IDF: Hizbullah hiding rockets in homes

[Mosby]

A day after an explosion uncovered a hidden Hizbullah arms cache in southern Lebanon, the IDF's Northern Command estimated that the group had turned hundreds of homes in the area into warehouses to store short- and medium-range Katyusha rockets.

The IDF released video footage taken from an Israeli aircraft, showing a home that had exploded on Tuesday in the village of Hirbet Selm - located some 20 kilometers north of the Lebanese border. The roof is seen in the footage with dozens of holes, which IDF ballistic experts said were the size of 122-mm. Katyusha rockets.

UNIFIL said that storing the ammunition was a "serious violation" of the UN-brokered ceasefire that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The peace keeping force said that it considered the incident a "serious violation" of the UN resolution that ended the conflict, which specifies that there should be no presence of unauthorized assets or weapons in the area of operations.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443821498&pagename=JPArticle/ShowFull

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Guess they should just kill everyone around them, then

[aquart]

2. So you would be happy to have your neighbors storing rockets?

Well, sure. We'd all like that.

Especially since they said they wouldn't. Just the kind of thing that makes you want to open your borders and welcome them in.

Keep cheering.

[shira]

3. I'm not sure I'd like a terrorist militia using my home or my next-door neighbors' home for storing

rockets - not with kids around and such. That would, like, put my family, friends, and kids all in danger, you know - for real. I think I'd call the UN and human rights orgs to complain and hope they'd do something. Like, you know?

Oh yeah - they all deny this is happening in Lebanon, as Hezbollah would never do this.

Bummer.

:(

Guess I'd be S.O.L. as a Lebanese civilian shield - life's a bitch, right? No 'human rights' for me or my kids - unless it's Israel doing something.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

5. You can't just ignore the facts that don't fit!

The OP explicitly quotes UNIFIL condemning this.

[shira]

6. neither the UNHRC, AI, or HRW has accused Hezbollah of deliberately using civilians as shields

remember - there was "no evidence" Hezbollah was storing weapons deliberately in civilian neighborhoods during the 2006 war - and no condemnations since then by the 3 'trusted' organizations.

The reason is simple - these organizations find it easier to accuse Israel of deliberately targeting civilians if they just pretend Hezbollah is not committing these war crimes. See - if Hezbollah isn't doing this - well then, Israel 'must' be targetting innocent civilians deliberately because they're NOT being used as shields and are NOT by int'l law legitimate targets. We simply cannot have Hezbollah taking the majority of the blame for civilian casualties, can we?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Dual use makes it a legitimate military target, by Hezbollah knows the IDF won't strike

[azurnoir]

7. Just like they didn't strike any civilian homes in Gaza right

on the contrary it gives IDF a standing excuse to strike virtually any civilian home in Lebanon

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. They are not involved in armed conflict at this time with Hezbollah

[azurnoir]

10. then post #4 was......? n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. An observation that homes being used to conceal ordnance won't be hit by the IDF at this time

If the IDF follow what they did in Gaza, most locations will be known. Hezbollah was turned inside out in a search for information leaks and spies. IIRC Hezbollah killed a few people who they claimed were spies for Israel recently.

[azurnoir]

14. As was mine and you just backed up my point

because any civilian structure becomes a "legitimate" target ot so IDF will claim

[pelsar]

18. actually we dont need excuses to kill civilians...

we (i, my kids, and friends and colleagues) really don't need the excuses of "rockets in homes"....snipers shooting from bedroom windows, booby trapped homes, "kids" being used as lookouts on roof tops to go and blow up/shoot up homes and other buildings in Lebanon or Gaza

we just do it anyways.....we're a pretty sick, sadistic bunch that join the IDF........i think that pretty much sums it up.

[Alamuti Lotus]

16. the IDF has and would strike *any* inch of Lebanon

whether that inch is a so-called "legitimate military target" or otherwise.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. This also illustrates the total impotence of UNFIL, and reflects badly on regional UN efforts

[azurnoir]

12. UNFIL's mission

According to Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978, UNIFIL was established to:

* Confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon;
* Restore international peace and security;
* Assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.

According to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) of 11 August 2006, UNIFIL, in addition to carrying out its mandate under resolutions 425 and 426, shall:

* Monitor the cessation of hostilities;
* Accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the South, including along the Blue Line, as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon;
* Coordinate its activities referred to in the preceding paragraph (above) with the Government of Lebanon and the Government of Israel;
* Extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons;
* Assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani river of an free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL deployed in this area;
* Assist the Government of Lebanon, at its request, in securing its borders and other entry points to prevent the entry in Lebanon without its consent of arms or related materiel.

By this resolution, the Council also authorized UNIFIL to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind; to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council; and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/

if your assertion is that UNFIL forces should be actively stopping Hezbollah by unilateral force if necessary then UNFIL should also being actively stopping IAF low level fly overs by unilateral force if necessary

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Consider that they whine about the latter and do nothing about the former

[azurnoir]

15. So you are berating UNFIL for not starting a war?

interesting to say the least

[Violet_Crumble]

17. Correction. They 'whine' about both...

Not that I'd call condemning something 'whining'.

Read the article. 'UNIFIL said that storing the ammunition was a "serious violation" of the UN-brokered ceasefire that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.'

[shira]

21. well, they whine about Hezbollah when it's obvious.....otherwise they turn a blind eye and look away

but yeah, they always seem to whine about IAF flyovers.

[Sezu]

19. WHAT?????????????????

They are pretty effective against them Zionist cows


"Although the United Nations failed to prevent 15 Lebanese citizens from crossing the border into Israel last week, a UNIFIL force in southern Lebanon is trying to stop Israeli cows from drinking the water of a pond on Lebanese territory near the northern border.



A Lebanese website reported Friday that Spanish and Indian peacekeepers had offered to build a metal fence which would encircle the pool, preventing the Israeli cows from drinking its water and allowing Lebanese shepherds to come to the area with their herds.



The proposal was made in a meeting between senior UN officials in southern Lebanon and the leaders of one of the villages in the area.



About a year ago, Spanish troops fired at a bull who had crossed the border from Israel to Lebanon and was making his way to the pond. The bull was shot to death after attacking a UNIFIL force and goring vehicles. "

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3751756,00.html

[TimesSquareCowboy]

20. Mayb ethe UN forces should be empowered to enforce all outstanding resolutions.