Israel blames U.S., France for arming Lebanon

who are these are they the Gods of this world. they are the most unwanted cult in this world. wait and see what is going to be their fate and country who supported.Allah is just and mercy

who are these are they the Gods of this world. they are the most unwanted cult in this world. wait and see what is going to be their fate and country who supported.Allah is just and mercy

With midterms just around the corner how many congressmen are going to stand up and say despite the fact Israeli soldiers were fired in their own territory without provocation probably with an American made M16 and we should continue to provide arms to Lebanon? Democrats & Republicans they are both going to agree to at the very least suspend all military aid to Lebanon. It doesn't matter if Obama wants to continue to give the military aid Congress makes the decisions like that and he will just have to accept it. If the US stops weapons aid then if Israel makes enough noise in the short - medium term at least France will probably agree to Israels demands. Obama should also be careful if he tries to hold Israel back if there is any more trouble. In 2012 his opponents in the pro Israel camp will say this president allowed Lebanon to fire on Israel and you refused to let Israel fight back ... Israel is our ally but Obama watched our ally be fired on and he refused to let them fight back how can you vote for a man like that. when Israeli soldiers are fired on and a soldier dies unprovoked and not in Lebanese territory and probably with an American made M16 there is no way anybody wants to be the congressman to stand up and say I vote we give more weapons to Lebanon. I think its safe to say that by the end of this month Congress will vote to end all military aid to Lebanon.

Israel has got to be kidding here. Such advanced weaponry was used in this incident? BS. It was a sniper rifle....oh my lord such advanced technology. Hold the press! Please Israel, stop overexaggerating everything for your advantage...we the people are not that gullible.

