Middle East Continued Again...

[Eli]

Apparently the IDF received permission to mobilize as much as 3 divisions.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
On the radio news a few days ago, I heard some quote by an Israeli politician: "-We will destroy ten residental houses in Lebanon for every rocket that is fired into Israel".

I must say that's about the sickest thing I've heard in a long time, and if the qoute is correct, it means that Israel admits to deliberately targeting civilians.

Googling it was Dan Halutz, chief of staff, not (yet) a politician. And he said destroy 10 buildings in the Beirut suburb where Hezb HQ is, for every rocket fired on Haifa.

I think Halutz should not be making political statements, or what could be interpreted as political statements. He should be focusing on fighting the war. Its up to Olmert and Peretz to make whatever threats are necessary. The CoS should not undermine their efforts, in order to sound tough.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Guardian
The other guy argued - like the one notyoueither heard on Canadian TV - that the Hezbollah is notorious for operating in civilian neighborhoods and close to UN positions. So, he went pretty far in suggesting that the Hezbollah had been moving stockpiles closer to the UN post or something and that this could be the reason for the Israeli bombardment.

That may well be Canadian retired major general Lewis Mackenzie. The following quote from him is discussing the death of a Canadian peacekeeper, one of four killed at the UN outpost on Tuesday, whom he knew:

We received emails from him a few days ago, and he was describing the fact that he was taking fire within, in one case, three meters of his position for tactical necessity, not being targeted. Now that's veiled speech in the military. What he was telling us was Hezbollah soldiers were all over his position and the IDF were targeting them. And that's a favorite trick by people who don't have representation in the UN. They use the UN as shields knowing that they can't be punished for it.

A few days before the tragedy, Canadian TV also received an email from Major Paeta Hess-von Kruedener, the Canadian peacekeeper now missing and presumed dead. Among other things he wrote:

What I can tell you is this: we have on a daily basis had numerous occasions where our position has come under direct or indirect fire from both artillery and aerial bombing. The closest artillery has landed within 2 meters of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 meters from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but has rather been due to tactical necessity. (emphasis added)

This isn't to second guess why it actually happened, but it shows the kind of thing that does happen.

[Arrian]

Man, I feel bad for UN peacekeepers sometimes. "Go to [insert disaster area here], do an impossible job with little to no support! But remember, have FUN!"

-Arrian

[Pekka]

"also, do NOT fire your weapon if you're not fired upon first. Even if it means the result is you being killed. But don't forget to have fun."

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Pekka
"also, do NOT fire your weapon if you're not fired upon first. Even if it means the result is you being killed. But don't forget to have fun."

Thats why I prefer the danish approach - we took 10 leopards with us to Bosnia and didn't hesitate to shoot back

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Thats why I prefer the danish approach - we took 10 leopards with us to Bosnia and didn't hesitate to shoot back

¨

My best buddy was the radio operator on duty when that happened. The Danish colonel leutenant was drunk and lost his temper after several days of being shelled by Serbian artillery. He walked into the radio bunker and said to my buddy: " Bengtsson, ring och väck översten!". (Bengtsson, wake up the colonel.) Then the Swedish colonel joined him at a table in the radio bunker. They shared a bottle of Ålborg and made lines and circles on a map, then at dawn, a company of Leos rolled out and shot the Serbian artillery position to ashes and gravel. Something like 8 Serbians were killed, and the Dane ended up on the cover of Time magazine.

Most of that story has been in the media, but the secret scoop I know is that the officers were drunk during the planning. Not that is matters, I get most of my best ideas when slightly drunk.

[Arrian]

I get most of my best ideas when ... drunk.

Sig material.

-Arrian

[Chemical Ollie]

But it's true. I think most people do.

[Pekka]

Well, if you're UN, and you think about firing into some positions with tanks... you better drink some first

Did they get into trouble for that? I haven't heard of that one..

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
¨

My best buddy was the radio operator on duty when that happened. The Danish colonel leutenant was drunk and lost his temper after several days of being shelled by Serbian artillery. He walked into the radio bunker and said to my buddy: " Bengtsson, ring och väck översten!". (Bengtsson, wake up the colonel.) Then the Swedish colonel joined him at a table in the radio bunker. They shared a bottle of Ålborg and made lines and circles on a map, then at dawn, a company of Leos rolled out and shot the Serbian artillery position to ashes and gravel. Something like 8 Serbians were killed, and the Dane ended up on the cover of Time magazine.

Most of that story has been in the media, but the secret scoop I know is that the officers was drunk during the planning. Not that is matters, I get most of my best ideas when slightly drunk.

Are you sure it wasn't your buddy that had researced that bottle of Ålborg ? According to the official story, it was a nightfight

http://www.milhist.dk/post45/boellebank/boellebank_uk.htm

[Pekka]

You never know, CO told a story few years ago about that same time and UN (and a certain Finn) that definitely didn't make any official stories.

How did it happen again CO? I remember it was someone who was drinking the other night and was suffering from a bad case of.. hangover, basically was pretty much done with the call for prayers or what they are called and shot the dude.

[Adam Smith]

Question for Euros

This week's issue of Newsweek (major US news magazine) contains the following:

According to terrorism analyst Magnus Ranstorp, an expert on Hizbullah who is now at the Swedish National Defence College, Hizbullah's decision-making council normally includes two Iranians.

http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/site/articleIDs/0A6A9C60C9BF1D54CA2571AF0017A8BB

Who is this guy? Is he well respected?
This would appear to be a non-US and non-Israeli source confirming what the US and Israel (and others) have been saying.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by BlackCat




Are you sure it wasn't your buddy that had researced that bottle of Ålborg ? According to the official story, it was a nightfight

http://www.milhist.dk/post45/boelleb...llebank_uk.htm

According to my buddy, there were 3 people in the planning room the night it happened. My buddy, the Swedish colonel and the Danish colonel leutenant. The two officers shared a bottle of Ålborg, my buddy manned the radio. The planning started before midnight, so you might be correct that the tanks left base before dawn. It was about ten years since he last told the story, so I might recall some details wrong. But I'm sure about the Ålborg.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Pekka
You never know, CO told a story few years ago about that same time and UN (and a certain Finn) that definitely didn't make any official stories.

How did it happen again CO? I remember it was someone who was drinking the other night and was suffering from a bad case of.. hangover, basically was pretty much done with the call for prayers or what they are called and shot the dude.

That was in the early 90´s or even late 80´s. My buddy was 3 or 4 times in Lebanon and 2 times in Bosnia, and the Lebanon trips were first.

Yeah, that's how it was told. A couple of Finnish UN soldiers were sitting on the ground an early morning after a hard night at "Yalla Street" in Beirut. Then the morning prayer started, and one of the guys said Voi Vittu, raised his AK and shot the Mullah from the minareth. He was back on Finnish soil the same afternoon, and a heavy lid was put on the story to avoid an international scandal, and a Jihad against UN.