Israel Warns Lebanon Residents After New Rocket Attacks

[tekisui]

Source: AFP

SIDON, Lebanon (AFP) — Israel sent telephone warnings to residents of south Lebanon on Wednesday after militants fired three rockets over the border threatening a second front in the 19-day-old war in Gaza.

"People of Lebanon, launching rockets from southern Lebanon against innocents in northern Israel harms your own interests," one of the warnings said, according to an AFP correspondent who was at the receiving end.

"We warn you against any repetition of these destructive acts."

A second message warned: "This is a statement from the state of Israel to the residents of southern Lebanon.

"If you allow groups like Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah to launch rockets against innocents in northern Israel as you did before, remember what happened to you last time."

The statement was alluding to the devastating 34-day war in Lebanon in the summer of 2006 sparked by the capture by the Shiite militants of Hezbollah of two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid.

more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jOgDk9qOziA5KoU9YdTEJIg3qDPw

[tekisui]

1. "Remember what happened to you last time"???

:wtf: Israel is talking to the residents like thugs.

[bdamomma]

2. Israel is out of control.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7827919.stm

just for your information.

[Zywiec]

8. From your link

"Both Hamas and Israel rejected last week's UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire."

Apparently Israel isn't the only one without any control.

[bdamomma]

9. violence is not the answer to this situation for both parties.

[Zywiec]

10. Exactly, but why only point out one side for criticism? n/t

[Howardx]

14. whine whine whine

israel gets the criticism because we are paying for what they are doing.

[cboy4]

4. I think the message is for the thugs .. not the civilians who

are trying to live their lives in peace.

Plus I'd like confirmation of the authenticity of the second message .. it doesn't particularly sound like it was structured by someone of authority.

[tekisui]

6. No, it doesn't sound like some one of authority.

I would hope the Israeli government would not talk like that. I too await a confirmation or denial.

[atreides1]

3. Excuse Me?

This sounds like a threat to target civilians:

"If you allow groups like Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah to launch rockets against innocents in northern Israel as you did before, remember what happened to you last time."

Maybe instead of threats of harming innocent civilians, perhaps the Israelis could offer some suggestions on how they are supposed to stop these groups.

[tekisui]

5. The 2006 conflict which left more than 1,200 people dead in Lebanon, most of them civilians

I am sure they remember very well what happened to them last time. Threatening civilians a repeat of that is disgusting, and amounts to terrorism, IMO.

[azurnoir]

7. If Israel opens this war with Lebanon

it will be extremely difficult to say that this is a war against Hezbollah not the Lebanese people not that it will not be strutted out bu after Gaza?
I wonder if we ever find out who is launching the rockets
IMO though this may well be an attempt to undermine any possibility of an UNFIL type force in Gaza the last thing Israel seems to want here is independent observers

[Vegasaurus]

11. Lebanon has been warned

Hezbollah, as a political party of force, needs to reign in their militants, or face another confrontation.

They didn't like the results last time, so it would make sense for them to hold their rockets (and those of Palestinian militants).

[Bodhi BloodWave]

12. would you mind pointing me toward the proof that its Hezbollah thats behind them? n/t

[Marrah_G]

13. "remember what happened to you last time"

The Israeli Government needs to collectively go fuck itself with the thorny end of a rose.

[sabbat hunter]

15. Why isnt

The lebanese army doing its job and disarming the illegal militias or why aren't the UN peacekeepers doing anything either about the illegal militias?

[GoesTo11]

16. How about Lebanon tries stopping the rockets

Then we wouldn't have to worry about how Israel would respond.

Just a crazy idea.

[henank]

17. Please don't confuse people with facts. n/t

[tekisui]

18. I would think Lebanon would be trying to stop the rockets.

It is in their interest. It just goes from bad to worse for the people of this region.

[Marrah_G]

19. So you think Israel threatening the innocent citizens that survived their last massacre is okay?

They didn't call Hezbollah-- They called the survivors of their last little dust up. The people who lived in terror as their families were slaughtered in large numbers and their infrasture was destroyed were told "remember what happened last time"

Anyone who thinks this is okay is a complete douchebag in my book.

[GoesTo11]

20. Not such a good idea

The people they're contacting can't do much about it.

The Lebanese government, the UN monitors and Hezbollah certainly can do something about it.

But I don't especially care whether or not I'm a douchebag in your book.

[Arrowhead2k1]

21. Easier said than done.

If you've got a good understanding of the country and a viable plan to do just that, then feel free to send a detailed memo to Beirut.

[tekisui]

22. They are trying.

They have found some set up on the border and dismantled them.