkin's latest column ridiculing the myth of the Qana incident. Also, Frank Gaffney echoes Caroline Glick's warnings against ridiculous concessions and negotiations with Lebanon and the so called Palestinians.

9:40 AM EST: Hizbollah is now launching more long range missiles. A record of 8 have just landed in Afula. Luckily, they all impacted in an open field because these things could be very deadly in an urban area. There are also more sirens sounding in places far south of the border, indicating more incoming long range rockets.

8:00 AM EST: About 150 rockets have landed in Israel s far today in the most intense barrage since the beginning of the war. One man was killed while riding his bike in a small town north of Nahariya, while a women is in critical condition after being injured by a rocket in Safed. Medical teams are reporting that they have treated over 125 people for light injuries or shock. There are 56 people being treated in the Nahariya hospital alone. Two soldiers were moderately wounded from rocket shrapnel several minutes ago near the border. There is a tremendous amount of damage and many fires are raging throughout the north.

On the ground, I am really beginning to worry that the IDF will sustain many casualties due to Olmert's lack of resolve and objective. In 1982, Sharon as DM led the campaign all the way to Beirut in just two days. Now, three weeks after the beginning of the war, Olmert is still stalling the main thrust of the invasion right along the border!! There are only a few thousand soldiers that are really engaged in combat and they are still fighting Hizbollah terrorists just 1 km north of the border!! He said himself that he will not destroy Hizbollah (certainly not Syria/Iran) , rather he will have the soldiers engage in inconsequential battles along the border until an international force can take over. That is the objective!? All this, so he can get back to more important things like expelling jews from Israel and committing another strategic suicide. Many people quote Golda Meir's famous statement that there will be no peace in the Middle East until the Arabs love their children more than they hate Jews. Well, I would say that the ball is in Israel's court. There will not be peace in Israel until the leftist political establishment hates the Arab terrorists more than they hate the religious Jews of Judea and Samaria.

6:45 AM: Rockets continue to fall, sparking fires in the Golan Heights and Galilee. Breaking: one man has been killed in a small town near Nahariya.

The big news is Olmert's interview that he gave with news agencies several hour ago. He started off by saying that Israel wiil continue its operation [not until Hizbollah is destroyed, but] until an international force is in place! But it gets worse. On the anniversary of the deportation/retreat from Gaza which has caused this current perilous situation, Olmert said that a victory in Lebanon will give more momentum to his planned expulsion from Judea and Samaria!! Imagine what a message this sends to all of the terrorists operating there and around the region! Keep in mind that a disproportionate amount of the casualties of war so far have been from dedicated soldiers of Judea and Samaria!

This is why I strongly believe that Olmert must be thrown out even in a time of war. There were sharp reactions from right wing Knesset members. Benny Elon said that his comments were immoral in light of the sacrifices that its residents are currently making on the front. MK Tzvi Hendel said that Olmert was manipulating the support that he is receiving because of the war. Lets hope that this is not just talk and that they will do every thing in their power to stop this immoral act and strategic suicide.

In regard to the long range missiles fired at jenin, a security forces examination revealed that the rockets were fired from over a hundred kilometer range, apparently from the Lebanese town of Tyre. Police sappers are currently inspecting the rockets' parts, and have been able to determine that they are probably old Syrian 302 rockets.

6:10 AM EST: Over 120 rockets were fired during the past four hours throughout the Galilee and Goaln Heights, causing widespread damage in Akko, Tiberias, Kiryat Shemona, Safed, Nahariya, and Ma'alot. There is currently an intense barrage underway. About 40 civilians were injured and one women was seriously hurt in Safed. There were also two long range missiles fired; one at Afula and the other at the Arab city of Jenin some 70 km south of the border, the farthest south ever. One would think that Hizbollah would watch out not to hit their fellow Jihadis. This comes after a two day period of only a few rocket attacks on northern Israel. The kassams are also continuing to fall in the south. One man was injured by shrapnel from an explosion in Ashkelon.

