Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hezbollah Kidnapping, Not Declaration Of War

Bishara: Hezbollah Did Not Declare War On Israel Last Summer

By Yoav Stern,
Haaretz Correspondent
Last Update - 23;22 16/07/2007
Haaretz

Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara said Monday that Hezbollah did not declare war on Israel last summer, nor did it determine the timing of the war.

The former MK made the comments at a conference in Lebanon marking the one-year anniversary of the outbreak of the war, which erupted July 12, 2006 after Hezbollah killed three Israel Defense Forces soldiers and abducted two others...Five other soldiers were killed in the ensuing rescue attempt.

"Israel is known for planning and deciding in advance on the reason for war," said Bishara, adding that he believed the abduction of IDF troops is a "common type of operation."

...He added that there is no need to continue the debate as to whether Lebanon was victorious in the war, given that it has become a political argument.

He slammed Hezbollah's political rivals, saying they have spent 17 years debating or not they had emerged victorious.

Bishara said that last summer's war brought "liberation, victory, and the endowment of defeat in 33 days."

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