August 16, 2006
A Caption Too Small
Yes, I'm getting just as tired of this kind of stuff as you are (my bold):
Lebanese civil defense volunteers unload a coffin from a refrigerator outside the Hakoomy hospital in port city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. At least 842 people were killed in Lebanon during the 34-day campaign, most of them civilians. Israel suffered 157 dead _ including 118 soldiers.(AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)
According to the Associated Press "most" (by definition more than half; at least 421) of those who died were civilians. Considering AP's recent track record in Lebanon, I'm disinclined to believe their claim. Their vague figures run in opposition to what we see here from Strategy Page:
On the ground, Hizbollah lost nearly 600 of its own personnel, and billions of dollars worth of assets and weapons.
Ynet News, citing the IDF as a source three days ago, states that 530 Hezbollah members have been killed.
If the Hezbollah deaths cited by StrategyPage and Ynet are correct and the AP's overall casualty count is close to accurate, then more than 60% of those killed were Hezbollah fighters, even as Hezbollah attempted to hide behind old women and children.
However, when looking at the figures provided by the Associated Press, one would be tempted to infer that Hezbollah's attacks were more precisely targeted at Israeli military forces, as the AP points out that the majority of the Israelis killed by Hezbollah--118 of 157--were soldiers, while "most" of those killed by Israel were civilians.
But the AP conveniently leaves out the fact that half of the Israeli civilians killed were the result of 4,000 indiscriminately targeted Hezbollah rockets purposefully aimed at civilian areas. It also leaves out the glaring fact that Lebanese civilian casualties were so high precisely because Hezbollah chose to fight a war using Lebanese civilians as shields.
Israel specifically targeted precision weapons and artillery fire on infrastructure and Hezbollah targets, while Hezbollah aimed their rockets almost exclusively at Israeli population centers.
In the media war against Israel, somehow the captions are never quite big enough to fit that most basic truth.
Update: An IDF First Sergeant clarifies the situation with first-hand knowledge in the comments:
CY, this is a great post you have written here, though I feel I have to eluminate a few things.
I'm an IDF first sergeant and recently returned from Lebanon. And the way things are develping I might return there sooner then I've hoped.
Hizb'Allah casualties. The numbers you have presented are quite close to accurate, but they don't show the whole picture. It's not classified, but I dought you'll ever see these figures in the MSM. According to our statistics we (the IDF) have scored OVER 600 CONFIRMED enemy kills (photgrphed, documented, claimed and added to the killboard, I personally scored 2 kills to add to my record) and another 800-1200 unconfirmed/unclaimed kills (this estimation includes kills form airstrikes/artillary shelling). The Hizb'Allah losses aren't counted, on the most part, against the official number of Lebanease casualties. Hizb'Allah admits to loosing only 58 of it's own men and 21 more from their ally - the Amal terrorist organisation.
How much troops Hizb'Allah has really lost we'll probably never know since they're quite unlickly to release this information.
Hizb'Allah also lost a lot of weapons and equipment, and quite large amounts of equipment were captured by us.
But the operation wasn't deemed as successful since we didn't get our boys back. Also we (the soldiers) feel that some high ranking officers in the Northern Command had little idea what they where doing. Our political leadership could've should've done more - like sending us in early on/buying us more time to finish the job.
At any rate, Olmert chose to succumb to the will of Kofi Anan and his Useless Nations with their Hizb'Allah backed Associated Propaganda and al-Reuters spitting lies all over the world about disproportionate response and us indiscriminately
killing civilians.
But this isn't over by any means, this "cease fire" is just a temporary respite before all hell will break loose once again. And then we'll finish what we've started.
I agree, but one samll corection:
not HALF but ALL of the Israeli civilians killed were the result of 4,000 indiscriminately targeted Hezbollah rockets purposefully aimed at civilian areas.
Yes, the civilian deaths are bad.
Perspective: in the Normandy Campaign in 1944, more French civilians died than Allied and Nazi soldiers COMBINED.
If the Lebanese government was really horrified by the number of civilian deaths, they would have immediately agreed to Israel's terms for peace. These were not onerous- disband Hezbollah, return two captured soldiers, no big deal.
Conclusion: The deaths of civilians were painful for the Lebanon government, but the thought of disbanding Hezbollah is even MORE painful. They will gladly sacrifice any number of Lebanese to protect this terrorist group.