A Conservative Estimate of Total Direct U.S. Aid to Israel: Almost $114 Billion By Shirl McArthur TABLE 1: Direct U.S. Aid to Israel (millions of dollars) Year Total Military Grant Economic Grant Immigrant ASHA All Other 1949-1996 68,030.9 29,014.9 23,122.4 868.9 121.4 14,903.3 1997 3,132.1 1,800.0 1,200.0 80.0 2.1 50.0 1998 3,080.0 1,800.0 1,200.0 80.0 ? ? 1999 3,010.0 1,860.0 1,080.0 70.0 ? ? 2000 4,131.85 3,120.0 949.1 60.0 2.75 ? 2001 2,876.05 1,975.6 838.2 60.0 2.25 ? 2002 2,850.65 2,040.0 720.0 60.0 2.65 28.0 2003 3,745.15 3,086.4 596.1 59.6 3.05 ? 2004 2,687.25 2,147.3 477.2 49.7 3.15 9.9 2005 2,612.15 2,202.2 357.0 50.0 2.95 ? 2006 2,534.53 2,257.0 237.0 40.0 ? .53 2007 2,500.24 2,340.0 120.0 40.0 ? .24 2008 2,423.8 2,380.6 0.0 39.7 3.0 .5 Total 103,614.67 56,024.0 30,897.0 1,557.9 143.3 14,992.47 Notes: FY 2000 military grants include $1.2 billion for the Wye agreement and $1.92 billion in annual military aid. FY 2003 military aid included $1 billion from the supplemental appropriations bill. The economic grant was earmarked for $960 million for FY 2000 but was reduced to meet the 0.38% rescission. Final amounts for FY 2003 are reduced by 0.65% mandated rescission, the amounts for FY 2004 are reduced by 0.59%, and the amounts for FY 2008 are reduced by .81%. Sources: CRS Report RL33222: U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, updated Jan. 2, 2008, plus the FY ’08 omnibus appropriations bill, H.R. 2764. This estimate of total U.S. direct aid to Israel updates the estimate given in the July 2006 issue of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. It is an estimate because arriving at an exact figure is not possible, since parts of U.S. aid to Israel are a) buried in the budgets of various U.S. agencies, mostly that of the Defense Department (DOD), or b) in a form not easily quantifiable, such as the early disbursement of aid, giving Israel a direct benefit in interest income and the U.S. Treasury a corresponding loss. Given these caveats, our current estimate of cumulative total direct aid to Israel is $113.8554 billion. It must be emphasized that this analysis is a conservative, defensible accounting of U.S. direct aid to Israel, NOT of Israel’s cost to the U.S. or the American taxpayer, nor of the benefits to Israel of U.S. aid. The distinction is important, because the indirect or consequential costs suffered by the U.S. as a result of its blind support for Israel exceed by many times the substantial amount of direct aid to Israel. (See, for example, the late Thomas R. Stauffer’s article in the June 2003 Washington Report, “The Costs to American Taxpayers of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: $3 Trillion.”) Especially, this computation does not include the costs resulting from the invasion and occupation of Iraq—hundreds of billions of dollars, 4,000-plus U.S. and allied fatalities, untold tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths, and many thousands of other U.S., allied, and Iraqi casualties—which is almost universally believed in the Arab world to have been undertaken for the benefit of Israel. Among other “indirect or consequential” costs would be the costs of U.S. unilateral economic sanctions on Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria, the costs to U.S. manufacturers of the Arab boycott, and the costs to U.S. companies and consumers of the 1973 Arab oil embargo and consequent and subsequent soaring oil prices partially as a result of U.S. support for Israel. Among the real benefits to Israel that are not direct costs to the U.S. taxpayer are the early cash transfer of economic and military aid, in-country spending of a portion of military aid, and loan guarantees. The U.S. gives Israel all of its economic and military aid directly in cash during the first month of the fiscal year, with no accounting required of how the funds are used. Also, in contrast with other countries receiving military aid, who must purchase through the DOD, Israel deals directly with the U.S. companies, with no DOD review. Furthermore, Israel is allowed to spend 26.3 percent of each year’s military aid in Israel (no other recipient of U.S. military aid gets this benefit), which has resulted in an increasingly sophisticated Israeli defense industry. As a result, Israel has become a major world arms exporter; the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports that in 2006 Israel was the world’s ninth leading supplier of arms worldwide, earning $4.4 billion from defense sales. Another benefit to Israel are U.S. government loan guarantees. The major loan guarantees have been $600 million for housing between 1972 and 1990; $9.2 billion for Soviet Jewish resettlement between 1992 and 1997; about $5 billion for refinancing military loans commercially; and $9 billion in loan guarantees authorized in FY ’03 and extended to FY ’10. Of that $9 billion, CRS reports that Israel has drawn $4.1 billion through FY ’07. These loans have not—yet—cost the U.S. any money; they are listed on the Treasury Department’s books as “contingent liabilities,” which would be liabilities to the U.S. should Israel default. However, they have been of substantial, tangible benefit to Israel, because they enable Israel to borrow commercially at special terms and favorable interest rates. Components of Israel Aid Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II (not counting the huge sums being spent in Iraq). The $3 billion or so per year that Israel receives from the U.S. amounts to about $500 per Israeli. Most of this money is earmarked in the annual Foreign Operations (foreign aid) appropriations bills, with the three major items being military grants (Foreign Military Financing, or FMF), economic grants (Economic Support Funds, or ESF), and “migration and refugee assistance.” (Refugee assistance originally was intended to help Israel absorb Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, but this was expanded in 1985 to include all refugees resettling in Israel. In fact, Israel doesn’t differentiate between refugees and other immigrants, so this money is used for all immigrants to Israel.) Not earmarked but also included in congresssional appropriations bills is Israel’s portion of grants for American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) and monies buried in the appropriations for other departments or agencies. These are mostly for so-called “U.S.-Israeli cooperative programs” in defense, agriculture, science, and hi-tech industries. Before 1998, Israel received annually $1.8 billion in military grants and $1.2 billion in economic grants. Then, beginning in FY ‘99, the two countries agreed to reduce economic grants to Israel by $120 million and increase military grants by $60 million annually over 10 years. FY ’08 is the last year of that agreement, with military grants reaching $2.4 billion (reduced by an across-the-board rescission), and zero economic grants. Then, in August 2007, U.S. and Israeli officials signed a memorandum of understanding for a new 10-year, $30 billion aid package whereby FMF will gradually increase, beginning with $2.55 billion in FY ’09, and average $3 billion per year over the 10-year period.