On the ground in Lebanon: There are heavy battles going on throughout all areas of the border. Two soldiers were lightly wounded and 7 Hizbollah were killed during the clashes in Aita this morning. Also, the IAF struck another Lebanese army base near Beirut, killing three soldiers. As for the commando raid in Baalbek las night, we previously reported that there were 3 captured Hizbollah members, but it seems that the number is 5 or 6. 10 others were killed during the operation. The Army Chief of Staff Halutz says that they captured vital intelligence data.

12:15 AM EST: The big news of the hour is that IDF special forces have successfuly pulled off a commando operation deep into the Bekaa valley. They landed helicopters near a hospital in Baalbek and proceeded to kill some terrorists and capture three Hizbollah members. None of them were senior members of Hizbolla; their names are Hussein Nasrallah, Hussein al-Bourji, and Ahmed al-Gutah. Some are reporting that as many as five were captured. They failed to capture Muhammad Yazbek, a member of the top twelve Hizbollah leadership, who was the initial target of this mission. All of the commandos returned to Israel without any casualties. For more information about the battle please view the previous post.
INN is reporting that there are currently about 10,000 troops on the ground in Lebanon. There are currently gun battles under way in two border villages; Habib and Aita. 7 terrorists were killed in the early morning battle.
On the southern front: INN reports that the IDF continues to attack Hamas strongholds in Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled Gaza, seeking to bring an end to Kassam rocket attacks into southern Green Line Israel. During the night, the air force targeted a number of Hamas weapons storage facilities and navy gunships also fired at Hamas targets in Gaza. Despite tenacious IDF efforts to date, the Kassam rockets continue to slam into civilian population centers in Sderot, the western Negev, and even deeper into southern Israel.

In northern Israel, two rockets were fired into the Galilee panhandle. No damage or casualties were reported.

Exclusive Coverage of Israel Under Siege

(Note: this post will be continuously updated with comprehensive updates and commentary)

- IDF gets green light to expand ground war to the Litani river, will raze all Hizbollah border towns, Syria prepares for war
- Special Ops battle over: IDF has parachuted commandos into the Bekaa valley in the north to capture regional commander Muhammed Yazbek, IDF announced the safe return of the soldiers along with a few captured Hizbollah
- Two out of four of the Syria-Lebanon border crossings are closed due to damage from IAF strikes
- Heavy clashes reported along central and western parts of border, 20 Hizbollah killed, 3 IDF KIA's and 25 wounded in the battle for Aita
- Israeli soldiers are operating in southern Gaza to destroy tunnels
- Kassams strike the Negev, katyushas and mortars resume in the north, 5 soldiers injured by mortars

10:45 PM EST: Baalbek Update: Haaretz is reporting that the IDF has announced that the commandos returned to Israel safely with several Hizbollah terrorists captured. There were no IDF casualties. It seems that the operation was a success, although they declined to say if they caught Muhammed Yazbek, the initial target of the operation.

10:00 PM EST: The fighting in Baalbek between Israeli special forces and Hizbollah fighter ceased about an hour ago. The outcome of the battle is still unclear. Here are some more details about what has transpired the past three hours from Haaretz. Four hours into the operation the fighting continued, witnesses said. IAF warplanes staged more than 10 bombing runs at 2.20 A.M. (2320 GMT) Wednesday around the hospital as well as on hills in east and north Baalbek. The planes also dropped flares over the city while the heavy fighting was raging around the hospital. Shortly after the IAF raids began, electricity was cut off, plunging Baalbek and other neighboring villages in total darkness.

IAF helicopters also attacked a target 15 kilometers west of Baalbek, starting a huge fire, witnesses said. It was not immediately known if the target was controlled by Hezbollah or the Lebanese army. Hezbollah claimed that the IDF commandos were trapped inside the hospital and were engaged in fierce fighting with guerilla fighters who surrounded the facility. There was no independent confirmation. IAF fighter jets returned at 3:35 A.M. Wednesday and fired eight missiles on residential neighborhoods in eastern and northern Baalbek where Hezbollah's Shiite supporters live, witnesses said. There was no immediate word on casualties, fierce fighting around the hospital stopped shortly before 4 A.M. as precarious calm prevailed in Baalbek, residents said.

