Don't look for internationals to fight Israel's battles on the ground. Maybe they will, maybe not. Remember that they will still be foreigners in occupation of Lebanese territory. Will Hezbollah attack them in the same way it attacked before 2000? If so, will the internationals stay? As for the Lebanese army, don't expect them to fight Hezbollah. That would undoubtedly re-ignite the civil war. Would more civil war in Lebanon be in Israel's interest? So do we end up with another IDF occupation? Will there be any Christian Lebanese army to help them as there was before 2000? It would be good to have an analysis of the possibilities in the paper.

Hey pops...i saw posters asking you what do you stand for...and havent seen your answer yes,except a few jingoistic posts that lead to nowhere. SO.......After further review...YOU ARE A FAKE

two soldier kept hostage, then would he ask to be rescued? I was told that soldiers understand one thing very clearly, they will be rescued if at all possible and if it is not possible their deaths will be AVENGED so the enemy has no taste to take the same action again. You make NO ONE safe by retreat, you make them all safe by destroying the enemy and its war machinery. Every single hez-bull-uh terrorist should die except one, and he should be kept in a glass cage so all can see the price to be paid for kidnapping an Israeli soldier.

Isn't pushing the terrorists deeper into Lebanon? I'm sure there is a reason, but 5-6 kms doesn't seem far enough.

Why don't you get off your fat rear, go to Israel and start killing Hezboyz? Another couch military advisor, 5000 km away.

The only explination is.... the IDF cant push them 1km from the boarder. Do you think that if the IDF can get in, they wont? think about it. Olmert doesnt care about his people and the sooner they know this the better. He does not care about soldiers or anything else but his bank account.

It means Israel is practicing media censorship.

With you Palliwood and Hezbolliwood . You are better at acting than the terrorist business.

lol. the idf can get in in about 3 or 4 days if they wanted to . the only thing that stop them from doing so is the concern for civilian , witch the scums hesbulas hiding behind,imagine . the idf could just level a whole town ,to rubble .

If they wanted to. Like Pat said, there is a reason. That reason is the IDF doesnt want the international force to be too deep into Lebanon, because they would be over extended. So its keeping the most practical buffer zone which an international force of 15k (as per Olmert NY Times interview) will be able to control efficiently.

Israel is the most caring and moral country on Earth. Too bad you Arabs aren't like the Jews or there would be no war.

I just thought since the IDF is obviouly crushing the hiz that they should push them to the northern border - the border between lebanon and syria that is.

Which is a normal procedure to filter millitary related info during the time of war. 1. The family of the fallen soldier has to be notified before any public release. 2. No reason to give enemy free intel if the information is for some reason classified.

Get up an Americans dander and we do what we say :)

Thanks for your comments, they are 100% correct! Keep them coming! Pat

Of course there are censors, you idiot. It's a war!! Every single country in history has had military censorship during war times on news from the war zone. Look up a bit of history! The difference is they're not censoring media reports about anything that's not directly related to the military, unlike the Hizbollah guided tours all the news from Lebanon is being sifted through.

Israel keeps killing 200, 30, 50 Hezbullah everyday. Let me see. with this average it makes 2300 Hezbullah killed in total. Since there were only 2000 before the war, now there are -300 Hezbullah left. This is of course not counting Nasrallah, with him it is only -299.

"cleared for publication" simply means, the Israeli army WAITS until the close family of the heroic, brave, valiant israeli boy killed by the blood-thirsty, stone-age arab has been NOTIFIED, before releasing the NAME to the media. If you want to call that CENSORSHIP, then do so. I call it simply another sign of Israeli morality and sensitivity (in line with the fact that Qana was the EXCEPTION as opposed to the rule in this war).

