ZN:
"There are no conflicting reports as to the timeline and the location of the abduction, that is pure B.S. and I shall document that it is pure B.S."
Oh really? If discussing the Middle East has taught you anything, it should have taught you that there are ALWAYS conflicting reports.
The oft repeated claim that the Israeli soldiers where captured in Israel is not beyond question. Let`s not forget that Israel has constantly been violating Lebanese territory so we know the IDF could have been over the boarder (well documented by the UN).
There are shades of "Saddam kicked the weapons inspectors out" here...ie. say something enough times and it becomes the accepted narrative. Even though the media at the time reported accurately that the weapons inspectors had not been thrown out at all but had been withdrawn prior to Clinton bombing Baghdad in Operation Desert Fox.
Here are quotes from articles I collected reporting that the Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah were INSIDE Lebanon at the time.
If anyone has seen any other reports like these, please post them.
quote:
Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers
New Kerala News
12 July, 2006
Quote:
Beirut: The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement announced Wednesday that its guerrillas have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
"Implementing our promise to free Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, our strugglers have captured two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon," a statement by Hezbollah said.
"The two soldiers have already been moved to a safe place," it added.
The Lebanese police said that the two soldiers were captured as they "infiltrated" into the town of Aitaa al-Chaab inside the Lebanese border.
Nasrallah calls abduction 'only and logical right'
Jerusalem Post
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Jul. 12, 2006 17:56
Quote:
Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said the timing of the capture of two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon on Wednesday would boost the position of Palestinians in Gaza.
Hezbollah Captures 2 Israeli Soldiers
Forbes
By Joseph Panossian,
Associated Press, Jul 12, 2006
Quote:
The militant group Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers during clashes Wednesday across the border in southern Lebanon, prompting a swift reaction from Israel, which sent ground forces into its neighbor to look for them.
Hezbollah back in the spotlight after capturing soldiers
M & C News
By Weedah Hamzah
Tyre, Southern Lebanon, Jul 12, 2006
Quote:
Lebanon's pro-Syrian Shiite movement is back in the spotlight after capturing two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday, plunging the country into a crisis that could lead to new violence in the region.
[...]
In the afternoon, the scene changed in the streets of southern Lebanon, which was the target of 32 Israeli raids that mainly targeted areas near the area where the two soldiers were captured in Aita al Chaab, close to the border with Israel.
It's war by any other name
Asia Times
By Sami Moubayed
Damascus, Jul 15, 2006
Quote:
It all started on July 12 when Israel troops were ambushed on Lebanon's side of the border with Israel. Hezbollah, which commands the Lebanese south, immediately seized on their crossing. They arrested two Israeli soldiers, killed eight Israelis and wounded over 20 in attacks inside Israeli territory.
Hezbollah arrests two Israeli soldiers
Bahrain News Agency
Beruit, Jul 12, 2006
Quote:
The Lebanese Hezbollah movement announced Wednesday the arrest of two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese police said that the two soldiers were arrested as they entered the town of Aitaa al-Chaab inside the Lebanese border. Israeli aircraft were active in the air over southern Lebanon, police said, with jets bombing roads leading to the market town of Nabatiyeh, 60 kilometers south of Beirut.
Passing the Buck
Newsweek
By Michael Hirsh
Updated: 4:31 p.m. ET July 12, 2006
Quote:
After the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbullah in Lebanon on Wednesday, which the hard-line group linked to a similar kidnapping by Hamas the week before, the Mideast seemed to be closer to all-out war.
Here is a dissection of how the articles by AP's Joe Panossian evolved over time:
http://representativepress.blogspot.com/2006/07/where-exactly-were-those-israeli.html
And further discussion of Joe Panossian's coverage of the soldiers capture here:
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/170679.php
Here is a Voltaire article, the second a letter regarding Israeli censorship which is now in operation (relevant, I think), the third an article from ABC Australia, in which the reporter confirms early IDF reports that the soldiers were captured in Lebanon.
