Some Positive Articles on Lebanon

From Daily Alert

The summaries are all from the Daily Alert.
Click on the links for the actual article

War Going Better than We're Hearing - Rowan Scarborough (Washington Times)

Robert Maginnis, a former Army artillery officer who has analyzed the IDF's tactics, said Israel is "up against Hizballah people who are trained reasonably well."

"They are better than a lot of their Arab counterparts. They are willing to die....It's a mini-Iran and they are charged up because they are the Islamic resistance in Lebanon."
Still, "it's going better than we're hearing," said an Army Special Forces soldier who has deployed to the Middle East.

"Some of the cease-fire overtures wouldn't be occurring if the Israelis weren't doing much damage. The IDF knew of the tunnels and traps waiting for them, so they softened it up with air power directed by operations."

"The main thing is that the links to Iran and Syria are becoming known to the public."

-----

Israeli Intelligence Was Not Surprised - Gidi Weitz (Ha'aretz)

"We knew Hizballah had thousands of rockets and hundreds of long-range rockets. There is not a gram of surprise here," declares Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, who until recently was head of the research division of Military Intelligence.

"Everything was explained to all those who were entitled to see the material."
"Militarily, the working assumption was that Hizballah would have the ability to wage war for a long period."

"Hizballah's decision-making body has over it Iranians who make the decisions for it. There is no doubt that Iran gave the authorization in principle to abduct a soldier, in the same way that the significant person in Iran is Khamenei and not Ahmadinejad, whose importance is limited."
"They don't authorize every little thing in Hizballah, but things of this magnitude, definitely."

[But also see
Hizballah Equipment Surprises IDF - Hanan Greenberg (Ynet News)

IDF officials say they were surprised by advanced Hizballah military equipment recovered by troops in Lebanon.

The equipment includes night-vision equipment, gas masks, cutting-edge radio equipment, dozens of rifles, various types of handguns, silencers, helmets, and protective vests.

"Suddenly, during battle, we saw a bush moving up and seconds later turn into a terrorist firing at our troops, " one IDF soldier said.]

-----

85% of Northern Factories at Least Partially Operating (Globes)

85% of factories in Haifa and the north are fully or partially open, the Manufacturers Association of Israel reports.

A week ago, 75% of factories were full or partially open, and during the first week of the war, 65% of factories were fully or partially open.

The grounds or structures of 20 factories have taken direct hits from Hizballah rockets since the start of the war.

-----

Spielberg Foundation to Donate $1M for Israeli Relief (AP/Los Angeles Times)
A foundation created by filmmaker Steven Spielberg will donate $1 million to relief efforts in Israel as it battles with Hizballah.

See also Berrie Foundation Pledges $2M toward Israel Emergency Campaign - Jacob Berkman (New Jersey Jewish Standard)

-----

British Volunteers Answer Israel Army's Call - Stephen Farrell

Despite his Leeds accent, Ben, 26, is an Israeli soldier, one of hundreds serving in the Israeli military either as newly arrived citizens or on army programs for Zionists who want to defend Israel while deciding whether to emigrate. Earlier in the day he was ducking Hizballah mortars in the Lebanese village of Adessa, just across the border, an Israeli soldier known among his colleagues for his stamina and ability to carry a heavy machinegun over long distances. He did not have to join - compulsory military service would not have come for a few years - but volunteered because he sees the Army as Israel's "melting pot."

"Can you imagine if the Isle of Wight started bombing London? How long would it be left standing? There's no other country that is asked to show as much restraint as Israel," he declares. (Times-UK)

Technorati Tag: Israel and Iran and Lebanon and Hizbollah and Hezbollah