Crisis in the Middle East - Daily Update

Four Israeli Soldiers Killed in Battle

 

AP - Israeli soldiers huddle and grieve at comrade's funeral.

Israeli warplanes resume airstrikes across Lebanon Hezbollah guerrillas stage deadly ambush on Israeli military patrol searching for weapons and bases in Lebanese border area Friday Related Stories • Israel Warns Lebanese to Leave • An American in Beirut: As War Approaches Video • Israeli Helicopter Downed  Photo Essays • Americans Evacuated From Lebanon

Israel continues its bombardment of Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel as the crisis precipitated by Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers intensifies.

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LATEST FLASHPOINTS: 19-20 JULY

THURSDAY 20 JULY

Israel says the building bombed in Beirut was a Hezbollah bunker

Beirut: Israelis claim to have bombed a bunker used by Hezbollah officials in the suburb of Bour al-Barajneh. Hezbollah say it was an empty mosque

Avivim: Clashes continue between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in the border area where two Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday

Mughazi: One Palestinian is shot dead and at least six wounded by Israeli troops in the Gaza refugee camp

 

WEDNESDAY 19 JULY

Nazareth: Three people killed by rockets in Israel's largest Arab city

Haifa, Carmiel, Tiberias, Kiryat Shmona: Hezbollah rockets hit towns in northern Israel

Srifa: At least 12 people reported dead and 30 injured after Israeli air strikes

Beirut: Israeli jets continue strikes on eastern and southern suburbs
and nearby towns of Hadath and Chuweifat

Nabatiyeh: At least six killed when missile hits office of Hezbollah firm

Baalbek: Six members of same family killed in air strike on nearby
village of Nabi Sheet

Aitaroun: Hezbollah clash with Israeli troops on cross-border operations

Mughazi: At least six Palestinians, including some militants, are killed
during Israeli incursion into Gaza refugee camp

Nablus: Three Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops in West Bank town

This is a very disturbing turn of events.

Iraq breaks with U.S. and assails Israeli raids

By Edward Wong and Michael Slackman

Published: July 20, 2006

BAGHDAD Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq has forcefully denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, marking a sharp break with President George W. Bush's position and highlighting the growing power of a Shiite Muslim identity across the Middle East.

"The Israeli attacks and airstrikes are completely destroying Lebanon's infrastructure," Maliki said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon inside the fortified Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy and the seat of the Iraqi government.

 

"I condemn these aggressions and call on the Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo to take quick action to stop these aggressions. We call on the world to take quick stands to stop the Israeli aggression."

 

The U.S. Embassy did not answer a reporter's request for a response.

But not nearly as disturbing as this (HatTip: PowerLine):

YNet News carries a Reuters report that Iranian nutter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter seeking the help of German Prime Minister Angela Merkel in making progress toward his desired "solution" to the existence of Israel: "Iran leader asks Germany for help on Zionism." Ahmadinejad's desired "solution" of course has a lot in common with the "final solution" that Ahmadinejad regards as mythical.

And this is just a sad state of affairs within journalism.

International Journalist Group Aids Hezbollah Terrorism Propaganda

By Mark Tapscott

Some may find it hard to believe but, as Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters and Bruce Kesler at Democracy-Project detail, the truth is that the International Federation of Journalists is siding with the Iranian front terrorist group Hezbollah in its attacks on Israel from Lebanon.

At the center of the controversy is the Hezbollah propaganda broadcast outfit Al-Manar, which Israel bombed during the current campaign against the terrorist group operating in Southern Lebanon.

NORTH AMERICA MEMBERS:
Canada: Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP)
Canada: Fédération nationale des communications (FNC)
Canada: TNG Canada / CWA
USA: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
USA: National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981)
USA: The Newspaper Guild - CWA
USA: Writers Guild of America, East

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