Beaking News - Voltaire Network-Western press agencies willing victims of Israeli censorship
Quote:
Voici les faits : le Hezbollah exige depuis de longues ann�es la lib�ration de prisonniers d�tenus par Isra�l, tel que Samir el Kantar, emprisonn� depuis 1978, Nassim Nisr et Yahia Skaff qui est incarc�r� depuis 1982. Dans de nombreuses occasion, il a fait savoir qu�il ne manquerait pas de faire prisonnier � son tour des soldats isra�liens -si ci-ceux-ci venaient � s�introduire au Liban-, et de les utiliser comme monnaire d��change. De mani�re d�lib�r�e, Tsahal a envoy� un commando dans l�arri�re-pays libanais � A�ta al Chaab. Il a �t� attaqu� par le Hezbollah, faisant deux prisonniers. Isra�l a alors feint d��tre agress� et a attaqu� le Liban. Le Hezbollah, qui se pr�parait � faire face � une agression isra�lienne que chacun savait imminente depuis le retrait syrien, a tir� des missiles de moyenne port�e sur Isra�l.
(Here are the facts : Hezbollah has demanded for years now the release of prisoners held by Israel, such as Samir el Kantar, improsonned since 1978, Nassim Nisr and Yahia Skaff, imprisonned since 1982. On innumerable occasions it has made known that it, in turn, won't hesitate to capture Israeli soldiers- if they enter Lebanon- and to use them as bargaining counters. Quite deliberately, Tsahal sent a commando unit into Lebanese territory around Aita al Chaab. It was attacked by Hezbollah, who took two prisoners. Israel then made out that they had been attacked and attacked Lebanon. Hezbollah, which was preparing for an israeli attack which everyone new was inevitable after the Syrian withdrawal, fired some medium range missiles at Israel.)
Translated by Conlin Buchanan
http://www.iransolidarity.endofempire.org/news.php?page=601
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Censorship Policy Regarding Fighting in the North
Date: 16.7.06
Quote:
Censorship Policy Regarding Fighting in the North
1. As of now, over 1,200 rockets have been fired at Israel; it is expected that this will continue.
2. Therefore, following are the Military Censor's relevant guidelines:
a. The Military Censor will not approve reports regarding visits of Israeli Government and IDF officials in the north of Israel until the visits are over due to the clear connection between officials' visits and missile attacks on the area in question.
b. The Military Censor will not approve reports on missile hits at IDF bases and/or strategic facilities.
c. The Military Censor will not approve reports on missiles that fall in the Mediterranean Sea.
d. The Military Censor will not approve reports on time periods when
citizens are permitted to leave their shelters. Warnings of such times are utilized by the enemy for timing attacks.
e. Reporting on locations in which there are public defense and
organizational difficulties should be avoided as much as possible.
3. Real-time reporting on the exact location of rocket hits must be strictly avoided!
Sincerely,
Col. Sima Vaknin-Gil
Chief Military Censor
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=30102
Quote:
"The sources say the Israeli soldiers had been seized at around 9am local time across the border from Aita al-Shaab, some 15 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast."
The Israeli army confirmed that two Israeli soldiers had been captured on the Lebanese frontier."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1685306.htm
Quote:
On Wednesday, the two Israeli soldiers were seized at about 9am (0600 GMT), across the border from Aita al-Shaab, 15km from the Mediterranean coast.
Three Israeli soldiers died in the raid, while four more were killed when their tank ran over a landmine. The eighth soldier died while helping to recover the tank, the Israeli army said.
"Israeli officials said the air attacks aimed to exert pressure on the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah launching cross-border attacks.
The Israeli prime minister described Wednesday's attack as an act of war by Lebanon and promised a "severe response". The government approved miltary action against Hezbollah after an emergency cabinet meeting."
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A67F0AD3-7964-41BC-98A9-CA752CA5B89F.htm
======================================================================================
Note the ABC Australia snippet and the Aljazeera one are probably the same source (almost word for word). The difference is, the Australian one follows up with a quote that removes the ambiguity (at least of the article's slant if not the truth), whereas the aljazeera one doesn't.
Of course, the AJ one goes into detail of the tanks, which compares to those reports of the destroyed tank in South Lebanon, but if it had used the whole quote that the ABC did, there would be no ambiguity.
What is interesting to me is that many news corporations have gone from explicit to non commital; others have gone from non-commital to explicit (in favour of Israel).
Maybe they should just admit they don't know?
Whether it is or isn't important to the actions Israel is taking in Lebanon, it is obvious that Israel believes it is important, and, following that, much of our media, as much through diversionary tactics of the truth (that they really do not know the circumstances of that particular event but aren't saying as much) as in how they choose now to present it say a lot about where their allegiance lays.