A Conservative Estimate of Total Direct U.S. Aid to Israel: Almost $114 Billion By Shirl McArthur TABLE 1: Direct U.S. Aid to Israel (millions of dollars) Year Total Military Grant Economic Grant Immigrant ASHA All Other 1949-1996 68,030.9 29,014.9 23,122.4 868.9 121.4 14,903.3 1997 3,132.1 1,800.0 1,200.0 80.0 2.1 50.0 1998 3,080.0 1,800.0 1,200.0 80.0 ? ? 1999 3,010.0 1,860.0 1,080.0 70.0 ? ? 2000 4,131.85 3,120.0 949.1 60.0 2.75 ? 2001 2,876.05 1,975.6 838.2 60.0 2.25 ? 2002 2,850.65 2,040.0 720.0 60.0 2.65 28.0 2003 3,745.15 3,086.4 596.1 59.6 3.05 ? 2004 2,687.25 2,147.3 477.2 49.7 3.15 9.9 2005 2,612.15 2,202.2 357.0 50.0 2.95 ? 2006 2,534.53 2,257.0 237.0 40.0 ? .53 2007 2,500.24 2,340.0 120.0 40.0 ? .24 2008 2,423.8 2,380.6 0.0 39.7 3.0 .5 Total 103,614.67 56,024.0 30,897.0 1,557.9 143.3 14,992.47 Notes: FY 2000 military grants include $1.2 billion for the Wye agreement and $1.92 billion in annual military aid. FY 2003 military aid included $1 billion from the supplemental appropriations bill. The economic grant was earmarked for $960 million for FY 2000 but was reduced to meet the 0.38% rescission. Final amounts for FY 2003 are reduced by 0.65% mandated rescission, the amounts for FY 2004 are reduced by 0.59%, and the amounts for FY 2008 are reduced by .81%. Sources: CRS Report RL33222: U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, updated Jan. 2, 2008, plus the FY ’08 omnibus appropriations bill, H.R. 2764. This estimate of total U.S. direct aid to Israel updates the estimate given in the July 2006 issue of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. It is an estimate because arriving at an exact figure is not possible, since parts of U.S. aid to Israel are a) buried in the budgets of various U.S. agencies, mostly that of the Defense Department (DOD), or b) in a form not easily quantifiable, such as the early disbursement of aid, giving Israel a direct benefit in interest income and the U.S. Treasury a corresponding loss. Given these caveats, our current estimate of cumulative total direct aid to Israel is $113.8554 billion. It must be emphasized that this analysis is a conservative, defensible accounting of U.S. direct aid to Israel, NOT of Israel’s cost to the U.S. or the American taxpayer, nor of the benefits to Israel of U.S. aid. The distinction is important, because the indirect or consequential costs suffered by the U.S. as a result of its blind support for Israel exceed by many times the substantial amount of direct aid to Israel. (See, for example, the late Thomas R. Stauffer’s article in the June 2003 Washington Report, “The Costs to American Taxpayers of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: $3 Trillion.”) Especially, this computation does not include the costs resulting from the invasion and occupation of Iraq—hundreds of billions of dollars, 4,000-plus U.S. and allied fatalities, untold tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths, and many thousands of other U.S., allied, and Iraqi casualties—which is almost universally believed in the Arab world to have been undertaken for the benefit of Israel. Among other “indirect or consequential” costs would be the costs of U.S. unilateral economic sanctions on Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria, the costs to U.S. manufacturers of the Arab boycott, and the costs to U.S. companies and consumers of the 1973 Arab oil embargo and consequent and subsequent soaring oil prices partially as a result of U.S. support for Israel. Among the real benefits to Israel that are not direct costs to the U.S. taxpayer are the early cash transfer of economic and military aid, in-country spending of a portion of military aid, and loan guarantees. The U.S. gives Israel all of its economic and military aid directly in cash during the first month of the fiscal year, with no accounting required of how the funds are used. Also, in contrast with other countries receiving military aid, who must purchase through the DOD, Israel deals directly with the U.S. companies, with no DOD review. Furthermore, Israel is allowed to spend 26.3 percent of each year’s military aid in Israel (no other recipient of U.S. military aid gets this benefit), which has resulted in an increasingly sophisticated Israeli defense industry. As a result, Israel has become a major world arms exporter; the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports that in 2006 Israel was the world’s ninth leading supplier of arms worldwide, earning $4.4 billion from defense sales. Another benefit to Israel are U.S. government loan guarantees. The major loan guarantees have been $600 million for housing between 1972 and 1990; $9.2 billion for Soviet Jewish resettlement between 1992 and 1997; about $5 billion for refinancing military loans commercially; and $9 billion in loan guarantees authorized in FY ’03 and extended to FY ’10. Of that $9 billion, CRS reports that Israel has drawn $4.1 billion through FY ’07. These loans have not—yet—cost the U.S. any money; they are listed on the Treasury Department’s books as “contingent liabilities,” which would be liabilities to the U.S. should Israel default. However, they have been of substantial, tangible benefit to Israel, because they enable Israel to borrow commercially at special terms and favorable interest rates. Components of Israel Aid Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II (not counting the huge sums being spent in Iraq). The $3 billion or so per year that Israel receives from the U.S. amounts to about $500 per Israeli. Most of this money is earmarked in the annual Foreign Operations (foreign aid) appropriations bills, with the three major items being military grants (Foreign Military Financing, or FMF), economic grants (Economic Support Funds, or ESF), and “migration and refugee assistance.” (Refugee assistance originally was intended to help Israel absorb Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, but this was expanded in 1985 to include all refugees resettling in Israel. In fact, Israel doesn’t differentiate between refugees and other immigrants, so this money is used for all immigrants to Israel.) Not earmarked but also included in congresssional appropriations bills is Israel’s portion of grants for American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) and monies buried in the appropriations for other departments or agencies. These are mostly for so-called “U.S.-Israeli cooperative programs” in defense, agriculture, science, and hi-tech industries. Before 1998, Israel received annually $1.8 billion in military grants and $1.2 billion in economic grants. Then, beginning in FY ‘99, the two countries agreed to reduce economic grants to Israel by $120 million and increase military grants by $60 million annually over 10 years. FY ’08 is the last year of that agreement, with military grants reaching $2.4 billion (reduced by an across-the-board rescission), and zero economic grants. Then, in August 2007, U.S. and Israeli officials signed a memorandum of understanding for a new 10-year, $30 billion aid package whereby FMF will gradually increase, beginning with $2.55 billion in FY ’09, and average $3 billion per year over the 10-year period.

