Group Threatens to Rocket Israel Port City

[AnOhioan]

JERUSALEM (AP) - The Islamic militant group that captured two Israeli soldiers threatened on Thursday to rocket the port city of Haifa if Israel attacked Beirut, and Israel said the guerrillas have that capability.

Snip

Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz, commander of the research arm of military intelligence, told a parliamentary committee Thursday that Hezbollah had about 100 missiles with a range of 25 to 44 miles, a participant in the meeting said. That would put the cities of Haifa and Tiberias within range. The participant didn't name the missile.

Hezbollah also has thousands of Katyusha rockets that have a range of about 12 miles, Baidatz said, according to the participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.

In the strikes on the northern Israeli towns, Hezbollah said it was using a rocket called Thunder 1 for the first time. The missiles appeared to be more advanced than the inaccurate Katyusha.

More at http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5949074,00.html

The stakes are going up exponentially

[movonne]

1. Well they started this mess...why not try and work out things, rather

than bombing towns...the cost will be great..

[AnOhioan]

2. "They" is open to interpretation...

Both sides are accountable for the deaths of innocents. Both sides will suffer if the cycle is not broken. And given the state of political affairs in the world today, if this conflict regionalizes the chances of a much wider conflict emerge. Hold on to your hats, it is shaping up to be an "eventful" year.

[cali]

4. Well said!

I'm so sick of the simplistic Manichean lens through which so many people view this conflict.

[bridgit]

3. so what, let them do it if they haven't already, don't people in this...

forum feel Israel has it coming anyway :shrug:

[Waya]

7. Well.......

does Israel have it coming? Yes...and No. If it was just a matter of two Governments or Militant Groups and Governments slugging it out - I'd say go and get it over with. But there is this matter of all those innocent civilians stuck in the middle, on both sides who will suffer the most casualties. The whole thing is despicable - and useless in a way. More talking and less shooting might be more effective in the long run - but how to accomplish that when both sides have bouts of unreasonableness?

[AnOhioan]

5. The next step has been taken, Haifa struck

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Two rockets struck the northern Israeli port of Haifa Thursday as the crisis over the abduction of two Israeli soldiers deepened.

The missiles were fired from inside Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said, in a sharp escalation of attacks launched by Hezbollah guerrillas.

The attack on the city of 280,000 was the first time Hezbollah rockets have hit so deeply into Israeli territory.

Ambulance services said no one was hurt in the attack, which had been threatened by Hezbollah.

More at http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/13/mideast/index.html

[bemildred]

6. The thing I fear is that it becomes a use it or lose it situation.

Hiz'bullah may decide to shoot the whole lot off rather than lose them on the ground. That seems almost certain if the IDF attacks the sites in force.