6:15 PM EST: Baalbek operation update: It appears at this point that there is enough credible information to confirm that there is some sort of Israeli commando operation underway near the town of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley, some 60 miles north of the Latani river. The IDF has still declined to comment on the operation. Lebanese officials are reporting that the operation began with 5 large airstrikes followed by several helicopters that inserted special forces soldiers. DEBKA is reporting that Hizbollah's Bekaa commander Muhammad Yazbek has converted the Dar al Hikmeh Hospital in the village into the headquarters for his staff. Israel troops who made for this target are engaged in heavy clashes around the building. Update: Lebanese army officials are saying that the IDF attempt to capture top Hizbollah regional commander Yazbek has failed and there are now gun battles raging between the two sides. Local witnesses are saying that the hopital is now burning from an Israeli air strike. This is still a developing story and non of this has been confirmed by the IDF.

In other war news: The JPost is reporting that in the west, Israeli warships offshore in the Mediterranean sent artillery into the villages of Mansouri, Shamaa and Teir Harfan around the port city of Tyre. Another strike at an area near the Syrian border, about 10 kilometers north of Hermel, targeted the Qaa-Homs road, one of four official crossing points between Lebanon and Syria. Lebanon's official news agency reported Israeli jets also hit early Tuesday near the Masnaa crossing into Syria, which was attacked several times in the last three days.
Tuesday's airstrikes meant that two of the four border crossings are now closed because of damage. Repeated airstrikes have made the main Beirut-Damascus highway impassable.

5:15 PM EST: There are unconfirmed reports coming from Lebanon that the IDF has dropped off soldiers in Baalbek in the Bekaa valley. This is in the eastern sector near the Syrian border. The IDF is neither confirming nor denying these reports. If this report is true, then this would be the farthest north any IDF unit has operated. There are more credible reports of major airstrikes in that region as well as 15 km to the west of Baalbek.

4:00 PM EST: There have been 3 KIA in the battle for Aita and 25 wounded. One of the KIA was an officer. Most of the casualties occurred in two separate Hizbollah attacks with anti tank missiles on local houses that the troop were operating from. These have been the most deadly weapons on the IDF so far. Meanwhile, the rocket fire has resumed in the north causing damage in Nahariya and other towns. An empty kindergarten sustained a direct hit. They have also been firing mortars over the border, injuring 5 soldiers, two of them moderately.

2:05 PM: Israel is now under the first major rocket attack in two days. Rockets hit a number of locations in Narayia, sparking widespread fires but no casualties. More katyushas fell in Ma'alot.

1:10 PM EST: It has now been released for publication that there were a number of IDF casualties in the major battle of Aita. The number is unknown at this point and it might include KIA's. It has been the policy of the IDF not to release this information before the end of the day's fighting.

12:15 PM EST: Several katyushas were fired in the north, destroying some tourist cable cars and sparking fires nearby. In Lebanon, the IAF struck several bunkers in the western sector near the heavy fighting in Aita. On the diplomatic front it is interesting to note that there appears to be a crack uo in Europe. The EU has called for an immediate cease fire (Israeli suicide) while Germany, Britian, and the Czech Rep. have rejected that idea. I'm wondering if Bush has anything to do with this?

11:20 AM EST: There is a major battle underway in the village of Aita. There are many terrorists holed up there, shooting out of houses and civilian areas. At least 6 Hizbollah fighters were killed and there were no IDF casualties. There were many anti tank missiles fired at Israeli tanks throughout the day. Aita is only one km away from the border, close to the Israeli town of Metula. This means that Hizbollah still has many fighters right up to the border, confirming earlier predictions that it might take many days just to reach the Latani. It also makes you wonder how many terrorists are still hiding in bunkers that might still be unidentified and can possibly reach into Israeli soil.

Column Update: Here is the latest Daniel Pipes piece on "Holding Damascus accountable". Also, Bret Stephens wrote an op-ed in today's WSJ titled, "Israel is losing the war", in which he lashes out at the leftist government's lack of decisive action. Also, Dennis Prager obliterates the idea of "world opinion" in his latest column. On the other side of the aisle, the Washington Compost continued their daily anti Israel columns by publishing an op-ed by the Jew hating scumbag, Jimmey Carter.