Israel prefers fighting unarmed opponents.

Come come liars. Advanced weaponry is not small arms fire. You whine and exaggerate...again. Salaam/Shalom

---- $400 million in one year. How many millions are there in a Billion? ---- Now how many millions are there in SIX BILLION? ---- And how many millions are there in SIX BILLION EVERY YEAR?? What a joke!

I can ubderstand Israel's frustration. She prefers to attack defenseless enemies.

what goes up must come down israel. and when you do the Arabs will be waiting for you. dont be expected to be treated any differently than you have treated your neighbors

Without reasonable arms and equipment, the Lebanese Army is a laughing stock, enabling Hizballah to claim that they are the real defenders of Lebanon, and this claim makes sense to the Lebanese people and others too. That was the situation before the 2006 war. Israel has no reason to fear the Lebanese Army. Whatever they used in the present incident is nothing compared to what Israel is able to bring to the front. Indeed, being its arms supplier gives the US some pressure ability on the army's behavior.

And Israel has to pay the bill of it with the lives of its 42-year-old dads. This isn't Iran or Syria, but two closest allies of Israel. Shame of them.

If the US wants Israel to refrain from responding militarily then let them come up with a suitable non-violent measure to retaliate against Lebanon for its attempt to reignite a regional war. What happened yesterday requires a severe response.

Israeli over-aggressiveness is almost always counter-productive in the long run. Just as Cast Lead and the Freedom Flotilla have drastically weakened Israel's long-term position, so Lebanon 2's Lebanon-wide assault on the :Lebanese and their infrastructure has ultimately done what the Lebanese could not have done on their own. It has united a deeply fractured society in opposition to an external enemy - Israel. Amazing Israel didn't see this coming, bearing in mind that hostility to external enemies is one of the few things Israel's deeply fractured society has in common. Hard to know whether Israel would actually survive peace with it neighbours or whether it would go the way of Lebanon in the 1970s and 1980s.

"Senior officials in Israel were angry the Security Council had not found Lebanon responsible for the incident" The same officials never obeyed the UN in Gaza last time.

According to your article U.S. has given to Lebanon last year $400 million to purchase arms. How much U.S. has given to Israel last year to purchase arms?

