Thoughts on Israel/Hezbollah War

I saw this point made in a post the other day, and I think it's very valid. We keep hearing of these civilian casualties in Lebanon. I don't think anyone is going to say that there are no innocent casualties. However, we tend to accept these figures given by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah without question.In fact, I can remember in the initial days of what was going on that the Lebanese Prime Minister would gives figures of the dead at about 100-200 more than other figures from other sources. Reporters on the Hezbollah side of things even remark on how they are whisked from site to site and only allowed to look around a short time. Supposedly bodies are laying under blankets and so on, but who knows? Another thing is we never hear Hezbollah's dead count. These guys are masters at waging a PR war; yet we accept what they say almost without question.I mean we're listening to a guy give casualty numbers from a part of the country he obviously didn't even control. Who's he getting these figures from? Common sense would say Hezbollah.

They use the media as their main arsenal to be honest; they are masters at what they do. The media prides itself on being so intelligent in fair in what they do that they fail to see their own ignorance quite often. Mark my words, America will never truly win another war because of the media no matter how evil the enemy.It's not like Israel goes in and drops an unexpected payload of bombs on the local hospitals, mosques, and churches unlike Hezbollah. In most cases they have dropped leaflets long before they bombed warning civilians to get out. Which makes one wonder if these people are either:a) That dedicated to Hezbollah. Held against their will and used as human shields.c) Simply that ignorant.I believe in most cases it's the top two with option being the main reason.It works the same way with the kidnapping trends. If the media would stop showing the videos that these terrorist groups run of them announcing kidnappings and killing then they'd drop off. The only reason they do it is because the media as a whole eats it up. Quite frankly, in my opinion, these media groups have blood on their hands and I think they will be held accountable for it one day.

You guys know I have a political side to me.http://thecommoner.townhall.com/I just had to blog about this.

That leaves a couple questions, though.1) How do you remove an enemy that is very adept at firing and melting into the civilian shadows?2) How do you actually win a press war at this level and at what cost to your own nation (speaking from Israel's point of view)?Who can blame Israel for not wanting to get into another occupation; which would have enraged the same people that are being enraged now? How can you rely on a government that cannot even control (I question if its willingly or not?) all of its own territory? That being said, I think the past decade or so has proven that the air campaign tactics alone simply don't work. They've tried for several years now to go the diplomatic route yet all it got them was UN observers watching Hezbollah kidnap soldiers and launch attacks. It continues to work the same way with the UN, they draft a resolution, a few members pout about the loss of life, and then everyone forgets after things calm down; the best result is general a short term "peace" of some fashion or another. The one group be it a political party here in America or politicians elsewhere take credit and the cycle repeats itself.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/07/...main/index.html
BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Monday that one person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Houla, not 40 as he had earlier reported. "The massacre in Houla, it turned out that there was one person killed," Reuters quoted Siniora as saying. "They thought that the whole building smashed on the heads of about 40 people ... thank God they have been saved." Siniora had earlier told Arab foreign ministers in Beirut that the attack "was a horrific massacre ... in which more than 40 martyrs were victims of deliberate bombing."
"Oops."

The rocket launchers are in the southern border region, not in downtown Beruit.
Correction, it's not downtown Beirut unless that's another name for southern Beirut where the bombing is. I've heard several people make the comment that central Beiruit is untouched and you wouldn't know there was a war going on with the exception of the deserted streets. The only area being bombed is a known Hezbollah area.I agree with the statement that Israel should have cut everything off initially, but I think the idea may have been as a route for people who really wanted to get out. Anything we can say here is pure speculation, though.

Welcome aboard sunny, I see this is your first post.What you said is certainly true. Regardless of what we think, the hate and animosity over there is Biblical prophecy unfolding and that is what's important to me. I hate to see death come to anyone's door but it's happened all throughout history and it's not stopping until that day that Jesus comes back in all His glory.As it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:25-27:(25)Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (26)For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27)But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;God certainly confounds what little knowledge we have about everything. There's no doubt about that in my mind. However, I think we have to do our best to remain vigilant on both the spiritual and physical levels. We know that there are powers and principalities at work in this world that will come to a head sometime in the future. I think we cannot remain ignorant of what happens in the world. God is a freewill God and even though he knows what choices we'll make and what we'll do; and, more importantly, he is indeed in ultimate control, we still (as Chrisitans) have to do our best to use the both the wisdom and common sense God has given us. We still have to make the choices and do the right things.Bernie, you continue to deny the existence of terrorism, all I ask for anyone reading this thread is that you remember Amalek:Deutoronomy 27:17-19(17)Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; (18)How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. (19)Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.But let's go back to the story, because there's something of the utmost importance about it.Exodus 17:8-14(8)Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. (9)And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. (10)So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. (11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. (12)But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (13)And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (14)And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.Notice from Deutoronomy that Amalek attacked from the rear where the weaker parties were: women, children, the elderly and so on. Notice that in the preceeding verses, the children of Israel had made mistakes and "tempted God." Also notice that there is no appearance of God to say "Go and smite Amalek", they simple gathered and took care of business after the episode at Meribah. Why? Because God gives his children discernment from good and evil. Amalek was wiped from the face of the earth with God's specific instructions not to forget what happened.That is terrorism, plain and simple.There's also one more thing worth pointing out about Amalek.Genesis 36:12And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.