Ben
Given that a "Confederate Yankee" back in the day was known as a "Copperhead" and considered a traitor, it's entirely appropriate that a halfwitted moron like you, out apologizing for today's Party of Southern Treason, would choose it.
Republican: a synonym for traitor, war criminal, thief, con artist, liar, and moron.
Posted by: TCinLA at August 16, 2006 06:09 PMNote also that some recent Hezbollah missiles fell in Lebanese civilian areas. Which, with Iranian money, they are promising to rebuild (presumably with really deep cellars).
And Kofi is upset that Israel does not want to pull out before a peace-keeping force with teeth (permission to fire) is in place, since Kofi has promised that it shouldn't take much more than a year - assuming anyone signs up to be part of it - and why should it matter that Kofi's UN will not be tasked with disarming anyone?
TCinLA, you really need to stop using... it's effecting your ability to be coherent. You might to have the BDS seen about, too.
Posted by: Old Soldier at August 16, 2006 07:53 PMDo you know what I find curious? The fact that they are using photo descriptions to convey propaganda.
Aren't these labels supposed to be short, and to describe only what's happening in the picture? Some context is fine, but making an assertion in a photo's label seems out of place.
Good thing he didn't deniend the Holocaust while he was at it.
Posted by: dna at August 16, 2006 08:20 PMTCinLA,
LOL. You just proved where CA got the title the "left coast". LOL. We are laughing at your obvious prejudiced behavior. You are obviously a racist. Too bad. You are probably one of the "elite" that want to run the country. LOL. Stick with the LATimes.
BTW - What do you think of the full page ad in the LAT today with 84 Hollywood Heavyweights condeming - would you believe it - not Israel, but Hezbollah and Hamas for the unrest in that part of the ME. Wow.
But for you - you may as well have quoted the braintrust of the DemoNcratic Party - none other than Howlin' Howie Dean. You know what he says:
AAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!Posted by: Specter at August 16, 2006 09:26 PM
Given that a "Confederate Yankee" back in the day was known as a "Copperhead" and considered a traitor...
Actually, "copperheads" were cowardly northern Democratic appeasers during the Civil War which constantly called the Republican president a "tyrant" and claimed that he was destroying America and American values. They tried to convince American troops to desert, were generally treasonous, and we're largely viewed as useful idiots by their enemies.
Does that sound familar? It should. Then, as now, the synonym for a copperhead is a "Peace Democrat."
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at August 17, 2006 12:17 AMCY, this is a great post you have written here, though I feel I have to eluminate a few things.
I'm an IDF first sergeant and recently returned from Lebanon. And the way things are develping I might return there sooner then I've hoped.
Hizb'Allah casualties. The numbers you have presented are quite close to accurate, but they don't show the whole picture. It's not classified, but I dought you'll ever see these figures in the MSM. According to our statistics we (the IDF) have scored OVER 600 CONFIRMED enemy kills (photgrphed, documented, claimed and added to the killboard, I personally scored 2 kills to add to my record) and another 800-1200 unconfirmed/unclaimed kills (this estimation includes kills form airstrikes/artillary shelling). The Hizb'Allah losses aren't counted, on the most part, against the official number of Lebanease casualties. Hizb'Allah admits to loosing only 58 of it's own men and 21 more from their ally - the Amal terrorist organisation.
How much troops Hizb'Allah has really lost we'll probably never know since they're quite unlickly to release this information.
Hizb'Allah also lost a lot of weapons and equipment, and quite large amounts of equipment were captured by us.
But the operation wasn't deemed as successful since we didn't get our boys back. Also we (the soldiers) feel that some high ranking officers in the Northern Command had little idea what they where doing. Our political leadership could've should've done more - like sending us in early on/buying us more time to finish the job.
At any rate, Olmert chose to succumb to the will of Kofi Anan and his Useless Nations with their Hizb'Allah backed Associated Propaganda and al-Reuters spitting lies all over the world about disproportionate response and us indiscriminately
killing civilians.
But this isn't over by any means, this "cease fire" is just a temporary respite before all hell will break loose once again. And then we'll finish what we've started.
Regards, F. Sgt. Alex
Posted by: First Sergeant Alex at August 17, 2006 02:54 AM