In the US-western movies of the 50th and 60th modern armed US-cavallary fights poorly armed indians (fighting with bow and arrow). Still these movies celebrate in self-congratulation style the "victory" against the "red savages". Israel had in the last 43 years (since the victory of the June war in 1967) only combattants which are very poor armed. Fighting an enemy which can shoot back effectively and being an equal opponent does not seem to be the fight the IDF likes. Best thing: killing the others from high altitudes whith high techwarplanes and having no casualties and still being proud of a victory against the savages called "arabs" (of which Begin said they are animals on two legs). Well, times are changing and now you are facing a fanatic islamic warrior enemy, who does not care if he dies in combat by defending his land (which is a honorful duty to every faithful muslim according to the Quran). Maybe Israel should really consider making real peace with his neighbours as long as there still secular regimes in power before one day you are surrounded by extremists who have not at all interest in living side by side a jewish state.

It's all related. Some people believe that Palestinians don't deserve state until they stop teaching kids in school how to kill Israelis. That is a strong argument against Palestinian statehood, however, that is not the whole picture. Some people believe that there should be two states, one Israel, and the other Palestine. However, that too misses the whole picture. I believe that there are many peace loving Palestinians, however that too misses the whole picture. Here is the whole picture – there are many peace loving Palestinians (PP) in Gaza and there are many terrorists Palestinians (TP) in Gaza. Therefore, I propose a three state solution. Three is better than two. There should be a line drawn in Gaza in the middle, and the North part of Gaza would become PP state and the south part would become TP state. All Gazans would move to the right area, perhaps move paid for by UN or even by Israel. If there are more TP people, we move the line to the south; if there are more PP people, we move the line to the north. Think S. and N. Korea concept. Then, we could be sure that no rockets would be coming from the PP state, and Turkey and Sweden would be encouraged to support the PP state. On the other hand, The TP government's first act would be to sign arms deal with Iran. Let's analyze that situation. The distance from Gaza to a major city in Israel is about 20 miles. The rockets that Iran has today can reach any Israeli city from Gaza in less than a minute. Scenario similar to this happened in 1962, except where the distance is 100 miles from Havana to US swamps, it is only 20 miles from Gaza to major Israeli city. This scenario caused a US president to declare a blockade on Cuba, and mind you, between the sensible Cubans and Hamas, well ... you will be the judge. So after the TP state signs arms treaty with Iran, Israel will blockade TP and everyone will understand why. Okay, not everyone. Everyone except white supremacists, terrorists, and mentally challenged. Right now because PP and TP are mixed, the situation is confusing. So, I would urge the UN to start working on this 3-state solution, and trust me, it will work perfectly well. Trust me...

They are absolutely useless they stand by and allow Lebanese soldiers to fire RPGs right next to them at Israel. .They are supposed to be a peace keeping force what a joke.

Israel has a strong power to infulance to stop US senate to stop selling arms to lobenan, you mentioned it in your above article. you are right you can order France too. do not be ashamed !!

The $400 million Lebanon gets is to pay for Israel's spies in Lebanon...and Israel's allies Hizbollah's haters.

Countries are providing the Lebanese army with advanced weaponry for it to fight Hezbollah, and instead the Lebanese army is using the weapons to fire on IDF soldiers do not make me laugh.

When you live in the area of conflict you see the world as it is. When you listen and read from a safe sofa in front of a TV or Internet page you only see what you are told. The world is now only round because we are now taught that fact, but once to claim it was round you would have been a classed as a terrorist...

US and France dare sell advanced weapon to the lebanese army ! Israel think that to keep balance of force in the region only bows and arrows should be allowed for Lebanon

Let's examine the facts * The IDF coordinates tree trimming around a surveillance camera positioned on the inner fence of the blue line with the UNIFIL (United Nations Inept Force in Lebanon) * A squad of Israeli soldiers in a cherry picker attempt to trim tree * UN inept soldiers, standing amongst armed Lebanese soldiers on the Lebanese side start yelling incoherently at the Israelis despite the coordinated event. * The Lebanese soldiers, shielded by the UN, fire on the cherrypicker killing its operator *The Israelis respond with fire from their side (they never crossed the line, there is a buffer between the security fence and the blue line, the cherrypicker was based and mounted inside the inner fence) * All hell breaks loose *Arab Ali Babas like Assad, Hariri and Nasrallah condemn the "horrific" agression of the Israelis * Lebanese prime minister declares that they will defend Lebanon to the last man * Foreign media outlets interview only the Arab side and take anything they say as absolute fact and question nothing. * No inquiries are made whatsoever with the United Nothing as to why Lebanon fired if this was a coordinated event * Ban-k I Moon requests restraint from all parties. * Senior UNIFIL official: From what I know, Israel didn't cross border with Lebanon (Army Radio) *Nasrallah vows revenge on the deceitful, agressive enemy vowing to eradicate the Zionist plague *** And so it goes.................just another uneventful day in the Holyland

Lebanon opened fire first. I think that Lebanon will regret this attack in some way or another within a near future. France and the US should stop supporting them with weaponry that is supposed to be used on Hezbollah.

