ISRAEL – LEBANON: Baalbek Yields Little

ISRAEL – LEBANON: Baalbek Yields Little –updated–

Excuse me, but what were the Israeli's thinking on this one? Or was their intelligence
that bad? IDF is saying the hospital was a base for Hezbollah. No one has verified
this claim so far.

I also have to ask why Israel didn't send troops in from the start. If they had, Qana would might not have happened. It's disorganized chaos leading to a deal: Golan Heights going once, twice…

Hearing several TV news reports, as well as reading about it, is seems that
the Israelis went around 80 miles into Lebanon, just 7 miles away from Syria,
in the Bekaa Valley, to get a bunch of low level thugs.

Earlier reports said that there were signs of gunfire going into the hospital,
but none coming out of it. The image isn't good. Via Max Blumenthal (where I also got the graphic) comes a great article about the Middle East pr war.

It seems obvious that the Israelis were hoping (or had information) that high
level Hezbollah fighters were in the hospital.

However, Michael Ware of CNN, who is as good as they get on the ground, did
another report saying there was some evidence that gunfire came out of the hospital,
too. He's the only one I've found to be reporting this information. In addition,
Ware reported that civilians were killed as the Israelis made their way out
of Baalbek, with the article below counting the civilian death toll at around
13. Thankfully, no Israeli soldiers were killed.

None of those seized were high-ranking Hezbollah officials, however, as the IDF had hoped. Halutz said Wednesday that the soldiers had not aimed to take any individuals in particular, but rather to demonstrate that the IDF could reach any part of Lebanon. Hezbollah denied that any of its fighters had been captured, but Lebanese security sources confirmed that the commandos had snatched five low-ranking members of the guerilla group. IDF commandos nab five low-level Hezbollah men in Baalbek raid

Hussein Nasrallah (same name, but no relation to the Hezbollah leader), Hussein
al-Burji and Ahmed al-Ghotah were the militants captured. Reports claim that
the hard drives of the computers in the hospital have revealed good intelligence.
One can hope.

But you've got to ask yourself, why did the Israelis risk an 80 mile quick
incursion into deep Lebanon for these thugs? The outcome ending up a dangerous gamble for little pay off.
They certainly didn't do it for show, because what it illustrates isn't all
that good.

Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that 750,000 Lebanese have been driven out
of their homes.

As for Hezbollah, they're now firing the Khaybar-1
or Fajar-5
(aka Fajar-5) all the way into the West Bank. It's the longest range they've
reached yet. Over 200 Katyusha rockets have been fired today.

But is there also movement on a cease fire?

Asked about when a ceasefire could be agreed, White House spokesman Tony Snow said: “I don't want to make a promise on it … but I think it's safe to say days.” – Reuters

It's about waiting for the international calvary if you ask me. Right now it's the
conventional IDF versus the Hezbollah guerilla force. According to CNN, the U.S.
and France are working off the same page, though the French want an immediate
cease fire, but Bush does not. Also, the French forces, who may be the ones on the ground, will not disarm Hezbollah, but will
instead only support the Lebanese government. The disagreement… er, confusion has led to another
postponement of the decision, likely until next week CNN is reporting, but that could change
because this situation is nothing if not fluid.

Lastly, I was invited to the Monday event Steve
Clemons had for the Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Turki Al-Faisal, but
couldn't make this dinner, unfortunately. (I have been to the New American Foundation, which is where I met Charles Pena.) But Steve
posted on it, so please check out what was discussed, as well as John
Dickerson's comments, also found on Slate. It's interesting and focused on the fact that the Saudis believe U.S. foreign policy
is woefully off track in the Middle East.

No kidding. As for Congress, silence, oh, except for Chuck Hagel.

UPDATE (3:35 p.m.): Top U.S. commanders, speaking on “Hardball”, with Mike Barnicle substituting for Matthews, weigh in on Israel's campaign against Hezbollah. The reviews are negative.

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UPDATE II (7:11 p.m.): One thing we learned tonight from Michael Ware, not too long ago, was that the Israel's believed the hospital in Baalbek treated the Israeli soldiers that had been kidnapped. The video below is from earlier today from Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room, regarding aerial bombing, as well as video from the Baalbek attack.

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