Lebanon: Time Will Tell

It appears Israel has called Nazi-ralla's bluff. I believe these attacks are well after his warning to bomb Tel Aviv:

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Two huge explosions had rocked Beirut early Friday in what local media said were new Israeli air strike on Hizbollah strongholds south of the city.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the two strikes that hit at 12:55 a.m. Israeli had dropped leaflets late Thursday warning residents in the area to leave. Israel last hit the area about 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

If the battle plan had already called for these attacks, Olmert would be almost obligated to continue. Frankly, I would have advocated doing so in any event. But this does suggest that Israel indeed intends to take things all the way.

What remains to be seen is if Hizbollah will attempt to retaliate with missiles, or if they plan multiple suicide bomber attacks. If missiles, then one would think they had cleared this with Iran prior to making the earlier televised threat of retaliation on Tel Aviv for additional bombings of Beirut.

Israel intelligence must believe Hizbollah is weakened substantially and was optimistic their offer would be taken up and or be used by the world to attempt to get Israel to back off. However, one problem with his warning was the wording. I believe the NY Times left that wording out of their report.

WaPo: "If you bomb our capital Beirut, we will bomb the capital of your usurping entity... We will bomb Tel Aviv," he said in a taped televised speech.

Nazi-ralla couldn't help himself. And while it may sound slight, that little dig would have allowed him to save face and rationalize that Israel backed down and also acknowledged a certain illegitimacy. And deduct points from the dullard for not knowing the capitol of his enemy, which I believe is Jerusalem, is it not?

I do believe Hizbollah is on the ropes, though that is very far from being knocked out. Without significant material support from Syria and or Iran, time may be running out on the terrorist organization the pathetic UN and EU cannot seem to label as one.

Here's the latest war news from the Middle East: Pajamas Media, or read a few regional blogs. I like to check the JP headlines, as well.

Comments

[Gary Maxwell]

Dan

The civilized Western world has refused to allow or rather to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and instead refers to Tel Aviv as the capital. You see it might offend some Arab about Al Asqa or some other such silliness.

[Phoenix]

The need to save face has been the ruination of many a man. I bet Nasrallah is popping Xanax and Pepto and thinking over and over..... "Dang it!"

I bet his buddies in Iran and Syria are not sleeping well tonight.

[warishell]

BRING IT ON. I DO NOT SEE ISRAEL BACKING DOWN THIS TIME !
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !

HELL'S GATES !