Israel is the best equipped army in Near East with the most sophisticated weapons supplied by the US. Why should their neighbours, permanently attacked and threatened by Isarel not furnish themselve with weapons for defense? Israel is not the God´s chosen people who has all rights and who can decide about their neigbours.

Israel has one of the most sophisticated armies in the world , the very best missiles , the very best fighter jets , the very best submarines and not to forget their nuclear arsenal . Israel of course , has the right to defend it self , but so have the neighbouring countries as well.

your complaining that the Lebanese army is getting weapons now?? thats so damn ridiculous.. u have nuclear weapons and u have the audacity to talk unbelievable

"Countries are providing the Lebanese army with advanced weaponry for it to fight Hezbollah, and instead the Lebanese army is using the weapons to fire on IDF soldiers," a senior official in Jerusalem said. hahaha.. he is either so funny or so ignorant.

"United States has given Lebanon approximately $400 million over the past year to purchase arms." And how much has it given to Israel?

What the US and France give to Lebanon is peanuts compared to hat they give Israel. It is like they give the Lebanese a hand gun and at the same time they give Israel missiles, F-16's and Tanks. It makes not much difference to the Lebanese if they give or don't ... They were never pro Lebanese but pro Zionists ...

Are you kidding me ?!

There is no logic to Israel's position. There was a severe US arms restriction and near embargo of all arms to the LAF during the Bush Admin. That invited an attempted takeover by al Qaida and left Hezbollah with the only ability to resist invasion. That was a stupid idea. Even Bush and Cheney figured that out and finally relented. Israel does not have the right to govern Lebanon. Neither does it have the ability. Since the 1980s, Lebanon has been invaded three times - twice by Israel. And the first invasion gave rise to the creation of Hezbollah and started a civil war.

Israel aqcuires the most sophisticated weaponry found on the planet and it does not hesitate to use it. But it doesn't like it when it's neigbour(s) do the same!

and we know how israel plans things months ahead.

'Israel will launch a diplomatic campaign calling on the United States and France to stop their military assistance to Lebanon following Tuesday's exchange of fire on the northern border'

They should be also be blamed for arming Israel as we look back to Operation Cast Lead, Flotilla Raid and others...

No, No no one should arm Lebanon. Lebanon should be unarmed, to let the IDF spread Lebanon any time without interruption. Israel has the right to defend itself and secure its boarders. But Lebanon not.

you can do it! leave palestine your land is here in the good all USA

how about also an arms embargo on Israel. I mean so far most of the killing has been mostly coming from the israeli side.

lol with what ?? army boots and some army logistical gear.

I am much less concern about Europe arming Lebanon's "army of musicians", which clearly needs upgrading if it wants to have any authority over the militias, than about the massive US, but also Europe, supply of high-tech weapons to Israel, so it can use it against its occupied population and bully weaker neighbors.

That the significant line of text in this article is here: "Le Roy did not blame either side for the incident, nor did he accept Israel's claim that the Lebanese troops opened fire first." UNIFIL observers were present throughout this flare-up, and they had a perfect vantage point. What they say happened is going to be the authoritative account of what happened.

how dare they make it harder for Israel to attack its neighbours. Don't they know who we think we are?

The Israelis claim that they coordinated their work with UNIFIL, while the Lebanese claim that the IDF had requested permission from UNIFIL but the Lebanese Army turned them down... I wonder whether UNIFIL itself will shed some light on this?