9:50 AM EST: There are now reports that there are negotiations underway to free the captured Israeli soldier in a prisoner exchange for 700 terrorists. While this is totally unconfirmed, it is still very disturbing because Israel has done these 1/700 swaps in the past. While every life is important, no country can allow 700 terrorists to run free. In the past, many of the freed terrorists have come back to attack Israel again and kill civilians.

8:00 AM EST: DEBKAfile is out with their latest military report. They say that the IDF is currently working on cleaning out Hizbollah enclaves in all three sectors; west, central, and south. They confirm our observation that all of the operations are taking place within 4 km of the border. They therefore asses that at this pace it will take much longer to reach the Latani river than what is being reported. This could take several weeks. It is also unclear as to what the IDF plans to do with large cities such as Tyre.

There is also the problem of the unknown. Hizbollah has sharply reduced their rocket attacks over the past two days to a trickle and it is unclear what they are planning. Although, Israeli officials say that they severely degraded their capabilities, it is clear that they still have a lot of rockets left. A record 150 rockets were launched on Sunday and the IAF hasn't struck any more launchers since then due to the 48 hour suspension of the air campaign. It is therefore clear that they still have the recourses and might be planning some surprises. Furthermore, the extent of their bunker networks are still unknown. This could potentially become a dangerous problem for Israeli border towns if they are not completely discovered and destroyed during the war.

6:15 AM EST: There has been heavy fighting on the ground throughout the morning in southern Lebanon along the central and western parts of the border. 1 Israeli soldier was wounded in the fighting and 20 terrorists were killed. Hizbollah is confirming the death of 4 so far. At this point it appears that all of the battles are taking place only several kilometers inside of Lebanon, unless there are special forces in other locations that they are not publicizing. Nasarallah claimed that this will not stop the rockets. However, although several rockets and mortars were fired today, it has seriously declined since Sunday. Either this is indicative of Hizbollaha's depletion, or they have some planned surprise that they are waiting for.

12:30 AM EST: While there is an eerie silence from the Hizbollah rockets, Hamas has been stepping up their efforts in the south. 5 Kassams were just launched into the Negev from Gaza, resulting in damage to a house but no casualties.

Column Update: Caroline Glick has an amazing piece in today's JPost ripping into Olmert's agreement to an international force headed by France that will not protect Israel from Hizbollah but will stop Israel from destroying them. She also ridicules the notion that the Lebanese army will take control of the border after they have expressed themselves on numerous occasions that they are working together with Hizbollah. Read the whole article here.

12:15 AM EST: On the ground in Lebanon, the big news is the approval of the Israeli government for an expanded invasion of south Lebanon that is designed to destroy Hizbollah targets south of the Litani River. The IDF also plans to set up a 2 km security buffer zone on the border and will raze any Hizbollah village in that perimeter. This is a good start, but the must destroy every last Hizbollah target even north of the river. Keep in mind that Hizbollah has occupied Lebanon for 25 years and was preparing for war with Israel for almost as long. There is no doubt that they are spread out all across the north, including the remote, rugged northeast panhandle on the Syrian border. For a full report on the current ground war and Syrian involvement please view the previous post.
On the aerial front: the IAF has struck targets in the Bekaa valley town of Hermal, which is some 75 miles into Lebanon. They also struck a target near the Syrian border that was even farther north. Again, I feel that they will eventually have to send ground troops, at least special ops, to root out Hizbollah in the north. They cannot give into these ridiculous timetables.

On the Southern front: the IDF is now operating in southern Gaza to destroy the Hamas tunnel infrastructure. This is long overdue as the rockets continue to fly from the south.

In America: We reported yesterday about the anti Israel comments expressed by the liberal Senator Hagel. Well, he now has company. Ultra liberal Congressman John Dingell of Michigan told a Detroit TV station that he is not against Hizbollah and is not taking sides in the conflict. This is no surprise as Dingell was one of the 8 Democrats to vote against the resolution of support for Israel. Meanwhile, it appears that the Democrats are really feeling the heat on the Israel issue and plan to play it safe with John Bolton. Chuck Schumer has announced that he will not filibuster Bolton's nomination and will decide whether to vote for him or not. Suha Arafat kissing Hillary is leaning towards opposing Bolton, even while feigning a pro Israel posture.