The great people-lover Skywalker, look how your beloved "people" cut heads off, your head will be cut soon by them if you'll succeed with your ideology of "universal love"

Vic, what do you mean by my people? who's cutting who's heads off? You're talkback comment does not even make sense at all,, the way I see it, the only head that needs to be cut-off is yours for your stupidity. I may not be a racist, but I really do hate dumb people like you. If you even knew what I meant by my first comment, you wouldn't have said anything. Let me explain, if you read between the lines you would have realized that what I meant was that the whole reason why the world is such a messed up place is because of racism and people that hate other people because of what they look like or where they come from.

that Israelis prove time and time again on this site their ignorance, senseless hearts, and astonishing cruelty in every single comment they write. You don't have structure, logic, analysis, historical backround on anything you are saying... You call people "Mohamed-A-Moron"...what are you? a kindergarden kid or just plain disrespectful of other people's opinions or religion. If I insult your name or culture will you call me an anti-semite? Let me take a minute and tell you what's awaiting you... it's simple and it's not pretty; first of all the IDF wants to advance until 28 km to the Litani river not 15k. While I do hope your army tries to push deeper so it's faith is similar to the year 2000, I highly doubt they will. They've been stuck at the border for 23 days now and counting. Actually I think your media is feeding you so much crap about killing and kidnapping "tasty fishes" (Yes, believe or not, Olmert uses these terms in time of war!), that you don't know what to believe or where to turn your heads. So many of you are confused, a lot of you are embarrassed and the rest...well write useless comments to express either rage, fear, or disappointment...because this war, like it or not, is simply a masqued massacre of women and children and also a huge mistake on Israel's part. So keep those nasty comments coming and bash me... You'll make me proud of not being one of you and also, you'll prove me right! Oh and I forgot : "Israel is the most caring and moral country on Earth"....yes when I see those little cute girls signing on rockets before they're launched, killing infants and destroying a country, I too have this warm, fuzzy feeling that no other country on the planet, can match your moral superiority Oh sweet Israel!

As you still think like this no peace may be in the region , in result of that more civilians will suffer & israel people from the north have to flee away to the south.may be near Gaza strip

do you really consider israel morality is when 2 sons of olmert fled away from serving in IDF at the time he is pushing to front others sons to be killed or the fact that israel soldiers prisoned by Hizbollah are given as the price of olmert's politic ambitions which made their parents seek for help in europe but not from own goverment

Arik, you ask interesting questions in your post. I actually think no one really knows where all this is leading. The US, the EU, the UN, none of these seems able to envision where things are leading. The problem is Iran. There is no clear way ahead in dealing with its imminent nuclear capability. No one knows what to do about that either. Right now, it looks like IDF occupation until the thumb twiddling amounts to something. I'm sure the Lebanese themselves, especially the Christians but even the Sunnis, are bemused too, wondering where things are leading. It's a confusing world and poor Israel is in the middle of the mess. A lot of us are praying that she'll come out of this safely. Even people like me who are not from the US and not Jewish. I wish I never again read of the death of a brave young Israeli soldier. If only there were a Great Genie around to hear my wish and grant it!

I here want to clear something, Hezbollah is consists of the youth of southern Lebanon, there families is in Bent Jbeel Maroon Alras, Soor, Kofor Kella...etc. They are not coming from Hunollolo or South Africa !!!!!!!!!!!! How would any one say that Hezbollah troops are hiding behind the civilians (wake up) those civilians are there families, How could any human hides behind his children... When Israel hits civilians that’s not meaning that Hezbollah having them as human shield noooooooo; that means IDF and IAF don’t know where Hezbollah members are. So pathetic how media and politics can make anyone believes any thing else about human nature. WAKE UP

until when we will keep losing our soldiers?

It was the next "halutz"! Condelences with you! He is in Gods Army, but the world is alone. Strike against lost soldiers! I can go under God, and I can give my life for God. I can pray: Please God save my children, my people, Israel and believers! May God help you in this difficult times! ((I am not supporting my email-adress!!! )) Schulz is the most name in germany, my name is more than 1 Million at Internet, but I will win the war! And I am one person and not 1 Million and not 2 Millions. I am not political, but I am personal under and by God for the onlyst state, what I love: Israel!