Seems that everybody has a right to kill Israeli's, no world condemnation for this blatant attack, no world condemnation on the rockets that fell in Southern Israel from Gaza, but when Israeli's are attacked boarding a ship that's trying to break its blockade and 9 of the attackers die, the world calls an emergency meeting to condemn Israel. Somethings in this world I'll never understand

To arm itself with all the destructive weapons not any other nation

Venturing outside these borders offers Israel no protection. Nor can the UN or the SC offer any. All the weapons sent to Lebanon is but a drop in the bucket compared to the $$$ of weapons supplied to Israel with the courtesy of the US taxpayers.

These are the same two nations which developed Israels nuclear program. They should have never got started on pouring arms into the mideast, but Israel should be content that htye get billions every year in American weapons. As for Lebanon, the didn't defend themselves during the 2006 war when Israel killed over 1000 civilians and devestated the infrastructure of the entire country. Maybe America, by arming Lebanon, is trying to avoid a repeat. Israel likes it better when their targets do not defend themselves.

he is arming all of israel s enemies

Have't you guys learned yet that war is the fastest way to recover from an econimic depression/recession? The US gives Israel credit to buy arms from US manufacturers. It gives money to Lebanon and to Palestine to do the same. It pours money into Afghanistan/Pakistan region to stimulate more and more war. Then while warring along its happy way in Afghanistan, the US has the gall to to tell Netanyahu to use restraint in making war ion Lebanon. Such hypocrisy! It knows full well Bibi won't do it.. And the US military/indistrial complex rakes in the profits! Israel's government, Pakistanis, Afghans, Lebanese, are the tools of American big business. So here's to the emtrepreneurs and their big bonuses. They are the only ones who profit from war. L'Chaim!

"Israel will launch a diplomatic campaign calling on the United States and France to stop their military assistance to Lebanon " While you're at it, prtitiion the US Senate to get our troops out of Afghanistan.

..but all the while continue involuntary foreign taxpayer donations to the Middle East's biggest charity-case, along with the provision of everything else it can leech from the US taxpayer. How very fair and graceful.

No nation on earth has received as much money as Israel, compliments of the US taxpayer, for purchasing arms as well as developing her own military industry! ... Does hypocrisy know no bounds with the Bibi government?

As in life, there is a point where a small incident triggers a long period of frustration. The constant fly-overs by the IAF is one of them. What if the Lebanese army cut down an Israeli tree blocking their view? You know the answer.

Is that what this latest border incident was all about? To give Israel and excuse to demand the US end support for Lebanon?

the world blames U.S., France and Germany for arming Israel for the never ending Drama in ME

In other words, he "expects" Israel to do nothing at all, to allow the Arabs to shoot at Israelis with impunity.

Reduce the 3 billion bucks we, taxpayers in the U.S., give to Israel every year to the same 400 million bucks we give Lebanon. That way, Israel will cease to be a vassal country and let's put the other 2.6 billion bucks left to good use for us Americans here in the U.S.

Israel violated our terms under the Export treaty. Using our aid for offensive use is forbidden!! Shots fired in the air are not a call for shots fired into someones head.

If being violent disqualified a country from buying and peddling arms, Israel would be reduced to fighting with spitwads and peashooters.

Note this: "Le Roy did not blame either side for the incident, nor did he accept Israel's claim that the Lebanese troops opened fire first." Wether the fence is on the border is much less important than who decided first on "shoot-to-kill". Israel insists that it was the Lebanese, but unfortunately for the IDF spokesmodel's version of events UNIFIL had a front-row seat and saw exactly how things unfolded. Apparently the IDF spokesmodel's explanation doesn't gel with what UNIFIL actually witnessed....

Israel is already armed to the teeth with the most sophisticated weaponry that it feels it doesn't need peace it can impose its will..its time to stop arming Israel

Assuming all years have equal days this means that the palestinians never saw peace for 22,630 days! Ouch now that hurts.

Lebanon has the right to defend its borders and buy weapons of any kind from anywhere. Israel should stop the cowboy mentality and must know by now its military superiority is over!! Lebanon is sick and tired of years and years of abuse by IDF and thsi incident won't be the last in case Israel invade any inch of Lebanon' land. Stop abusing our land, sea and air space. The UN has done nothing to protect (us the Lebanese) from the ongoing Israeli aggressions.

stop arming and giving aid to all middle eastern countries, israel included. this is not our war, it's not our conflict, and picking favorites is just making a lot of people hate us. how about we take the millions we give to lebanon and the BILLIONS we give to israel and put it towards relieving our TRILLIONS of debt instead. just a thought.